Flight of the Dragon

by Jessica Drake

  But I was wrong. He wasn't cold, just armored. He kept his heart protected to shelter the many secrets he held close to his chest.

  “I’m so glad you made it back,” I said, with feeling. “You were gone for so long that I was worried you’d offended the Quoronians and they’d decided to take you prisoner.”

  Tavarian chuckled darkly. “The Quoronians would have sent me back in a box, in pieces, if that had been the case.”

  “Not helping.” I scowled.

  He sighed. “I’m sorry I left you,” he said, looking chagrined. “I wish I never had. If your friends hadn’t been there to rescue you…”

  "Please, don't." I held up my hand before he could continue beating himself up. "You couldn't have known that Salcombe had a tracking spell on me. If it were anyone else who'd been looking for me, I'd probably still be tucked away in that little valley, safe and sound."

  His eyes flared. “Location spell? The headmaster didn’t mention that.” Gesturing to the chairs, he made me sit down, then fill him in on everything.

  By the time I was done, Tavarian’s face was set in a deep scowl. “Of course he would use your hair for the tracking spell,” he said, raking his eyes over my fiery mane. “You have so much of it that you wouldn’t notice if a few strands got clipped here or there.” He paused. “If shaving your head would cancel out the spell, I would do it in a heartbeat.”

  My hands flew to my scalp. “That’s not funny,” I growled.

  “Actually, it is a little funny,” he said, surprising me as the corner of his mouth quirked up. But that brief hint of levity disappeared, replaced by something that looked very much like pride. “You’ve come a long way, Miss Kenrook. Escaping Salcombe’s clutches, downing that airship, and now you’re headed out on your first mission. I’m impressed.”

  I cleared my throat around the lump that was trying to form there. “Yeah,” I said quietly. “And all because you took a chance on a street rat.”

  "You've never been a street rat." His eyes sharpened, and he pulled my dragon blade from a leather pouch sitting by the chair. My heart leaped as he handed it to me, along with my lock pick and goggles. "This blade is proof of that, and one day, when this is all over, we will trace your lineage and find out who your parents were. You deserve to know to which house you belong."

  “Thanks.” I smiled, meeting his gaze. “But I already know which house I belong to.”

  There was a flicker of surprise, followed by sudden warmth, as he smiled at me. “Careful,” he said. “If you keep talking like that, I’ll start to believe you actually enjoy being a dragon rider.”

  I raised my eyebrows. “I do enjoy being a dragon rider. I just don’t enjoy the part where I have to place my dragon’s life in danger just because my country couldn’t get its shit together.”

  Tavarian sighed. “If I could, I’d send you straight back to the valley,” he said. “But I can’t countermand the general’s orders. I sent him a letter regarding Salcombe, and the danger he poses not just to you, but to Elantia and the world as a whole, but I will not hold my breath. The military will merely see this as the ravings of a madman over magical ‘mumbo jumbo’ and will not take it seriously.”

  “Great.” I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to relieve the pressure of an oncoming headache. “Speaking of Salcombe, I ran into some of his friends a few weeks ago.”

  “Oh?” Tavarian’s eyes sharpened. “What did you discover?”

  I filled him in on my trip to the catacombs, what I’d witnessed and overheard in that sepulcher. “It sounds like Red Beard, whoever he is, knows where the piece of heart is.”

  Tavarian sighed. “If you’d been able to get a better description of him, I’d be able to notify the city guards to keep a look out for him,” he said. “I’ll send word to have those catacombs scoured and the temple searched. Perhaps one of the temple staff will be able to tell us something useful, or some of the acolytes are still lurking there.”

  “Maybe.” I doubted any of Salcombe’s followers would continue to meet in the catacombs, not after I’d spooked them. They would have found a new hiding place.

  “I do admit that I assumed Salcombe would be traveling with the piece of heart on him, since he needs it to keep up his health,” Tavarian said, shifting the subject back to the heart. “But I suppose it makes sense that he would have found an alternative. Better to keep an object like that hidden rather than take it place to place while you’re on the run. I checked my dispatches when I stopped at the estate, and read the reports about Salcombe’s detention in Zallabar. His estate here in Zuar City is under guard, and if he manages to escape the Zallabarian authorities and return here, he will be apprehended.”

  “Isn’t there any way that we can snatch him away from them?” I asked. “Since he’s Elantian?”

  “Perhaps we would have had a chance six months ago, but not now,” Tavarian said heavily. “Besides, there is no time for me to attempt it just now. I am leaving for Traggar to see if I can convince them to stand down as well.”

  My eyes widened. “You can’t be serious. They’ll eat you alive!” Hadn’t Lieutenant Bellmont just finished telling me how much the Traggarans hated us?

  I waited for Tavarian to tell me that I was being dramatic, that everything would be fine. But his face settled into grim lines that made my stomach twist.

  “It’s true that my chances of success are not very good,” he said, and for the first time since I’d met him, I hated that he was agreeing with me. “But the Traggarans will hear me out nonetheless. King Zolar is highly capricious, and it is quite possible that he may turn against Zallabar if they annoy him enough. With the right words, I might be able to facilitate such a change of heart.”

  “Right.” The Traggarans weren’t known for keeping their promises, and that included their alliance with Zallabar. If a better opportunity came knocking…

  “If I succeed, and Traggar backs down, your presence will no longer be needed at the channel,” Tavarian went on, rising from his chair. I stood as well, my eyelids heavy. I needed to catch a few hours of sleep so I didn’t fall out of the saddle tomorrow. “The general would be much more amenable to giving you an extended leave so I can spend more time training you and Lessie.”

  The impact of his words hit me, and I blinked away the sudden tears. “Really? You can do that?” I’d thought Lessie and I would be stuck for years, but if this was true…we might be able to come home in a matter of weeks.

  He smiled. “I do have some influence around here.” But his amusement faded, and he took my hand. “I have every intention of making it back alive from Traggar, but there is a very good chance I might not. If things should go wrong, I have made provisions for you and Lessie in my will.”

  I stared at him. “Your will?”

  “Of course. You are both members of my house. No matter what happens, you will always be taken care of.”

  Tears sprang to my eyes, a well of emotions rising inside me. Overwhelmed, I threw my arms around his neck in a spontaneous hug that surprised us both. Tavarian had already done so much for me, but this…

  “Thank you,” I murmured, pressing a kiss to his cheek. A shockwave rippled through me at the gesture, and I felt it hit him too. What was wrong with me?

  Tavarian, who had initially frozen, suddenly wrapped his arms around me, returning the hug. “Stay safe,” he said roughly, his cheek warm against mine.

  Embarrassed, I stepped out of his arms and hastily beat a retreat to my room. But as I put distance between us, I recalled the way his body had stiffened just a brief moment before he’d wrapped those strong arms around my body and sank against me. As if affection was a foreign concept to him.

  When was the last time Tavarian had been hugged?

  15

  After a quick but emotional farewell with Rhia, Lessie and I took off early the next morning with Kade, Ullion, and Daria. My stomach fluttered with nervous excitement as we flew—I'd never visited a military camp and had lit
tle idea of what to expect. Would we be living in tents? Mrs. Browning had made us pack bedrolls, mess kits, and other items suitable for camping. While I was an expert at camping thanks to years of traveling through forests and jungles, searching for buried ruins, I wasn't looking forward to camping year-round. Summer only lasted a few short months, and then the harsh winter winds would be bearing down upon us. I was not looking forward to camping in a tent with snowdrifts piling up around me.

  "If Tavarian's mission to Traggar goes well, we might not be stuck at the camp through winter," Lessie reminded me as we soared over rolling hills dotted with greenery. "We'll be back at the hidden valley in no time, training with Muza again."

  I could tell that the prospect of seeing Tavarian's dragon again cheered Lessie very much, so I patted her neck and smiled. "I hope he comes through, then," I said, ignoring the feeling of dread in my stomach. Tavarian must be good at his job, but I'd never seen him in action as a diplomat, and everything I'd read and heard about the Traggarans told me that they would not be easy to negotiate with. Their hatred for Elantians might be stronger than their capricious tendencies, and if that was the case, no amount of pleading or bribing would sway them from their path.

  It took us twelve hours to fly to the northern border, with several stops along the way to allow the dragons to rest and for us to relieve ourselves. They did not hunt, since more food would only slow us down, and though the riders had packed dried meat and hard biscuits for the journey, we were all ravenous by the time we landed.

  As instructed by Lieutenant Bellmont, the four of us touched down in a wide clearing next to the dragon stables. I was pleased to see the camp was not made up of tents, but buildings constructed of solid timber. The stables were the largest building, with enough room to comfortably house twenty dragons, and I imagined the other large building, located toward the center of camp, were the barracks we'd be staying in.

  Several officers strode out from one of the smaller buildings as we dismounted, their expressions stern. As they approached, close enough to look us all over, I was able to read the surprise and derision all over their faces. They were not pleased to see us, I realized with dismay.

  "Greetings," a tow-headed woman with close-cropped hair said stiffly. Her grey eyes swept over us as we fell in line, and I had to fight against a scowl at the dismissive look she gave us. "My name is Colonel Roche, and I am in command." She gestured to one of the officers, who pulled a pen and notepad from his breast pocket, then stepped up to Kade, who stood at the front of the line. "Name and rank."

  Kade gave it to her, and she went through the rest of us quickly. "Zara Kenrook," I said when she got to me, third in line.

  Her grey eyes narrowed. "The ground-dweller," she said. "Yes, we've all heard of the troublemaker that Lord Tavarian took in." She glanced over my shoulder at my dragon, as if she couldn't believe Lessie had actually chosen me. "General Sarte requested you because of your ‘experience’ with the enemy’s cannons.” The skepticism in her voice made me want to shove her head into one of those cannons so she could get her own personal “experience.”

  Too bad we didn’t have any cannons around here.

  “Regardless of whatever friends you may have in high places,” the colonel went on, “you’ll be expected to follow the rules just like everyone else. Thieving and insubordination will not be tolerated at this camp. Is that understood?”

  She shoved her nose into my face, eyes glittering with disgust. I swallowed back my rage and forced myself to nod. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “I can’t hear you!”

  “YES, MA’AM!” I shouted, loud enough to blow her eardrums off.

  She nodded coldly as she stepped back, unfazed by my sudden volume. “Good. Now get your dragons settled in, and report to the quartermaster.”

  The four of us turned and led our dragons to the stables. The stable master gave our dragons a critical once-over as they were introduced to him, then shook his head. “Babies,” he muttered in disappointment. “They sent us babies.”

  Lessie dropped her head so it was level with his and let out a low growl. But that only made the stable master scowl at me. “Get your dragon under control,” he snapped at me, “or I’ll ground you both for a week.”

  Gee, I'm sure that'll help with the war effort, I thought sarcastically, but I put a hand on Lessie’s flank, warning her silently. Disgruntled, she backed off, though she continued to glare at the man.

  The stable master finished his inspection of our dragons, then assigned stalls to each of them. "Dinner will be served at the mess hall in forty minutes," he said as he walked away. "I'd get a move on if I were you."

  Gritting my teeth, I removed Lessie’s tack and hung it up, then grabbed the brushes and tools hanging from the walls and gave her a quick grooming. As I ran a hand over her scales, checking for rot or damage, another dragon poked his large head through the door.

  "Kadryn!" I exclaimed, my lousy mood falling away instantly. Lessie jumped to her feet with a squeak of excitement so she could rub her snout against his.

  “Jallis must be here, then!” Lessie said, and I could hear the grin in her mental voice. “Are you excited to see him?”

  “It’ll be nice to see a friendly face,” I said, smiling. “Especially who doesn’t think we’re a bunch of useless kids.”

  “We’ll show them,” Lessie said in a heated voice as she settled back down onto her bed of hay so I could finish grooming her. “Those soldiers are just jealous.”

  I smiled at her haughty confidence, but inside I was worried. As much as I hated to admit it, Colonel Roche was right to be concerned about us. Lessie and I weren't thieves—or at least I wasn't, not anymore—but we weren't exactly the best at following rules. The military virtues of discipline and obedience, especially blind obedience, would not come easily to either one of us. If we weren’t careful, we could find ourselves grounded.

  Being grounded would be safer than patrolling the border, I tried to tell myself, but my heart wasn't in it. Yes, I wanted Lessie and me to be safe, but we weren't the type to sit back and do nothing. If there was something we could do to help, we wanted to be a part of it.

  I finished Lessie’s grooming just in time for her dinner to arrive—two whole sheep, freshly slaughtered. Her hunger instantly reminded me of my own, and I left her to enjoy her meal so I could find my own food.

  After a short visit with the quartermaster, who assigned me a bottom bunk in the women's section of the barracks, we made our way to the mess hall. Joining the line, I grabbed a tray and scanned the room, searching for Jallis. It didn't take long to find him—he was at one of the long tables on the far side of the room, talking and laughing with a group of men and women. I frowned, noting that they all appeared to be officers, including Jallis. Was that a lieutenant pin on his breast?

  After grabbing my food—a simple meal of stewed meat, beans, and brown rice—I made my way over to the table. Jallis glanced my way as I approached, and his face slackened with shock.

  “Zara?” He shot to his feet instantly, his fork clattering against his tray. “What are you doing here?”

  “I’ve been stationed here, same as you, apparently.” I frowned, noting the complete lack of warmth in his eyes. He seemed…dismayed to find me here, and my jaw tightened reflexively in anger. “Is that going to be a problem?”

  “No, of course not,” he said hurriedly. “It’s just that I didn’t think you and Lessie would be called out so soon. I thought they’d give you more time to train.”

  “They asked for us because we have experience with the cannons,” I said, raising an eyebrow. “Mind introducing me to your friends?”

  “Oh. Yes, of course.” Jallis seemed flustered. He introduced me to the three other officers seated with him, who all turned out to be dragon riders as well. “This is Manfried,” he said, indicating the stocky, silver-haired man next to him. “He and I are partners.”

  “Nice to meet you,” I said.

  He grunt
ed. “I thought Lyton here was a whippersnapper when they first assigned him to me, but you seem even less experienced.” He pinned his sharp gaze on me. “Have you seen battle?”

  “As a matter of fact, I have,” I said, lifting my chin. “An airship attacked Zuar City a couple of nights ago. They had two of those new cannons mounted on the ship, and they tried to shoot us out of the sky during a training exercise in Briarwood Forest.” Mouths dropped open in shock, and I had to hide a smirk. “One rider and his dragon were badly wounded, but luckily no one else was hurt because my friend Rhia and I flew up into the clouds and destroyed the airship. If we hadn’t used dragon fire to destroy that airship, it might have injured or killed many more dragons. Those shrapnel cannons are deadly.”

  The officers said nothing, and after a second, I realized silence had fallen over the entire mess hall. “Well, that’s what we’ve been up to,” I said brightly. “What about you?”

  Jallis gave me a lopsided smile, quickly recovering from his shock. “Let’s catch up a bit later,” he offered, ignoring the disapproving frown on his partner’s face. “We can compare notes when I go tuck in Kadryn for the night.”

  “Tuck in,” Manfried snorted. “It’s a dragon, not a baby.”

  Jallis’s cheeks pinkened, but he merely said, “It’s an important part of our bonding ritual. You know that.”

  Recognizing I was dismissed, I trudged over to the table where Kade and the others were sitting. “I should have warned you,” Kade said apologetically as I sat down. “The officers aren’t allowed to fraternize with us.”

  “I didn’t realize that Jallis would become a lieutenant so quickly,” I muttered.

  “He and his dragon are older, with more experience, and he comes from a prestigious family,” Ullion explained. “More than likely, his father purchased the commission for him.”