Page 29 of Court of Embers (Dragonesse #2)

Chapter

Fifteen

M orning found us in the eyrie, gathered beneath the dragon door.

Kirana wore leathers that had been customized to her new body, cut low in the back to avoid grating against her burgeoning wings, her tail lashing behind her.

Instead of boots, her clawed feet remained free.

Her hair had been tightly braided from her hairline back, thick loops of gold woven into the braid.

She eyed the saddle Viros had hurriedly torn apart to fit to Cai’s slimmer body, the multitude of straps designed to keep her in place. Unlike my saddles, these had not been designed to hide what they were.

Standing amongst them all, including the allies that had nearly become enemies, I realized that somewhere along the line the status quo had changed.

Nobody cared that Kirana was a Naga, or that she was riding Cai without a mate bond.

Nobody cared that Rhylan and I had blatantly lied about our bond and were still vying for the throne.

A tiny bubble of hope swelled in me. If it meant that everyone was looking past our old traditions to unite against a single common enemy, we stood a chance.

“I could go with them,” Doric offered, his eyes moving between Kirana and Cai, but she smiled and shook her head.

“You’ll be needed here.” I handed Kirana a pair of gloves, the fingertips cut away to accommodate her claws.

“If three Iron Shards were here, more will be around. Your House is needed to hold the east. Maristela and Gaelin will watch to the west. Rhylan and I will be going to Koressis, and I’d rather not have gaps in our defenses.

And Cai and Kirana will be cutting over Sylvaene—they can slip through easier on their own. ”

He would blend into his natural environment.

I had faith that Kirana would eventually make it…

mostly because I had to have faith. After our late night up talking, everyone knew the plan.

Rhylan and I would consult the Historians, and the others would hold the line, gathering information on any rogue dragons they saw.

The next time we saw Tyria, our Court would compile the totality of information and design our invasion plans on it.

“It’ll be quick, in and out. This isn’t a social visit.” Kirana grimly tugged the gloves on. “Besides, the Hordes know how to move fast. It’s how they live.”

I didn’t ask her if she was sure. We needed a Horde, and that was that.

Cai shifted, and Kirana rapidly buckled the saddle, vaulting up and strapping herself in. Viros notated in his logbook, his face as grim as hers.

“Good luck,” I said briskly. “May the wind be under your wings.”

“Watch for me. We’ll be back.” Kirana nodded to us, her muscles tense from clinging to Cai, but she had the benefit of years of wyvern-riding. When Cai launched upwards, she clung to the saddle, bent low against the wind.

Your sister might be one of the bravest people I’ve ever met . I stared up after them for a long moment. After what Kalros had done to her, I wouldn’t have blamed her for never leaving the eyrie again.

She is. But she had to be . He reached out and brushed my hand.

Deep in my heart, I wished she’d never had to learn such things, but wishes were best left unspoken. They had a better chance of being answered that way.

I took a breath. “All right. Doric, you’ve got the eastern patrols.”

Mykah raised a hand. “What about me?” She was perched on the edge of Viros’s desk, watching him log Cai and Kirana’s flight.

Doric considered her. “I can take her. So long as she agrees to flee in the event of a fight.”

I raised a brow at Mykah. She sighed heavily. “Fine, fine.”

“If there’s a fight, come straight home,” I ordered. “You’ll be acting as a scout on these flights. If we’re not here, report straight to Viros.”

The Eyrie-Master would ensure that all records were logged, their numbers and Houses catalogued on the map.

“Ma’am,” Mykah drawled, and jumped off the table, vanishing through the eyrie door.

Bit cheeky , Rhylan thought, and I bit back a smile.

Maristela had changed into new leathers. I was used to seeing her in dyed blue leather, embroidered with violet stars. The ones she wore now were vividly white, a pattern of fangs picked out at the edges in black thread.

She could never erase her scion marks, but she’d clearly cast off her House entirely.

“We’ve got eyes to the west, watching Iliador,” she reported. “Wyverns from Talariel have been sending shipments to them. Shall we interfere or hold off?”

I considered this for a moment. Shipments of what?

Knowing Yura, it could be something truly terrible. But Iliador Eyrie, home of the Razored Cinders, was the closest enemy eyrie to our Court. Odds were just as high that they were reinforcing, preparing for an attack.

I had to actively force myself not to chew my lip as I thought. A Dragonesse didn’t gnaw her lip while giving commands to the troops.

It could be terrible, but is it worth risking the Mourning Fangs? Rhylan asked.

No , I admitted. As much as I want to know what they’re shipping, they’ll be expecting an attack, and Diraek Eyrie isn’t prepared for a dual-pronged retaliation from their Houses.

“Hold off. If any of your wyvern-riders get the opportunity to see exactly what they’re shipping, I’d be pleased. But for now I’d rather you remain out of the fight. As long as Yura still considers you valuable potential assets, she won’t attempt to destroy your eyrie entirely.”

Gaelin smiled, his black eyes sparking. “They could try.”

I appreciated his enthusiasm. But Diraek could not stand up against the full might of both Talariel and Iliador.

“We’ll collect numbers,” Maristela said, shooting him a look. “But do you need any back-up for Koressis?”

It was my turn to glance at Rhylan. “We’d move faster and easier alone.” Like Kirana and Cai, it was simpler for a single pair to move unhindered and unseen.

“No,” he said smoothly. “Like Kirana’s mission, this is strictly in-and-out. We’ll gather as much information as we can from the Historians and call a Court gathering when we return.”

Better to go alone , he thought to me. Having both of us, and our strongest allies all in one place might prove too much of a temptation for Yura.

She doesn’t need our allies to be tempted . I snorted to myself. You and I alone are enough to draw her out.

Rhylan didn’t speak it to me, but I heard him think ‘ you ’.

And it was true. I alone was enough. I might never know why she hated me so powerfully, but she would come for me if she got the chance.

Better to go alone, and remain unseen.

Maristela nodded, and Gaelin began shifting under his saddle. Soon we were alone in the eyrie, and Viros sighed, laying down his quill.

“I’ll be back up at six bells for your flight,” he said. The Eyrie-Master looked weary after the late night. Rhylan and I wouldn’t fly until twilight, when his coloration would provide us some cover under darkness.

“Get some sleep,” I suggested.

I patted his shoulder as we passed, and we headed down towards the library.

I brushed my fingers over the map table.

With everyone’s input, we’d arranged tokens, and I didn’t like that the Shadowed Stars, the northernmost Great House, remained uncommitted.

Yura’s Court formed a crescent moon around our allies, and with Chantrelle potentially joining her, we’d be caught in the middle.

“Erebos, I need any information we have on Ustrael,” I called, and there was a split second of time where everything seemed to still, and then shiver at the sound of the Outsider’s name. I immediately regretted saying it.

Erebos himself lunged from the ceiling in a black cloud, teeth bared. “Do not say that name!” he hissed, and I recoiled, stumbling over a chair.

“My apologies,” I started to say, but Erebos drew back.

“That name is not to be spoken on this world,” he said apologetically. “Everything listens, child.”

He drifted through the library, no larger than Myst, searching the shelves…but he only plucked two books from them.

“There is very little here.” He dropped the books on the table before us.

“But…” I looked at the books. One was a history of Akalla. The other was a bestiary of sorts. There would be nothing to help us here, but we did have an Ascendant before us. “Erebos, you were there, in the Age of Flame and Shadow. What do you remember?”

He sat back on his haunches. “Very little. I’ve spent years in the Dreamlands. My memory is not what it could be.”

“But you fought against Ustrael with your parents.”

Erebos snorted black sparks.

I stared at him pleadingly. “Erebos, if ever we needed the advice of an Ascendant, it’s now.”

He grumbled, his tail flicking, and flinched when Myst pounced on him out of nowhere.

“Oh, he pretends to be venerable and wise,” she said scathingly, batting at his golden necklace. Erebos turned his head away from her. “Truth be told, he was but a hatchling when we destroyed the Outsider.”

I rubbed my temples. “So you were there, but…”

“Still in the nest,” Myst said, all good cheer.

If a true dragon could look abashed, Erebos was doing a good impression.

“But I was there. I was there when we plucked out the thousand eyes of the Outsider and blinded her endless sight. I was there when the ocean boiled as we tore her limb from limb and her blood blackened its waters. I was there when Larivor and Naimah sundered this plane and tore the world open—”

“Yes, yes,” Erebos snapped. “You were there for all of it. Ask your questions, child.”

“First of all, I want to know these plans of yours.” I stared evenly at Myst. “And I want to know if you still smell her scent.”

My Ascendant sat on Erebos’ twitching tail. “No. I will not tell you of my plans. All I will say is that I work in concert with you, Serafina, and you will have to wait patiently for the outcome. As for her scent…yes. It grows stronger by the day.”

“And you can’t tell the difference between a Primoris and…and a piece of the Outsider herself.”