by Megg Jensen
"You can look now," Fi said. "Changing clothes is a learned skill. Usually I can change much faster, but I’m exhausted. I’ve pushed myself hard the last few days. Now, come. Soon we'll know exactly what's wrong with you. You'll figure out how to fix it, and whatever the solution is you'll learn to live with it." Fi held out a hand to Tressa.
She took Fi's outstretched hand, letting the dark-haired girl pull her to her feet. Tressa wobbled a bit, finding her footing. "How far do we have to walk?"
"Not far." Fi pointed between two of the trees. "See that cave opening?"
Tressa nodded.
"That leads to our home underground."
"I can see why everyone thinks your people are dead." Tressa ran a hand over the bark on a tree they passed. "There's no water. No crops. How do you survive out here?"
"You might be surprised when you see what the Charred Barrens looks like underground."
The two walked in silence toward a cave opening. “This is The Mouth,” Fi said when they arrived, sweeping an arm out to the side.
The great maw was shrouded in shadow, threatening to swallow them.
"Hold my hand," Fi said. "It's about to get very dark. If you don't know where you're going, you'll get lost."
Tressa took a deep breath, letting the darkness envelop her.
"Only a few more steps, Tressa. I promise." Fi squeezed her hand twice. "We can't light a torch quite yet. Someone could see from the sky. Occasionally the other realms send scouts to see if we are truly gone. It's an illusion we want to maintain."
Tressa looked to her right. Fi's eyes glowed in the dark. A bright sapphire. "Your eyes!" Tressa said. "I've never seen anything like it before."
"It helps me see in the dark," Fi said. "Usually when I'm in human form, I let my human eyes show. When I'm in the dark, it's easy to give in to a slight change so I can see better."
"Were you born human or dragon?" Tressa asked. "I mean, if it's not too personal to ask."
"Not at all. I was born a dragon. I am the great-niece of the highest-ranking dragon in the Charred Barrens. My father was born a dragon. Yet, there are many, many humans living underground with us. We feed them. Protect them from harm. It's very peaceful. I think you'll like it here. Now close your eyes for a second. The light from the flame can be jarring."
Tressa did as she was told. She could still see the warm orange glow through her closed eyelids. Slowly she opened her eyes to the light in the cave. Her hand slipped out of Fi's, and Tressa ran her fingers along the cave wall.
Pictographs dotted the walls. Dragons stood with men against giant beasts she didn't recognize, the beasts slashed with red. Further on the dragons and men stood in triumph. "It's beautiful. Who drew these?"
"Once, long ago, the dragons stood as equals with man. We protected them and they worked in harmony with us."
"But all of the realms are ruled by dragons." Tressa thought of Jacinda, Queen of the Yellow in Risos. Of Stacia, the Queen of the Blue, whom Tressa had defeated in battle. She knew the Red Queen ruled over the north. Another likely ruled in the Meadowlands.
"It wasn't always that way." Fi motioned for Tressa to follow her deeper into the cave. "Some realms were ruled by men. Some by dragons. Sometimes they shared the throne. That was the case here for a very long time. My great-uncle was elected by the people here to be their ruler. He did not take the throne by force, as has been the case with the other realms."
Tressa followed Fi’s light through the caves. Strangely, she felt her energy returning. As if the caves themselves were healing her.
"It's not much farther now," Fi said. "We're almost there. I do have to warn you, though. People will be expecting you. We are a friendly realm. No one fears another, so people will not hesitate to approach you."
"As long as they welcome me and don't fear me..." Tressa said, thinking of her bloody tears and partial wings.
Fi laughed. "They won't. Trust me." She stopped just outside an opening in the rocky walls. "Ready?"
Tressa nodded. She wasn't, but there was no point in putting it off any longer. Balling her fists, she followed Fi into the cavern.
Chapter Six
Tressa stood on a precipice. Her eyes grew wide. Below her was a city. Buildings, some more than ten levels tall, sprouted from the ground. Streets were filled with vendors and customers going about their daily business. Children played in a green park, their mothers watching over them. Beyond the small city she could see farmland, cattle grazing and pigs rooting.
"What?" It was the best she could formulate.
Fi grinned. "I told you we had a whole community down here. You didn't believe me."
"I did," Tressa said, "but on this scale? I hadn't thought it possible underground."
"This is a large cave system. You're looking at the largest portion."
"You mean there's more?" Tressa asked. How could there be? This chamber alone was bigger than Hutton's Bridge. Her town had hundreds of villagers. There had to be thousands here.
"Oh yes. This is just the first cavern. There are ten beyond this place."
"Ten?" Tressa knew she sounded like a bird that repeated its master's words. Still, she couldn't manage to formulate a more intelligent thought.
"We are headed to the third. It is my home. It's where the healers will see you, and hopefully figure out a quick solution to your problem. Let's keep moving. You may be feeling a bit better, but I have no doubt you will quickly tire out again."
They walked away from the overlook, continuing down the path. Fi stopped at a fork in the passageway. Three openings stood in front of them. Fi banked to the right. "You didn't feel sick to your stomach riding on me, right?"
"No. I was okay. Why?" Tressa asked.
"We have to take another little ride to my home."
"You aren't the first dragon I've ridden. I'll be okay doing it again."
Fi shook her head. "No, you're not riding on me this time. We're going in this." Fi cocked her fingers, and Tressa followed her through an opening. A small wooden cart with four wheels sat on two iron rails, which snaked over the ground and disappeared around a corner. "I don't understand."
Fi climbed into the cart. "We sit in this. Then I pull this lever." She pointed to a bar on the side of the cart. "Then the fun starts. Join me."
Tressa shrugged and clambered into the cart. So they were going to ride in a little cart. It didn't seem scary. "What will pull us? An animal of some kind?"
"No," Fi said, a toothy smile on her face. "We're going to hang on as tightly as we can while the cart rolls down the rails."
"Down?" Tressa asked, gulping. She'd seen how tall the buildings stood. Fi said there were ten more caverns. They couldn't be lower than the city she saw.
"Yes, down. It's gradual, though. It's not as if we're diving off the top of a cliff. These carts work well most of the time."
"Most of the time?" Tressa’s heart thumped.
But Fi didn't answer. She yanked on the lever and the wheels began to roll. "Hang on tight!" She gripped the sides of the cart.
Tressa mirrored Fi, her knuckles white as the cart tipped down, picking up speed with each breath. She wanted to ask Fi how long it would take, but the air whizzing by them stretched her lips thin.
Instead, she closed her eyes. But that was even worse, not being able to adjust for the turns or dips. Her stomach heaved and Tressa opened her eyes again. The cart dipped down, then slowed, moving across a level surface. "That wasn't so bad," she lied.
"Good, because we've just started. Hold on, Tressa!"
The cart picked up speed. Wind rammed down Tressa's throat. She leaned forward, ducking her head below the edge of the cart, trying to avoid some of the air stabbing at her face. Fi shrieked, her arms in the air, and Tressa squeezed her lips together, afraid she’d throw up. How anyone could find this fun was beyond her understanding. It was worse than dangling in the air, hanging from a dragon's talons. Worse than being trapped in a boat rocking in the sea. This was beyond compariso
n to anything she'd ever faced.
After too many agonizing breaths, the cart slowed down again. Not wanting to be fooled a second time, Tressa stayed bent over, her head resting on her knees.
"It's over. You can sit up now." Fi rubbed Tressa's back.
Tressa opened her eyes and slowly rose. The cart rested against a wooden block. The tracks disappeared up a hill behind them.
"How does it go back?" She wasn't ready to stand, knowing her knees were still too wobbly. Conversation might stall Fi, even if only for a few moments.
"I'll hook it here." She pointed to a series of ropes strung on the wall. "Then someone at the top will pull it back up to the first landing. They'll hook it to another rope and it'll get pulled to the top. We were lucky we didn't have to call the cart ourselves. It takes forever."
"What's so wrong with stairs?" Tressa asked as she stood, her legs shaky.
"If we used stairs, we wouldn't even be at the first landing yet. It would take us a whole day to climb down here."
"How far down are we?"
Fi shrugged. "Farther than either of us can imagine. Come on. It's a long walk, but I think we can catch a ride."
Tressa grabbed Fi's arm. "I am not getting in another cart."
Fi smiled. "This is better. Much better. I promise."
They exited the cramped tunnel and entered a small room. Two guards, dressed all in black, stood with crossed lances before a doorway glittering with diamonds.
"Princess Fionette," the man on the left said.
Tressa raised an eyebrow. Princess? Fionette?
"I brought a friend home with me." Fi stood up straight, her shoulders back. Though she stood a head shorter, she stared at the guards as if they were beneath her. "Let me pass."
"Your great-uncle isn't happy with you," the guard on the right said. "Beware."
Fi smiled, relaxing a bit. "Thank you."
The two guards clanked their lances together, then parted them. The door opened on its own.
"Come on, Tressa," Fi said, slumping again, morphing back into the odd girl Tressa had met back in Ashoom.
Tressa had spent moons making her own decisions. Daring people to follow her or remain behind. For the first time she was the one following blindly. It was disconcerting, but she wasn't about to argue. The exhaustion was coming back. As was the upset stomach, though whether that was due to her illness or the ride in the cart, she wasn't sure.
Fi guided Tressa down a quiet path until they came upon a bald man with a cart on two wheels. The cart resembled a settee with a footrest. Two long poles flanked either side, the wheels underneath.
"Think you can handle riding on this for a bit?" Fi asked Tressa.
Tressa cautiously followed Fi up onto the seat. The man bowed, then picked up the two poles, and ran down the street. Tressa meant to watch the buildings go by, to see the different taverns and the people exiting them. She wanted to absorb every moment in this wondrous place, but exhaustion screamed for her attention. She closed her eyes, letting the unfamiliar sounds wash over her.
Fi tapped Tressa on the shoulder. "You won't want to miss this view. Trust me. You'll only appreciate it the first time."
Tressa lazily opened her eyes. Ahead of them lay the most magnificent palace she'd ever seen. Tall ebony towers veined with periwinkle. Golden columns flanked an iron gate carved with images of dragons in flight, in battle, and at rest. Whereas the gems at Jacinda's castle in the Sands had felt gaudy, here the firelight bouncing off the embedded diamonds was warm and calming.
"It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," Tressa said as the cart drew closer.
The gates opened. The bearer pulled them into the courtyard and up a ramp to a set of closed doors. He laid the poles on the ground. Fi jumped off the settee, grabbing her pack and Tressa's from the storage compartment behind their feet.
"Are you ready?" she asked. "I'll get you a room and call for the healers. We'll have this figured out soon. I promise."
Tressa smiled at Fi's optimism. She wanted to feel it too, to believe that whatever was going on inside her could be fixed so easily. She remembered the small amount of blood she'd drunk. It wasn't enough to turn her. Her father had told her as much. He said she needed to drink the entire cupful. One drop couldn't ruin her, could it?
Chapter Seven
Tressa eyed the goblet the woman held out to her. She looked at Fi, who nodded her approval.
"Trust me, this should help," Fi said, her eyes sympathetic. “It’s okay. You can trust Leisa, too.” She nodded to the woman holding the goblet. Leisa’s long, dark hair hung to her waist, straight as sticks. She wore a crimson gown, belted with a golden braid.
"Every time I drink from a cup someone else has poured, something awful happens." Tressa thought of the tea her Granna had given to keep her from conceiving, the same tea she suspected Jacinda had used to force an abortion. Then there was her father, forcing her to drink dragon blood.
"You must drink, mistress," Leisa said. Her hands shook. "It is the only remedy."
"For what?" Tressa asked. "What is wrong with me?" Neither woman would meet her eyes. Tressa crossed her arms over her chest. "Until someone tells me what's in that cup, I won't drink a thing."
She appreciated the opulence of the bedchamber. The bed was soft and comfortable. The sheer linen curtains hung from the canopy, giving Tressa the feeling she was sitting on a cloud—not a bed leagues underground, but that was where the good feelings ended. They needed to tell her the truth.
No one made a move. The woman with the cup kept her arms outstretched. Fi stared at the door. Tressa threw dirty looks at both of them.
Finally Fi broke down. "Stay here." She waved a hand in the air. "I'll be back soon." She left the room in a huff.
Tressa smiled at Leisa. "Put the cup down. Your arms are going to ache."
"They already are," Leisa admitted. She set the cup on a table and shook out her arms. "It will help, you know."
"No, I don't know." Tressa sat on a damask upholstered chair. She rubbed her forehead. "I can't trust anyone anymore. I'm not even sure why I'm here. Jarrett felt it was the right thing to do, but how would he know?"
Leisa shrugged. "I don't know who he is, so I cannot speak to his character. Do you trust him?"
"Yes." There was no hesitation in her voice. She believed Jarrett always had her best interest at heart.
"Then believe him. We will help you here."
"Why?" Tressa asked. "You're asking me to trust you and I don't even know who you are."
She smiled. "I am the assistant to the Black Queen."
Tressa was taken aback. "The queen? What does the queen want with me?"
"The queen sent our dragons to Malum to protect you. The queen is a powerful seer. She knew you needed help, and she knew you would be coming here."
"Why me? I'm no one," Tressa said.
"Not true," a familiar voice said as the door creaked open.
Tressa's heart thundered in her chest. She turned toward the door and saw the speaker clearly. "You're dead," she stammered.
"No, my sweet Tressa, I am alive again." Granna seemed to float across the room, a black train trailing from the back of her long gown. She knelt in front of Tressa, grabbing her shaking hands.
"I saw you die. I was there." Tressa pulled her hands away. She glared at Fi, standing in the doorway. "What is this? Why are you doing this to me?"
Granna placed a soft hand on Tressa's cheek. The old woman’s wrinkles had been replaced by smooth, youthful skin. "It's me. After I passed, I was resurrected and brought to my new home. You need to drink this medicine." Granna took the cup off the table, holding it out to Tressa.
"What makes you think I would drink anything you offer me?" Tressa knocked the cup over, spilling the red liquid all over the carpet. She turned to Fi. "This is why you brought me here? Because you thought she'd help me? That woman never did anything but ruin my life."
Granna stood, rejuvenated and youthful. Though her ha
ir was still gray, her body was no longer ravaged by old age. She could have been the same age as Tressa’s parents, if they were still alive. "Now, Tressa..."
"Don't!" Tressa sprang to her feet, but dizziness overtook her, and she sank back down into the chair.
"Drink this. It will help, I promise." Granna nodded to Leisa to bring a pitcher from the table. Leisa poured another cupful of the mystery liquid.
Tressa pressed her lips together.
Fi stomped over to Granna and took the cup. She lifted it to her lips and took a long swig. She held it out to Leisa. "Fill it up again." Once the cup had been refilled, she held it out to Tressa. "Will you drink it now?"
"What is it?" Tressa demanded.
"Tell her," Fi said, glaring at Granna. "She might as well know. You've kept it from her long enough."
Tressa looked at Fi, then at Granna. "No more lies."
"I've never lied to you," Granna said.
"There is so much you haven't told her either." Fi stood next to Tressa.
This new friend was on her side. Jarrett had placed his trust in the right person.
"She's not ready," Granna said.
Fi knelt beside Tressa and squeezed her hand. "You are a dragon. You were born that way and you will forever remain one of us."
"I've been told that before," Tressa said.
Granna's eyebrows rose. "Who told you that?"
"Just some dragons up in the Meadowlands. They didn't know what they were talking about. They were only silly children. I'm not a dragon."
"Tressa, it’s true," Granna said. "You were born with dragon blood in you."
"Impossible. My father only became a dragon after he left Hutton's Bridge. Not before."
"No. Your father had dragon blood in him before he entered the fog. So did your grandfather. I know because I have dragon blood flowing in my veins."
Despite her anger, Tressa laughed, like she'd laughed at the Green dragon, Margret, when she suggested Tressa was a dragon. "Is this because of the drop of blood I drank up in Malum? It wasn't enough to turn me into anything. My father, Fenn, he said I had to drink all of it to become like him. Besides, if I'm a dragon, then why haven't I ever turned into one?"
