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Chapter 7

Tahlia

Q ueen’s Coral was a bee hive of activity—traders, buyers, sailors, and pirates flitted from cart to tavern, from brothel to dock. Tahlia couldn’t help but love it a little bit. Except maybe the brothel part.

“Have you been here before?” Tahlia asked Marius, who was hooded and glaring daggers at every human that passed by.

“I have not. Only flown over it.”

“You might want to glare less. You catch more bees with honey in this hive.” She laughed, enjoying linking up her earlier thought with the idiom.

Maiwenn gave her a questioning look and she waved her off.

They passed under a clutch of chittering birds whose long, blue tails hung from the branches of a tree with bright pink leaves. The tree’s shadow fell over them and eased the heat of the sun on Tahlia’s head.

Marius’s boots kicked up some of the sandy ground. They hadn’t lined their roads with stone, instead, the pathways were simply sand and smooth pebbles. “None of us have been to this town. Remember, no names. No dragons. Only the money we will pay and the amount we need.”

Tahlia nodded and checked in with Lija. How are things? They’d left their dragons in a humble cave system with the rest of the riders.

It’s not a luxurious hideout, as you well know.

Sorry about that.

I am fine dealing with hardships during missions. I know what dragons of the order are expected to endure, and I do it with fervor.

You are loyal and brave and I would ride no other.

Tahlia could feel Lija’s satisfaction with her response. The bonds between riders and dragons fed the creatures’ souls. Old stories stated that unbonded dragons died younger and often suffered from melancholy—many refusing to eat until they wasted away. Tahlia was so glad she and Lija had found one another and that the dragon’s broken wing was healed. They were blessed, for sure.

But rider, Lija said, I’m unhappy because you are keeping something from me. You are greatly troubled and I can feel it quite keenly through our bond.

Tahlia exhaled. I saw a thread connecting the Unseelie directly to Fara.

What did the thread say would happen?

It doesn’t always work like that. I can see possibilities pretty clearly on a normal day, but this day, it’s not normal at all. The threads were chaotic and unreadable. I could only tell that certain people were bonded and that if we took off, we would elicit a violent response from the Unseelie. The threads also showed a powerful connection between Fara and him. I think he is going to try to kill her.

Try?

Tahlia’s heart skipped two beats. I can’t even imagine the male being capable of the deed. I just can’t think like that, Lija. No. He won’t win. He can’t take her from me.

Slow your thoughts, Lady Tahlia. We are in this moment and nothing is happening to her right now. She is right here beside me.

All right. Good. Good.

I’m looking at her now, Lija said. I see her cautious eyes, her healthy limbs, and her smooth, plum-hued skin. She is well and unharmed.

Tahlia took a stuttering breath. Thanks, Lija.

You’re welcome. Now, don’t you keep such burdens of information from me next time. I am here to help you shoulder such weights.

Thank you. Tahlia sent a bolt of appreciation and love through the bond. Lija returned it and the sun seemed to grow brighter.

Marius stopped at a blacksmith’s forge with Maiwenn and Tahlia taking his back to watch for anyone suspicious. In the workshop, a human with slightly pointed ears—half-Fae like Tahlia or just born a little early?—clanged a hammer or whatever they called those things onto a strip of dark metal. It was impossible to tell what the item would become.

“Good morning,” Marius said, sounding less good and more get what I need immediately .

Maiwenn and Tahlia traded a look, and Tahlia stepped forward.

“Master Smith, forgive the intrusion. We need to purchase a good supply of bloodiron. Arrow tips. Blades. Spearheads. Whatever you might have to sell us. We can come back at another time if you would like.”

Marius raised his lip, and the always observant Maiwenn kicked a nearby table of tools to distract the smithy from seeing Marius’s Fae fang. It would be better if the smith thought they were humans. There weren’t many full Fae up here on these islands. Along the coast, yes, of course, because that was part of the Realm of Lights. But not here. This was beyond the water, still inside the Veil technically, but existing in its tattered edges. The divide wasn’t clear-cut like it was at the southern border of the Fae realm. Of course, these folks knew of the order and Titus said that most here were appreciative of the work the order did in fighting pirates. But that didn’t mean the humans trusted the order. And sometimes, they likely hoped some pirates escaped dragon fire to spend gold in towns like this. Needless to say, it was complicated.

The smith nodded at Tahlia and gave her a smile. But as he took in her eyes, then looked at Marius, his grin faded. Damn. He’d noticed Marius’s eyes. He knew he was full Fae.

“I wish I could help you, but I only have that bit there.” He lifted his chin to indicate a crate of raw bloodiron sitting against the wall. He sounded like he couldn’t get rid of them soon enough.

Marius looked into the crate and scowled. “This will work. We will take the lot.”

Tahlia and Maiwenn examined the contents. There were three rectangles of the metal, unformed as of yet into anything of use. Beside them was an open leather sack of arrow tips. A blade of the stuff sat unsheathed near the bag.

“How long would it take for you to use the blocks to make another three spearheads?” Marius held out a bag of gold coins to the smithy.

The blacksmith took the sack, loosened the tie, and blinked at the gold. He cleared his throat and looked up. “I can drop what I’m doing and get it done by sundown. I have three apprentices that are up to the task and we can work alongside.”

It was disgusting how gold could sway someone with a closed mind against other races. Not surprising, but gross.

Maiwenn took over the conversation at that point. Her family ran a weapons shop at Dragon Tail, so she was well-versed in pricing, buying, and selling. The smith began haggling half-heartedly, his nervous gaze peppering them each in turn.

They spent the day hiding in the shadowy corner of a tavern, playing dice games and drinking rum. As the last of the sun’s light departed, they left Queen’s Coral with bloodiron weapons in tow, ready to find the Unseelie and end him before he could do the same to them.