He shook his head. "You need to talk to King Emberich about that." And then he shut his mouth and looked away. No more talking, I guess. That was fine with me.
I watched the various buildings go by instead. The paths between them were narrow, carved into the side of the mountain. More than a few people walked them, dressed like Sven was in loose, light-colored clothes. The tops of the buildings were mostly flat, probably because there was a lot of flying from place to place.
It actually looked a lot more foreign than I expected. Whereas it seemed like the dragons were not that different from the city dome, apart from having more resources, it was like we were heading into a completely different culture here. I wondered if that translated to more than the architecture and clothing.
Sven finally broke his silence as we neared the top. "This is the palace," he announced, standing before we'd come to a complete halt. "Come."
I wondered if he spoke to everyone that way. I stepped out onto a small platform, reaching inside to pick Omari up and deposit him next to me.
There were stairs leading up to the palace. And that really was the perfect name for it. It was all domed roofs and delicate spires. The outside of it was decorated with mosaic tiles in oranges and reds, mimicking flames. Appropriate, though kind of on the nose. There were four slender towers surrounding the palace, topped with small platforms where phoenixes stood at the ready, their sharp eyes scanning the area.
When we got up to the palace's level, I realized the path to it was also a detailed mosaic, this one of a sun with the silhouette of a phoenix in front of it, the background tile blue to mimic the sky. The spires were maybe twenty stories high, the detail on them carvings rather than tile. The windows were all rectangular with rounded tops.
The double doors that formed the main entrance were thrown open, with thick columns on either side. This was more than I'd expected. I didn't know if there was any etiquette to this. I figured I would just do what I could and hope for the best. That seemed to be what I was resorting to a lot these days.
We stepped inside. I had to take a moment to look around. Ashur's place was luxurious, but it was also welcoming, open to all of his skein.
This place decidedly wasn't. It was built to intimidate, not welcome.
The ceiling was high, with intermittent glass panels letting the sunlight stream in. The floor was stone, some kind of dark and iridescent one polished to a smooth shine. I didn't know what the rest of the place was like, but we were led into what could only be termed an audience chamber. Thick columns lined either side, leading straight to a throne at the very end. A large gold monstrosity upholstered in embroidered red, set on top of a platform that needed stairs to reach it.
Overcompensating for something?
Or maybe Emberich just had horrible taste.
Other than that, the large chamber was empty of furniture, and our footsteps echoed as we walked forward. A middle-aged man sat on the throne. I took him in, curious. Tall, with silver-streaked dark hair and a short beard with a white stripe right down the center, he was dressed in clothes similar to Sven’s. Similar in cut, anyway. This man’s white top and loose pants were embroidered heavily in dull gold. A large ring with a ruby at its center adorned the middle finger of his right hand and a slim gold crown hugged his temples. His feet were in completely impractical golden slippers. Not that this man seemed to care much about practicality, judging by this palace.
His eyes were cool as he watched us approach, even as a small smile played over his lips. Like he was thinking of a joke only he was privy to.
"My King," Sven murmured, bowing. "Mia here says she was hired to bring Omari back to phoenix territory." His tone was remarkable for its very emptiness. Like he was trying not to betray any emotion. That told me more about Emberich than this ridiculous room.
Emberich waved him away. "Wait to the side, Sven," he ordered carelessly.
Sven bowed again and walked over to stand next to another door to the right and behind the throne, his eyes turning to me. They were as unreadable as his tone had been.
I kept Omari next to me, my hand firmly wrapped around his. His small hand trembled in mine as he stood halfway behind me, obviously scared. I wasn't expecting that. Maybe it was the build up? Omari was a pretty confident child, although I could understand his nerves. I had no idea how this was going to go either.
Maybe I should have listened to Ashur.
"Thank you for bringing my son back to me," Emberich said, his eyes on me. They flicked over to Omari, his expression not changing at all. "Good job, Omari."
What? I looked down at Omari.
"I'm sorry, Mia," he whispered, trying to tug his hand out of mine. But I held on.
The confusion must have shown on my face because Emberich chuckled.
"Who do you think hired you to come out here?" he asked. "I wanted to see my daughter. And I couldn't think of a better way to welcome you than to lead you here with your own brother."
I just stood and stared at him, hearing the words but not able to process them.
Omari was his son. That much I got. But was he saying...
"Yes," he said, as if he knew what I was thinking. "You are my daughter, Mia. And Omari was good enough to help me get you back here, where you belong."
Wait. He'd deliberately given his son sun sickness? All in an attempt to lure me here? I licked my lips, disconnected from myself. Was this even real?
"I belong in the city dome," I finally said in a low voice.
"You belong here, with me," he countered, his voice cold, his expression hard. "Grace had no right to take you from your own father. I was inconsolable after she left with you."
Somehow, I doubted that. Mom didn't talk about my biological father much, but I'd pieced enough together to come to the conclusion that he'd most likely been abusive. And that she'd left with me to protect me from him, which meant she didn't think I'd be safe here with him.
And here I was. Caught neatly in his trap.
If he'd wanted some bonding time with me, he could have easily been on the up and up and asked for it. Instead, he'd set up this elaborate scheme to get me out here.
Manipulative, narcissistic. Maybe a sociopath.
I needed to tread lightly.
"Wouldn't it have been easier to call?" I asked lightly, my eyes scanning the area, looking for any other ways out.
I couldn't see where the door by Sven led, which meant only the door behind us was a safe bet. And that was a straight shot, with no cover if we ran.
And it would be we. No way I was leaving Omari here if he was this scared. A parent who would deliberately hurt his own child like that, put them in danger, use them...
That was no parent. Just a gene donor. This was why Omari hadn't wanted to come back.
I should have listened to him. I should have listened to Ashur.
Emberich leaned back in his throne, smiling smugly. "I wanted you back home. With me." He gestured at me lazily. "And here you stand."
I swallowed, my stomach turning over.
This was not good.
Not good at all.
Chapter Twenty-Three
How was I going to get us out of here?
I glanced over to see Sven still watching, a slight frown on his face, as if this was news to him. And not particularly good news at that. I didn't know if Emberich had been totally open with this plan among his people, though I was guessing not from what I'd gleaned of his personality from even such a short acquaintance.
It did make more sense now why Sven had accepted my story so easily after he'd seen Omari. It wasn't my story at all that had gotten us in.
"Omari?" I asked quietly.
"Yes?" he responded in a small voice, like he was just waiting for a blow.
A blow I would never deal. He was only a child. "Do you want to stay here?"
A startled pause. I looked down at him, met his hopeful eyes.
He shook his head. "No," he said, almost in a whisper. Like he w
as afraid to be overheard.
All right then. That was all I needed to hear.
I smiled slightly as I turned back to Emberich, who was watching the exchange with interest. But not as if it really mattered what we said.
"Well, it was nice to meet you," I said as I turned to leave. "But there's been a mistake here, so we'll just be leaving..." The direct approach couldn't hurt, right?
I stopped, keeping Omari next to me as four guards appeared from behind the columns. I knew it wouldn't be this easy, but I'd been hoping I was wrong.
I turned back to Emberich.
"I'm afraid I can't let you leave," he said, his tone and expression apologetic, that smile still on his face. I really wanted to wipe it off. Maybe with a slap. Or a nice roundhouse. "Not before we can have some quality time together. And certainly not with my other child." He leaned forward, clearly enjoying the power he wielded here. "I'm sure you understand."
"Quality time can’t be forced," I said, moving to the side so I could keep an eye on Emberich and Sven as well as the guards. "And I've been just fine without a father so far. I think I'll live."
"Have you?" he asked with raised brows. "From what I've learned, you live suppressing your phoenix side, afraid to show who you really are in that crowded cesspool of humanity you call home." He spread his hands out to his sides to draw attention to the room. "Here, you could be who you truly are, in the lap of luxury. People would kill for such a life." His smile faded. "I would advise you to take the offer or I may start to believe you aren't appropriately grateful for this opportunity."
Uh huh. I would get right on that.
"If I don't leave soon, there's going to be a whole skein of dragons showing up here."
I figured a bluff wouldn't hurt. And maybe he'd believe it if he was aware of Ashur roaming the boundary of his territory. What I wasn't expecting was for him to throw his head back and laugh. A great big belly laugh that had him tearing up slightly as he wrapped his arms around his midsection.
"Oh, that is amusing," he said on a sigh, shaking his head as he wiped at his eyes. "Mia, Mia, Mia. If you're going to threaten someone, you need to use something that is actually intimidating." He clasped his hands, his face turning serious. "I can gather the entire phoenix population in this area at a moment's notice. We would crush one lone skein easily. Destroy them as if they never were. And while the other dragon skeins wouldn't like it, they also wouldn't fault me for it. Not when your precious Dragon Lord would be stepping into family business."
All right, he knew about Ashur. And he didn't care. I had no leverage here.
He nodded as he watched that realization dawn on my face. "Yes, that's right. Accept your fate. You will be staying here." He clapped his hands together and the rubbed them in anticipation. "Now, why don't we—"
There was a commotion just outside the door we'd come in from. We all turned to look.
"You will let me in, young man, or I will make you sorry!"
The sound of flesh hitting flesh. And then a man flying past the open doorway.
Huh.
A tall woman, maybe in her sixties, strode in. Her short cap of silky hair was mostly dark gray, her pretty face softly lined, her dark eyes vibrant and sharp. Age sat on her lightly. She wore a long, flowing dress in a pale yellow that suited her skin tone and her slender frame.
The four guards inside stepped in front of her, but King Emberich raised his hand to stop them.
"What are you doing here, Cinira?" he asked, a warning tone in his voice.
Cinira glared at the guards as she strode past them, her eyes landing on me.
"There you are," she said, shaking her head as she made her way over to us. Had I missed something? Did I know this woman? "You know exactly why I'm here, Emberich." She turned to glare at him. "I'm here to protect my granddaughter."
I stared at her.
Again...
What?
Chapter Twenty-Four
If I were a fainter, I'd probably be on the floor right now. But I wasn't. Which was a good thing because then I wouldn't be able to protect myself or Omari.
So I just stood with my mouth hanging open as I stared at the woman, noting the details. There was something about the shape of her face... and her build. The way she walked. There was a resemblance, more to my mother than to me, though I could see I had her straight hair and a slight lilt to my eyes.
It wasn't definitive. But why would she lie about it? And if it was true, how could I go from no family, to a father, a grandmother, and a half-brother all in one fell swoop?
My head was spinning.
"This isn't your business, Cinira," Emberich said in a low voice. "I suggest you leave."
"It's my business more than it is yours," she snapped back and then turned to me, her voice softening. "I thought you smelled like my own when we attacked Ashur's skein. It was why I stopped Ester from killing you."
I had a flashback to the purple dragon with the distinctive star marking that had sniffed at me. And shoved aside the dragon that had burned me before Ashur had been able to get there.
"Uh. Thanks?"
She smiled wryly at my tone.
"You look like Grace," she continued, searching my face. "You got lucky." She stared at me, though I didn't know if she found what she was looking for. "Where is she?" she asked, her face hopeful.
The familiar ache made itself known in my chest at that question. She didn't know...
"She's gone," I said quietly. "When I was twelve."
"Oh, my baby," she said, tears appearing in her eyes. "I don't know why she didn't come to me. And you, just twelve!"
She closed the distance between us and wrapped her arms around me. I wasn't much for hugging strangers. But there was something so familiar about her. And something comforting about the fact that she too knew my mother. Probably better than I did. And that she clearly grieved for her as well.
I had to struggle not to completely lose it and break down in tears.
"I have to take care of this, then we'll catch up," she whispered in my ear before pulling back. Her tone said this was a nuisance, but a manageable one. She cupped my face in her hands and smiled before stepping away and turning to Emberich.
Her back was ramrod straight as she faced him, as imperious as any queen. More impressive than Emberich. She didn't need any of the trappings.
"I'm leaving with my granddaughter," she said firmly, daring him to disagree.
"She's my daughter and she's staying," he growled.
She shook her head. "You don't want to start a conflict with me, Emberich," she warned, her face stormy. "You know I could rally enough skeins to make war between us very costly for you."
"You wouldn't reignite something so dangerous," he argued, though there was a lack of certainty in his voice.
Her smile was sharp as she caught it too. "Wouldn't I?" she asked silkily. "I believe it was you who called me—what was it? Oh, yes. A 'crazy old bitch'."
He glared at her as the guards on either side of us took a step closer.
This might have backfired...
I drew Omari behind me as I stepped closer to...my grandmother? Cinira. Cinira was easier.
But then Emberich waved his hands and the guards stood down.
"Fine," he said grudgingly, almost pouting. And then a sly glimmer appeared in his eye. "But my son stays with me."
Omari tightened his hold on me.
"I'm not leaving without Omari," I said firmly, picking him up.
Cinira nodded, as if that was a given. "We both know you don't care about that child, Emberich," she said shaking her head. "Is he worth a war where there might not be any winners?"
He glared at her. His back was stiff, his face red from anger, his hands clenched on the chair. But he relented. "You will regret crossing me today, Cinira. Make no mistake."
"I'll be waiting," she said, her smile icy. "Come, Mia." She turned and marched away from the throne, her strides long and confident.
O
kay then.
The walk through that long throne room was one of the most nerve-racking minutes of my life. My whole back crawled with the urge to look around, to keep an eye on the threat. But I followed Cinira's lead and kept facing forward as we reached the flat mosaic area in front of the palace.
Sven somehow appeared in front of us as we headed to the gondola, his face carefully neutral. Looked like he always tried his best to keep his thoughts and feelings to himself. At least when he thought it counted. We were all quiet as we rode down the mountainside. It was an odd and tense few minutes.
I didn't know what Cinira was thinking, but I was afraid we'd be attacked at any moment. That Emberich was just playing games with us. He seemed like the type. But we reached the bottom of the mountain without an issue.
Sven gave us a nod and then hung back as Cinira and I walked to the car, still parked where I'd left it.
"You need to watch your back," Cinira murmured once we were out of earshot. "Emberich is known for killing his offspring. Five at last count, at least that we know of. He usually waits until they're adults so it doesn't look quite so horrifying." Her mouth tightened. "He's jealous of his power and worries they might become a threat." She looked at me as we stopped in front of the car, then glanced at Omari standing next to me.
"I'll be sure to keep that in mind." There wasn't much chance I'd forget today's encounter. But something was bugging me. "How did you know we were here?"
She smiled slightly. "Do you think everyone here is happy to have Emberich as king? Or that they agree with everything he does?" She shrugged. "I have informants everywhere."
That was good to know. Note to self—do not get on Cinira's bad side.
"Do you want a ride out of their territory?" I offered.
She smiled, this one more open and happy, though it was still tinged with sadness. She had only just heard about her daughter's death. Though Cinira looked like she was a tough woman. I doubted she would truly let her grief out in front of me.
"That would be lovely, thank you."
Dragon Lord (Dragons & Phoenixes Book 1) Page 16
