He drank his last swallow as the pub door opened. Two guards entered. Soren hunched over, trying to shield his face from their eyes. He didn’t know if they were looking for him, but he couldn’t take the chance they were from the palace. He snuck a peek at them as they sat at a table by the front door. There was no way he could leave that way without being seen.
His eyes traveled across the room, searching for another way out. He noted the door to the kitchen. It was not far from the staircase leading to the second floor. He had already seen one patron go up, but with no coins left, Soren knew his chances of going that way would be nearly impossible. His only option would be the kitchen.
He waited until the young woman serving the guards came his way. He leaned in, whispering a compliment in her ear. She giggled, leaning in closer to him before sauntering away. He smiled as he watched her hips as she headed to the kitchen. She glanced back at him, a smile playing on her own lips. As soon as she was out of sight, he rose to follow.
“You there! Stop!”
Soren bolted for the kitchen, glancing back when he reached the door. Both guards charged toward him with their swords drawn. He ducked into the kitchen. The serving girl whirled around, alarm in her eyes.
A large woman by the stove turned. “Get out of here,” she exclaimed, waving a wooden spoon at him.
He barreled into her, shoving her out of his way. He ran out the back door and into the alley. Boxes lined the narrow passage. Soren slipped past them as he hurried toward the street.
“Stop!”
Soren didn’t waste time looking back. He burst onto the street, turning toward the market. He could lose the guards in the crowds there. But as he neared it, he saw a guard standing near one of the carts. His eyes scanned the area, noting two more guards. Soren wished for a hooded cloak to hide his face. Slowly, he turned around.
“You there! Halt!”
Soren’s head whipped around. A guard ran toward him. His cry had altered others to his presence, and more guards charged his way. Soren swung around only to find the guards from the pub blocking his retreat. He spied an alley behind the cart beside him. Pushing past it, he leapt over a box blocking the alley opening. He tore down the narrow lane. Behind him, he could hear his pursuers.
Suddenly, a man barreled out of another door. Soren saw the Walencroft guard insignia on the man’s shirt just before the guard slammed into him. The force caused him to hit the wall hard. He grunted as he slid to the ground. The guard grabbed his shirt, hauling him up. A fist slammed into his face, whipping his head backward and into the wall. Dazed, he felt the cool metal cuffs click around his wrists.
Chapter Nine
As they neared the castle, Soren dreaded returning to the cell he had occupied yesterday. Now instead of a weeklong sentence, he imagined he would be there for much longer. His jaw ached, and he wished he had been able to reach Dex. The dragon had not responded to any of his attempts. He couldn’t determine if they were simply too far apart or if the dragon was too deeply in slumber. Either way, there would be no help on that front. He wondered how long Emery would wait for him before realizing something had gone wrong. Or would she merely assume he had taken off without her.
Soren ignored the curious looks from the people they passed on the street. He would have sighed with relief when they passed through the palace courtyard if had not been for the scrutiny of the guards there. He could feel the eyes on him as he was led to the castle. Instead of turning toward the throne room or the dungeon, they led him in a different direction. Where could they be taking him? After a few more turns, they stopped in front of a door. One of the guards indicated for him to enter.
He gripped the metal handle with a shaky hand. He pushed the door open and entered the room with the guard on his heels. A large rectangle wooden table covered with papers took up a majority of the room. Jerrick sat at the table with a sheet of paper in his hand. He looked up.
“Soren,” he said with relief in his voice. He stood, his eyes glancing to the metal cuffs on Soren’s wrists. “I don’t think he needs those.”
The guard undid the cuffs. He glanced at Jerrick. “We will be outside if you need us.”
Jerrick waited until the guard had closed the door. “Where did they catch you?”
“Kenton.”
His brother laughed. “I cannot believe you went back there. This morning they asked me where you would go. I said you would probably get as far away as you could.”
Soren stared at him. “What am I doing here? Shouldn’t I be drug off to the dungeon?”
“Is that where you want to go?” Jerrick smiled. “They asked me to talk to you. I guess they figured you would feel more at ease with me. This morning sometime after they discovered you gone King Arden received word an army does approach from the South.”
“Oh, now they believe what I had to say?”
“Yes. They want to meet with you and your dragon.”
“He isn’t my dragon.” Soren paced the length of the room. “I have done all I promised. I gave the King the message. He didn’t believe me, threw me in the dungeon, marked me with this,” he said, indicating the brand. “I want to be done with this.”
“I heard he branded you. I’m sorry, Soren.” Jerrick frowned. “But what is this about being done?” He stared at him for a moment and sighed. “I should have expected this. You can’t stick with anything, can you? Remember the summer we took off to see the dragons. We watched them from afar, wondering what it would like to have lived in the time of dragon riders. And now you can live what we once dreamed about. But you won’t. You never try. You always give up.”
“You know why.”
Jerrick huffed, holding up his hand. “Stop. Not again. You can’t keep blaming what happened with Addie or how father treated you as the reason to do nothing. Your whole life shouldn’t hinge on those things. I know it has but you can change. This can be your chance. This could be the opportunity for you to do something different, something worthwhile.”
“No. It will all go wrong. Just like it always does.” Soren flopped down on one of the seats.
“Can you arrange a meeting with the dragon?”
Soren nodded.
“How…Can you call him to you?” Jerrick asked, shaking his head. “I don’t know how that works.”
Soren didn’t know what to say. He knew Dex had heard him from this great of a distance before but when he called out to him, the dragon didn’t respond. He shook his head. “I will have to go to him.”
“A guard will escort you there and back.”
“No trust, huh?” Soren shook his head and smiled. “They might escort me there, but I am riding Dex back.” He stood. “How do I know this isn’t a trap? How do I know the King isn’t out to get Dex? Yesterday he talked of killing him.”
“I promise you, Soren. No harm will come to you or your, I’m sorry, the dragon. The King only wants more information on the advancing army. He needs to make plans.”
Soren weighed his brother’s words for a moment before nodding. “I will go get Dex.” He opened the door. The guard outside blocked his way. With a signal from Jerrick, the man moved. Soren looked back at his brother. “I’ll see you in the courtyard in about an hour.”
He rushed out of the building with a guard at his heels. As soon as they were outside the city walls, he tried Dex again.
“Soren,” the dragon replied, the relief evident in his voice. “Emery just returned and was telling us you were nowhere to be found.”
“I’m back at the castle. Some guards caught me.”
“We will come right away.”
“No. Don’t bother, Dex. I'm heading back to you.”
“What? They let you go?”
“Yes. Now they believe me about the army. They want to talk with you.”
There was a pause before Dex answered. “You doubt this?”
“The King threw me in the dungeon, and they discussed killing you. This could be a trap. Maybe they want you back.”<
br />
“We have to risk it. It is what we asked for.”
Soren didn’t respond. He couldn’t imagine his brother would be in on something that would cause him harm no matter how he had messed up in the past. He would have to hope Dex was right and the King only wanted to talk about the advancing army and not make an example of him. Or kill Dex when King Edric arrived. The thought made his stomach tighten.
A few minutes later, Soren and the guard entered the clearing. Emery ran to him.
“I was worried.” She flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around him. Her body then stiffened slightly. She pulled back, a blush crossing her cheeks. “Sorry,” she muttered. “I thought you left.”
Soren sighed, his eyes flirting to Dex. “Did you think that too?”
The dragon hung his head. “For a moment.”
A straggling noise from behind him caused Soren to turn. The guard gaped at the dragon.
“He won’t eat you,” Soren said, “but the other one might.” He headed toward where he had stored the harness. He began putting it on Dex. “I thought about leaving. Briefly.” He glanced at the dragon. “I couldn't reach you.”
“I was asleep.”
Soren’s eyes traced over the dragon’s pale skin, noting it was a tad redder. If he hadn’t Blinked yesterday, he probably would have been back to his normal brilliant color.
“He’s gone,” Emery said.
Soren glanced at her and then to where the guard had stood. “Good riddance.” As he finished buckling the harness, he turned toward Agnot. “How far apart can dragons communicate?”
“Perhaps a couple hundred wingspans. With humans, it is much less.”
“The King will need to be in Dex’s presence to speak with him?”
“Yes.”
Emery handed Soren their packs. “I would expect him to prefer that anyway,” she said and smiled at his puzzled expression. “Well, we humans usually only talk to those in the same room with us. It would be weird to talk over a greater distance.”
Soren stared at her for a moment then he looked at Agnot. “How is it Dex and I can talk over such a long distance? I don’t know how far a couple hundred wingspans are, but I bet it is farther than that to the castle. How is it he heard me the other day?”
“The Blood Bond.”
“How far away can we talk?”
“I am not sure. I have never known anyone that had a Blood Bond.”
Soren glanced at Dex and then asked the next question to Agnot only. “What would happen if the King killed Dex? What would happen to me?”
“You would die.”
He paled. “What?”
The dragon snorted. “No. That wouldn’t happen. You would feel the pain associated with his death. And that alone may make you wish you were dying too.”
Soren gulped. He turned back to the others. “What's the plan?”
“Since you are worried this may be a trap,” Dex said, “Agnot and I discussed it. He will fly with us and circle over the castle. You and I will land in the courtyard. If anything goes awry, he is close enough to help.”
“I will go with you and Dex,” Emery said as she climbed on the red dragon. “I will stay with him while you go speak with the King. I’ll do my best to keep him safe.”
Soren nodded. He quickly climbed aboard Dex, praying they weren’t flying into a trap.
Chapter Ten
Dex circled the courtyard twice, tipping his wings so Soren could see the two guards who waited for them below. The image of being drug off to the dungeon flashed before his eyes. He took a deep breath, trying to remember this visit to the castle would be different. This time he came by invitation. And not by any invitation, one from the King.
But the reminder did nothing for him. His stomach still tightened as Dex landed. His hands shook slightly as he slid to the ground. He helped Emery down, noting the dagger she had tucked under her belt. Their eyes met briefly, and she gave him a weak smile. Her face clearly showed her nerves and for some reason, that reassured him.
His brother waited with the two guards. They stood a respectable distance from Dex. He had to admit seeing the wariness in the guards’ eyes helped. He slowly approached his brother. Jerrick gestured with his head at Emery with a raised eyebrow.
“She is staying with Dex,” Soren said. “As a precaution.”
Jerrick nodded toward the building, and they began walking with the guards following.
“I told you not to worry,” Jerrick said as a guard opened the door to the castle. “The King only wishes to talk.”
Soren glanced back.
“Don’t worry so much.”
He smiled. Easy for the dragon to say. He wouldn’t be the one thrown into the dungeon. He walked with his brother, and before he knew it, they were before the throne room. His stomach tightened as a guard opened the door. He entered, slowly as if his feet were walking through mud.
“Stop worrying,” Jerrick whispered as he moved away, followed by the two guards.
Soren’s eyes swept over the room, stopping on the King. The large man leaned over a table located on the left side of the room. The three other men next to him were also bent over the table. He recognized General Thayer. The man next to him was the one who had suggested killing Dex. The other was a tall, thin man. His shirt was emblazoned on the left chest with the symbol of a phoenix indicating he had magic. Probably the court wizard, Soren guessed.
“I will send out the messages as soon as we are done here,” the wizard said as his eyes slid from the King to Soren.
A momentary dark look crossed the man’s face, but it happened so fast Soren wondered if he had even seen it. A heavy-set man carrying a rolled parchment pushed past Soren. He spread it before the others.
“Yes, this was the one I wanted. Thank you, Rodar,” the King said. His eyes drifted to Soren, and he gestured him forward.
Soren slowly walked closer.
The General leaned over the map. “The message puts the army here as of this morning. It means they have already passed Hull and Whitehaven. We didn’t receive a warning. It would help if we knew the size and scope of this army.”
“We can get that now that we have a dragon rider,” King Arden said.
Soren almost turned around to search for this dragon rider before he realized the King was referring to him. Suddenly, pain seared in his side. Dex roared within his mind.
“Dex! What happened?” Clutching his side, Soren glared at his brother. “You said we’d be safe.”
“One of the guards jabbed me. Emery, watch out.”
King Arden held up his hand. “Don’t hold this against him. I ordered my guards to do that as a test. You have a Blood Bond with the dragon.”
“What’s happening?” Soren demanded of Dex. He only half heard what the King had said.
“She went after them with her dagger. They disarmed her.”
“Is she okay? Are you?” He noticed the King and others were staring at him. “Sorry, your Majesty,” he said as Dex responded they both were fine. “I was…never mind, what did you say?”
“You share a Blood Bond with the dragon. How? How did this happen?"
Soren sighed. “It wasn’t planned. I only learned about my connection to Dex afterwards.”
King Arden studied him for a moment. He stepped forward until he was only a pace away from Soren. “Tell me how you meet…this dragon. What did you call him?”
“Dex. Well, actually his name is Reddex. I meet him five or six days ago when he asked me to approach you and tell you about the invaders.”
The King paced a few steps away before turning back to Soren. “He approached you?” He waited until Soren nodded before continuing. “And the Blood Bond?”
“We were attacked outside a village in Northern Sholar. We were both injured and in our escape, some of his blood mixed with mine.”
“Hold up,” General Thayer said. “You met the dragon five or six days ago? You couldn’t have gotten from Sholar to here that quic
kly!”
“We did. I met Dex on the banks of the Thane River less than a week ago. Since then we have been to Northern Sholar and back.”
“How?” the General asked, his eyes wide.
“We Blinked.”
“What?”
Soren noted King Arden didn’t seem surprised by the notion of Blinking and wondered how much the King knew about dragons. The General cleared his throat, and he realized the man was still waiting for an answer.
“We Blinked. That is what Dex called it. I don’t know how they do it, but the dragons transport themselves instantly from one place to another. We Blinked to a village in Northern Sholar and two days later we Blinked back.”
“Hmm...” the General said, stroking his beard. “This Blinking may come in handy.”
The King smiled. “An alliance with the dragons should prove beneficial. Did Reddex tell you how the dragons can help?”
“I know the dragons are planning an attack to slow down the army, but the Southern dragons won’t be stopped until someone gets the scepter controlling them.”
“What is this? A scepter?” The wizard stepped forward.
“I don’t know much about it. Your best bet is to ask Dex.” Soren took a deep breath. “Before you do, I wanted to say something. I am not sure how much help I will be. I am not a dragon rider. I have only known Dex for a week.” He gestured toward Jerrick. “My brother can tell you. I am not the one you want to help. I can’t do anything right.”
Jerrick opened his mouth. Before he could say anything, King Arden held up his hand.
“I spoke with your brother this morning. He has given me some…insight, if you will. Whether you are the right man for the job or not, you are our connection to the dragons. And they may be our best chance for defeating this army,” he said with finality. "Now, introduce me to your dragon.”
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