Page 101 of The Broken Prince

The woman who was with me placed her hand on his arm. “I know we haven’t interacted with anyone in a while, but let’s be diplomatic here.” She turned back to me. “I’m Mary.” She gestured to the man who had just spoken. “This is Paul.” She introduced the other two. “Kyle and Carla.”

“Nice to meet you all…” At least, I hope. “Thank you for rescuing me.”

“That tunnel is irreparable,” Paul said. “And now they probably know where to find us. We showed our hand to save your life—and now you owe us.”

“What about the other tunnel?” Mary asked.

“It survived,” Paul said.

“Good,” Mary said. “Then not all is lost.”

“You’re from Palladium, right?” I asked.

They all stilled as they stared at me.

“How did you know that?” Mary asked.

“I asked one of the prisoners at the labor camp,” I explained. “He told me their city had fallen to the demons.”

They all looked at each other, a silent conversation happening between them.

Mary looked at me again. “Why are you in these lands? The demons are not enemies you want to trifle with.”

“The demons have forged an alliance with our enemies, and they’re intent on destroying our kingdoms just as they destroyed yours,” I explained. “I traveled here to learn whatever I could about them, because they appear to be invulnerable. Our dragons breathe fire, but add fire to fire and you just get more fire. You said I owe you for saving me?” I looked at all of them. “Well, I’m your ally now. Tell me everything you know about these demons, and let’s defeat them together.”

They were all silent, not remotely pleased by that little speech.

“What’s the problem?” I asked.

Paul crossed his arms over his chest. “It’s far more complicated than you realize.”

“It doesn’t matter how complicated it is,” I snapped. “It’s us versus them. If we fall, you fall, and this entire continent will be under their dominion. However fucking complicated it is—make it uncomplicated.”

“They can’t be defeated,” Paul said. “Period.”

“Some beings are immortal, but none are invincible. Some of their kind attacked one of our kingdoms to the west, and we were victorious. They can be defeated.”

Paul shook his head. “That’s what you think…”

“What the fuck does that mean?” I snapped.

Mary stepped in. “They are invincible. You may see them perish on the battlefield, but they’re reborn underground. The only evidence of their previous lives is the scars they carry. We know this because the ones we’ve killed always come back. Always.”

All the air left my lungs. The air left the room too. In silence, I suffocated.

“We don’t want your alliance,” Paul said. “We want your dragons—so we can leave this land and never return.”

* * *

They had caves underground, deep inside a mountain, and the passage led outdoors, to a valley between the hills, elevated and impossible to see from the outside. If I were on a dragon, it would still be really difficult to find.

Since it was dark, I remained in the mountain, sat at one of their tables alone…defeated. They brought me bread and ale, neither of which I touched. My arms rested on the table, and I stared at the wood underneath my elbows, the most discouraged I’d ever been in my entire life. I was lower than when Avice had left me.

“We’re all going to die.” I said it out loud to no one…only to myself. “And there’s not a damn thing I can do about it.”

Someone took the seat across from me, an ale in their hand.

I looked up to see Mary, her eyes weary like she was ready for bed but unable to sleep. “We have a bed for you…if you’re tired.”