by Megg Jensen
Tressa ambled over to the Wardack River, taking a long drink, slaking her thirst. She needed something to eat, too. The entire contents of the packs they'd brought wouldn't even touch her hunger. No one had packed enough food for a dragon because there wasn't supposed to be a dragon among them. She also recalled that during all of her time in Desolation she hadn't seen one wild animal roaming free. There might not be food for her at all until she went back to the Dragonlands.
A low rumble from the west drew her attention, growing louder with every passing moment. She stepped backward toward the tent, never taking her eyes off the horizon. If an enemy approached, then she would be ready for it.
Donovan joined her. He emptied the contents of his pipe and quickly stuffed it into the box he kept hidden in an interior pocket of his cloak. He drew his sword and stood at her side.
"I'm becoming all too accustomed to fighting with a dragon at my side," he said.
Tressa acknowledged him with a small burst of fire. Together they waited, the rumbling growing louder and louder.
A figure emerged from the bright sunlight. Seated atop a horse, Hildie waved to them. Following behind her was an unending sea of people on horseback. They pulled wagons behind them, filled with supplies. One in particular made Tressa's mouth water.
"We brought a few of our goats for you," Hildie said as she pulled up alongside them. Gasps came from behind her as the villagers laid eyes on Tressa. She was the first dragon they'd ever seen.
Tressa tried to appear gentle, batting her long eyelashes at them. She wanted them to like her, despite their trepidation about dragons. She had feared dragons once, too. Really, the people of Desolation were not so unlike the people of Hutton's Bridge.
"Where are the children?" Donovan asked, his voice gruff.
"We left them behind with a few caregivers," Hildie said.
Onva rode up alongside her. "Now that Accore is gone, Hildie is in charge. The villagers listened to her." Onva pointed to Tressa with the tip of her sword. "They are afraid of that, but they know prophecy when they see it."
"We are here to fight," Hildie said. "The time has come to destroy Decarian. If the Dragonlands can no longer hold him back, then we are all at risk."
"The barriers we use to contain him are also failing," Onva said. "Twice now the mages have come to us, begging for assistance, asking for more children to train in their magical arts. No matter how many we send, it is never enough."
"Despite believing you are better than those in the Dragonlands, you are suffering the same fate," Donovan said. "Perhaps it is time to come together and fight."
Hildie nodded, a stern expression on her face. Suddenly, her thin lips turned into a smile. "Fi!" she called out, waving. Then she turned back to Donovan. "It's possible we have been too hasty in demonizing the Dragonlands. What happened was many centuries ago. It is time to know the people there as well as we know those in Desolation."
Fi strolled alongside Tressa, leaning on Tressa's front leg. "I think that's a wonderful idea. Are there some in the Dragonlands who I'd consider an enemy? Yes, but they aren't the whole of the people there. Give us a chance, citizens of Desolation, and we will show you our loyalty."
The crowd behind Hildie and Onva roared, clashing their swords in the air as they called out for the blood of Decarian and his minions.
Relief flooded through Tressa. Maybe one day they could all be brothers and sisters, as she and Fi had become. Tressa looked over at Hildie and her pink face as she spoke with Fi. Well, maybe Hildie would be disappointed Fi was already taken.
Tressa looked back at Alden and his dragons. They were all on their feet, their tails waving in the air, their chins raised, and their shoulders strong.
We will fight, too, Alden said. Together, we will vanquish the enemies.
Tressa didn’t know what role they would play, if any. If they couldn't be seen, they had an advantage over every other soldier. However, if they couldn't take a solid form, what use would they be? Tressa knew how badly they wanted to exact revenge on whoever had taken away their bodies and trapped their souls, but how they could do it remained a mystery.
"We will allow one day's rest," Donovan called out. "Then we will advance on Decarian and his minions from behind. We will enter the tunnels and fight atop of the bones of our ancestors. This will end!"
Roars stung Tressa's sensitive ears. She took to the sky to get away from the people setting up camp. She knew she would only be in their way. Despite their assurances that they would give her a chance, she saw the way they looked at her, their eyes narrowed and faces suspicious.
Two men followed her on the ground, rolling the cart with the dead goats. She flew down, plucked the goats from the wooden chassis with her teeth, then flung the goats into the air. Tressa raced upward, catching them in her mouth. She chewed with mighty teeth and swallowed with gusto. They tasted so good, but she wasn't sure how to show her gratitude. She could only hope Fi would speak for her, and that the others would listen and believe.
Alden caught up to Tressa, flying in tandem with her. The other ghost dragons had moved away from the bustle of the camp. They remained on the ground, content to stay out of the way.
I don't know if we can follow the others through the tunnels, Tressa said. We may need to fly over the Barrier Mountains.
We will do as you command, Tressa, Alden said. We will also fight.
How will you fight? she asked. No one can see you. You have no form. I fear I've brought you back as ghost dragons only to find you can't do anything to help us.
Let me try, Alden said. He reared back and opened his mouth. Instead of the fire Tressa could breathe from her gullet, Alden produced something far more surprising. A hail of ice shards rained down from the sky, stabbing into the ground. He laughed. I suppose there is something we can do to help.
Tressa and Alden flew to the earth, landing near the icicles. She sniffed them, shocked at the steam rising from the cold spears.
"I knew it!" Donovan yelled as he ran up behind them. "You held them back from me, which I can understand considering everything I have withheld from you, but I do not even care! You did it, Tressa!" Donovan clapped her on the leg.
She positioned herself between Alden and Donovan, her teeth bared.
"I do not mean them harm," Donovan said. "This is why I brought you here, Tressa, to awaken that which lurked in the statues. Tell me, how do they look? Are they glorious?" Donovan laughed, holding his stomach. A burst of spittle leaked from his mouth. "My apologies. I am overwhelmed with joy. They have been freed. The stone people walk amongst us once more. Even if I cannot see them, I believe they are there."
Who is this man? Alden asked.
He is the one who brought me here, Tressa said. He brought me to save you.
Then he can be trusted, Alden said.
Tressa didn't answer. She wanted to say yes, but she wasn't sure. Donovan had proved trustworthy every step of the way. He even helped Tressa save Fi when it would have been easier to walk away and leave her for dead.
And yet... there was something she couldn't quite put her talon on.
Chapter Forty
Donovan, Hildie, Onva, Fi, and Tressa sat in a circle. Well, the humans sat in a semicircle, and Tressa's head lay on the ground next to Fi, who served as her translator. Tressa had tried relaxing. She had tried getting angry. She had tried free falling. None of them forced her back into human form. So she resigned herself to remaining a dragon until her body chose to change again.
"You can fit through the tunnels," Hildie said, taking in Tressa's huge mass. "I suggest we all go in together."
"Tressa assumed she can fit," Fi said, translating the rapid thoughts Tressa was dumping on her. "She says even in her dragon form, Decarian is still larger. If he got in there, then she could, too. But, Tressa has another idea."
Tressa, Fi, and Donovan had kept the existence of the ghost dragons to themselves. The people of Desolation didn't like, much less, trust dragons. If they
knew they were surrounded by hundreds they couldn't see, who had the potential of doing them harm, Tressa worried they'd lose their allies in a heartbeat.
"What is the dragon's idea?" Onva asked, ire dripping from her voice.
Tressa felt sadness at the anger directed at her. Though she would do it again if given the chance, she couldn't shake the regret at losing three others while saving Fi. The costs were always too high. No matter which choice she made, someone would die.
"Tressa wants to fly over the Barrier Mountains and rally the people at the Red castle. If we can attack Decarian from both sides at once, then we have a greater chance of winning," Fi said.
Tressa waited for Donovan to back their plan. Instead, he shook his head. "No, I feel the better option would be for me to take Fi back into the Red castle the same way we arrived here, through the portal. I would be pleased if Tressa could come with us, but she seems to have gotten stuck as a dragon. She should stay here with the others and come through the tunnel from Desolation."
“While the dragon can fit in the tunnel, she will not be able to fly,” Hilde said. “I fear her great mass would be more of a hindrance than a help. She wouldn't be able to breathe fire because she would risk harming those in front of her. No, she can't come with us into the tunnels."
Frustrated, Tressa let out a puff of smoke. Tell Donovan I will fly over the Barrier Mountains whether he wants it or not.
"No. It's too dangerous." Fi said aloud. She looked at the others seated around her. "Come up with a better solution. Tressa is set on flying over the mountains. If what you say is true, danger awaits her up in those peaks."
"We do not know for certain what lies up in the snowcaps," Hildie said. "No one who has ever traversed them has returned. If the dragon is arrogant enough to try, let her."
"No!" Fi stood up, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm tired of this petty feud. If you knew Tressa, really knew her, you'd realize that she has everyone's best interests at heart. The last thing she wants is for anyone—friend or acquaintance—to be harmed. I suggest you begin treating her with the same respect you've given me. After all, I am a dragon, too. I was born a dragon, and as soon as I can get back into the Dragonlands, I will drink the blood of another dragon and regain my birthright. Do not fear us because we are dragons. Fear us because we mean to topple every enemy in our path. Even if that enemy is sitting right in front of us."
The group fell silent. The sharp scratch of warriors sharpening weapons, the muffled conversation of nervous first-time warriors, the clink of armor as it was tried on for the first time—these were the sounds of a camp who trusted their leaders to come up with a plan that would lead them to victory, not a divisive council of angry people.
"The dragon cannot go through the tunnel or the portal," Donovan said. "It is up to her how she wants to proceed."
Fi looked to Tressa. "Don't do it," she begged her friend. "Don't fly over the mountains. You don't know what awaits you in the peaks."
It's possible there isn't anything up there but thin air, Tressa said, trying to reassure Fi.
"There's always something," Fi said. "I think that's a lesson we should have learned by now. Don't be cocky, Tressa."
I won't. I promise. Allies will surround me, too. Don't forget that my ancestors will fly with me. I'm not alone.
"She's going to fly, then," Fi said. "Despite my reservations, I know when I've been outvoted." She sank back down to the ground, sitting with her legs crossed. "I expect to see everyone, alive, on the other side after Decarian is defeated."
"We will all lose friends in this battle," Onva said. "I lost my twin, and yet I am carrying on. It's what she would want. No one here wants to die, but if our deaths serve a greater purpose, then so be it. I don't know what the humans in the Dragonlands are like. We in Desolation spend every moment of our lives preparing for death. We welcome it when the time is right." She gestured toward the hundreds of warriors in the camp. "No one here will cower in the face of death."
Fi bit her lower lip. Tressa could hear the thoughts raging through her friend's mind. Fi wanted to reiterate her commitment to fight. She wanted to insist they believe that the people in the Dragonlands were just as valiant and brave. But she kept silent. They both knew there was no point in arguing over whose people were stronger.
"Then tomorrow we will split," Donovan said, steering the conversation back toward the original topic. "Fi and I will go through the portal and warn the armies at the Red. The Desolation army will sneak up on Decarian's minions from behind, through the tunnels. Tressa will fly over the mountains, meeting us at the Red castle. Together we will defeat this enemy before he breaks all the bonds trapping him between our lands."
Hildie and Onva beat their chests with their fists. Fi simply nodded. Tressa lifted her head, looking over at the ghostly horde. The dragons stood tall and proud, ready to meet their destiny.
Tressa wished she shared their sense of purpose. The longer this dragged on, the more depressed she found herself. It was possible there would never be an end to their troubles. Each time she conquered one enemy, another sprang up. If this was how life was to be from now on, she wasn't sure she wanted to keep fighting. Part of her wanted to give up. To run away.
But she knew she wouldn't. It wasn't in her nature to flee from trouble, no matter how exhausted she was. Tressa would persevere. She wouldn't stop fighting until the last breath passed over her lips.
I'm leaving now, Tressa said to Fi. I don't want to wait until tomorrow. If I can get to the Dragonlands before nightfall, then perhaps I can rally them for the battle in the morning. I think you should suggest the same to Donovan. As soon as I have left your sight, tell Donovan that you want to go through the portal today.
What are you planning? Fi asked.
It's better you don't know, Tressa said. Be safe. Don't let your guard down around Donovan.
I won't, Fi said. After what I saw in the catacombs, I don't trust anyone other than you.
What did you see? Tressa asked, frustrated. She should have questioned her friend much sooner, but there had been one crisis after another.
Not now, Fi said. We will talk after we defeat Decarian. Go now. Travel safely.
I will, Tressa said. She backed up a few paces, then unfurled her wings. Tressa glanced over her shoulder. The camp fell silent as all of the warriors paused to watch her ascent. Tressa turned toward the west, angling farther upward as she flew toward the Barrier Mountains.
Chapter Forty-One
Connor ran through the Red castle, with a package under his arm, ignoring the clanging of the bells that drew people out for the evacuation. Elbows met his gut, but he continued to push past the people swarming out of the castle. Children clutched their mothers’ hands while adults carried everything they could.
Word had spread quickly throughout the castle, telling everyone to flee as fast and as far as possible. No one was to remain in the whole of the Flaming Hills. Dragons, both Black and Red, waited in the courtyard, ready to take anyone who wanted a flight away. Horses were saddled in the stables for those who preferred horseback. Wagons and carriages were hitched up. There was no concern for rank or occupation—all were equals in the face of death.
Anyone who wanted to stay behind was encouraged to do so, to protect those who had a harder time leaving the castle. Those people gathered around Sophia and Mestifito, helping anyone escape who needed it.
Connor had his own plans to execute once the castle was evacuated. The high of rediscovering what made the honey special had been replaced by the knowledge that Decarian was close to breaking free. If Connor could make the castle collapse on the beast, it would solve all of their problems. It wasn't the best idea. Unfortunately, it was the only one that had a chance of working.
As soon as everyone was out of the castle, he'd proceed with his plan. Connor didn't share his idea with Sophia. He wanted them to get away before he went through with it. He didn't want anyone else risking life on his stupid plan. He wasn
't even sure he would make it out.
The only thing he regretted was not having the time to write Hazel a note. He'd fallen in love with the same woman twice, which should give her the comfort she'd need after his death. She knew beyond any doubt how much he loved her and their children. And he knew she would take care of their boys and dragonlings. Just like the day he stepped into the fog, Connor believed he was doing the right thing, even if it meant losing everything he loved.
He pushed through the crowd, finally breaking free of the wave of frantic people. Connor slowed down a little, letting the pounding of his heart even out. He turned right, then walked down a deserted corridor toward a door at the end of the hall.
Jarrett's room. Despite everything, he couldn't let the man die. Connor had wanted to kill him after Jarrett had slaughtered the baby dragons. But now... Tressa had convinced Connor there might be hope for Jarrett yet. If there was a possibility he could be redeemed, then Connor wouldn't be the one to take his life. Not today. Connor would tell the mages they were relieved of duty, and he would take care of Jarrett himself.
When Connor pushed the door it swung open, then abruptly stopped. Annoyed, Connor pushed again, but still the door wouldn't open all the way. He slipped sideways between the door and the frame. Connor looked down, discovering what had kept it from opening all the way.
Two mages lay on the floor, their eyes closed. Connor dropped to his knees, laying two fingers on one man's neck. There was no heartbeat. No indication of life.
"Damn it!" Connor yelled as he stood. The third mage was missing. Connor's head whipped toward the bed. Just as he feared, Jarrett was gone.
The sheets were mussed and blankets were strewn on the floor. Connor laid a hand on the bed. Still warm. Jarrett hadn't been gone long.
"I'm gonna kill him," Connor snarled. He had wanted to believe in Tressa's hopes. He wanted everything she said to be true. Jarrett had shown them, again, that he couldn't be trusted.
