Dragonlands, Books 1 - 3: Hidden, Hunted, and Retribution

by Megg Jensen

"Give me some time to rest," Fi said. "I cannot make the rest of the journey without sleep and food."

  "You will have it," Tressa said. She looked to the guard, Barden, who had followed Fi back into the throne room. "Where are my friends? We must let them know."

  Barden looked around the room, whistling.

  "Barden," Fi said, the dagger suddenly back in her hand.

  "They're gone," Barden said, "but I ain't supposed to tell."

  Tressa wanted to punch him herself. "Tell me, now. Jarrett and I are still technically members of the Black Guard, are we not? You can share the information with us."

  "Oh," he said, his eyes locking on hers, "I suppose you are. They've left for Hutton's Bridge. They're gonna seal it back up in the fog again."

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Bastian slid off Connor's back and held out a hand for Elinor. She jumped off into his arms. He squeezed her before letting her boots touch the ground. Elinor smiled and looked up at the trees marking the entrance to the forest surrounding Hutton's Bridge. Connor quickly changed back into human form, fully clothed.

  "Do you know where to find the woman in the tree?" Elinor asked. She'd questioned him extensively about the woman, admitting she was fascinated not just from curiosity, but also from a healer's perspective. Bastian feared the woman would die if she was removed from her arboreal prison. Perhaps Elinor could find a way to help her.

  Bastian knew he'd never forget where he'd found the woman. The tree had come to life as the woman imprisoned within its limbs shot magic toward the sky. That sight was forever seared in his memory.

  "It's not far. Follow me." Bastian ducked under a tangle of branches, Elinor and Connor following behind him.

  "I still think I can protect you better if I'm a dragon," Connor grumbled, bringing up the rear.

  "No." Bastian stopped and spun around. "She will kill you. Now follow, and when the time comes let me speak."

  The three moved silently through the forest until Bastian found the tree he was looking for.

  "Are you sure this is it?" Elinor asked. "It seems like all the other trees." She looked up. "I don't see anything."

  "That's just it," Bastian said. "No one is supposed to know she's here. Let's climb."

  Bastian jumped, grabbing hold of the lowest branch, and pulling himself up. He reached down for Elinor's hand as Connor gave her a boost. Elinor straddled the limb and carefully pulled herself to standing, her arms wrapped around the tree trunk.

  "Are you okay?" Bastian asked. "It's a long way."

  "I'll be fine. It's better than staying on the ground alone." Elinor stared at the bark, not looking up or down.

  "If you get too scared, just stay where you are. We'll help you get down when we're done." Connor said, pulling onto the branch next to them. It bounced and swayed, forcing a squeal from Elinor.

  Bastian ascended to another branch. "Maybe we should do this one at a time. No one on the same branch at the same time." He looked down. "Elinor, you're after me."

  She let out a nervous laugh. When Bastian left his branch, she followed him.

  "Stay close to the trunk," he said, trying to make it sound like he did this every day.

  "Don't look up or down or you might feel dizzy. Just concentrate on the branch you're climbing to."

  He kept up a steady stream of chatter, hoping to distract Elinor. Her face had paled and her breath quickened. Bastian had never seen her this afraid before. Even when they were flying on Connor, she hadn't seemed anxious.

  Branch after branch, they ascended, until Bastian paused and placed a finger over his lips. Connor nodded. Elinor blanched as she clung to the trunk, her eyes closed.

  "Are you there?" Bastian cursed himself, wishing he'd thought to ask her name before.

  Leaves rustled in the light wind, but he did not hear the woman's voice.

  "It's Bastian. I've come back, asking you to restore the fog around Hutton's Bridge. Will you help?" He waited again. No response. "Stay here," he whispered to Connor and Elinor.

  Bastian climbed higher, until the branches thinned out and he could glimpse the sky through the canopy. He checked the trunk of the tree many times, looking for any trace of the woman, but he could not find her.

  Bastian rested against the bark, his arm looped around another branch. It was the right tree. He was sure of it. So where was she?

  "Lady of the tree!" he called out.

  No response.

  Then a crackle caught his attention.

  "You should not have returned." Branches came to life, wrapping around Bastian, pulling him closer to the trunk. The woman appeared in the tree, her face pulsing with green veins. “The world is not safe. Go now, hide!”

  "I know," Bastian said. He took gentle breaths, refusing to fight her tight grip. "We've come asking you to restore the fog."

  "We?" the woman asked. "I sense two others in the tree. I recognize the heart of one, but not the other. Who is she?"

  "Healer Elinor."

  "A healer?" The branches loosened their tight grip.

  "Yes, and you must recognize Connor's heart. He lived in Hutton's Bridge with me. Would you like to meet them?"

  The woman hissed. "The man has a dragon's heart. He is one of them."

  "He didn't ask for it," Bastian said. "He was beaten to death and resurrected as a dragon. Then he was imprisoned and raped. Do not blame Connor. His heart may not be purely human, but he is the most honorable man I've ever known."

  The woman in the tree let out a sigh, like an unexpected gust on a hot summer day. "If they are your friends, I will accept them, Bastian." She laid one hand on his heart, her fingers small branches with a tiny leaf at the tip of each. "You have changed too. Your life force is different."

  Bastian thought of what Elinor had given him. "My life has not been easy since I left your protection. For instance, I am no longer the self-absorbed young man who didn't think to ask your name when we first met."

  The woman smiled, her green lips revealing white teeth. "I am Gaia.”

  "It is a pleasure to meet you, Gaia," Bastian said.

  Her eyes closed. "My brothers wish you to know their names as well. They are Adamec and Vennox." She opened her eyes. "We will help you, Bastian of Hutton's Bridge. If you ask us to restore the fog, we will."

  "I also ask that you not kill Connor when he is in dragon form. He will stay in Hutton's Bridge with the children and a few other adults, as their protector."

  "I will know this Connor." The tree trunk closed again, looking just as it had before she'd appeared to him.

  Bastian climbed down carefully, stopping on a thick bough next to Elinor, who had her arms wrapped around the trunk, eyes still closed. He looked down at Connor, who was talking animatedly with the tree.

  "She can move up and down the tree," Bastian said, amazed. He hadn't realized she could do that.

  "I'm sure she's lovely," Elinor said. "I wanted to meet her and ask if there was anything I could do to help, but now all I want is to get down."

  A vine unwrapped itself from the tree trunk and wound around Elinor's waist.

  "What?" she screamed. "Bastian, help me." Elinor kicked and fought, but the vine was too strong.

  "Tell her to be silent," Gaia said. "I am simply helping her to the ground. I shall speak with all three of you there."

  Elinor's eyes were wide as the vine lifted her off the branch and slowly descended through the forest. Bastian and Connor scrambled down, reaching Elinor just as the vine was unwinding.

  "Well, that was helpful," Elinor said, smoothing out her dress. "I don't know what came over me. Normally I'm not so afraid of heights."

  The tree bark parted and the woman appeared to them. "Many are afraid. It is not the climb, but the painful trip back down that scares them. Bastian knows."

  He remembered the first time he'd found Gaia and how she'd nearly killed him by blasting him out of the treetops. Luckily he'd landed on a bough solid enough to break his fall. He glanced at the vine, ne
atly wrapped around the tree again. Perhaps it hadn't been a coincidence. If Gaia had wanted him dead, she could have made sure he hit the ground.

  "So you will help us hide the children in Hutton's Bridge?" Connor asked. "And you won't kill me if I change into a dragon to defend them?"

  "I will not," Gaia said. "I have seen your heart, and I recognize it. You will be safe from me and from my brothers. But other dragons will die if they come anywhere near the village. You can count on us to protect your children."

  "Thank you," Bastian said. "We will arrive tomorrow with the children and supplies."

  "All you need to do is visit me here. I am ready when you are." Gaia caressed Bastian's arm. "I will miss you, Bastian. Visit me anytime you like."

  Elinor slipped her hand into Bastian's, squeezing possessively.

  "Tomorrow, then," he said, still smiling at Gaia, despite Elinor's fingernails digging into his hand.

  Chapter Thirty

  Weary, Bastian and Elinor dismounted Connor in the throne room. Hand in hand, they crossed the marble floor.

  "I can't believe we're doing this," Bastian said. "After all the years I spent trapped in that damn village behind the fog, I'm now sticking my own child into it."

  "I can't believe it either," said a voice from the throne.

  Bastian stepped around to the front. "Tressa! What are you doing here?"

  Elinor dropped his hand quickly. Bastian felt hurt. True, he still hadn’t told Tressa about Elinor, but he didn't see why Elinor had to act possessive around Gaia and then pretend like there was nothing between them around Tressa. Women. He'd never understand them.

  "Hi, Bastian," Tressa said with that familiar grin on her face. For so long, those were the lips he'd kissed, the smile he’d looked for every day, even when they weren't allowed to be together. Now they belonged to someone else.

  "What are you doing here?" Bastian spread his arms and motioned for Tressa to give him a hug. She hesitated only a moment, then buried herself in his embrace. Bastian gave her a peck on the head and let go. "I'm glad to see you doing so well. So they were able to heal you in the Charred Barrens? Where's Fi?"

  He dreaded the moment she'd ask for Jarrett. The man had killed the dragon babies, and Bastian would never forgive him for it. Connor was likely to kill Jarrett the next time he saw him. He didn't know how to explain what had happened to Tressa.

  "Fi's resting. We found an empty chamber for her. I hope that's okay." Tressa said.

  "Of course," Bastian said, laughing. "My castle is your castle. If you can even call this mine. It doesn't feel like it."

  "Thanks to Connor, it is yours." Tressa looked toward Elinor. Her smile quickly faded. "What's wrong?"

  Elinor's arms were crossed over her chest and she wore a mask of anger. "Your boyfriend almost killed us. And he killed all of Connor's newly hatched dragons, except for one."

  Tressa's hand flew to her mouth.

  Bastian slung an arm around Tressa’s shoulder. "I'm sorry," he said. "I wanted to tell you at the right time." He shot an angry glance at Elinor. How could she? News like that needed time and the right words. Tressa's heartbreak was evidenced by her furrowed brow and shaking hands.

  "I didn't know...I mean...I knew there was something wrong with Jarrett when he tried to kill me..." Tressa's words faltered.

  Blood boiled in his veins as he squeezed her closer. "He tried to what?"

  "Kill her," Elinor said. "Same as what Jarrett did to those poor, defenseless babies. Vatra's lucky she got out alive."

  "Vatra?" Tressa asked.

  "Connor's own baby. The one in the egg he said was his," Bastian said. "When did Jarrett try to kill you?"

  Tressa took a deep breath. "Last night. On the Isle of Repose."

  "That's where we left him," Elinor said. "We hoped he'd wither away and die."

  "What were you doing there?" Bastian asked Tressa. He wished Elinor would just stay quiet. Tressa had feelings for Jarrett, maybe even loved him. Jarrett may have managed to betray them all, but Bastian wanted to be careful of Tressa's feelings. She'd lost so much since Sophia died.

  Tressa took a step back, looking at both Bastian and Elinor. "There are...things...you don't know yet. A lot has happened since I left with Fi. We should go somewhere and sit down."

  Bastian didn't like where this was heading. Not one bit. He knew that look in Tressa's eyes. She had secrets, dangerous ones, and Bastian doubted she'd share them all. Tressa had learned at a young age to be secretive. Bastian had forgiven it because she had a hard life growing up without her parents. Even though Sophia was good to Tressa, there was always some separation from the rest of the village. Sophia hadn’t mixed much with the other villagers, except for when she had to lead. Tressa had been isolated by default.

  "Let's sit then." Elinor stalked off to the large table on the side of the room. It was the same she'd been tortured on. She sat in a chair, her back straight, her hands folded on the table.

  Bastian, Connor, and Tressa followed. Bastian looked to his friend. Connor had been silent through the whole conversation. A quick glance at Connor’s eyes told Bastian he was exercising great control over his anger.

  "I need you listen to what I have to say," Tressa said, "and please don't say anything until I'm done."

  "Fair enough," Bastian said.

  Connor just nodded.

  Bastian reached under the table, settling a hand on Elinor's thigh, but she bumped it off. He didn't try again.

  Instead he sat back and listened to Tressa's story. How she'd visited the Black’s stronghold. How they numbered in the thousands. How they'd tended to her sickness and nursed her back to health.

  She told them about the war, and how they'd flown north to fight with the Red. How she’d been lured to the Isle of Repose.

  When she was done, Tressa sat back in her chair.

  Bastian doubted she'd told them everything. Her smile was guarded.

  "So Jarrett is here?" Elinor asked.

  "He's under guard, I swear," Tressa said.

  "I'm going to kill him," Connor said, fuming. He stood, his chair falling to the floor.

  "Connor!" Bastian leapt up. "Don't."

  "Don't? He killed my children! What would you do if he'd killed your daughter? And he tried to kill the woman you spent most of your life loving! How can you tell me to stop?" Connor got in Bastian's face, their noses almost touching.

  "You're right. But if Tressa says there's a chance for him to be healed, we have to believe her," Bastian said.

  "You can trust her all you want," Connor said. "But I don't remember her and I have no qualms about killing that bastard right now. I'll even do it while he's sleeping. Jarrett doesn't deserve a fair fight."

  "Connor, please," Tressa said. She stood slowly, her palms on the table. "I understand this is hard for you."

  "Hard? Hard was watching Jarrett murder my children. I will kill him." Connor stalked away from the table, his hands in fists.

  Bastian ran after him. He grabbed Connor's shoulder, forcing him to turn around. "You of all people know what it’s like to be put under a spell. To be forced to change. What if Tressa's right? What if Jarrett can be redeemed?"

  "It doesn't bring my children back to life."

  "Neither will killing him." Bastian searched Connor's eyes, waiting for his friend to regain his composure. For Connor to remember he was the levelheaded one. Bastian always had been the hothead, but if he could control his anger in this situation, then Connor could too.

  Connor looked back at Tressa. "This is because you still have feelings for her. You act like an idiot whenever she speaks. Even though she’s made it very clear she's not interested in you any longer, you still kowtow to her demands. You hang on her every word."

  Bastian wanted to retort back, insist he did no such thing. But, maybe Connor had a point. Maybe Bastian had let his feelings for Tressa, whatever they were now, get in the way of what was really important.

  "I'm not going to argue with you,
" Bastian said.

  "Why not?" It came from behind him. Elinor.

  Slowly Bastian turned around. He hadn't heard her approach.

  "Why not, Bastian? Do you still have feelings for Tressa?" Elinor crossed her arms under her chest.

  Her jealousy angered Bastian. Hadn't he shown Elinor repeatedly how he felt about her?

  "Was I just a distraction until she came back?" Tears hovered at the corners of Elinor's eyes. "I'm not just another whore. You can't have your way with me and toss coins at my feet when you're done."

  "Elinor—” Bastian reached out, but she knocked his arm away. "You know I don't feel that way about you. Please don't say it."

  "You won't let Connor kill Jarrett because you think it'll make Tressa mad. The Holy Ones forbid we should ever upset poor little Tressa." Elinor stomped a booted foot on the floor. When Bastian didn't immediately respond, Elinor pushed past the two men and ran out of the throne room.

  Bastian wanted to run after Elinor. He wanted to tell her he cared for her very deeply. He wanted to reassure her that he didn't have those feelings for Tressa anymore, but a very angry Connor still stood in front of him, ready to kill a man who might yet be redeemed.

  Tressa sat quietly at the table, her eyes wide.

  "I won't let you kill him, Connor. Even if I have to stand between the two of you and take the first blow." Bastian drew up to his full height, standing taller than Connor. "Give it some time. Let the mages in the Black try to help him. I swear to you," Bastian laid a hand on Connor's shoulder, "if Jarrett cannot be redeemed, you will draw first blood."

  "And last," Connor said. "I will rip his limbs from his body. I will tear his skin from his bones. I will devour every last bite of him."

  Connor turned on one foot, leaving Bastian and Tressa alone in the throne room. Bastian squared his shoulders, and left as well, closing the double doors behind him. Tressa could take care of herself. He needed to find Elinor.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Tressa smiled at the guards. They stepped to the side, allowing her to enter Jarrett’s room. She hadn't given them permission to let anyone else through without her say. Not even the healers in the room next door. She shut the door behind her. The shuffle of the guards' feet outside the door told her they were back in place. Good. These men hadn't been in the Black Guard with her, but they were soldiers who respected that she was. Or had been. Nothing in the Blue was as it had been.