Page 45 of The Dragon Queen #3
“Get up!” I barked, fighting my way free of the bedroll. My men groaned and snuffled, as if this was just another day and the lives of the hostages weren’t on the line. “Get up now! I know where the women are.”
“What?” Brom sat up and blinked, finding me seconds later as he processed what I said. “How?—?”
“Because Pippin is brilliant and perfect and your queen.”
Draven scrambled over, taking my head in his hands and kissing me, right before hauling me upright. Thank the gods we’d slept in our uniforms, because we were in Darkspire’s saddle as soon as Draven’s beast opened his eyes.
You found them , Glimmer asked, running up Darkspire’s spine with a chirrup. You found the lost ones?
I think so. I sat still, examining my thoughts. All the certainty of seconds ago left me. I dreamed of them. At least I think I did.
You touched his mind. Glimmer looked back over her shoulder and stared into my eyes. You found Jade.
Yes, but where?
“Where are we off to?” Soren asked, all business. “And get up, you idiots! We’ve got half the noblewomen of Harlston to free. ”
“But I don’t know where,” I said, shooting them all an embarrassed look. “I saw a forest and some tents and?—”
There. Glimmer’s tone held all the confidence I lacked. We know where to go.
“You heard our queens,” Brom snapped. “We can come back and recover our bedrolls later. The dragons know where to go, so give them their heads.”
They did. Minutes, hours later, I couldn’t tell how much time passed because I was on high alert, scanning the treetops as we passed, looking for a familiar sign. My heart leapt when I saw a clearing, but it was just a village, then just a woodcutter’s hut, another lake and some kind of crater, a ruin contained within. I sank back into the saddle with a sigh.
“How on earth will we find them?” I said. “They could be any…” Then I stiffened. Darkspire grunted, instantly shifting sideways, Glimmer leading the way. “There!”
I knew Jade, even though I had seen everything from his perspective. Those bright green scales, the way he was now hunched around the tents of women, tail lashing, as he confronted the soldiers. A few women were being used to keep him back, but not for long.
“Those fucking bastards…”
That was the only warning I got. Draven’s arm went around me, holding me tight as Darkspire swooped down. In some ways, it was just like the first time he took me flying on a mission. It felt like the world was rushing up to meet us, but this time it was to help others, not test me. ‘Spire’s, the other dragons’ roars cut through the air, right as their claws snapped out.
Part of me was aware I should’ve felt some small shred of pity for the soldiers plucked from the ground. They were carried forth at awkward angles because they weren’t prey, weren’t enemies to be treated with some kind of honour. Their screams echoed through the forest as they were tossed away across the treetops, the dragons wheeling around to confront the rest of them. We landed heavily, shaking the earth, and so I was somewhat impressed that the remaining soldiers held their ground. The dragons stalked closer, and that’s when I felt Jade’s mind touch mine again.
You came? He seemed surprised by this. They are hurting the females and… My queen?
You did well, Jade , Glimmer said, right as she threw herself off Darkspire’s neck. A scream built in my chest as I saw her sail forward, landing in the space between the soldiers and us, marching forward like she was ten times the size she was.
“That’s the little queen the duke told us about.” An avaricious gleam in the soldier’s eye had me about to launch myself off Darkspire, but Draven held me still. The woman he was holding was thrust at one of his fellows as he drew his sword. “If we end her, we’ll?—”
He didn’t get to say another thing. Glimmer watched impassively as Jade surged forward and so did her mates, each intent on the same thing. Dragons were the final justice in Nevermere, and they meted it now in a swift but bloody action. Cloudy’s jaws opened and he engulfed the man easily. What was left of him was crunched rather disturbingly, right before this was swallowed down.
“Anyone else mad enough to launch an attack on a queen dragon?” Draven jumped down and then stalked forward. He had us at his back, all of us moving to face these idiots down. “Anyone else think it wise to lay hands on women of gentle birth?” He turned and then performed a very precise bow to the closest women. “Lady Ravenna, Lady Josephine.”
“My king, “ Lady Ravenna said. “I’d curtsey but I think you can see that I am otherwise engaged currently.”
“Let. The women. Go.”
Brom looked like he was barely holding on, and Soren was just as disturbed. His hand was on his sword hilt, itching to draw it. They took a moment, these soldiers, their eyes flicking everywhere at once before they turned and ran towards the trees. Draven clicked his fingers, and the dragons were off after them, like hounds on the hunt.
“Ladies…” The king approached them with arms stretched out wi de. “We’ve come to take you home, back to your families.” I swallowed hard, remembering that the wife and daughters of Lord Fast didn’t have a father to return to, nor a home. “We know you’ve been mistreated.”
“Mistreated?” Lady Ravenna drew herself up tall, her haughty expression at odds with her torn and soiled gown. “Mistreated? You’ll need a better word than that to describe this outrage, Draven.”
“His Majesty, surely.” Lady Josephine looked at the king, then her companion in alarm.
“It’s alright, milady,” Draven replied, watching as the other women slowly emerged from the tents. “Ravenna, or just Raven, as she was known then, was a wonderful playmate when we were children. My father would come and stay at Castle Fast when he visited Harlston. While our fathers drank and talked of nonsense, we had adventures.”
“We can run through the hidden passages of the castle for old times sake,” Ravenna said, “in payment for this rescue. You’re a sight for sore eyes, friend.”
She held out a hand, but her smile faded as Draven bowed over it formally, staying bent over as he spoke.
“Unfortunately, that will no longer be possible.”
“What?” Ravenna had beautiful waist-length dark hair, and it provided a stark contrast now to her milk-pale skin. “No. No, Draven, he didn’t.”
“I regret to inform you that your father died in battle.” Brom was all formality, his hands tucked behind his back. “He fought bravely?—”
“What did that idiot do?” The woman who exited the tent had all of Ravenna’s hauteur, plus something else that came from age and experience. “What did my husband do?”
“Lady Fast, he did what he was directed to,” Draven replied in a grave voice. “What he thought he must if he was to keep the three of you.” He looked out over the growing crowd as the tents emptied. “All of you safe. He attacked our dragons with war machines and?— ”
“Is there anything left?” Lady Fast clung to her two daughter’s hands, but that was the only moment of weakness she allowed herself. When Draven didn’t answer, she looked to the rest of us, but I flinched when her eyes met mine. Dark and full of sorrow, they’d seen things I could only imagine, and I didn’t want to stare at them any longer. I forced myself to, thinking it was the least I could do. “No, there’s not.” Her lips thinned. “Of course, there’s not. That idiot uncle of yours. What would a bunch of ageing ballista from hundreds of years ago do against the Royal Riders? Well, did he die well?”
Georgia, the younger daughter, began to weep quietly, but their mother forged on.
“Very bravely,” I replied. “He made sure that we would find you with his last breath.”
“Of course, he did.” Lady Fast tried to smile and failed, her hands shaking as she felt around for a handkerchief but couldn’t find one. I stepped forward, handing her my own and she clasped my hand for a second, then took it with a nod. She dabbed at her eyes, but that seemed to break the dam holding back her tears. “Of course, he did, the bloody fool. So, my husband is gone and so is the castle?” I nodded again, feeling my heart sinking by the second. “Dear gods, what will we do?”
“Rebuild,” I said, reaching around desperately for some good news, “with help from the crown. We need strong, functional garrisons on the border between the duchies. We can lend you men, supplies, and coin to bring the castle back to its former glory.”
“You’re her, aren’t you?” The lady asked me that through a veil of tears. “The queen-in-waiting. He had a lot to say about you, did the duke.” She looked past me to Draven. “He was offering lands, wealth, everything to the man who could bring him your queen and her dragon’s head.”
I felt like I was thrust right back into the icy depths of that lake, every part of me suddenly shockingly cold. I knew I was an inconvenience, but… to offer a bounty for my head? That was another thing entirely .
“I’d be grateful if no one thought to fulfil the terms of the bounty,” I squeaked out.
“That won’t happen.” Ravenna took my hand and gave it a squeeze. “Not if you can help the other women the duke has taken hostage. Rout out the rotters who are willing to sell out their king for the prospect of gold and land and help those being coerced into this fight. Every woman in Harlston will be on your side if you can promise them protection.”
“I’d promise that anyway,” I replied and Lady Fast nodded slowly.
“Yes, I think you would. Now…” She turned back to Draven. “Can you take us back to the ruin of our home? If it’s as bad as you say it is, people will need our help.”
We turned to do just that, but Ged came marching up with a familiar looking man in his grip. James wore the uniform of a Royal Rider, but the insignias had been swapped out, a Harlstonian raven hastily pinned to his neck. The disgraced rider was thrust forward, his knees kicked out from under him, forcing him to lay prostrate in front of his king.
“Before we do that,” Ged drawled, “what do we want to do with this idiot?”