Heart of Dragons

by Meg Cowley

  “The wards are already up. Don’t worry.”

  “I still don’t trust the trees.” Brand scowled toward the entrance, as if the trees were creeping in.

  Aedon clapped him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry yourself like an old woman, Brand. The trees here are harmless. They’re not the same as the Tir-na-Alathea dhiran.”

  Brand did not seem convinced in the slightest, but Aedon let him be. He knew the Aerian warrior never let his guard down.

  “Are you sure there’s no reason to worry?” Ragnar looked toward the inky void of the cave mouth again.

  “If Brand says we are safe, I’ll trust to that,” Erika said.

  Brand inclined his head to her, then turned to Ragnar. “You’re safe here, Master Dwarf.”

  Even so, the night seemed to close about them, and even Aedon was glad for the light and warmth of the fire, though he would not admit it.

  He leaned back onto an elbow and smirked. “What a tale for the ages, eh? The legendary Thief of Pelenor takes on the elves of Tir-na-Alathea and wins. I can hear the adoration already.”

  Erika snorted at Brand. “You should have dropped him.”

  “My apologies,” Brand said, shrugging. “He carried our prize. I could not, though I considered it.”

  “You would be lost without me,” Aedon crooned.

  “We’d be in a lot less bloody trouble,” Ragnar said, jabbing his wooden spoon at Aedon.

  Aedon only grinned wider and swiped a taste of the broth from it, making Ragnar yank it back. “Yum.”

  “If you knew what hunted us, you wouldn’t be so cocky,” warned Brand.

  “I do know what hunts us,” said Aedon. “Why worry about what we cannot control? They shan’t catch us. We’re masters of evasion.”

  “They’ll see your fat head from a mile off,” the Aerian warrior grumbled, moving closer to the fire between Aedon and Erika.

  The only sound besides the crackle of the fire and the rasp of Erika’s blade on her whetstone was the sizzle of the roasting meat dripping fat into the flames. The nomad woman’s gift to them that day was a wild piglet, caught before Aedon and Brand had returned from their mission. It had been a long trek since for all of them, up into the foothills and as far away from the waking forest as they could travel.

  They had fled long into the dark without stopping. Erika guarded their rear, Aedon magically swept away any trace of their passing, and Brand carried their prize, ready to take to the skies at a moment’s notice to save it, should it come to that.

  Yet, somehow, they had evaded capture. Aedon held their prize before him, the top and bottom of the vial between his finger and thumb, admiring the way the faceted crystal caught the orange light of the fire and shattered it across the cave in hues of honey and amber.

  “Is that it?” Erika asked. She frowned and leaned forward, as if it might seem more impressive if she got closer.

  “What do you mean, ‘is that it’?” Aedon spluttered, glaring at her indignantly. “It cost a lot – nearly my head, thank you very much – to get this much!” His numb buttocks protesting, he shifted on the hard ground. Even though the furs beneath them were thick and warm, the cold of the earth seemed to seep through.

  The stoppered vial was a beautiful specimen, the likes of which few in Pelenor would see. Perfectly clear, tear-shaped crystal, stoppered with crystal to match. It was small, smaller than Aedon had hoped, and certainly not enough to save everyone he had hoped.

  However, in the heat of the moment, and having come so far, there was little reason to not take it. What was inside was even less reason. The clear liquid glimmered with every hue of the rainbow...and a light of its own, if Aedon squinted at it...yet there seemed not enough to take even a sip.

  “We were hoping for more, I think,” Ragnar said. His quiet, measured voice made Aedon wince much more than Erika’s sharpness. Somehow, his disappointment was worse.

  Aedon threw a troubled glance at the dwarf, who stared at the vial as he turned the meat on the spit, basting it in its own juices. “I would have taken more had it been available.” He sighed. “This was it. The sum total of all that distillation.”

  They all stared at it, and he knew they wondered the same. Did it hold salvation, and would it be enough? The liquid seemed so insubstantial. Aedon swallowed and pushed thoughts of failure aside. That was not an option. They all knew it.

  “We can still save plenty,” he said quietly.

  “Perhaps not enough, though. What else can be done?” Ragnar turned back to his cooking, because he knew the answer. Nothing. Erika did not reply at all.

  When Aedon stilled, the others turned to him.

  “Are you all right?” Brand raised an eyebrow. It was unusual for Aedon to be quiet or motionless. Both meant he was entirely out of sorts.

  “We need to make more. Make this spread further,” Aedon said.

  “I beg your pardon?” Ragnar leaned forward.

  Aedon shook the tiny vial at them. Erika hissed and dove to catch it, lest he drop it into the fire, but he snatched it back and clutched it to his chest. “We can make more!” he crowed.

  “I don’t follow,” said Erika. “I thought the whole point of taking this from the wood elves was because we couldn’t make any?”

  “How? How is it done?” Brand asked.

  Supper was forgotten as their attention fixed upon Aedon. “There are certain substances which can be used to make potions more potent, so you can use smaller doses or even dilute them. They’re rare, of course, and pricey, but they exist. There’s no reason it wouldn’t work.”

  “Are you certain?” Brand pressed him.

  The light faded from Ragnar’s eyes. “If you’re wrong and the potion is spoiled, they’ll all die.”

  Aedon faltered, but only for a moment. “Course I’m sure. That is what we need to do.” I think.

  “What can be used, and where do we find it?” Erika’s dagger and whetstone lay in her lap, forgotten.

  “Wait,” Ragnar said before he could reply. “Dragonhearts...” he said slowly. “Yes?” He looked to Aedon.

  “Precisely. That’s one way.” Aedon grinned widely.

  “Huh?” said Erika. Brand rustled his wings and cocked his head, but stayed silent.

  Aedon gestured to Ragnar. “You know the lore then?”

  Ragnar inclined his head. His voice took on a grave cadence as he recited an obscure passage. “The Heart of Dragons is a substance most potent. A crystalline structure, hued and jagged as the dragon it comes from, contains such magics as are yet misunderstood. The Heart of Dragons may affect potions or incantations in many different ways, most notably lending the strength of the dragon to the magics performed.”

  “Thank you, oh wise one,” Aedon said, a hint of fond mockery in his tone. “Ragnar is quite right. Dragonhearts are incredibly potent. Part blood and flesh, but part magic and spell, too. The very essence of a dragon is captured. They’re beautiful. They shine with iridescence and their own inner fire. Almost as if the dragon isn’t truly gone.” Aedon stared past the flames to another time and place.

  “Do you mean their literal heart? I imagine they are not very common,” interjected Brand, narrowing his eyes. “If you set aside the fact that every dragon we see wants to kill us and is entirely invincible, as far as we’re concerned, I doubt they’re willing to simply...give them up, no?”

  Aedon winced. “Well, yes, that is a problem. I do mean the literal heart. You won’t be able to obtain one from a living dragon, of course.” He swallowed. “But they can be...harvested from a dead one.” He paused a moment.

  Brand’s face softened and he nodded to the elf. Aedon smiled half-heartedly in return. “They’re very rare. I’m sad to say the King of Pelenor stockpiles dragons, alive and dead.”

  Erika scoffed. “What man thinks he can own a dragon?”

  “The king believes he can own every dragon, as you well know.” Aedon pursed his lips. “So he also considers Dragonhearts to belong to him.
He never allows them to have final rest, as befits them.”

  Aedon shook his head, and his lip curled. “I digress. The hearts can be kept whole, or broken apart and powdered to make into elixirs. Any form would help. Perhaps if we could procure some, we might be able to make this potion—” He raised the vial for all to see, “—more potent, so it will save more lives than otherwise possible.”

  “Where can we find some?” Brand asked. “Must we go to Tournai?”

  Aedon tipped his head to one side and chewed on his lip. “The king most definitely has what we seek. There will be stockpiles in Tournai, as well as the knowledge of how to use them to aid us. However, we are already so far away...”

  No one filled the void. They all knew there was not enough time to divert.

  “There’s a fair chance every lord from here to Valtivar has some stockpiled,” Aedon eventually continued. “There’s a black market for any prohibited items. Dragonheart is no different.”

  “So we could buy some?” Ragnar asked. He still turned the spit, but it was force of habit. He paid no attention to the roasting meat.

  Brand barely suppressed a snort of laughter. “With what coin?”

  Ragnar’s shoulders sank a little, but there was still a plea in his gaze as he searched Aedon’s.

  Aedon smiled gently. “I’m sorry, my friend. We shall have to take it. There’s no other way.”

  Ragnar looked away. A jerk of his head was the only acknowledgment Aedon received.

  “I’m sorry. I wish it could be otherwise, but you know we never take for the sake of gluttony, avarice, or selfishness. We take what we must to help those in dire need. Of all our quests, surely this is worth it. Some dust, really. That’s all we’re stealing, and we can save lives.”

  “Don’t,” said Ragnar. “I know why we do what we do, but it does not make it any easier for my conscience to bear, no matter how great the need.”

  Aedon’s lips thinned. “I feel the same. What is right is not always easy.”

  “Theft is wrong.”

  Brand clapped Ragnar on the shoulder. “It is, yet we will steal again as we have stolen before because it is even worse to let innocents die, isn’t it.” There was no question in his voice. Ragnar met the Aerian’s piercing golden eyes. To his credit, he did not flinch, though it felt like looking into the hunting glare of an eagle.

  “Yes,” he said dully, looking away.

  “None of us enjoys this life, of living in the shadows and having to steal to do what we feel is right.” Brand’s voice was gentle. “Yet I would rather do this, live like this, be with you all, than have every privilege that was afforded to me before.” His gaze flicked to Erika, who nodded, face grim. He looked at Aedon. “There’s no other way?”

  “I don’t know of one. I only know of the Dragonhearts because, well... You know.”

  “And you would know how to use the Dragonheart to dilute the potion?” Brand pressed.

  Aedon squirmed. “That’s where I’m a little unsure, but one step at a time.” He turned to Ragnar. “I won’t say we don’t have a choice, Ragnar, because you never agree,” said Aedon with a forced grin. “You know he’s right anyway.” He jerked a thumb at Brand.

  Ragnar pursed his lips. “I know. I just wonder when we’ll ever not have to make such choices.”

  “Perhaps tomorrow, perhaps never.” Aedon shrugged. “I’ll make them gladly every time.”

  Seven

  Dimitri leaned against the golden, stone column, soaking in the atmosphere, admiring the enchanted domed ceiling of stars and moonlight. It was the most relaxed he had felt in an age. Even the ever-present tightness in his shoulders had faded.

  He had not been in this part of the palace for over a year, since the last summer ball of the previous season. It was one of the few parts of the palace he liked. Warm and inviting, a world away from the cold, grey stone, foreboding gloom, and politics in the rest of the place.

  He sipped at his nectar-like drink in the delicate glass flute, raising it in toast to those who greeted him with a dip of their head or a smile. On this one night, all came together. Political agendas, familial ties, personal vendettas... All were forgotten for a night of genuine merriment.

  He had no doubt that in the morning, along with sore heads, they would have hate for him once more, but tonight, it was nice to feel like one of them for a change. To not have to keep the cold and distant mask. Still, his smile was clipped as he toasted them, and no one stopped to speak with him.

  He was here as his father’s guest, not in his own right. That irked him – and delighted his father, who was convinced he granted Dimitri a great and gracious boon.

  Pompous git.

  Dimitri watched his father stalk past with his wife on his arm. He looked through the crowd, but his half-brothers were lost in the throng. His step-mother glowed with a beauty Damir did not deserve, but she was as cold as the rest of them. Calculating. She had not wed him for love, but money and position.

  Dimitri knew a lot more than she thought. He had been there – or at least his ears had – as her family had arranged the union. One of many strings the family had to its bow, always trying to improve its standing and wheedle its way into royal favour.

  Dimitri had not been overly concerned. Every House was like that. Self-serving, out for their own gain. All friends on the surface, but conniving and conspiring to take the others down. Now, with warm faelights bathing them all in golden light, they laughed and danced as if they were naught but good friends.

  On the edge of the whirlpool of swirling bodies, those mingling and those dancing, it was the perfect place to observe who spoke to whom, who slipped away with whom, and even who was present or absent. Dimitri was never off duty. The king would grill him for the details on the morrow, as he always did.

  He shoved away from the column with casual grace, meandering through the laughter and gleaming smiles for another drink. He would have just one more. It would not do to have a buzzing head and lose his mind. Elven wine was extremely strong.

  The scent of Rosella’s perfume reached his nose before she crossed his path. Suddenly she was upon him, giggling, dragging him into the whirl of dancers. He let himself be pulled, sweeping her into his arms and falling into step with those beside them.

  A wispy gown of palest blue, like the glowing moon, adorned her, swirling around her sculpted figure as her feet danced upon air. Next to his black tunic adorned with silver threads of stars and moons, she was the light to his darkness, glowing in comparison and effortlessly eclipsing all those around them.

  She was indeed the most beautiful of all there. At least outwardly. Her dress floated with her. She was wind and water, her feet seeming to never touch the floor. He followed their neighbours’ steps with ease, her long-fingered hand in one of his, her slim waist cradled in his other palm.

  For all the limitations of his younger days, he had been well-schooled in the courtly arts and did not shame her. Even so, he felt the king’s disapproval radiating from the dais. He fixed his mask into bland cheer, not letting the king drag his attention as he twirled the princess past her father, pretending that all his attention was on her.

  All her attention was on the rhythm of the music. Inebriated, she was pure joy, movement, and laughter in his arms, as casual as she had ever been. She seemed to live and breathe the music.

  When they passed Dimitri’s father, he allowed his gaze to slide to Damir’s, his lips to curl with the hint of smug disdain. As they twirled once more out of sight, Dimitri suppressed a genuine smile at his father’s scowl.

  Damn them all, he decided. Dimitri held his head higher. Tonight, I’m off duty. He held his back straighter and tugged Rosella closer. Tonight, I am no one, dancing with a princess, and, king be damned, I’ll enjoy it. The bastard and the princess. For that one moment, he would be above all their scorn.

  DIMITRI BOWED AS ROSELLA curtseyed, holding themselves for a moment as the music crescendoed and died. Around them, applause scatt
ered through the dancers, and the musicians struck up another tune. Dimitri handed Rosella off to another willing male, and with his usual wink and a mischievous grin that she mirrored, disappeared to catch his breath and find another drink. The musicians had chosen a favourite, and the floor flooded with bodies.

  His heart sank as he saw the king’s subtle summons. Toroth could not be ignored. Dimitri inclined his head slightly to indicate he had seen. He changed course, meandering to one of the exits and a quieter, deserted part of the castle.

  The chill blasted him as soon as he left the warm, glowing ballroom and the heat of all those bodies fell away, as if they hated the shadows he now stepped into. It was freezing beyond the protective spells. The breeze brought cold that seeped through him, cooling his clothes and his skin.

  Dimitri did not turn as the king silently appeared beside him. Toroth did not mention his daughter, though Dimitri knew it was always first on his tongue. That made his heart sink further. Dimitri knew, if he did not receive his disdain at once, the king desired a favour. The more tolerable the king, the higher the favour.

  “I have something to ask of you, Dimitrius,” he said, almost affably.

  This isn’t going to be good. “Your Majesty?” Dimitri inclined his head. A chilling tingle crept down his spine.

  “I require your help with a delicate matter – with your customary discretion, of course.”

  It was not a question or a request.

  “Anything, Your Majesty. I am willing to serve.” Dimitri hated every word he uttered, but there was little choice.

  Even the breeze paused, as if it, too, held its breath.

  “I have a list of names that I know to be committing various misdemeanours.”

  Dimitri stilled. He was the source of most of the king’s intelligence, which meant one of two things. One, if he had names he did not know of, then Dimitri had failed in his duties. The thought did not bear acknowledging, for the punishment would be severe. Or two, they were innocents to be punished for the king’s own agenda.

  “Your Majesty?” It was a struggle for him to keep the words monotone, empty, not filled with dread of one kind or another.