Blood of the Dragon

by Sarina Langer

  Cale smiled at Ludo. “We’re prepared for that. They’ll be expecting us, but in the morning and at the beach.”

  Reeve glowered at Ludo. “What did you do?”

  Ludo grinned. “Cale said I can help, so I did.”

  “Do I want to know details?”

  Ludo stepped closer to Reeve. “I’ll tell you later, if we get a moment.”

  Cale took that as his cue to walk away and address the rest. “It’s time, Sparrows. You all know what we’re walking into, and you all know why we’re doing it. Our queen needs our help. We’re her private army. It’s our duty to keep her safe, no matter the odds. Rachael’s safety is our priority.” Cale swallowed hard. He wasn’t prepared to lose any more of his family. “But that doesn’t mean you can be reckless. You can’t help Rachael if you’re dead, so be smart and stay as safe as the situation allows. If you must fight, give it everything you’ve got, but don’t get killed while you’re at it. These demons aren’t like you and me. They don’t die like we do. Hold out your weapons.”

  Their weapons were enchanted already, but it couldn’t hurt to strengthen the magic that ran through them. If the enchantment wore off—if that was even possible—he didn’t want it to happen while they were fighting for their lives.

  Kaida stepped forwards and made each weapon glow in turn until hungry flames burst from each of them. Their fires burnt hot, then died down so the Sparrows could sheathe their weapons.

  “You are my family,” he said. “Rachael may be our queen, but she has made herself a part of that family too. Protect her because she is your ruler. Fight beside her because she is your sister. The enemy is fast, but we’ll be faster. The demons are linked by dark Mist magic, but we are linked by a connection they will never understand. When we get to Kaethe, we will show them what happens when they take our queen from us. When we get to Kaethe, we will make them regret taking our sister. For Rachael!”

  “For Rachael!”

  Blinding bright light filled his senses. Through his fingers, he saw Kaida grow ever larger, ever more magnificent, ever more lethal, as she turned into a dragon. She let out a deafening roar, and his Sparrows cheered.

  She was massive even after she went on all fours so they could climb up. Reeve had raised a good point—they’d be too visible even from a distance.

  Once his Sparrows had climbed up and sat with varying degrees of discomfort on their faces, Cale followed them and sat in front. They hadn’t moved yet, but his stomach already performed nauseating flips.

  Kaida stood, large wings flapping once, twice, and pushed herself off the ground. Cale didn’t dare look down.

  He only hoped his little diversion paid off and gave them an advantage.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Rachael’s stomach lurched as she clung to the wall. The shadows seemed deeper since she’d killed that Mother—because they were watching her or because it was getting dark outside?

  Rachael moved as fast as she could to the door Arnost Lis had named Kiana’s. When she reached it, she fumbled with the keys she’d taken off him. There were too many. If someone heard her, realised the sound was too unsure to be him—

  A noise came from the other side of the door. A light scratch Rachael couldn’t place.

  And there was nowhere to hide.

  She tried the door opposite Kiana’s and hoped no one was standing on the other side. It was locked. The other rooms were too far away, she’d never reach one in time.

  Out of options, Rachael jumped behind Kiana’s door, her hand on her sword’s hilt. The door slowly scraped over the stone floor. Rachael raised her sword just enough to strike if she had to.

  The door closed—

  And Rachael stared into Kiana’s confused eyes.

  “Kiana? What are you—”

  Kiana threw herself into Rachael’s arms. “Thank whoever wants to listen, I don’t care anymore. Are you all right? You’re all right, aren’t you? Did they hurt you?”

  While Kiana held her at arm’s length and inspected her, Rachael smiled.

  “Not as badly as you,” Rachael said. “Are you okay?”

  Kiana was used to smaller injuries and always fought through them, but what Cephy had done to her hadn’t looked small.

  “I’m fine,” Kiana said. “The Mothers always healed me after they— Cephy said she wanted us rested, so they healed me more than usual. I’m well enough to get out of here.”

  Rachael had never wanted to embrace anyone this bad, but the lingering comfort from Kiana’s hug would do until they were somewhere safer.

  “We need to leave. Now.”

  Kiana rolled her eyes. “You reckon?”

  “No, I mean, I killed a demon and Lis is unconscious and locked in my room.”

  Kiana’s already fair features paled further. “Any idea which way lies freedom?”

  “No, but we can’t just walk out the front door.”

  Then again, they didn’t have a better idea.

  “Come on,” Kiana said. “They paraded me around a few times. Our dear ambassador showed me the room where we’re to be sacrificed, and I think we passed a window on the way there. It’s not far from here.”

  “A window?”

  Kiana started walking. “Yes, Rach, a window. We’ll need to climb down, but I don’t have a better idea. Do you?”

  Rachael came up empty and followed.

  They turned a corner. Kiana stopped and swore under her breath, backed up into Rachael and back around the corner they’d just turned. “A demon’s coming this way. I don’t think it saw me.”

  They both pressed against the wall, Rachael’s sword ready. She didn’t miss that Kiana had nothing.

  “Your daggers—”

  Kiana held a hand to Rachael’s lips and shook her head. She counted down on her other hand.

  Three fingers.

  Two.

  O—

  Rachael plunged her sword deep into the demon’s middle. It burnt to ashes within seconds, embers flaring in its remains.

  Kiana looked around the corner and waved Rachael on. “It’s not far now, I don’t think.”

  “You don’t think?”

  “It’s not like I had time to explore the place, Rach.”

  And then Rachael saw it. A narrow window. Pale moonlight shone through it.

  If Rachael or Kiana had been wearing their armour, they wouldn’t have fit. But they only wore thin rags and had nothing but themselves to carry. Rachael dreaded how high up they were, but Kiana was right. This was their best chance.

  “Come on.”

  They ran, encouraged by the sight of freedom.

  A scream tore through the corridor. “What do you mean, gone?” Cephy’s voice didn’t hide her anger. Worse, she was just on the other side of their wall.

  “She was waiting for me,” Arnost Lis said. “She rammed her elbow into my temple the moment I opened the door. She took my keys, too.”

  “The nerve!”

  Rachael shook at how much Cephy sounded like Aeron.

  “Check the Sparrow’s cell. If they leave this temple, Lis, you will pay.”

  A door opened. Their time had run out.

  Kiana shoved Rachael onto the windowsill. Rachael wasn’t brave enough to look down but didn’t have time to hesitate either. She put one foot over the edge, not thinking at all about how much free space there was between her toes and the ground, and found a ledge.

  “Hurry up, they’re coming!”

  She hung her other foot over the edge, found another hole—

  And began her long climb down, thanking whatever god might listen for the ancients’ architecture being rough rather than smooth.

  Kiana jumped up on the sill behind her and caught up so quickly Rachael had trouble comprehending it.

  “Climb down ancient temples often?”

  Kiana grinned. “No, but I used to break into houses all the time back in Grozma. Nice, small, two-storey houses. But this is the same thing, really, and walls in Grozma a
re smoother.” She gave Rachael a meaningful look. “If you don’t think about how far we’ll splatter if we fall it’s really quite easy.”

  Rachael frowned. “Thanks, I feel better.”

  Kiana smiled. “One step at a time, Rach. I’ll stay ahead of you, just look at me. We’ll be down there before Cephy realises we’re gone.”

  “And if her demons fly out of the window to look for us?”

  “Then they won’t be expecting us to hang from the walls. More climbing, less thinking.”

  Despite everything, Rachael smiled. It was good to have her friend back.

  Having Kiana stay above her did help. The wind picking up speed didn’t.

  “How much farther?” Rachael asked.

  Kiana looked past Rachael without losing her balance. Rachael had no idea how she did it.

  “Not far,” Kiana said. “Just a bit—”

  A chilling screech tore through the air and Rachael’s soul.

  “I think they’ve found the piles of ash we left.”

  “Or they’ve realised I’m no longer in my cell,” Kiana said.

  Rachael swallowed. “Or they’ve realised we’ve both left their temple.”

  “All the more reason to climb faster.”

  Rachael couldn’t agree more.

  Paschros kai zo. Fight strong and live.

  And so, she took one step at a time.

  Without ever looking down.

  Until her feet touched solid ground and she gasped in surprise and relief.

  They’d made it.

  Kiana jumped down next to her. Even she looked a little paler than usual.

  “Now what?” Rachael asked.

  The village wasn’t an option. From what she’d seen, Cephy used the people in it as slaves for her dark purposes. If they went anywhere near it there was no guarantee the people wouldn’t alert Cephy. The demons were probably already searching it.

  Kiana reached for her daggers. When she didn’t find them, her shoulders slumped. “Now we hope darker things don’t lurk in these woods.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Kleon looked out over the Sparrows he was supposed to train. How had he got himself into this situation? They didn’t trust him—it showed clearly in their guarded frowns and in the way they huddled together like scared children. They tried to look brave and confident, but they wore masks. Kleon had spent enough time with his father to recognise insincerity.

  Training soldiers was what he did. He could motivate even the laziest man into hitting harder, shooting straighter, giving it more—or rather, he could do all those things with Tramuran soldiers. He couldn’t motivate these Sparrows in the same way, couldn’t promise them the heat of a witch’s blood to warm their skin.

  He had thought himself good at his job. Coming here, seeing the mistrusting stares they gave him, had made him realise that his knowledge was limited to one kind of soldier—the kind who craved blood from the very beginning.

  It was childish, but he wished Lon hadn’t left. The Sparrow had a connection with this group Kleon only hoped to attain.

  He cleared his throat. “Pick up your swords, and spar with the person to your right. Groups of three are fine if you find yourself without a partner.”

  The Sparrows slouched into action. Kleon wanted to practice tactics and specific formations with them, but first he needed to know which skills they brought to the arena. Who was the stealthiest? Who was the most observant? The most agile, the strongest? He couldn’t plan anything more detailed until he knew.

  For a moment, he watched, grateful that he didn’t need to do anything more for now. Lon and even Cale had instructed them to listen to him, but it took more than a few well-meant words to convince them. He couldn’t hold it against them—a bit of paranoia couldn’t hurt, and he was the enemy’s son—but he’d never seen such a mistrusting group.

  What had his mother once told him about sparrows when he’d been younger? The birds were naturally suspicious and stuck to smaller groups, but they were loyal to their flocks once trust had been established. The description fit Rachael’s Sparrows perfectly. However, the birds were also quick to adapt to new situations and so far, he hadn’t seen proof of it in her private army. They were far from the force they were supposed to be. The attack on the city he’d heard about was to blame for that. Most of these Sparrows were new recruits—that they already trusted each other was remarkable. Whatever Cale had done before they’d left for Midoka, it had worked.

  Kleon knew what it was too. Cale didn’t treat them like expendable soldiers; they were family to him. It went against everything his father had taught Kleon, and that was motivation enough to try harder. He wasn’t used to letting his guard down around new soldiers, but things were different here. So very different. Everyone had ulterior motives in Tramura. He couldn’t treat these Sparrows with the same suspicion or they’d never trust him.

  “Kleon?”

  His head jerked up. A Sparrow stood before him, regarding him with concern or confusion or yet more mistrust, Kleon wasn’t sure. In fact, every other Sparrow watched him. Why weren’t they training? Why weren’t they—

  His heart sank. He’d been so preoccupied with his thoughts he hadn’t noticed they’d stopped.

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to lose focus.” Just what he needed—another reason for them to question him.

  The Sparrow looked at the group, then back at Kleon. “I guess we’re not the only ones who need to adjust.”

  His heart skipped back to life. In Tramura, he would have been in trouble for letting his thoughts wander during a sparring session.

  He took a deep breath. Here they were, reaching out to him while he’d been busy thinking about how they didn’t trust him. If they were willing to try, the least he could do was stay focussed.

  “What’s your name?” Cale did everything on a personal basis. Kleon would try to mimic it more often, difficult as it would be in the beginning.

  “Oren, erm, sir.”

  “Just Kleon, Oren.” The Sparrow grinned. “Why aren’t you training, Oren?”

  “You looked out of it. We were worried.”

  He swallowed. They were worried about him.

  They deserved so much more than he’d given them.

  He cleared his throat once more. “Back to sparring, Sparrows. I’ll pay attention this time, so no slacking.”

  Oren rejoined the others, and they began to spar. This time, their movements were less stiff, but they still threw him the occasional unsure glance.

  Trust took time, but Kleon liked a challenge. He would make the Sparrows into a private army worthy of that title, and in doing so he’d prove that his father hadn’t broken his ability to trust completely. And when Cale and Rachael returned, they wouldn’t regret leaving him in charge of their family.

  Chapter Twenty

  The moonlight didn’t penetrate the thick branches overhead, and Rachael’s eyes struggled to adjust to the darkness. She was torn between wishing she’d learned to control fire and knowing it would only act as a beacon if she had known what to do.

  Night was falling fast. How cold would it get? They were injured, they were exhausted, and the thin rags they wore were their only cover. They had no real protection against the cold or whatever else might have watched from the shadows. A few years ago, that had been Rachael’s life but worse. Kiana was with her now. She didn’t have to fight to survive on her own thanks to Cale.

  Cale, who was leading their Sparrows into a trap.

  Kiana edged closer to Rachael. “Can you hear that?” Kiana stepped ahead.

  “Stop.”

  Kiana didn’t turn around. “Why? I really did hear something.”

  “So did I.” Like branches breaking and heavy darkness watching. Rachael walked around Kiana and ignored her friend’s frown. “But that’s not what I meant. You’re in no condition to protect me.”

  “I’ll have you know, I trained to fight despite injuries. Besides, it’s not th
at bad. As I said, the Mothers healed me.”

  “Not completely, and you don’t have any weapons. I have my sword. Just this once, let me protect you.”

  Kiana sighed. “Fine. But only until I can whittle a stick into a shiv.”

  Rachael grinned. “You’d need my sword to whittle, wouldn’t you?”

  Kiana rolled her eyes, and they laughed. It felt good to feel positive again.

  “Let’s find somewhere to rest for the night,” Rachael said. “We need to recover after that climb.”

  Kiana didn’t argue but didn’t let Rachael take the lead either. Instead, the Sparrow walked next to her, and Rachael was too happy to have her friend back to mind.

  “What do you think that sound was?” She knew nothing about these islands, but Kiana knew a little about Kaethe’s rumoured history.

  “I don’t know,” Kiana said. “Honestly, I’m not sure I want to. No good stories have ever come out of Kaethe.”

  “Then tell me a bad one?” Rachael couldn’t bear the silence as they trudged through the falling night.

  “How disturbing do you want it to be? Mildly or very?”

  “Start me off slowly, maybe?”

  Kiana smiled. “Can do. Just remember that I have no idea how much truth there is to any of it. It’s not like I’ve been here before.” Rachael nodded, and Kiana cleared her throat. “A long time ago, in the days of the old kingdom, a mighty evil threatened the land.”

  Rachael grinned. She’d never been told a story quite like this before. “Where did you hear that? Were you listening in on a performance?”

  “I was. How could you tell?” They both smiled, and the darkness didn’t seem so absolute. “Don’t interrupt. I’m trying to tell a story here.”

  “I just wondered. It didn’t sound like you.”

  Kiana shot her a glare, and Rachael fell silent. “Fine. I’ll adapt it, my queen. So, ages ago, before the old sorcerers burnt down their own country, the Dark One threatened to do it for them if they didn’t act first. Of course, the Dark One put a lot more than the Empire at risk. Rifarne still had magic back in the day, and people still lived peacefully ever after on Kaethe. Dragons were still common too. Although, Tramura was already a bit of a prick. Not as much as today though. I hear they were downright accepting of the gifted.” Kiana raised an eyebrow at Rachael. “Doth this please you, my queen?”