Page 26 of Crown of Betrayal and Blood (Dragons of Tirene #3)

Chapter Twenty-Six

The first streaks of dawn are barely kissing the horizon when I wake up, the bed beside me a cold expanse. Panic grips my chest until I find Sterling, who shifted away in his sleep, still lost to dreams.

Something soft and fierce blossoms in my heart…a love so deep that I’d walk through a blazing inferno to keep him safe.

One of the dragon’s minds brushes against mine.

Chirean. I must have projected my emotions loud and clear because he’s checking on me.

After reassuring him all is well, I slip from the sheets and pad across the room, my motions swift but silent. I dig around in Sterling’s wardrobe for the extra riding leathers I stashed here.

As I dress, I can’t help but cast one last glance at Sterling, his chest rising and falling in a peaceful rhythm.

Leaving him means I can’t keep a close eye on him and watch for any new symptoms. But if I stay, I’ll never find the phoenix tears that may hold the power to heal Leesa—and him if the corruption infects him too.

With that thought in mind, I leave a note detailing my plans for Sterling on his nightstand, then press a soft kiss on his jaw before slipping out the door.

The palace sleeps around me, halls haunted by the ghosts of yesterday. My chest clenches from the image of Blair’s lifeless body on the floor, from Leesa’s soulless eyes as she licked the bloody knife. I slip through shadows, quickening my pace toward my own chambers.

The sooner I leave, the quicker I can return, hopefully bringing the cure with me.

When I open the door to my room, I find an unexpected guest.

Bastian, asleep on my couch. Two packs, mine and his, sit ready by his feet.

I head to the bathing chamber to tame my hair into a braid. By the time I return to the sitting room, my brother is awake and rubbing the back of his neck.

His eyes snap up to mine, determination flickering in their hazel depths. “Time to go then?”

He stifles a yawn with his hand.

I blink at him, not sure what I should say. I had planned on traveling alone, to sneak out as quietly as possible. If my destination wasn’t far away, I wouldn’t even wait for a dragon to join me.

“You’re going with me?”

“Of course I am.” He gestures to the room that’s been more of a waystation than a home since I started spending many of my nights in Sterling’s bed. “Need anything else from here?”

I shake my head. Words are too much for me to manage right now.

Bastian doesn’t wait for my answer. Simply gathers our bags with the ease of an experienced dragonrider. He strides toward the door, and I follow, trailing in his determined wake. As we pass through the palace, the clack of our boots echoes off the stones, announcing our departure to the arching hallway.

I reach for my pack, but he refuses to give it to me. “You really don’t have to come. I’ll be fine. And Leesa?—”

“Is in good hands. There’s nothing I can do for her now anyway, and seeing her like this…it’s killing me. Going with you is exactly what I need to do.” Bastian glances at me from over his shoulder, his voice laced with grief. “After last night, Agnar wanted to come, but Knox?—”

“Agnar promised to keep watch over Knox. Him staying behind is the only reason I can leave.” The weight of responsibility settles on my shoulders like a cloak.

The fire paddock looms ahead, with stone and sand and expectation. Chirean, Nailah, and Kaida raise their heads, the dawn casting long shadows over their scales.

As I communicate my need to travel, Chirean’s disappointment trickles in through our connection. When he relays images of his mate and the eggs, I know my friend will be staying behind.

I think the dragon may have already gathered my mission, though, because he shares images of Nailah and Kaida next, as if he already chose and prepped the two traveling companions to accompany us on this journey.

“Nailah. Kaida.” Though I’ve sensed their emotions, I’ve never flown on these two before. I’m more familiar with Kaida since Leesa rode him during our trip to the Lost City. He’s a black male who’s slightly smaller than the others since he’s younger, but he’s still enormous. Nailah is a magnificent orange and yellow female.

Both lean over Bastain, who keeps his head down, waiting for their approval while their snorts ruffle his hair.

Kaida shifts, discomfort radiating through him like an itch he can’t scratch. Bitter regret flows into me, along with guilt.

He feels bad for his sudden and unexpected departure during our last journey.

The mystery of his sudden abandonment got lost in all the excitement, but I think I understand now. His instincts probably reacted to Leesa’s burgeoning corruption.

I soothe him with reassurance before turning to Bastian. “Ready?”

With a nod, Bastian mounts Nailah. I follow his lead and mount Kaida, and we rise into the predawn sky. Chirean, free of rider and gear, rises with us before veering north, his powerful wings slicing through the air toward the eggs.

We head south, surging upward into the clouds and shrouding ourselves within their gossamer cover.

Flying within this cotton-like fortress, our world shrinks to mist and the sound of wingbeats.

Soon, we cross the boundary of Tirene and soar over the water. After hours of flying, the northern tip of the continent comes into view, and Aclaris stretches like a slumbering giant beneath us.

At one point, I sense emotions from a distance. Dragons. A patrol comes into view, dragonriders mounted on gaunt dragons whose scales seem to drink the light around them.

Shit.

“Bastian!”

I point at the threat and urge Kaida into a nearby cloud formation while attempting to activate my emotional shield.

I really hope Alannah’s lessons work because if those Aclarian dragons sense us, we’re screwed.

Tension grips me as we wait. Once the patrol passes obliviously beneath us, my muscles finally relax.

We divert our trajectory a little to avoid them and continue southward, skirting the edges of Aclaris, where the land kisses the sea. The sight below startles me.

A procession of military might sprawls across the landscape like a swarm of iron ants. Alicorns outfitted for war march as a single unit, their hooves kicking up dust trails that shimmer in the sunlight. A few dragons walk among them, their riders clad in gleaming armor.

They’re all heading south toward Kamor.

An attack? That would be madness. But that would explain why they’re walking instead of flying, where they can be more easily spotted.

My thoughts whirl like a leaf caught in an updraft. Only days ago, couriers spoke of unusual troop movements in Aclaris, both in the south and north.

But Aclaris is also fighting the drachen’s insidious threat. Starting a fight against a foreign nation while they’re still struggling against creatures slaughtering them in their homelands would be suicide.

Hours pass, and the land gives way to the ocean’s expanse. Below us, the water stretches dark and deep, a fathomless abyss untouched by the chaos of war. Fishing boats bob gently, specks of white against the blue canvas. No signs of conflict down there, just the simple rhythms of life.

Shifting my bag forward, I retrieve the map with practiced ease. Unfolding it, I cross-reference our current location with the jagged lines and contours inked onto the parchment.

We’re close, but with the approaching twilight, we need to make camp for the night. I don’t want to fly through unfamiliar territory in the dark.

Bastian and I are quiet once we land and find a good spot on the beach to rest. The dragons wander off to hunt, though they stay close enough that I still feel them. Our dinner consists of a few hunks of cheese and dried jerky. Not the best meal I’ve had, but it’s something.

The night is blissfully uneventful, and as we take off early the next morning, the strip of golden beach gives way to the silver ribbon of a river that snakes lazily through verdant farmland. I trace the river’s path with my gaze. My fingers dance over the map as we cross into a denser landscape, the lush canopy of an ancient forest spreading beneath us like a sea of green.

I squint as towering peaks come into view, searching for the ones that match the map. The sun hangs low, casting long shadows and bathing the rocks in hues of orange and pink. I let the dragons know I’m sorry they’ve had to fly so far, but that we’re nearly there now.

Kaida’s amusement tickles at the edge of my mind. He’s glad of the chance to stretch his wings like this and could go on for another two days at this pace.

Show-off.

I laugh, shaking my head at the dragon’s bravado. Still, a part of me swells with pride. Having such steadfast companions is a blessing I’ll never take for granted.

We press on, the mountains growing ever taller, their snowy crowns lost to the clouds above. After a little investigating, we locate the small peak that lines up perfectly with a much larger one behind it, like mother and child.

I focus on a clearing at the mountain’s base. This should be it.

Kaida’s talons kick up a cloud of dust as we touch down. Nailah lands beside us, and both dragons stretch their necks, eagerly sniffing the air.

“You sure this is the right spot?” Bastian swings down from Nailah’s back with practiced ease. “It doesn’t look like a valley.”

“Well, it is called Hidden Valley for a reason, Bastian. Did you really think we could just fly into it?”

He snorts. “Point taken.”

I scan the rock wall for any sign of an entrance, but find nothing. Just cold, unyielding stone.

“The map says we need to be invited in. But I don’t know what that means.” I step closer, running my hands over the rocky surface, willing it to reveal its secrets. There must be a way in. Surely Nyc wouldn’t send us on a wild goose chase. “Let’s look around for something that might be a signal or a lever of some kind.”

“Ah, yes. I’ll just search for the door knocker. That should stand out nicely against the mountainside.”

My brother is way less stiff and formal now that we’re getting to know each other, a sharp contrast to how he acted when we first met. It’s good to know Bastian and I share a lot more than just our looks.

I grin. “Hello? Hidden Valley?” My voice bounces off the rock. “May we come in, please?”

There’s no answer. Not that I expected one, but it was worth a shot. We start searching the trees, cliffs, piles of fallen rock, and even the ground.

Kaida and Nailah stand impatiently as we check everything in the area, even scouting a bit wider than I think we should.

Still, we find nothing.

I try calling up my fire, in case the magical lock we’re hunting will respond to my presence. After that, I attempt nicking my thumb and testing my blood against anything that appears movable.

Other than knocking over a few rocks, nothing happens.

Frustration knots in my gut, and I turn away, blinking back the tears that threaten to fall. After everything—the dangers faced, the distance traveled—I refuse to be stopped by a slab of stone. I drop my dampening shield in a last-ditch effort to commune with Nailah and Kaida, hoping they might have some ideas.

A flood of emotions crashes into me. Nailah’s feelings are like wildfire, too intertwined and quick to grasp.

“Slow down.” I motion with my hands, struggling to catch the embers of her thoughts.

Kaida has no patience for such antics. With a nudge of his massive head, he shoves Nailah aside and takes a deliberate and insistent step forward.

He guides me until I’m standing on a particular patch of earth. Then, with a surprising gentleness that belies his size, Kaida nudges me again, firmer this time, and I topple over, hands splayed against the cool ground. With massive claws, he digs in the ground, encouraging me to copy him.

I do so, but with so many fragments of stone, I’m barely able to scrape the earth.

Still, Kaida is pleased.

What now?

The thought barely forms when the earth begins to tremble beneath my palms. A low rumble vibrates through the soles of my boots. The groaning ground splits, opening up to reveal a tunnel that delves into darkness. The rocky mouth widens, yawning wider and wider until even a dragon could amble down with ease.

“Holy hells.”

Bastian’s jaw drops. “Whoa.”

We stand shoulder to shoulder, peering into the abyss that beckons us onward. For a moment, all my fears of failure dissolve into the warm air drifting from the tunnel, replaced by the renewed kindling of hope.

The rich, promising scent of hot vegetation wafts from the newly formed passage. We’re on the brink of something powerful. Something ancient.

Let’s just pray it’s not also something murder-y.

Bastian continues peering into the blackness. “So, are we thinking this black pit is better or worse than the boat that took us to the Lost City?”

“How ‘bout we be optimistic and go with better?”

“Works for me.”

A glance at Kaida and Nailah reassures me. They appear unfazed as they walk ahead, into the unknown. Their scales shimmer with an otherworldly gleam, reflecting the early morning light that dares to penetrate the entrance.

After a deep breath and a silent prayer for safety to whatever gods might be listening, I step toward the gaping hole in the mountainside. The ground inclines gently downward, the path wide and smooth, as if carved by unseen hands.

“Keep your eyes peeled. For traps, or guardians, or…”

Bastian fills in where I leave off. “…phoenix tears?”

“Sure, because those should be especially easy to spot down here in the earth’s bowels.”

The deeper we go, the more alive the tunnel becomes. Roots snake across the ceiling, thick and pulsing, as if the mountain’s heart beats just above us. A soft glow begins to build, emanating from crystals embedded in the rock. Their light casts dancing shadows that play tricks on my eyes.

“Is it just me, or does it feel like we’re walking into a dream?”

“Let’s hope it’s not a nightmare.” Bastian’s sentiment is one I repeat in my head.

Finally, the tunnel opens up to a vast cavern. Stalactites and stalagmites jut out like teeth in a giant’s mouth, and in the center, a lake of crystal-clear water reflects the cave’s luminous beauty.

Bright daylight fills this peek into a paradise lost. “Wow.”

“Quite the sight.” Bastian is glancing around like a farmer at the capital markets, his gaze sweeping the expanse with a wary yet pleased eye.

“All right.” I turn to face him, the dragons at our flanks. “Let’s find those tears.”