Page 94 of Of Blood and Banes (The Arterian #2)

WHEN THE DEAD REST

A nervous rush of chatter washes over our group in the Nightfort community hall.

We discuss the original plan to send the dragon riders to find the ancient translator for Queen Elara’s journal in Bayrock and the rest of us to Millton to speak with the Vitalan council members on the future of the Dragon Lands’ leadership.

As I actively try to avoid looking at the spot where Nolan was executed, my gaze slips to Darian who looks at everyone but me. We switch gears to the King’s letter Cole received.

“Will the council members in Millton allow us to venture back into Arterias with Cole?” Gavin asks quietly. “Maybe we can just kill the King while we’re down there?”

“We can’t kill the King without risking Kat,” Melaina says.

I tug the ring up and down my finger in the event it decides mid-conversation to bind to me. But it slides past my knuckle with a little force. “The ring isn’t sealed to me yet. So, I can take it off if we get within a kill shot.”

“As if us Vitalans haven’t tried all this scheming already? What makes you think this time would be any different?” Bristol challenges.

“We have her.” Archie points at me with a beaming smile, radiant with pride. “She’ll kick his ass and take his throne.”

I shake my head and hold my hands up. “No, I’m not interested in ruling.

But Bristol is right, we don’t know what the King is capable of.

” I swing my attention to Melaina. “Do you think we could request the council to arm us with soldiers to storm the castle? Perhaps we can take him by surprise and numbers?”

“No, I don’t think they’ll allow a plan so last-minute like this. They’ve spent decades strategizing, so they must know something we don’t,” she answers.

“Then what do you propose?” Cole’s arms are crossed over his chest.

“We bring this discussion to the council in Millton, as we originally planned,” Melaina answers.

Cole unfolds his arms and leans up against the table with a twitch in his bearded jaw. “That’ll cost us at least half a week traveling there and back. And then if I travel south to Arterias afterward? We don’t have that much time.”

“Daeja and I could fly you there,” I offer.

Everyone swings their attention to me, Cole included.

“If…you fly on dragonback, it should only take us a week at most to get there from Millton. We could consult with the council and still make it to Arterias in the deadline,” I whisper, my attention pinned directly on Cole, willing him to consider it.

“You’re going to fly through Arterias? Are you insane?” Bristol murmurs from a few seats down to my left. “The council likely won’t allow it.”

I meet his gaze, then sweep it across everyone else. “Even so, we still have to try and ask for their help. But ultimately, it isn’t their decision. It’s mine.”

Archie nods, leaning back in his chair with a sure smile as he absentmindedly twirls a table knife in his fingers.

Bristol continues gently, “If you move against the council’s orders, and you are not the appointed leader of the Vitalans, you risk yourself being executed.”

“They wouldn’t kill her. The prophecy states she’s the chosen one,” Melaina chimes in.

Bristol lifts his hands. “Look. I don’t what they’d do. I’m just stating the normal protocol.”

I stand up from my chair. “Prepare yourselves for the journey and get a good night’s rest. At daybreak, we’ll all make haste to Millton.

Dragon riders, you’ll take Queen Elara’s journal to Bayrock and see if you can locate Elder Honora to translate it.

If the seven of you can locate her and get the translation in the first two days, send your fastest rider to Millton. ”

Later that night, I wake up in a cold sweat, my skin tight with goosebumps and a heavy pressure weighing down my chest. I scan the dark room to find it empty, then brush my sweat-dampened hair back off my face.

And if it weren’t for the tight cord of tension running between Daeja and me, I would have guessed it’s from my recurring nightmares.

“Daeja? Are you alright?” I ask as I lean up off my back.

“What? Yes…fine. Just…bad dream.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“No.”

Her response is like someone threw cold water on me. “What’s wrong? I can sense something isn’t right.”

“Just go back to sleep.”

I throw my sheets off my legs. “That’s it. I’m coming to see you ? —”

“Do not,” she warns.

This isn’t like her. Not like her at all.

I freeze, staring at the moonlit wall across my bed.

I want to respect her space, if she needs it for herself.

Feeling for our bond, I caress it, trying to understand what it is that’s troubling her.

Perhaps she just doesn’t want to give the feeling words.

“You’re…nervous about travelling tomorrow? ”

She snorts. “Never.”

“Is it…is it A’nala? I know how much she meant to you…”

Silence stills the sounds between us.

“Ever since my mother died in the fire back in Padmoor, I’ve had nightmares, too. About everyone who has died since. The ones I wasn’t able to save. It’s okay if you don’t feel up to talking about it. I just wanted you to know I’m here for you. Always. I’m still here.”

“Thank you…now go back to sleep. We have a long day tomorrow.”

As I lie down, I have trouble falling asleep. But I flood our bond with as much love and warmth as I can muster. Hoping it’s enough to comfort her from afar. Until she’ll let me in.

The next morning, I meet our group near the northeastern outskirts of Nightfort and shield my face from the blinding sun climbing up over the horizon.

Melaina gathers the horse-drawn wagons, and we bid farewell to the dragon riders.

The sight of the incomplete formation sparks pain in my chest. The dragons fly in a V formation with no one at the head.

“Ready?” Melaina calls behind me.

I stride over to Daeja and heave myself up and into the saddle. As I lean down to retrieve the belt pre-hooked into the saddle, I instinctively glance down at my left for Cole.

Where he…isn’t.

I look up to the horse-drawn wagons, searching all the faces for his when my heart drops into my stomach. For the first time, I realize how accustomed I’ve grown to our silent ritual before traveling.

“Where’s Cole?” I shout out, my heart skipping beats into a full gallop.

But he’s not here. Not with any of them. I check the groups three times just to make sure, scanning faster and faster. Melaina searches, and when her eyes meet mine, I already know.

I rip off the buckles and hooks when I see a small sliver of paper tucked underneath the front of the saddle and Daeja’s neck. As I pull it out, a soft breeze carries strands of my hair across my face, and I frantically tuck it behind my ears as I unfold the letter.

Kat,

If this is the last time you ever hear from me, know this:

I love you.

Even when my heart stops beating, it’ll still always call your name. I trust in you, just as much as I hope you someday trust in me.

Cole

I crumble the note in my hand, a frustrated grunt ripping in my throat as I slide off Daeja. “It wasn’t a bad dream last night, was it?” It must have been her guilt. I whisper, holding up the letter as I face her, “How could you let him go?”

She blinks, slowly. “ My first priority is always you.”

“And you didn’t think this would destroy me?” My voice wavers. “You lied to me!”

“He asked me not to tell you.”

“And since when do you listen to him?”

She ducks her head, avoiding my eye contact as her tail whips back and forth behind her.

I grab her chin to pull her attention back to me. “Listen to me, please! This is wrong, he shouldn’t have left.”

“What’s done is done.”

“How can you say that?” I nearly cry down our intimate bond.

She lifts her chin. “Because I did not bond him. I bonded you.”

“Then you know how I feel. Remember? You told me that back in Arterias. I shouldn’t have to say it. You know what he means to me! You know I lov ?— ”

“Is everything alright?” Melaina calls behind me and rests a careful hand on my shoulder.

“Cole’s gone,” I murmur, numbness creeping throughout my chest as I’m still locked into Daeja’s white, slitted eyes.

“I thought I noticed a horse was missing but…” Melaina glances to the distance where the other dragon riders had disappeared. “What do you want to do? It’s your call.”

Breaking eye contact with Daeja, I look to Melaina. “You all move ahead. Daeja and I have to search for him. If we don’t find him by tonight, we’ll circle back and meet you at Everden.”

Daeja and I fly south in silence. A cold, bitter wind whips my hair back from my face, my cheeks numb and chapped. Even with Marge’s gloves protecting my hands from the cold, it still pierces through to my bones.

“I’m sorry…” Daeja whispers. “I only wanted to do what’s best for you.”

I reach forward and pat her neck. “I’m sorry, too.”

“I couldn’t stop him. I tried. He wouldn’t listen to me.”

“He didn’t listen to me, either…”

We fly hours south until Dragon’s Back Ridge rises from the cloudy gray distance, my eyes scanning the ground and forests for that blasted red hair, my heart sinking deeper and deeper the more time stretches on.

There’s no sign of him. Not even hoofprints of the horse he stole treading through the frost-tipped grasses.

When I see a glimmer of several wild fire dragons gliding off to the left of us near the mountains of Eldire, I tell Daeja with a defeated sigh, “Let’s return.”

“Are you sure?”

No, I’m not sure. But one thing’s for certain.

“Even if we find him, we won’t be able to convince him to come back with us.

He’s made his decision. The best thing we can do is try to convince the council and our group to come with us so we have the numbers to take the King down before he gets there.

And given the fact you and I are prophesied to save this realm, if they listen to anyone, they’ll listen to us. ”

As soon as we land at the northeastern outskirts of Nightfort after the sun has dipped beyond the horizon, I unhook myself and drop to the ground. If we leave in a few hours, we’ll be able to catch up to the rest of the group heading to Millton, and it’ll give Daeja a bit of time to rest.

“Who said I needed rest?” she retorts, then settles to the ground anyway, tucking her front legs underneath her chest and folding her wings.

Despite the exhaustion weighing on me after having flown for an entire day, I immediately press my palms to the ground and close my eyes. The rush of energy sizzles beneath my hands, lying in wait for me.

I’m praying to all the Gods above someone will meet me on the other side. Someone who can guide me to what I need to do to fulfill the prophecy and take down the King before he gets ahold of Cole.

“What are you doing?” Daeja asks with a pointed stare.

“I have to try and get answers. Something.” I lower my head and pull until the pain floods my body and unravels me into a senseless, blank white.

The cold fades from my body, along with the stinging pain from channeling the ley lines until I feel nothing.

The White hangs around me like a fog, and I scan every direction.

My heart stops in my chest as a shadow emerges from the mist, transforming into the outline of a human.