Carissa laid her hand on his arm. “You had no way of knowing.”
Tevor shook her hand away and when he continued his voice was stronger. “We knew nothing of the attack until we returned. It was horrible. Carnage everywhere. I have been in battle before but the destruction…the burned bodies. We found one person alive. It was he who told us of the dragons attacking.”
“Where is he?”
“He died,” Carissa said. “His injuries were too bad.”
Soren felt Dex approaching. “We have company.”
“Who?”
“The people from yesterday.”
“The ones that attacked you? Do I need to rescue you again?”
Soren smiled. “No.” He noticed the others staring at him. “Sorry. I was letting Dex know you were here.”
A panicked look crossed Delwin’s face. The boy shook, and his mother wrapped her arm around him.
Bevin’s eyes turned to the sky. “The dragon? Here?”
Soren laughed. “Yes, here he is.” He gestured as Dex flew into view. “If you want to come with me, you are going to have to ride him.”
“You will take us?” Bevin asked, his eyes still on Dex as the dragon landed.
“I’ll discuss it with him.”
“You said you spoke to him,” Tevor said. “How?”
“It is like…projecting your thoughts to him instead of speaking aloud. We can do it over some distance.” He put his dagger back in its sheath as he looked at Dex. “This is Reddex. And this is Carissa, Tevor, Bevin and of course, Delwin, who you met yesterday. Bevin and Tevor want to come with us.”
“They do?” Dex asked, and the others jumped as his voice entered their minds. Delwin let out a small squeal. “For what purpose?”
Bevin shot Soren a questioning look.
“You can speak to him aloud.”
Bevin swallowed hard as he faced the dragon. “I need to rejoin my unit. I need to be in the fight to stop these invaders.”
“And I,” Tevor said, “want to help too. I have a son to avenge.”
Soren sighed, envisioning this would be like Emery all over again, but at least this time he could see how Tevor and Bevin might help.
“What do you think, Soren?” Dex asked.
Startled, he stared at the dragon. “You are asking me? You didn’t seem to care about my opinion when you invited Emery to come.”
“That was different.”
“Yeah, she called you magnificent.” Soren noticed Bevin and Tevor watching them closely. “We will need straps to expand the harness. Trust me when I say you will want something securing you to Dex.”
“We can come?” Bevin asked.
Soren nodded.
The man sighed with relief as his eyes traveled over Dex. “I agree a harness is a must. Many of the buildings in the village were destroyed but perhaps there can be something useful in Barton’s stables. I think I saw part of it still standing.”
“Where are these stables?” Soren asked.
“It will be easier if I show you. Plus I can search for supplies while you find what you need.” Without waiting for Soren to agree, the young man grabbed his sword and walked toward the forest. “Let’s go.”
Soren hesitated for a moment before jogging a few steps to catch up to Bevin. He wasn’t sure why he had agreed to let them come. Maybe it had something to do with needing reassurance that if something went wrong, and he knew it would, someone else would be there to share the blame. He also knew to stop the advancing army, they would need as much help as possible. His mother had often said one man could make the difference.
As they walked, he wondered about Bevin and his family. Had he been a fool to go off with one of them? He had no fear Dex could take care of himself but a part of him wondered if he was safe going off with Bevin. He wished he had grabbed his staff before they left. At least, he had his dagger.
As they neared the village, Soren couldn’t tear his eyes from the burnt remnants of the buildings. Everything was burned. If it wouldn’t burn, it was knocked over. They stepped over some stones as they made their way down the street. The stench of burnt wood and decaying flesh coated the air like a blanket. It wasn’t until he smelled it that he saw the bodies of men, women, and children. All dead. He adverted his eyes for fear of seeing another little girl like Addie or someone who might remind him of Jerrick.
He watched Bevin. The man’s eyes watered as his jaw became rigid. Soren’s eyes traveled to the man’s hands that were tightly fisted. He knew he would feel the same anger if this had been his village.
Finally, they reached the other side of the small town, and Soren caught sight of the stables, or rather what was left of them. The whole right side of the large building had been destroyed by fire. The other side still stood and beyond it, part of a house remained. He guessed it was the location away from the village and near the forest that had saved the buildings from complete destruction.
“I’ll check out the main house,” Bevin said. His voice was thick with emotion, and he didn’t look at Soren as he left.
Soren walked to the half-demolished stables, hoping the storage rooms were part of what remained. He tried to advert his eyes as he walked through the burned half of the building. But he still saw the carcasses of the horses who burned in their stalls. He hurried to the first storage room. His hand twitched slightly as he opened the door. The room held a cot as well as brushes, lead ropes and other items for the care of the horses, but no harnesses.
He opened the next door and found the tack room. Saddles lined one wall, but it was the back that held his attention. It was missing. Pieces of it lay across the floor as if a dragon tail might have smashed in the wall. Stepping over the debris, he spotted several harnesses hanging from pegs near the destroyed section. He ran his fingers over the leather, searching for any damage from being exposed to the elements or from the fire that had raged nearby.
The door creaked open behind him.
“That was quick,” he said to Bevin as he turned.
Too late he saw the staff coming at his head. The wood whacked his temple. Pain shot through his head as he stumbled backwards. He tripped over something, falling to the ground.
“I saw you. I saw you with your dragon. You won’t take another thing from us.”
Soren saw double for a moment. He blinked bringing into focus the old man who stood over him. He saw wide eyes and crazy grey hair for a moment before the staff hit him again, and the world went dark.
Chapter Seventeen
Soren opened his eyes but couldn’t see anything. His head pounded. He tried to lift his hand to the sore spot over his left eye but couldn’t. He could feel rope binding his wrists and ankles. The rope ran between the two effectively preventing him from lifting his arms. The air smelled of cool, moist soil, reminding him of the cellar at his childhood home. His eyes searched for a trace of light in the dark room as his ears strained for any sound.
“Dex?”
“Soren?” There was relief in the dragon’s voice. “Where are you?”
“Ugh. I don’t know. It is dark. Where are you?”
“At the stables. What happened?”
“An old man. I remember seeing an old man.” Soren shook his head and immediately regretted the motion as his head throbbed. “What are you doing at the stables?”
"Looking for you.”
"I don't understand. How did you know I was in trouble?”
“I felt your pain. But we couldn't find you. Bevin found marks in the tack room like someone dragged you from it.”
A light blinded Soren. It took him a moment to realize a part of the ceiling had opened. The old man climbed down the ladder, closing the trap door behind him. The room was dark once again.
“The old man has returned.”
Soren could hear him fumbling around in the dark. The man lit a lantern, the soft light washing over his face. Soren could make out uncombed grey hair that framed a wrinkled face. He was small, hardly taller than fiv
e feet and thin, but Soren knew he must be strong if he had been able to drag him here.
“Dex, he came through a trap door. The stable or house must have a cellar.”
“We saw nothing in the stables. I'll have Bevin check the house again.”
The old man stepped forward, a dagger in one hand and the lantern in the other. “Your dragon is above, but he won’t find you. No one will.” He stopped next to Soren, affixing the lantern to a metal hook hanging from the ceiling. It swayed above, alternating between casting the man’s face in shadow and illuminating it. “You shouldn’t have stayed around. You should have left with the others.”
Soren struggled to make sense of the man’s words. Others? He had mentioned Dex, but the dragon hadn’t left. The man must think he was with the army that had destroyed his home.
“We didn’t attack your village. We are with King Arden’s army.”
“Lies! Dragons are not part of the army.” A tear rolled down the man’s weathered face. “Why? Why did you attack us? We did nothing to you.” The old man spun around. His shoulders shook as he pressed a hand over his eyes. He sobbed for a moment before the sound broke off. He stood still, his shoulders stiff. By the time he turned to face Soren, all signs of sorrow were gone. His eyes were like steel as he knelt beside him. He pressed his knee into Soren’s chest. His hand lashed out, grabbing Soren's arm. “My son died.” He drew the knife across Soren's right arm, making a long shallow cut. “And his wife.” He sliced into Soren's arm again. “And both my grandsons.”
Soren grimaced as the man made two more shallow cuts on his other arm. The man raised the knife above his head. He jabbed it into Soren's shoulder. As Soren screamed, he heard Dex’s roar in his mind.
The man froze. He looked toward the ceiling. His eyes returned to Soren as he pulled the dagger from his shoulder. He stabbed him again. This time Soren heard Dex from above as well as inside his own head.
“You and the dragon are connected.” The man pulled the dagger out as he rose. “He feels your pain. Do you feel his? Will you feel it when I kill him?” He tossed the bloody dagger onto the table. He grabbed a sword and belted it to his waist. “I want you to suffer. I want you to feel the pain I feel. And after you have suffered, then and only then I might let you die.” He glanced toward the cellar door. “But first to kill your dragon. Lucky for me, I set a trap in case another dragon showed up here.” He grabbed a spear as he headed for the ladder.
“Dex, he is coming for you. Fly away.”
“I am not leaving without you. How bad are your hurt?”
The old man opened the trap door.
“I can…could see the sky,” Soren said as the door closed, leaving him with the dim lantern as light. “The door opens to the outside.” He struggled against the ropes. His shoulder throbbed, and he could feel the blood trickling down his arm.
“How bad are you hurt?” Dex repeated.
“Don’t worry about me. Just get away.”
“I think I see him.”
“Dex, fly away. Please.”
“Bevin, he came from behind the main house. I will distract him. Find Soren.”
“No!” Soren struggled to sit up. His chest exploded with pain as he moved. He gritted his teeth and ignored it as he sat up. He pulled at the ropes binding his ankles. Pain shot through his leg. “Dex!”
“I am fine. The spear barely grazed me.”
“I told you to leave.”
“And I told you I am not leaving without you.”
The rope around his ankles loosened a little. Waves of dizziness washed over him. Sweat trickled down his forehead as his shoulder throbbed. As he pulled frantically at the rope, the trap door swung open. Someone hurried down the ladder. The frame of the person was too big to be the old man. Soren searched for a weapon, but there was nothing close. The man stepped forward into the light. Bevin. Soren breathed a sigh of relief.
“Hurry! We have to help Dex.”
Bevin pulled a knife and sliced the ropes binding Soren’s feet and wrists. “Let me see your shoulder.”
Soren pushed him away as he rose to his feet. “It is fine.”
Bevin grabbed his arm. “You can't help if you pass out.” He reached into his bag and pulled out a cloth. “Hold this,” he said as he pressed it against the shoulder wound. He took off his belt and used it to secure the material into place. “That will have to do until we can seal it.” Bevin's eyes traveled to his stained shirt sleeves.
“They are shallow. They can wait.”
Soren rushed to the table. Beside the bloody dagger lay his own blade. He grabbed it and hurried to the ladder. His hands shook slightly as he gripped the wood. He called out to Dex in his mind. Panic filled him when the dragon didn’t answer. He reassured himself he would know if something happened. He would feel it.
The sun light temporarily blinded him as he left the cellar. Shielding his eyes, he scanned the sky for Dex. He spotted the red dragon on the other side of what was left of the house. Without a thought, Soren began to run. He heard Bevin calling for him to wait but didn’t stop. His feet quickly followed the path which ended about twenty paces from the house. The old man stood a dozen paces away. In one hand, he held the sword and in the other a lantern. His eyes were on Dex as he lifted the lantern over his head. The district smell of smit oil filled the air. Soren glanced at the ground in front of the man. He saw the yellowish sheen of the oil as it trailed away from the man toward the house.
He must be crazy, Soren thought. Smit oil was highly flammable. It was often used in the smithy to stoke the fires hotter in the forge. Then he realized the trail led to the house Dex was about to fly over.
“No!” he yelled. “Dex, stop!”
The old man threw the lantern on the ground. It shattered. The oil erupted in flame. The fire quickly followed the trail of oil to the house. Suddenly, fire burst out the top of the chimney. Dex swerved. The flames barely missed him. The old man howled as he stomped his foot. He turned toward Soren. His eyes were wild as he held out his sword and charged forward.
“Barton, stop!” Bevin with his sword drawn stepped in front of Soren.
Barton swung wildly at Bevin. The man easily deflected his sword. Bevin kicked out his foot, tripping the old man. He fell hard to the ground. Before Bevin could even move, the man rolled to his feet. He moved with more agility than Soren thought possible for an old man. Again, Barton rushed toward Bevin. And once again, the guard deflected the old man's sword easily.
“Barton, stop,” Bevin pleaded with the man. “Your fight isn’t with him. It isn’t with me.”
Barton shook his head. He swung at Bevin. The guard sidestepped the attack. He jabbed his blade into Barton’s chest. The old man stopped, a surprised expression on his face. His eyes were on Bevin as he crumbled to the ground.
Soren heard Dex’s wings. His vision dimmed, and the world swirled before his eyes. He barely heard Dex’s voice calling to him as he collapsed.
***
Soren opened his eyes to see Bevin leaning over him. Dex nudgred the man away with his head. The dragon’s warm breath blew over Soren’s face, ruffling his hair. His hand shook as he reached out to touch Dex's jaw. He pushed him away as he sat up.
“I am fine, Dex. I just got dizzy for a moment.”
“It was more than that,” Bevin said. He peered under the cloth securing the knife wound. “We need to seal this.” He gestured toward the burning house. “It shouldn’t be hard to find something there. At least, we have a fire already going.” His brown eyes traced over Soren’s face. “But I think your collapse had nothing to do with your wound. You haven’t lost that much blood. It is something else. When is the last time you had a drink?”
Soren raised his eyebrows. "A drink?"
“My uncle drank too much. I know the signs.”
“What signs?”
“His hands would shake like yours. The dizzy spells, the racing heart.” He shook his head. “Never could stop for long. Killed him in the end.�
��
Soren avoided Bevin’s gaze. “I’m sorry,” he muttered, while thinking the two cases were different. Yes, he drank and often to excess, but he didn’t have a problem. He could stop. His mind flashed back to this morning. He had put away the flask without taking a drink. Surely if he had a problem, he wouldn’t have been able to do that.
“My father…he took the death hard,” Bevin said. “He has strong views on those who drink. It is probably best this is kept from him.”
Soren nodded more because he didn’t know what to say than agreeing with Bevin.
The guard returned the nod as if to seal the deal. “I’ll find a rod.”
Soren watched him leave. He dreaded sealing the wound, but it had to be done. He rose, wobbling slightly. He checked Dex’s wound. The spear had left a small cut a few inches below the area where Dex had been hit with the dagger in Sholar. That mark had already faded and was barely noticeable.
“You heal fast.”
Dex swung his head around to regard him. “I knew you were not feeling well the past few days. Is Bevin correct? Is it because you haven't drunk that vile stuff?”
“No.” Soren shuffled his feet as Dex continued to stare at him. He sighed. “Maybe. I don’t know. It’s been...”
“Three days.” Dex chuckled when Soren raised his eyebrows. “Don’t be surprised. I feel the effects every time. I feel how it clouds your mind. What I don't know is what you are trying to forget.”
Soren’s hand automatically reached for the necklace. He grabbed the stone pendant as brown eyes flashed before his eyes. He could see Addie's impish smile, followed by her disappointment when he told her to leave him alone. He had ordered her to go home, but she hadn't. That was the last time he had seen her alive.
Everything after that moment had been his fault. He should have known she would follow him in the first place. And instead of ordering her home, he should have taken her there. He could have stopped her from crossing the rushing water.
Blood Bond Page 12
