As they ate, Maur talked with Amona about the bear the Lapis believed was killing and leaving deer in the northern regions, past the Red Meadow, near Jade territory.
“We should send a hunter out. If left, that bear could offset the balance of the herd on which we depend for food.”
“I agree. I’ll see to it,” Amona said.
Vahly glanced at Xabier’s table. The newly matured dragon didn’t seem overly bothered by the events of the day like everyone else. He downed a haunch of venison before Vahly could finish her cider. She smiled. He was a good dragon—simple and slow to anger—even if his appetite demanded a frighteningly high count of kills.
At a nearby table, Helena the healer held up a serving of venison. Vahly had shot one of the simplebeasts with her bow during her hunting yesterday. Most dragons thought one kill was nothing, but Helena grinned at Vahly in praise. “Very good meat. I think I have a portion of your kill!”
A few dragons laughed, thinking a hunting human was not much better than a soldier mouse. Would that change when Amona made the bond public? Or would the Lapis only become more hostile toward the failed Earth Queen?
“Thank you, Helena.” Vahly managed a grateful smile. Then Vahly turned to those who had laughed and gave them a smirk. “I’d love to see you bring down prey without fire, wing, or claw. If I’m this deadly as a human, imagine how fantastically horrifying I’d be as a dragon!”
Most of her peers snickered at her bravado, but a few glared, smoke streaming from their nostrils in warning.
Just shut up, Vahly, she told herself. Another jab isn't worth losing your eyebrows.
At the high stone table, directly under the oculus, Lord Maur looked past Amona’s outstretched forearm to eye Vahly. He had smoothed his brown-black hair away from his face, no doubt to show off his aristocratic nose. The noble’s hunting grounds extended from the northern end of the Lapis palace, up into the northeastern mountains bordering Jade territory.
When dragons weren’t fawning over Amona, they were at his heels even when said heels had been up to no good throughout the clan. Partly because idiots considered him handsome, but mostly because of his standing within the clan.
Nix had told Vahly to be wary. She’d said he gained much of his hunting grounds by using bribes to maneuver wealthy enemies’ heirs toward the front lines of the war against the sea folk.
Amona tore a neat length of meat with a flick of three claws as Maur addressed Vahly.
“The earthblood has reddened your face terribly, Earth Queen.” Maur scooted his platter toward a servant for a second helping. The young dragon piled another deer steak near Maur’s seasoned mushrooms. “Do you find that since you matured,” Maur said, “the heat here is too much for your quickly aging human flesh?” He said flesh like most would say dung.
She wanted to tell him where he could shove his platter, but she didn’t want to ruin Xabier's special day with further bickering. Plus, Amona would probably announce the bond soon and Vahly wanted everything to go as smoothly as possible. “The heat is no trouble at all, my lord.”
Thirsty, Vahly motioned to a servant for another drink. Some hated working for her, but she had won most of them over with humor that told them in not so many words that she did not see herself as above them at all.
The servant nodded his purple-blue head and brought over a bronze pitcher of dropcider. After setting Vahly’s goblet in place, he lifted the pitcher high, then poured the amber liquid into the goblet. The distance and splash aerated the cider and made it even more delicious.
Amona leaned close, adjusting a velvet bag on the leather shoulder belt that most dragons wore tucked around their left wing joints. Smoke spiraled from her nostrils, a sure sign she was excited. “I’m going to announce your bonding unless you have an argument.”
Vahly’s heart beat stronger, and she tried to feel completely pleased about the prospect. Why wasn’t she? “I have no argument,” she said as the dragon in charge of the dessert trays walked by. “I just hope this doesn’t end with me as dessert. I would probably be delicious in that vanilla bean pudding.”
Amona stood and unfurled her wings with a loud snap. They stretched behind Vahly and Maur like a curtain. Her eyes took in the room, her gaze a sword point looking for a target.
Every dragon went silent, tucking their wings in tightly in submission to their Matriarch.
Vahly held her breath.
“Lapis,” Amona said. “First, I offer a toast to Xabier.”
Everyone lifted a goblet.
“May you become the warrior your father was,” she said.
The room cheered as one until Amona set her goblet on the table, indicating she had more to say.
“We have a new bonding, Lapis.” Amona’s eyes glowed. The dragons regarded her curiously. “I know this is highly unusual.”
Maur’s head jerked. He stared at Vahly, understanding dawning over his features. “One of a kind, I’d say.” His lip curled.
Amona silenced him with a glance.
He swallowed, dropping his eyes, but the moment Amona looked away, he glared at Vahly.
Vahly stared right back.
“Though this is unique,” Amona continued, “it makes simple, good sense. Because the newly bonded clan member is of a different species, the bonding took far more time. Normally, we bond as younglings. Nevertheless—our Vahly, Touched and destined to rule this earth, heard my Call.”
Shouts went up, along with a few blasts of dragonfire, but muttering and whispering behind clawed hands darkened the glad shouts.
Though she’d guessed most of the Lapis would not love this development, there had been a small, secret part of her that had hoped to see the entire hall welcome her.
Vahly’s stomach turned, and she was glad she hadn’t eaten any of the venison. She could guess what some dragons were whispering. That she didn’t belong at the Matriarch’s side like an advisor. But Amona would never back down on the formality of Vahly’s place as her daughter. They’d had the discussion too many times to count.
The room settled into more eating and even more drinking, then Maur’s voice rang out. “Do you believe this change denotes an alteration in Vahly’s condition?”
Condition. Like she had a disease. Stones and Blackwater, Maur was the absolute worst. She’d say he acted like this because he had low self-esteem and lacked properly sized reproductive organs, but she’d seen him naked, and he was definitely not lacking. Aside from his attitude, his words perked Vahly’s spirit.
“I do,” Amona said proudly.
Hope sizzled inside Vahly. She rubbed her hands together, feeling energized. “Maybe if we did our own ritual similar to the Dragonfire ceremony, my magic would rise. We could stand in a circle—as a clan—and…” She bit her lip. Vahly couldn’t fly. And being in the sky was definitely a key component of the Dragonfire ritual.
Maur’s eyebrow lifted. “And what? Perhaps we could all jump so you would be off the ground with us for a breath?”
The hall broke into laughter, and Vahly felt as if her legs had been cut out from under her. An answer sprang to mind, her focus on defending the integrity of her idea. “I could ride on your back!”
Vahly’s face flushed hotter than the hall’s pits. She should not have said that. She couldn’t believe she’d said it. It hadn’t sounded demeaning and base in her head, but now that she’d suggested riding on the back of a dragon like it was a pony, well…
She grabbed an eating knife, readying to defend herself from claws and teeth.
Even Amona stared at Vahly in shock at what she’d said.
Maur’s lip pulled away from his teeth. A growl purred in his throat. “Your kynd rode simplebeasts. Pack mules. Donkeys. We have never, and will never, lower ourselves to be your simplebeast, human.”
Anger flared through Vahly. “So you prefer to drown in spelled sea water?”
Amona gasped.
One table away, Linexa, the lean dragon that kept the younglings called ou
t. “Please, Vahly. Please. Not in front of them.”
Linexa’s kind eyes went to the circle of young dragons at the back of the hall near the pulley system. Most of them played, ignorant of the argument going on between the adults, but the eldest of the bunch, Ruda, blinked big eyes at Vahly. She’d always liked Ruda. In the healer’s chambers, the youngling often padded around Helena’s feet while they bruised lavender for sleep aids and chamomile for nerves. Vahly had taught Ruda where the best lavender grew in the Red Meadow. The youngling was a quick study.
Vahly’s heart quivered with guilt. Although death was in sight, there was no reason to keep reminding them. “I didn’t intend to frighten you.”
Ruda’s sky blue scales had paled to an icy color similar to Maur’s.
Amona calmly wiped her hands on a towel provided by a servant like it was any regular day. “Linexa, please take the younglings to their rooms.”
Once the young dragons were escorted out of the feasting hall, Amona stood and held her hands wide. “Today, the Sea Queen tested her power against our eastern coast.”
There were gasps and hushed whispers of the Sea Queen’s name Astraea.
Amona silenced them. “Vahly was on the cliffs gathering vivanias and saw the ocean heave and crash.” Her eyes locked on Maur as if driving the desperation of their status home. “The salt water reached three-fourths of the way up the cliffs.”
The arrogance on Maur’s face flew away. He broke eye contact with the Matriarch and leaned back in his chair. But he glanced at Vahly and his look said his anger burned still.
“We must evacuate the lower two floors of the palace tonight. I hate to do this on such a special day for both Xabier and Vahly, but it must be done. We must be over-prepared for our enemy, in case she strikes. Tomorrow, I ask that Lord Maur take a message to the Jade clan concerning this development. We will confer with them and I will let you know what we decide.”
Amona left the hall with two of her servants, presumably to craft her letter for the Jades and oversee the evacuation plans. Vahly knew she would want the story of the ocean’s attack again in detail, so as soon as she had eaten enough to keep her stomach from complaining, Vahly left the hall, too, heading first for the closet of bandages Helena kept nearby. She cleaned her wounded finger with a pitcher of fresh water and a bowl, then wrapped the stinging digit in clean linen.
With an air of impending doom, the clan made their way through the tunnels. Each dragon and their mate, if they had one, possessed a den, forbidden to any other creature except upon invitation. Families gathered, rushing to secure their hoards. Ruda found her father and took his hand.
“Ruda?” Vahly swallowed, feeling bad about scaring her earlier. “Everything will be all right.”
Ruda half-smiled and clutched her father’s hand more tightly.
Vahly sighed, then hurried toward Amona’s double chambers on the highest floor of the palace.
Around the third turn, something blocked Vahly’s boot.
She fell hard on the rocky ground, hands out in time to save her chin. After years of dragons “accidentally” tripping her, she’d grown quite good at falling. It was tough to get the jump on Vahly.
When she gathered herself and looked up, Maur was there with a couple of his closest friends. Huge surprise, she thought wryly.
“My apologies, Earth Queen,” Maur hissed. “I didn’t notice you.”
Vahly brushed herself off, doing her best to retain her dignity. “Listen, Lord Maur. I don’t want to fight with you. Or to disrespect you. I truly don’t. I’d be an idiot to try, and although I am the incarnation of everyone’s lost hopes for the future,” she said sarcastically, “I am no idiot. I realize what I suggested could be seen as insulting but—”
Maur was suddenly in her face. “Could be seen? Could be?”
The scent of dragonfire simmered from his partially open maw. It smelled like a mix of charcoal and something sharp like lemon. It wasn’t unpleasant. Except when the scent preceded being scorched to ash.
Vahly held up her hands in defense, doing her level best not to tremble. “Lord Maur.”
“You think,” he said, “you are destined to save us all, and you parade around here like you are next in line to be matriarch.”
Maur’s own third daughter in fact was next in line. She had been born Touched by the Blackwater mark like Amona. For dragons that meant she was the next matriarch. No bones about it.
“I could never be your leader,” Vahly said, “and well I know it. I have no desire to take such a role. I will fight the sea folk alongside—”
“Allow me to make your situation clear now that we’re clan.” Maur’s words dripped acid. “You are nothing but a mistake.”
Maur’s claw darted out and jabbed Vahly’s Blackwater mark. Pain burst to life, hot and bright. She held her ground and refused to flinch. Warm blood dribbled down her nose and fell into her mouth.
Okay. That was enough. She tasted salt and spit blood to the floor before stepping closer and raising her chin to meet his eyes.
“Are you so afraid of humbling yourself, Lord Maur, that you won’t at least support me in trying to amend this… mistake, as you so aptly named me? One ride, one attempt at a power ritual—that is all I’m asking. If it proves worthless, if it fails to give me any magic, then you can rip me up all you like. For what difference will it make? We will all be dead by sea water in a month’s time!”
She had backed the dragon up three steps.
Maur rose to his full height. The battle dragon’s light blue scales blinked in the sconce’s light and a deadly spark danced through his eyes. “If you think for one moment that any of us would permit you to—”
“Enough.” Amona appeared. Her eyes were half-lidded. She clasped her hands gracefully and stared down her nose at both Vahly and Maur like the Matriarch she was. “My daughter, I would bow my head, take you upon my neck, and fly you to the heavens right this moment if I believed it would help. But it will not. Although the secrets of the human power ritual were lost—and I still hold that there never was one—in the great flood of Bihotzetik, our own dragon records are secure. Never once has there been an instance when a human and a dragon shared a ritual. But because you are sincere in your supplication, I will consider taking you up.”
“Thank you, Matriarch. We are the first to create a dragon-human bond through the Call, so perhaps we will be first in this as well.”
Maur made a noise in his throat. “If the Jades hear of this, they will make war. They will attempt to absorb our clan and well you know it, Matriarch. The human spends half her days with Call Breakers at that cider house. It is shameful that she holds such a high place here.”
Lapis and Jade clan dragons oftentimes called clanless dragons Call Breakers. Their matriarchs—Jade and Lapis both—had tried to bond with them when they were young; they had either fought the bonding and repelled it or they had broken the Call. They claimed to be the only free kynd in the land. Elves, if indeed they still existed, had their court. Jades and Lapis, their Matriarchs. But the clanless had no leader and no leash as they liked to say.
Vahly enjoyed their company. They didn’t belong and neither did she. Even after her bonding, it seemed Vahly would never fit in.
Amona sniffed. “Lord Maur, I am perfectly capable of handling my own reign. Thank you for your concern. Now Vahly, I believe you wished to speak with me?”
She had intended to do more planning and discussing, but now, now she only felt like doing something. Not running her mouth further to no effect. “Forgive me, Matriarch. I have a headache. I think I’ll retire.”
Maur huffed. “Matriarch, I will await your summons in my chambers, if it pleases you.”
“Of course,” Amona said.
Maur bowed slightly, then hurried away with his cohorts. Vahly was glad to see the back of that dragon.
“You’re certain?” Amona asked Vahly, her chamber door open behind her.
“Yes. I’ll see you tomorrow.
”
Amona nodded. “Indeed. We have much to talk about.” She disappeared into her rooms.
And Vahly headed straight for the library. If there was a hidden section, by Stones and Blackwater, she was going to find it.
It was time to stop avoiding possible strategies for survival simply because of age-old feuds or thoughts about what should or should not be a part of life.
If a ritual could be the key to unlocking Vahly’s power, then it only made good sense to break the chains off the scrolls that mentioned the forgotten kynd who loved ceremony, who if Nix’s stories were true, lived by such practices.
The elves.
Chapter Three
Ryton hadn’t planned to be the Sea Queen’s consort. Yes, he’d nearly worked his fins off to become the youngest commander of the Sea Army ten years ago. Yes, he’d wanted power and influence. It was the only way to survive in the underwater world.
Eat or be eaten, his brother used to say when he was alive.
And sometimes, that was not only a metaphor.
But he had not planned on getting this close to Queen Astraea. No one was fool enough to do that. Granted, despite her age, she remained shockingly beautiful. But she was also cruel. Even more cutthroat than Ryton, and he was no angelfish.
Inside the Queen’s multi-tiered rooms, deep within the vibrant, underwater walls of Álikos castle, Astraea walked along the pale sand floor. She idly touched her crown, which peeked through her blue-green hair. Gold made up the base of the diadem, the metal supporting five points of scarlet coral inlaid with pearls and shells.
A luminescent curtain of seaweed grew from the ceiling of her chamber. The leaves cast a bright blue glow over the Queen’s bare shoulders, sea tulip dress, and long, finned legs.
Desire bolted through Ryton and he pushed it away, wishing he could do so forever.
But it was complicated.
“If the Jades use dragonfire to melt our peak near Tidehame,” Astraea said, bubbles rising from her lips along with the small waves of sound, “we will need a new strategy.”
The Queen kicked those lovely legs of hers, and the fins along the sides of her calves and thighs rippled as she swam to one of her many couches. This one was made of the same scarlet coral as the castle walls. A bed of salt moss covered the length of the piece. Astraea lifted a pearl necklace from a bright orange coral shelf and lowered the string over her head. The jewelry nestled in the intricately braided neckline of her dress. The Queen’s cheek dimpled as she looked down at herself.
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