Blood of the Dragon

by Sarina Langer

  The snake roared. A violent shake of its tail unhitched her sword and threw it towards her. It landed several metres behind her, where it stuck in the ground.

  Rachael ran to retrieve it just as the snake howled and lashed out with its tail. It caught her in the back, threw her forwards, and knocked the air out of her. Her head smacked against something hard.

  Lon and Reeve were struggling as the snake fought back with renewed anger. Rachael’s blade was closer, but she couldn’t reach it.

  She’d been wrong to come here. They couldn’t keep this up. If they didn’t somehow end the snake soon, they’d die.

  Rachael forced herself to her feet and staggered a few shaky steps towards it. She thought she heard Cale scream—

  And then everything went dark.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Cale had never hated an enemy for being hard to kill—he liked a challenge—but this beast’s resilience frustrated him. Kiana had taken out one of its eyes, but the snake threw her off in its fury. She lay unconscious in the sand not far from the eye she had poked out. At least Cale hoped she was only unconscious.

  The eye reeked, but it kept him focussed. Kiana could wait—any of them could wait. Right now, he had a monster to slay. Maker give me strength. He would not let it claim one of his family.

  Cale roared, an anger to match the snake’s, and jumped onto its back. He wasn’t as good at climbing as Kiana, but if he ripped out its other eye, it would give them a much-needed advantage.

  Kaida’s fire had done some damage, but she was still tired from the madness she’d unleashed in the temple. Desma and Ludo were hacking away at its side, but the monster didn’t seem to care. Cale either got its eye or they died here; the snake wouldn’t let them leave while it could see.

  Its scales were smoother than expected; Cale slid back down several times. He buried his sword between two scales to give him something to grip, but the snake’s erratic movements made it difficult to climb. How on earth had Kiana got all the way to the top? Cale held on as best as he could and dug his blade in a little higher. Hot blood sprayed forth and ruined whatever hold he’d had before. He barely held on to his sword before he lost his footing and fell. The impact with the ground knocked the air out of him. For a moment, all he saw was a blurred sky tinted deep red. He struggled to his feet, prayed that nothing was broken, and slammed his sword into the snake’s side. He’d never reach its head now that its neck was wet with blood.

  The snake’s roar shook the ground. It turned, looked right at him—

  And spat purple fluid.

  Cale dodged most of the liquid, but a drop hit his shoulder. It burnt right through his armour. He hissed when it ate into his flesh. Not just any fluid, then, but venom. Cale swore. The beast had got his sword arm.

  Next to him, the ground had evaporated where the snake’s venom had hit. A charred, smoking hole in the ground was all that was left.

  “Maker!” They needed to get out now, but they couldn’t go anywhere without the snake noticing. “Kaida!”

  She was their only hope in this impossible fight. If she injured the snake enough, maybe it would give them enough time to climb on the dragon’s back and escape. He didn’t see how else any of them would leave Malia alive.

  Kaida ran up to him, not covered in blood but the most dishevelled he’d ever seen her. “What do you need?”

  She sounded weak, but there was nothing for it. He needed her magic for his family to survive.

  “Can you throw a spell at its eye?”

  “My reserves are low. I will do what I can to hurt it, but we still need to escape. I will not make it to the Red Wastes if I spent too much here. It is a gamble already.”

  “I trust you.” He couldn’t believe it, but he did. “Do what you can, but getting us off this island is your priority.”

  She nodded, fire blazing in her palms.

  “Wait.” Lon limped around the snake. “I have another idea.”

  Cale didn’t like the determined look in Lon’s eyes. “Why aren’t you at the back with Reeve?”

  “He’s chopping away at it with Rachael, but I’m not convinced we’ll get the tail. Maker, it looks like you severed an artery and the asshole only looks a little dazed.”

  Cale frowned. “What do you suggest?”

  “I’ll distract it, give Kaida time to turn into a dragon and get you out of here.”

  He felt like Lon had punched him. “No. You’re coming with us.”

  But Lon was right, it was their best chance. Still, it didn’t have to be Lon.

  “You go with them,” Cale said. “Its venom got my shoulder, I can’t use my sword arm. I’ll be useless in the fight to come, but you’re uninjured. You’ll make a greater difference.”

  “Cale—”

  “It makes more sense for me to stay. Look at me, I can barely hold my sword.”

  Lon crossed his arms. “Then you won’t be much of a distraction, will you. Listen to me. I knew what I signed up for. You said that yourself when Kiana was taken.”

  Cale had lost enough brothers and sisters. He wouldn’t lose another. “I won’t leave you behind.”

  Lon put a hand on Cale’s uninjured shoulder. “I’m sorry, old friend, but life doesn’t care. Look after Rachael. For the love of the Maker, tell her how you feel. We’re all getting frustrated with you.”

  Cale hated war. He hated what it did to him, the decisions it forced him to make.

  He swallowed. Right now, war demanded he be a leader. “Take the monster down with you.”

  Lon grinned. “That I can try.”

  Cale mirrored Lon and placed his good hand on the Sparrow’s shoulder. “My brother.”

  Lon nodded. The snake roared. It was recovering from its severed artery; Cale hated when the rules that applied to him didn’t apply to his enemies.

  Lon readied his sword. “My brother.”

  He threw himself at the monster, slashing at its scales like a man possessed.

  “We need to go now, Cale,” Kaida said.

  “Do what you need to do,” he said. “I’ll tell Ludo and Desma to get Reeve and Rachael. We’ll meet you wherever you transform.”

  They hurried off in different directions. Above him, the snake screamed in anger and if he wasn’t mistaken, the beast wailed. Whatever Lon was doing was distracting it perfectly.

  Either that, or it made the monster angrier.

  He rushed around it and found Ludo and Desma hacking away at its side. Ludo had always counted on his strength, but more recently Cale had learned the Tramuran was also fast and cunning, and Desma was almost the demon with two daggers Kiana was.

  Kiana. He mustn’t forget about her.

  “Cale!” Ludo grinned. “Help us with this. We’re almost—”

  “Never mind that, you have new orders. Kaida is getting us out of here, but we need to hurry while the snake is distracted.” The beast led out a cry so painful Cale wondered if Lon had got its other eye. “Desma, go to its tail and get Reeve and Rachael. Meet us at Kaida as soon as you can. We have minutes, at best.” Desma nodded and hurried off. “Ludo, with me.”

  The monster was still thrashing in pain when they reached Kiana’s unconscious body in the sand. Cale hoped the snake hadn’t done too much damage; he’d lost too much already.

  “My shoulder took some of the snake’s venom,” Cale said. “You need to carry her.”

  “Can do.” Ludo picked her up and threw her over his shoulder like she weighed nothing. “Where’s Kaida?”

  A mighty roar, far more dangerous than the snake could ever hope to be, sounded from their left. Cale hoped she had enough energy left to get them to the Red Wastes. He hoped she wouldn’t fail halfway across the ocean and surrender them all to its depths. He hoped—

  “Come on, let’s get off this island,” Ludo said and ran ahead of him, carrying Kiana and dodging the snake’s angry tail lashes.

  The dragon worked like a beacon. Red and massive, the void beyond its teeth
glowing with embers, it was the most welcome thing Cale had seen since they’d arrived on Malia. He would have asked her to transform sooner if she hadn’t stressed how exhausted she was. Cale hoped he hadn’t asked too much. He still needed her to fight once they reached the wasteland.

  He arrived just after Ludo, relieved to see Rachael and Reeve coming from the snake’s rear with Desma in the lead. Rachael’s head was bleeding and her steps were shaky, but she was alive. He’d focus on that.

  Kaida went to her knees, and they climbed up.

  The snake reared its bloody head. Even with both eyes missing, its hearing still seemed to work fine. It spat a ball of venom at Kaida. She pushed herself off the ground. Reeve and Ludo had been about to climb up, but the impact shoved them into the sand.

  Kaida landed with an earth-shaking thud, careful not to touch where the acid had burnt through the ground.

  Reeve and Ludo climbed up. Cale prayed the snake wouldn’t attack again so they didn’t have to repeat this.

  The moment they were all on Kaida’s back, she pushed herself off and threw her own ball of hungry fire at the beast. Even from her back, safe behind her head, Cale felt some of its heat. Whatever faint hopes he’d had of Lon escaping burnt to ashes with his Sparrow and the snake.

  Kaida turned around and took to the sky. The monster’s screams grew quieter as it died and they rose ever higher, away from danger and another lost brother.

  Cephy screamed. The Dark One was angry too. His power seeped out of her and shattered the scrying mirror before her. She threw what was left against the wall and screamed again when the piece didn’t break in half. Everything defied her today; it was starting to feel like personal mockery.

  Rachael has escaped Malia. Cephy hadn’t wanted to rely on her Mothers this time, had wanted to see for herself what the inevitable fight did to Rachael and her Sparrows, but it hadn’t gone as planned. She had hoped the snake would kill her Sparrows and hurt her badly enough that Cephy could interfere, collect Rachael, and deliver her to the Dark One, but instead, Rachael had fled the island on her dragon and now…

  Now Cephy wasn’t sure where Rachael was.

  Arnost Lis scoffed. “I assume you know where the witch queen has fled to since it would appear you no longer need the mirror?”

  She glared at him, conjured tendrils made of Mists to hold him in place. How dare he question her? At least she was doing something. All he did was lecture her.

  “You can imprison me all you want,” Arnost Lis said, “but I can feel the difference in these binds. You’ve overexerted yourself, haven’t you? By the Maker, you’re panting like a dog.”

  She tried to strengthen the binds, but he was right. She’d spent too much. This had been her first scrying attempt, and it had proven more difficult than she’d expected. The Dark One had taught her a few basics, but He was growing impatient. He wanted Rachael, and soon.

  But Cephy wouldn’t show the ambassador that he was right. He was arrogant enough as it was. She hated him, but if there was a chance he could be useful to her…

  And she’d never admit it—just thinking it felt like weakness—but at least he was someone to talk to. The Dark One didn’t talk, he issued rare commands and gave her power he had no desire to teach. The Mothers couldn’t speak, either. Once the Dark One killed Rachael and they ruled the new gifted world together, Cephy would find someone new to talk to—someone gifted, who understood—but until then, Arnost Lis was her only chance at conversation.

  Cephy screamed again. She needed the Dark One to recover faster so they could get this over with.

  “Scream all you want, it won’t solve the problem,” Arnost Lis said. “You have no idea where the witch queen is, have you?”

  “I know how to find her.”

  “Do you really? Because if you knew, you’d have—”

  A cage made of liquid fire sprung to life around him. All these new types of the gift the Dark One showed her were tiring, but fire had always been hers. She’d never be too tired to burn.

  “If Rachael isn’t returning to Rifarne, we’ll draw her there. I’ll make her go.”

  “And how, pray tell, will you do that?”

  Rachael was weak, always protecting someone else rather than herself. Her Sparrows were in the White City. If Cephy’s plan didn’t convince Rachael, then maybe Cale would—he cared more about the Sparrows than anyone else, even called them his family.

  Cephy smiled. If Rachael wasn’t on her way to the White City already, she soon would be.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Kleon enjoyed watching the Sparrows. They confirmed what he’d always suspected—that a lack of threat didn’t mean a lack of ferocity. These people were good soldiers. When Rachael called for them—because he couldn’t convince himself that she was dead, as some of the staff and the city’s inhabitants whispered—they’d be ready.

  The door from the prison into the training grounds opened, and Kleon turned around. Commander Dryden strode towards him. He looked exhausted. Only yesterday, the commander had quelled unrest in the city and soothed the people’s worries as much as he could. A few days before that, he had addressed palace staff who were growing nervous without Rachael. It was hard to calm either group when neither Commander Dryden nor Kleon knew what was going on, but it would have to do.

  Commander Dryden sat next to Kleon and sighed. “How are they doing?”

  “Better every day,” Kleon said. “They’ll be a lethal force when Rachael needs us.”

  “Letting them train together was a good idea. Nothing like sparring to clear the air.”

  Before Rachael had won the throne, the White Guard had hunted the Sparrows, and the Sparrows had retaliated in kind. Both sides had lost friends and loved ones. But that was the past, and if Rachael could get the country to move on and accept the gifted, Kleon could get their two armies to cooperate.

  The first days had been difficult, but once both sides had seen that there were no monsters hidden on either side, only people, they had tried.

  “Is it very different?” Commander Dryden asked. “To Tramura, I mean? How we do things? I’ve never been there, but I’ve heard stories.”

  “Probably all true.”

  Tramura had a bad reputation. Kleon’s father had fit every stereotype when he’d left Kleon and Erimentha to die to save himself. Not that Kleon’s countrymen were known for being cowards, but merciless backstabbers and schemers? His father had made the rumours proud.

  Commander Dryden cleared his throat. “Listen up, guards and Sparrows!” The sounds of fighting ceased. “Step forwards if you have the gift.”

  Some people stepped forwards, but most looked uneasy.

  “It’s all right,” Commander Dryden said. “You don’t have to be afraid anymore. I want to try something, that’s all.”

  More people stepped up, but others still exchanged worried glances. Kleon found it admirable that so many had come forwards at all. If he’d been hunted his whole life, he wasn’t sure how easily he’d trust.

  “Raise your hand if your gift is more defensive than offensive,” Commander Dryden said.

  About a third raised their hands.

  “And now raise your hand if your gift is more offensive.”

  Just over half of what was left did as Commander Dryden had said.

  “Good. If your gift is more defensive, step to your right. If it’s offensive, step to your left. The rest of you, stay where you are. I take it you’re not sure what your strength is?”

  The four people who were left nodded.

  “My parents forbade me from using my gift,” one of the younger looking girls said. “They said the White Guard would—” She paled and looked around like she’d only just realised what she’d walked into.

  Commander Dryden walked over to her and gestured for Kleon to follow.

  “That’s okay. No one is going to hurt you, or anyone, for having the gift anymore. Queen Rachael has passed a new law that treats it as a crime.”

/>   Kleon glanced at the commander but didn’t say anything. Rachael wanted to pass a new law, but she needed to be present for more than a few days at a time to make it official and sign all the necessary paperwork. As far as the country was concerned, it was official. If it came down to it, she could imprison offenders for a while, but she couldn’t do anything until her signature and wax seal were on that paper. Still, after her speech during her coronation, not many had dared point one finger at the gifted. Not in the White City, anyway. Kleon had no way of knowing how smaller villages without regular patrols had reacted.

  The girl straightened and nodded.

  “I’d like the four of you to give me a moment while I instruct our offensive and defensive gifted.” Commander Dryden raised his head to look at the ones who hadn’t come forwards. “The rest of you, watch and learn. You four, wait over there.”

  Kleon couldn’t help feeling a little nervous at the imminent display of magic, but he was curious too, maybe even a little excited.

  Commander Dryden waved over one of the Sparrow’s whose gift was offensive. “What’s your name, Sparrow?”

  The Sparrow walked over. “Gwen, sir.” Her head was bowed but her eyes looked up, full of uncertainty.

  “What’s your specialty, Gwen?”

  “Water, sir.”

  “You can call us by our names,” Kleon said. The girl gulped, but the commander gave him an approving nod. “Just like you would with Rachael and Cale.”

  She nodded. “Yes, Kleon.”

  “How have you used your gift so far?” Commander Dryden asked.

  Gwen blushed. “Mostly to water flowers.”

  Commander Dryden turned back to the waiting Sparrows whose gifts were defensive. “I admit, I can’t think of any defensive uses for the gift besides shields. How do you use your gifts?”

  “I can calm people,” a boy looking no older than sixteen said. “Buy my mum told me not to use it unless I have to. She says it’s rude to change what people feel.”

  Kleon agreed. How would this help in battle?

  “Your mother is right,” Commander Dryden said, “but you could do a lot of good with your gift. You can calm injured people so our healers can work faster.”