“Nothing comes to mind. It’s been a hundred and fifty years—King Ignacio died young for a dragon. I wish I had pried deeper into what he went through, but I realize now that maybe he didn’t want anyone to know of what happened. So what secrets could he have died with?”
“I don’t know, but we need to find out. Did he keep any kind of record? A journal of sorts?”
“Not that I know of. I can’t picture him doing such a thing, but he might have thought it useful. I fear it is getting too late to start a search now—I suggest we go to bed and begin our search tomorrow.”
I stifle a yawn by taking a sip of my tea. “I agree. Thank you.” I stand to leave.
“You’re welcome.” He nods.
A COLD BREEZE BRUSHES over me as a bit of light disappears, a shadow blocking its path. I look up at the face of the dragon who brought me here. “Who are you? And what do you want with me?” I unfold my wings and use them to block out some of the light so I’m not blinded.
“Are you ready to listen? Or should I leave you down here to rot further?” he asks, ignoring both of my questions.
“I want to know why I’m here,” I growl, hating how trapped I am.
“Well, I will be glad to tell you, but first, you must listen. So I ask again, are you ready? Or should I leave you to think on your own?”
“I am ready to listen.” My voice breaks as I submit, and I bow my head.
“Follow me.” He turns around and walks back the way he came.
I go after him, not wanting to lose my chance. If I hear him out, hopefully it will mean getting out of here sooner.
He leads me back to the first room. I wish to know where Khende is, but the dragon made it very clear I was not to speak until told to, and ignoring that already earned me a night in captivity. I can’t afford any more of those.
The undead dragon takes up his broken throne. “Know that every choice you make from here on out comes with a heavy burden. Second, understand that even if you wish to interrupt, if you think you know the answer, do not speak until asked for it. Third, you must allow me to tell you everything before making your choice. Do you understand these rules?”
I desperately feel the need to remark on this so-called game. I wish to have no part of it. But the rules are clear, and I’ve already seen how much disobeying can cost me. “I do.” I nod.
“Good. Now before I continue on, I wish to tell you a story. Itrummortui was designed to trap a dragon of the darkest power so he could never harm those who dwelled within the kingdom he once ruled. He didn’t believe he deserved the punishment, but unable to leave, he did with it what he could. He called it his home, he made it his new kingdom, and he ruled for thousands of years.
“And then one day, he had an idea so bright, the thought blinded him, and the game was invented. His powers had grown so much, he thought to use them in such a way that he could hurt those who trapped him so long ago.
“From then on, as a new dragon king was given reign, they would pay. Cursed, they would be a dragon for all their days unless they went searching for freedom, and instead they would find the city of the undead. The king used his time alone to devise the perfect challenge.
“Each new king would be put to the test. They could trade places with the trapped king, become ruler over the city of the undead, and live happily ever after, knowing their former home was being watched over by the most powerful dragon ever to live.
“Or they could return home to a land cursed forever, where suddenly no crop would grow, no water would fall, and the queen or soon-to-be queen would become victim to the same curse as her beloved, only in reverse, never able to transform into a dragon again. And thus the kingdom would have no heir.
“Aurelio, the choice is now yours. Give me your kingdom, trade me lives, and all you hold dear will be protected. Your fiancée will be loved and cared for, and the world will go on believing you died a hero.”
“Tell me. If you’re trapped here, bargaining for your freedom and my imprisonment, how could you do anything to hurt those I love?” Why anyone would choose to rule over this wasteland is beyond me.
“You are free to leave at any point in time. However, without first playing the game, your curse remains.”
“What exactly is this curse?”
“Ours, Aurelio. The curse of every king ever to have ruled over Dracameveo. Should you choose to leave now, you will return home a dragon, and in that form, you will forever remain. And your dear sweet fiancée will forever be stuck in her human body.”
“Why does such a curse exist? What have I done to deserve punishment such as this?” I would be willing to accept my fate if only Zanta’s wasn’t attached.
“You are a dragon. You were born, you were raised, you were taught, and now you’re king. That is all it takes. The curse was not created for you alone. I told you the story. Now tell me, what future do you see for yourself? One as a dragon forever, a king alone, or the ruler of a place where you set all the rules, and you can be whatever you want to be?”
“I want to be in Dracameveo, marrying the love of my life, and ruling over my kingdom until my time is up and age is no longer my friend.”
“Very well. Aurelio, you have chosen to return home. A very brave choice, even if not wise. You will be tasked with games that will test your strength, wisdom, and courage.” The king’s voice darkens with every word, ending at just above a whisper as he leans forward, glaring at me as if angry that I did not free him.
“Return him to the dungeons.” With a wave of his claw, the king sends me away. The shadows wrap around me, pulling and tugging as they squeeze me in a cocoon of darkness, my wings trapped and hurting at being bent and wrenched back and forth.
The darkness envelopes me, taking me deeper and deeper until there is no light left to be found. Slowly, as if time has all but stopped, we descend farther until suddenly, I am dropped to the floor with no warning.
A faint glow keeps the room visible, but only barely. I look up, but there is nothingness above me. This room is not where they kept me last night.
“Good luck, young king. You’re on your own to leave this cave. When a drop of light falls your way, death will come to eternalize your stay,” the king of the city of the undead says, his voice bouncing all around me.
I brush my wings against the walls, hoping to feel anything that will give me a clue as to how I can escape. It seems the only option is up, but it doesn’t seem like anything here would be that simple.
“I forgot one thing.” The king’s voice returns. “You did wish to be your human self again. Wish granted.”
Crippling pain grips me. I fall, spread out on the ground, breathing heavily as I wait for the agony to pass. When it finally resides, I stand, now human. A sinking feeling overcomes me.
“I’m so sorry, Zanta. You don’t deserve this.” I sit down, wrapping my arms around my knees, trying to hold in any amount of warmth I can. In dragon form, I could’ve flown out of here. It was risky, but the only obvious way to escape. But now wingless I may be stuck down here forever. With the last glimmer of hope left in me I focus, trying to shift. But to no avail. Nothing changes. I remain human.
“Your Highness?” The clicking of hooves on the cold, hard floor pulls my attention to the shadows.
“Khende?” I scramble to my feet and approach with caution.
“Aurelio, I thought I’d lost you.” His voice shakes. He’s probably cold too.
I sigh, both in relief and with more panic. I feared for Khende’s fate, but I didn’t want him down here with me. At least I know he’s safe.
“Have you been here since we first arrived?” I sit back down.
“Indeed. Well, as soon as you were thrown in the dungeon. And not a bit of water or bite of bread. It’s cold, and to be quite honest, I don’t like it down here. So, oh great dragon king, do you have a plan to get us out?” The satyr sits beside me, teeth chattering, glaring at me as he waits for an answer.
“I don’t know,
Khende. I truly do not. I’m human again, unable to turn back into a dragon. He’s dumped us into a pit, and as far as I am aware, up is the only way out. We cannot climb the nothingness. Please tell me that in the short while you’ve been down here with nothing to do, you’ve discovered a secret way out.”
“Had I found such a thing, do you truly believe I would still be here?”
“I don’t know. But I suppose sitting here will do nothing for us. Come on.” I grunt as I stand. “Help me look.” I feel the wall hidden in the darkest shadow, running my hands all over it, but nothing sticks out. Not even a single stone. The wall is smoother than water.
I continue walking around in the circular pit, reaching high, bending low. When the wall bears no answers, I get down on my knees and begin feeling the ground. It feels like the room has gone colder than before. Wearing only a simple tunic and breeches, I had already feared the cold would kill me, but as the room becomes more like ice, I fear that even if I found a way out, I would not survive long enough to use it.
“Do you think you could lift me?” I turn to Khende, who still remains seated, clearly cold yet unwilling to help me find us a way out.
“Certainly not. You are at least twice my size. ,” he scoffs.
“Still, you do not think you could do it?” I gaze at the wall, looking above where I could reach on my own. It doesn’t appear to be smooth—the pieces are jagged and sticking off in different directions.
“Of course not. Why ever would you want to anyway?” He looks at his hands, fiddling his thumbs.
“Look.” I point. “Up there, the wall isn’t smooth. If you can hoist me up, I bet I could climb it.”
“Do you truly believe you could do such a thing? Think of how far you fell. You believe you can carry your own weight all the way back up, never letting go of the wall?”
“How would you know how far I fell to get down here?” I take a step toward him, curious as to why he doesn’t want to get out.
“I fell too, you know.”
“The king said this was a test of strength, wisdom, and courage. I have to get back to Zanta, to my kingdom, and I will do whatever is in my power to get there. So, yes, if climbing is what it takes, so be it, but I do not know if I can reach it on my own. I ask again, is there any chance you could lift me up on your shoulders so I can at least attempt to make it back home?” I stand straighter, trying not to admit defeat so early on. It’s cold, and I’m starving. I ache from being in dragon form for so long and then being turned, against my will or knowledge, back into a human.
“What makes you think you’ll be able to climb out of here, anyhow? What’s to say there isn’t a cap above us, stopping us from doing just that?” Khende gets to his hooves, but still doesn’t make a move toward helping me. “If the cursed king who dropped us down here thought we could climb it, he wouldn’t have made it this easy.” Khende whines.
“This isn’t easy, and that’s why I have to try it. Right now, it is my only chance at escape, at returning home. If the undead king wants proof that I have the strength and the will to get back, I will give it to him. I’d climb a thousand of these walls if that’s what it took.”
“I’d be more careful of what I say in this place. The monster up there might just take that as a wish and grant it.” The satyr harrumphs. He approaches the wall I’m looking at before turning back to me.
“Come along, Aurelio. Let’s get this over with.” He holds out his hands for me to use as a step.
I back up a few paces, preparing myself to run and leap. It will give me a better chance. I go, barely making it into a sprint due to a lack of space, but I step down into his hands and immediately hit my head against the wall. Khende was right—he can’t hold my weight. And that’s the last thing that comes to mind before everything fades away.
I CAN FEEL THE sunlight pouring into the room, but still refuse to open my eyes. I’m not ready for another day of acting as queen. My mind begs for more rest. And so I stay, knowing that any moment now, Castel will have Georgianna come wake me.
I turn over in an attempt to get more comfortable only to hit my hand across the top of the four-poster bed, causing it to make a horrible noise as it breaks apart. Only it’s not my hand. My eyes fly open. I sit up only to crush the bed entirely while managing to knock the night table over and ripping the curtains from their rods in one swift swing.
I’m not human anymore. I look down at my magenta-tipped silver scales, my heart racing as I try to turn around without hitting anything else. Not that I could do much more damage.
A loud gasp and the sound of porcelain shattering against the floor startles me. I tense up, trying not to breathe as I slowly look back at the door.
“My lady, whatever happened?” Imani asks, trying to be polite but clearly in shock.
“I’m so sorry.” I attempt a whisper, but it comes out more a roar, making the situation even more horrible. I feel more guilty by the moment.
“I will get Castel for you.” She nods, turns around, and leaves, not bothering to pick up the tray filled with food—and now broken dishes—she’d brought to serve me breakfast.
I close my eyes and try to change back into my human form, but nothing happens. A dragon I remain.
“What in dragon fire happened in here?” Castel asks, stepping into the room and assessing all the damage.
“I don’t know, Castel.” I turn my whole body so I’m facing him. Something falls to the floor and breaks behind me—something important, based on Castel’s cringe—but at least I’m no longer facing the wall. “I honestly, truly have no idea. I woke up like this and am now unable to transform back into my human form.”
“Do you think Aurelio angered whoever placed this curse upon you two?” Castel asks.
“I surely hope not. The idea was to break the curse, not switch who was human and who was dragon for the rest of our lives.”
“The people will be informed that their future queen has fallen ill and will remain in bed for the day,” Castel says before turning to my three maids who are all standing behind him, trying not to gape. “No one is to enter this room besides myself. Do you understand?”
All three women nod.
“Good.” He nods before turning back to me once again. “I’d suggest you lie low for a bit. We don’t need the people asking any questions or beginning to wonder if we’re telling them the truth at all.”
“I agree. Thank you, Castel,” I say sincerely, grateful to have him on my side.
“You’re welcome, Your Highness.” He bows his head before turning and leaving.
A warm feeling of belonging spreads within me. He called me “Highness.” He addressed me as royalty.
That moment was the best all day. Every minute afterward was spent waiting for night to fall so I could get out and eat like the dragon I was.
EVERYTHING HURTS, BUT it’s my head that throbs, as if being beaten from the inside. It’s cold, too, which doesn’t help. I sit up, looking around. Oh, yes—Khende’s failed attempt at lifting me up so I could climb the wall.
He’s now leaning against it near my feet, shivering uncontrollably. “Do you think you could climb the wall if I lift you up?” I press my palm against the side of my head and stand.
“Frozen like ice? Surely not. I can barely move my mouth. You think I could lift my arms?” He coughs.
“And here I thought you wanted to escape as well,” I mutter under my breath, not really caring for him to hear me, but wishing I could scold him for being utterly useless in the situation.
I stretch my arms and neck, working out the cold and tiredness. I walk back against the wall, giving myself plenty of running room. After taking a couple of deep breaths, I look to each side before moving, running forward with every bit of strength I can muster.
I jump at the last possible second, barely grazing my hand across the rough section of the wall. I return to the opposite side and close my eyes, breathing heavily as I prepare myself mentally to succeed. Once I start c
limbing I won’t be able to rest until I reach the top. No taking a break, no jumping back down if I fail.
“Tell me, King—are you truly going to attempt climbing the wall? With no idea how far up you have to go?” Khende sounds more awake, more alert.
“It’s my only option. I have to get out here. For Zanta, for Dracameveo, to prove that my will is stronger than the obstacles before me.”
“Who must you prove it to?” Khende asks, his voice edgy.
“The king who put me here, the woman I love, the kingdom I rule, and myself.” The second the last word has left my tongue, I run, taking a leap as close as I dare and extend my arms ready to grab anything I can. I grasp a large rock protruding from the wall. I reach out with my left hand and grab on to lever myself up.
I reach higher, finding another place to hold on to and pulling myself up. My arms burn, but I’m no longer so cold, and that’s a relief.
“And what am I to do, young king? Eh? I suppose you’re going to leave me here?” Khende shouts from below.
“When I reach the top, I’ll throw you a rope,” I holler, not daring to waste more energy on talking.
I grab the next stone only for my hand to slip off. Something warm and wet covers my fingers. I try to shake it off the best I can while still holding on to the wall. A shudder crawls down my spine, and I try not to think about whatever substance it might be.
I move up to the next section and pause, taking a deep breath and wanting nothing more than to let my muscles rest for a moment. But without a good place to hold on, I keep going. I turn my head and try to get an idea of how far I’ve come, but all I can see below is black, dark, nothingness.
I turn to face the wall once more only to be staring at a pair of large red eyes. I nearly let go, startled beyond my wits. “Welcome,” a voice says, sounding almost like a snake, the way the letters slither off its tongue. “I’ve tasted the blood of all foul creatures. The rotting dead, the cursed—I’ve had that of bird and beast. Unicorn has always been a favorite, considering all the extra power it gives. But a dragon? No, I’ve never tasted the blood of that beast. And yet, here is one right in front of me, wide-eyed, clinging to this rock for dear life.” A hand reaches out of the dark, moving toward me. The nails are pointed and long, caked with dirt and grime. But it’s the slick, wet blood that has me most worried.
Curse of the Undead Dragon King (Skeleton Key) Page 8
