Page 31

Most humans pass on their knowledge to their progeny, but that wasn’t enough for those who called themselves guardians. They are murderers, Tan declared.

There is no excuse for what you did. By destroying the egg, Spelix can never return. Green also didn’t forgive.

“If it’s any consolation, we used the last of it recently.” Karoki rolled her shoulders. “Once the debacle with Zhos is complete, we can finally allow ourselves to rest.”

You claim that, but who’s to say you won’t steal one of our eggs next? Accused the green.

“I have no interest in extending my life any longer. I’ve been tired for a while.”

Greedy humans. Can’t be trusted. I won’t be fooled again. Tan stamped its feet.

“It’s not as if you noticed the passing of time while in the egg. And I will remind you, you agreed with our plan. You offered to help us quell Zhos.” Karoki rose to her feet.

We upheld our part of the bargain, only to be betrayed. As if that weren’t affront enough, humanity had a thousand years to find a solution, but failed, and now you expect us to once more be sacrificed.

“I told you, it will be different this time. Once Zhos is gone?—”

What if your plan fails? What if the rift doesn’t open? Or you can’t get Zhos through?

“Then all this will have been for naught.” Karoki sighed, her shoulders rounding. “I need something to eat. Do not move from this rooftop,” she ordered, and in reply, the pendants on the collars hanging around the dragon necks glowed.

Karoki glanced Avera as she passed. “Don’t even think about trying to remove the chains.”

“They’re trapped, I know.” Avera hugged herself and waited until Karoki had been gone a moment before saying, “I am sorry for what’s been done to you. I did not realize their plan.”

And if you had?

“I would like to say I’d have tried to stop them.”

At least you ensured Daerva escaped. The tan cocked its head.

“Do you think Daerva will return to rescue you?” She stumbled a little using the name, having a hard time reconciling it with the country she knew and the dragon it belonged to.

Unlikely. Why would she risk being caught?

“Because you’re family.”

The bugling of the dragons almost sounded like laughter.

We are not related in the same sense as you humans perceive.

“Well, you must be friends, seeing as how you’re the only dragons in existence. That gives you a commonality.”

Friends… Green stated musingly. That isn’t something we’ve ever contemplated.

“Maybe you should. Perhaps working together you can figure out a way to free yourselves.”

If we do escape, then you cannot use us to eliminate Zhos.

Avera shrugged. “I know. But I now wonder who would be worse for the world. Zhos or Titus? Both seem determined to cause chaos and death.”

Power can be addictive.

“To others, maybe. I never wanted to be a queen. I was happy being the forgotten princess.” Her lips turned down.

“When Zhos ensured the deaths of my family, I had no choice but to take on the role. The people of Daerva needed someone to lead them. Unfortunately for them, I failed. Failed to protect them from the traitors who killed my mother. Failed to find the eggs and keep Zhos quiet. Failed to realize what Titus planned. Failed you.”

Tell us your story. The tan dragon settled on its belly.

“Why?”

How else can we understand the world we’ve hatched into? Tell us your story, Avera Voxspira. But before you start, bring us some sheep. We’re hungry.

And so, Avera led the lambs to slaughter, but thankfully it wasn’t as horrible as expected. The dragons kindly snapped the necks first and then cooked the meat before eating it, although she declined when they offered her a chunk.

As they crunched, she told them everything. The story of her life. The things she’d learned about Zhos and what she knew of the plan hatched by Titus and the viziers. By the time she finished, true darkness had fallen, or would have if not for the orange glow of the lava rivers.

Thank you for your informative tale. Hearing it has helped me choose my new name. The blue dragon stood tall and bugled as it stated, Calixte.

“Oh. Thank you.” Avera understood enough to know it considered taking her mother’s name an honor.

I shall be Lance, the green dragon announced, leaving only the tanned dragon.

I should have liked Gustav, but as he might still be alive, I shall select something similar. Gunther.

“Very fine names,” Avera stated even as she hid her surprise at them going with human ones. “I should probably go see if there is something to eat.” She rose and stretched, her body stiff from sitting so long.

A question, if you please, before you depart.

“What would you like to know?” She’d told them everything.

Given you disagree with what happens here, why do you not flee?

She arched a brow. “You do see the lava all around, right?”

But you are one of the blooded.

“And?”

A dragon is hatched in liquid fire. You are descended from us, meaning flames can’t hurt you.

She snorted. “Pretty sure they can.”

Have you ever been burned?

Her mouth opened to say yes only for her to frown. “No, but that’s because I’m careful.”

Careful or impervious? Calixte slyly replied.

“Pretty sure I’m not impervious. When I entered the heart of the volcano, I thought my eyes would shrivel to husks and my lungs collapse.”

Minor discomforts. You wouldn’t have come to actual harm.

Avera pinched her lips. “Are you saying I could walk out of here and across that plain without getting burned?”

Your garments might not survive, but you would.

“Let’s say that’s true, how is one naked woman supposed to deal with the monsters in the chasm?”

Ooh, the yummy crunchies are still here? Lance rocked on its haunches.

“Yummy to you. Deadly for me.”

Only if you try to traverse at night. They are dormant when it’s light.

“What about when it’s cloudy?”

You might encounter a few who think it worth the risk. Stay out of any pockets of deep shadow.

“I won’t see any at all because I’d be seen before I could make it far.”

Only if they noticed. We could cause a distraction that you might escape.

“Why would you help me?”

Because it would vex our captors.

And apparently that was a perfectly valid reason for dragons.

However, Avera shook her head. “It would be suicide for me to set off across the plains. I have no weapon, no food, and what of when I reach the chasm? I have no way of crossing it. The bridge was taken down.” She now understood why they’d built it of rope and wood.

Anything more permanent would have been destroyed by the lava.

Excuses.

“More like me thinking ahead rather than rushing headlong. Besides, if I leave, how can I find a way to remove the collars?”

Only the blooded witches can do so. Calixte growled.

“So they claim. I don’t believe anything they say anymore.”

She approached the blue dragon. “Would you like me to at least try?”

Calixte recoiled. No. You will cause yourself injury and then how will you help us?

Avera’s hand hovered before dropping slowly to her side. “Any suggestions on how I can aid you?”

Kill the witches.

Her lips pursed. “I could try, but I doubt my chances of success without a weapon.”

The dragons’ heads turned as if of one mind and eyed Opal as she appeared on the roof, her hair mussed.

“You’ve been up here a while,” Opal stated.

“The dragons are better company than those in the tower.”

A comment that earned a snort from Lance.

“You got them to eat,” Opal remarked.

“They were hungry.”

“And most likely plotting.” Opal glanced at them. “There is no escaping the collar. Not until you’ve completed your task.”

So we’ve been told. A sour reply by Gunther.

“Get inside. It’s time you ate,” Opal ordered.

Avera grimaced as the drug in her system tried to force her to obey. “I’d rather stay with the dragons.”

“You must keep up your strength.”

“I would have thought you’d want me weak to make the rape easier.”

For a brief moment, Avera could have sworn she saw Opal wince. “It won’t be so bad.”

“I guess you’d know,” Avera retorted, ignoring Opal’s downturned lips.

Avera brushed past her and descended into the tower. She ate quickly and quietly, doing her best to ignore Titus who spent the meal smirking.

The next few days were torture. The forced proximity to Titus and his viziers both made her simmer with anger and fueled her despondency.

She spent as much time as she could with the dragons, telling them of Daerva and what she knew of the world.

The changes it had undergone. The history they’d missed.

They didn’t bring up her escape during that time and yet Avera found herself often staring out over the plains with its glowing orange cracks.

Did she dare believe them when they said her ancient dragon genes would save her from burning alive?

On the fourth day, her menses ended, not that she told anyone. Still, somehow Titus knew.

“Tonight, I will get you with child,” he announced.

The threat sent Avera fleeing to the rooftop. Only one of the three dragons was perched. Since the sheep were long gone, they’d been given permission to hunt the creatures that lived in the abyss. The command had been carefully crafted to ensure they couldn’t flee.

“You will feed upon three of the creatures in the chasm and then return to this rooftop,” Klothi had stated. “You will not hunt beyond the plains or the rift. Should you attempt it, your wings will fail.”

Lance attempted to disobey on the first flight to forage.

Avera had watched in horror as the dragon attempted to cross the chasm only to suddenly plummet as its wings went limp.

She’d wrung her hands in worry until Lance emerged sometime later, flapping drunkenly, arriving with wounds that had Avera fetching water and bandages to clean.

Lance had been livid. Those witches have bound us well. The moment I attempted to disobey my body failed me.

With Lance’s failure, the dragons turned even more sullen with their captors, refusing to speak unless ordered. Not that the viziers asked them much.