by Serena Rose
“Oh, you’re awake,” she said, her pale eyes wide. “How are you feeling?”
“Like one of those Giants you like so much took a healthy bite of me instead of the meal you made for them.”
“That is an unappreciated simile, but have you noticed improvement since you were last conscious?”
“I think maybe? But it’s hard to tell when everything just feels like a massive bruise covering every inch of my body.”
“You certainly have a knack for vivid imagery.” I shrugged. “It must fun in the family. My Abuela doesn’t seem so bad at it either. Translating her journal has been pre—” I stopped mid-sentence. “Her journal! My bag, do you have them? Were they able to be saved?”
Probably not. After all, it had basically been a total retreat from their previous stronghold, who would take the time to go back and save a couple of books?
“I do not know. They were in Myrik’s quarters, correct? You would need to ask him.”
I resigned myself to them being lost forever, and tried not to show my disappointment. But the books were completely replaced in my mind when I realized there was one companion that I hadn’t heard or seen already in my short time since I had arrived.
“What of Gael? Is the Prince alright?”
Her colorless face took on a pained expression. “No. No one has heard from the dragons we sent out.”
“Does…that mean they’re dead?”
“Not necessarily. They just might not have found the message that we sent them about our migration.”
Two low blows in a row made the contentment bubbling in me dim a bit, but I was still fairly grateful just to be alive. I was sure that my surviving all the danger that was stacked against me in the human realm was a sign that I was on the right track. The path that I had been brought here for.
“Once you are a little more recovered, Myrik wishes to speak to you. He’s concerned your escape will cause a concentrated effort by the humans to find our new inhabitance.”
“I’m sure. The Prince will not appreciate that I got away, or that a dragon dared encroach on his beloved castle. If I’m even half right, he’ll take it as a personal slight.”
The corners of her lip twitched, and I could tell that she was trying not to betray her interest. “You met the royal? What was he like?”
“He seemed cordial at first, like some rich parent whose kid invited you into their home and they don’t approve of you being there, but they have this compulsion to be a good host. But I could tell it was a mask.
“I thought what was under it would be some sort of smarmy jerk who was too assured of himself to ever think that I could beat him. But he was smart. Dangerously so. And I could tell he loved hurting me every second he got to. He’s got a lust for violence. And blood. Not to be overdramatic, but I could see him definitely being a total Captain Ahab.”
“Who is that? A valiant warrior of the Ilse?”
“Oh, no…not quite. He’s just a very stubborn individual who dedicates his entire life to revenge. It’s not a happy story.”
“Yes, as I imagine one such tale serves as one of caution rather than encouragement.”
“That’s exactly what it’s used for.”
She nodded. “I understand. Now, if you wouldn’t mind lying back, I would like to change your bandages and make sure your leg still has healthy blood flow. I see you’ve had some medical attention, but human treatment is well behind us both in methodology and success.”
“Careful there. If I didn’t know you better, I would think you were insulting my people.”
“That’s probably because I was. Be still, and let me fix this mess your people have inflicted on your body.”
I smiled at her playful tone and did as she asked. It was such an abrupt shift; to me, only a little earlier I had been running from my life and a very unfortunate ending. But now, I was back with the dragons, with my friends, joking about literary classics and medical incompetency. One thing was for certain, I could never claim boredom in this strange fairy-tale land that was more a nightmare than it was a flight of fancy.
As I lay in my bed, listening to the albino dragon bemoan the terrible state of my body, my eyes drifted to the door. It had opened quietly while we had been talking, and I saw Myrik standing there, an unreadable expression on his face.
He didn’t speak, and neither did I. I wondered what he was thinking, but at the same time I felt like I knew. He had come for me. Despite all logic, despite the massive waste of resources and the risk of exposing his people’s new stronghold, despite everything he had taught me about risk and reward, he had come for me.
I felt more connected to him than I ever had, and how could I not? Sure, he was all prickles and barbs on the outside, but when it came down to what mattered, he was as tried and true as anyone I knew.
He stayed there, unspeaking, for the hour or so that Dwyllverys tended to me, only leaving when she began sponge bathing several areas that were especially caked in dried blood. Melancholy rose up the moment I saw his back in retreat, and I realized that the sour Advisor meant a great deal to me.
I contemplated that for a great while before Dwyllverys brought me a tankard of something quite delicious smelling.
“Here, take this. It will help you sleep.”
I groaned. “I feel like all I’ve been doing for the past few weeks is sleep!”
“I am going to set your leg, and make sure your arm is properly relocated. I tried previously, but your limb was so swollen it was impossible to tell if I aligned it with the joint. This is incredibly painful, so you can either drink the drink, or you can experience all of it in real time.”
“I’ll drink the drink,” I murmured, trying not to sound like I was pointing.
“Very good. Here you are.”
I figured if I was going to knock myself out, I might as well enjoy it, so I downed several hearty gulps of the pleasant-smelling draught. It tasted even better, with a lovely mix of summer berries, honey and something else I couldn’t identify.
It didn’t take long for the effects to kick in, and I found myself quickly slipping into the now incredibly familiar hold of involuntary unconsciousness. But as I fell into the inky waves, I knew that this wasn’t going to be a normal trip to Lalaland.
I wasn’t alone.
“Goddamnit, you idiotic little girl!” I dodged as a large chunk of wood went sailing past me. I was back in that same room that I had first saw the faceless man in, and he was back yet again. “You got a dragon to go to the capital to save you! How? How is that possible.”
He ripped up another chunk of floor and pelted it, but it wasn’t specifically at me. No, it seemed our mystery friend was having a proper meltdown and the only thing missing was some popcorn so I could enjoy the show.
“What’s wrong? Didn’t you see all this in that grand scheme of yours?” He whirled on me, and I could feel the murder rolling off of him in waves. “What is that grand scheme, by the way. Because unless it’s failing at everything, you’re not doing very well.”
Suddenly he was next to me, mouth brushing against my ear. “You think you’re so clever, don’t you?” he hissed.
“No, actually. And that’s why I’m beating you.”
That seemed to surprise him, and he straightened, allowing me to turn and look at the face I just couldn’t quite identify.
“You see, you’re so used to fighting these Shepard people, whoever they are, and it’s clear they follow a certain ruleset. I don’t know any of that. Heck, I didn’t even know they were a whole people until maybe a couple weeks ago!
“You keep expecting me to follow these patterns, these rhythms that make sense based on everyone you’ve faced before, but I don’t know any of them because I’ve never learned.”
“So, you’re saying you’re beating me because you’re too stupid and I’m overthinking?”
“Eh, that wasn’t it entirely, but it’s close enough.” I shrugged. “I don’t even necessarily want to stop whatev
er it is you’ve got set up here. I just want to restore peace. I don’t know if those are mutually exclusive goals, but if they aren’t, I would be more than happy to see if we could work something out.”
“Don’t you understand yet? The extinction of the dragons is exactly a part of my plan. Once the humans are unchecked, they’ll move on to their next target, and the next until there’s nothing in their path and this entire realm topples into ruin!”
“Why on earth would you want that?”
“Hah! You really do know nothing.”
“Yeah, I thought that would be something that we have long since established by now, but I appreciate your consistent overestimation of my knowledge.”
He stepped back, laughing heartily. “Poor little Mercedes. It’s such a big universe, and you don’t even understand a sliver of it. I’m going to enjoy teaching you everything you need to know.”
“You know, you say something along those lines every time, and so far, all you’ve done is show me your hand ahead of time. You tried to frighten me with your big, bad visions of what would happen when the humans found us, so I blew up a mountain. Whatever you think of next, I will slap it down bigger, badder, and better than anything you can cook up.”
“That we shall have to see. But remember, my little Shepard, that pride does come before a fall. And it will be oh so incredibly delicious to watch you and your little companions fall one by one.”
With that, he faded, just as he had before. The bare room we were in lingered for a touch longer before also dissolving into the same blank slate I was becoming accustomed to. Heaving a sigh, I locked away all of his words to remember for later, and I slipped back into my slumber.
True, I was safe for now. But I had a terrible feeling that it was all going to come crashing down on me yet again.
CHAPTER NINE
Time passed slowly, just as it had in the human healing ward in the castle. The difference was, I could feel myself rapidly returning to normal, while previously it had felt more like a slow jog away from death.
Every day, I hoped that the horns would sound with the arrival of the dragons that had been sent away, but every night that wish went unanswered. It was awful not knowing if they were even aware of what had happened to us. What if Gael never found his way back, and spent the last of his days searching through the mortal realm for his people?
I tried not to dwell on that often, but thankfully, Dwyllverys, Myrik, and even Jayne stopped in to keep me company. The Advisor mostly kept his conversations to strictly whatever I had observed during my time in the palace, but it was far from the interrogation I once might have interpreted as. In fact, whereas before he had always seemed to maintain a good distance from us within his home, he no longer seemed to have such compunction. He sat on the edge of my bed, occasionally stroked my hair, and helped Dwyllverys change my bandages when she needed an extra pair of hands.
Was it strange that the attention was so comforting? I found myself pondering that in the quiet moments between visits. I knew that time was incredibly precious—as it had always been since I had first arrived in this realm—and yet here I was, wasting entire days away being pampered and tended to by several Champions of the Queen’s Court.
A knock sounded at my door, and I bade them enter. I was surprised to see the Queen stride in, still as elegant and awe inspiring as ever.
Instead of the white or black I was so used to seeing her don, she was dressed in the most beautiful lilac color. It shone beautifully against her midnight skin, and acted as a soft sigh to the power that naturally exuded from her form.
“Hello, my child.”
“Greetings, Your Majesty.”
“Please,” she murmured. And in that moment, I could tell by the tone of her voice that this was no regular visit. This wasn’t even the regular Queen. “I am the ruler of Dragons, not you. You may call me Malaika.”
My eyes went wide at the statement. Was the holy royal ruler of all dragon kind giving me permission to call her by her first name? I didn’t know what to say, and I was definitely not sure if I actually could follow through with calling her that.
“Thank you. I shall try.”
A gentle laugh escaped her throat, and she lowered herself into the chair beside my bed. It was almost comical, if anything about her graceful and sure movements could come across as something as low brow as physical comedy, but seeing all seven feet of her trying to perch on a seat designed for someone my size was pretty amusing.
“At least you are honest. I suppose in your situation I would have trouble speaking to one such as myself so informally. So far, I’ve held your life in my hands, and ordered against your interests every time.”
“I don’t know about that,” I murmured. “I understand it’s a complex balancing issue. You’re only as powerful as the grip you have on your people, and if you squeeze too tightly, you’ll end up crushing your support.”
Her lavender eyes twinkled at me. “As I have always known, your power of observation is quite sharp. I would ask your forgiveness, but I anticipate that you will tell me none is needed.”
“Well, not to me. But maybe to all the other humans you let get taken captive.”
She sighed, but it wasn’t an irritated sound. More like once laced with disappointment and shame. This was the most open I had ever seen the woman, and it made my heart ache a bit for her. No children. No lover. All she had was her dwindling people, and I knew she just wanted to protect them and make them happy.
“In a life as long as mine, I have many too many mistakes to count. But several stand out as especially egregious, and indulging my children in their panic will always be greatest of them.”
“Will you make it right then?” I asked.
She nodded. “The breeding pens will never make a return. And should we survive this approaching cataclysm, I will make reparations to every human we slighted.”
“Good. That’s an appropriate place to start.” I sat for a moment, twiddling my thumbs—metaphorically speaking, that is. “Was there something you needed from me?”
“Yes, and no. I simply wanted to speak to you.” She stood to leave, but paused before turning. “There is a chance, albeit a small one, that I will die soon. I have ruled for many centuries, and my authority is beginning to grate against some of my unrulier citizens. I simply wanted to make sure that you knew, should I meet my end, to make sure those children who do see the light get away safely.”
My first instinct was to protest. To swear that nothing would ever happen to her. But I realized I would be trying to bullshit a woman who was about nine hundred and ninety-nine years my senior. “Yes. I will do everything I can to make sure they stay safe.”
She let out a long, cleansing breath. “Thank you. I will rest easier knowing that.” This time she did move to leave, nodding to me once more before exiting entirely.
I didn’t have much time to be alone and reflect on the strange encounter, because Myrik was letting himself into my room without even a knock.
“Did I see Her Majesty leaving here?”
“Yes.”
“What did she want?”
“We just had a talk.”
“About what.”
“A talk,” I repeated meaningfully.
“I see.” He shifted a bit before throwing a bag into my lap. I gasped in surprise the instant I recognized the worn fabric and familiar smell of my messenger bag.
“You did get them!” I practically cooed, pressing the lumpy container to my face. “Thank you.”
“After I realized what a moronic stunt you pulled, I figured I might as well save at least something of what you left behind, that way not all would be lost.”
I rolled my eyes in exasperation. “You know, you can rag on my idea all you want, but it’s because of me that all of you got away scot-free.”
He whirled on me, teeth bared in a snarl. “It’s because of you that you almost died and I had to risk everything to go to the capital and barely managed to
save you from splattering yourself across the cobblestones!”
He certainly knew how to get my blood going. I was now on my knees on the mattress, my injuries forgotten as I yelled back. “I did what I had to do when your people were too busy fighting amongst themselves to save their own hides! You’re just mad that I thought of what to do and not you. Because that’s the only thing you have to offer, right? If not for your words and plans and plotting, you don’t do a whole hell of a lot, do you?”
“You were reckless! You could have died—no, you should have died in that collapse. And where then would we be? You’re the only person who can see them before they attack. You’re our only edge in a battle that we have been losing for generations!”
He strode towards me, all fire and brimstone, but I didn’t back down.
“Well if I’m so damn important, then why don’t you start treating me like it and talk to me like an equal instead of some inconvenient child!”
“I will be more than happy to treat you as an equal when you start acting like it!”
I gripped the collar of his robes and I wanted nothing more than to throttle him to death. I thought about it, I really did, but when my hands tensed, they didn’t so much get to strangling as they yanked the Advisor to me so I could smash my lips to his in an ardent kiss.
Like a dam breaking, whatever restraint we had vanished. Myrik wrapped his arms around me, nearly crushing me to his frame. But for once, I appreciated the pressure. It burned through me, while also leaving every cell in my body crying for more.
My hands roamed his body as our lips moved against each other, seeking, demanding. I wanted him, oh god how I wanted him. My body called out for him as the only bastion in the torrent of pain and fear I had just recently escaped.
Suddenly I was being pushed backwards, and I fell back onto the bed with an ungracious oomph! But Myrik gave me no quarter. He moved over me, knees posted on either side of my hips, as he kissed me once more.
Where Gael had been all passion, and respect, this kiss was full of challenge and dominance. We were clashing against each other as we had clashed so many times before, but this time the thrill of it was driving me mad.
