Page 49 of The Dragon Queen #3

“We’ll leave the dragons here,” Draven said. “The Earl of Holdfast always enjoyed a good relationship with my uncle. I ate at his table many a time, but I’m unsure of where his loyalties lie.”

“So maybe instead of swanning in through the gates like a wing of dragon riders, instead we should go incognito.” Ged had his tunic off in record time, then untucked his shirt, something that had Soren frowning. “See what we can find out from the common man.”

I watched our sergeant suck in a breath to reply, but Draven got there first.

“Not a bad idea.” He looked out to the horizon, where the sea was flat and notably empty of ships. “Holdfast has always been a bustling port. The vast majority of goods brought into Harlston or exported out come through here. As all trade has stopped, I would expect there to be more ships moored out in the bay, not less.”

“So go down to the docks, ask some questions?” Flynn shrugged off his tunic. “We should adopt personas to hide what we are.” He sidled over to me. “I could be a lad just in from the country, taking my girl for a spin around the port.”

“With that fancy accent?” Ged looked him over critically. “And that hair.” Flynn frowned and touched his head. “No one would believe that you are anything other than some lordling. Same goes with the king.”

“Obviously,” Draven replied drily. “So what do you suggest?”

“Soren looks like a hard bastard.” That earned Ged a grudging nod. “I reckon we can pass ourselves off as guards with a couple of spoiled noblemen in tow.”

“And what about me?” I asked.

“No chance you’d stay here with the dragons?” Soren asked hopefully. He moved towards me, pressing me back against Wraith’s side. “They’ll keep you safe while you ensure our queen stays safe.”

Glimmer looked up from where she was sleeping on Wraith’s shoulder.

Males protect and queens let them , she reminded me.

And this queen needs to see for herself what’s going on. You’ll be all right here? I heard her snort and then smiled. Of course you will be. Your mates will lay down their lives for you.

As will yours, if you let them.

I guess I better give them the opportunity to , I replied, then searched through Draven’s saddlebags for my possessions.

The flat cap I’d been given some time before was still there, rolled up tight. I jammed it down on my head and wrenched off my jacket, walking towards them in what I hoped was a masculine strut.

“I might not pass as a guard,” I told them, “but perhaps as a servant?”

“No one is ever going to mistake you for a man.” Flynn moved in closer, running a finger down my chest, my breath catching when he got to my breast. “A very pretty boy, perhaps. Gods…” He scrubbed his face. “People are going to assume I’m some sort of paederast, aren’t they?”

Brom stepped forward.

“Lean into that,” he told Flynn. “Highborn lads at play on the docks.” His eyes found Draven’s and I wondered at what passed there. History, I thought, a shared history he never spoke about. “Enjoying a golden summer before you are forced to face your responsibilities. You can be looking for a pleasure barge to take you out on the water. ”

“We went on them often enough,” Draven replied, before the two of them seemed to remember the rest of us. “And we were just as eager to escape our duties.” He shook his head as if that’s what it took to come back to the here and now. “Ged, you’re a much put upon guard who’s trying to find a barge to shove us on.”

“Irritated with you lot?” Ged’s grin spread wide. “That won’t even require acting.”

“We are your comrades in arms,” Flynn shot back.

“Well, comrade, remember when you ‘forgot’ to clean up your food scraps and our campsite was plagued by ants?” He slung an arm around Flynn’s shoulders. “Those big bitey ones too.”

“That one time—” Flynn spluttered.

“Three times,” Soren corrected in a tone that would brook no argument. “Once when you were still cadets. Twice on that first mission out on the south coast.”

“And what role do you see me playing?” Brom asked Draven.

No one standing there could mistake the challenge in my husband’s voice.

“His lover.” Flynn answered Brom, not Draven. “The best disguises are the ones that are at least half true.” He wrapped his arm around my waist and tugged me closer. “If I’m to pass myself off as a lover of men, you can do the same.”

“Can you?” Draven demanded an answer from Brom. “Walking out in the open, acknowledging what we are to each other. Can you do that?”

“Can you?” Brom shot back, striding forward. “Though I guess it will be no stretch for you, pretending for strangers. In the end, what people see is what really matters, isn’t it?”

All the good humour was gone. No one spoke, because I think everyone knew that the house of cards we had created was starting to get shaky and no one wanted to be the one to bring it crashing down.

“Everyone knows what they must do,” Draven said finally. “We’ll head straight towards the docks. Sailors are a garrulous sort. Someone will be willing to share information with us for some coin. ”

Glimmer shook her head slightly, then sighed, before settling back against Wraith.

Good luck , she said, and watch your backs.

I had no idea what that meant, but with our mission decided upon, everyone moved out, walking towards the town.

The stink of rotting seaweed was what registered first, then the raucous cry of seagulls. I looked up, watching them soar overhead, and wondered at Glimmer’s comment as we reached the gates of the town.

“State your business,” a guard said in a bored voice, looking us over with a slight frown.

“My friends and I.” Flynn staggered forward, a sloppy grin on his face. “We were hoping to do a spot of boating.” He looked around him. “It’s a lovely day for drinking out on the water.”

“You can try your luck down at the docks,” the guard said, taking in the way Flynn’s arm was wrapped around my shoulders. His lip curled just slightly as I tugged my cap down. “But I’m not sure you’ll get far.”

“What?” Draven’s voice was transformed. He’d adopted the affected tone of someone wanting to be seen as important rather than one who actually was. “But I promised my friends a little jaunt in a boat.”

“Not sure what that’s got to do with me,” the guard said, then looked over our shoulders. “Next.”

“Are you telling me its too late in the day to charter a ship?” Draven asked, stepping into the gap between the two guards at the gate. “After we got up especially early.”

“You wouldn’t charter a ship,” the guard we’d been talking to said. “A boat?—”

“We’re here to ensure people with legitimate business in the city are allowed through the gates,” the other guard said, grinding each word between his teeth. “Not act as unpaid guides, sir. Now enter the city or not, but I’m going to need you to move aside, now.”

I stiffened as his hand came to rest on his sword hilt .

“Well, that was terribly rude.” I turned around and, to my surprise, that was Brom talking. “Come along, I know a fellow down the docks who is far more agreeable.”

He steered Draven through the gates, Flynn doing the same for me, as Soren and Ged slunk in behind us.

“Nobles, eh?” Ged said as he passed.

“You have my condolences,” the first guard muttered.

“Well, that was a wash,” Draven said. “I thought we might’ve gotten something from the first guard, but the second shut him down pretty quickly.”

“Almost as if he was instructed to keep quiet about such things.” Brom pulled away from Draven, looking down the main road of the town, not seeing the look our king shot him. I knew what Draven was feeling. He wanted to feel the warm weight of our lover’s arm on his shoulders, like I was enjoying Flynn’s. “Let's head down to the docks and see if we can find someone who’s more likely to talk.”

“What about The Siren’s Tits?” I had pulled out a piece of parchment I kept folded up in one of my pockets. There was no reason why I should trust Marcus, but I would have to assume his knowledge of places of ill repute was impeccable.

“While I like the sound of it, it does not sound like the kind of place to take a lady, let alone a queen,” Ged said, scratching at the back of his neck.

“And yet, it’s also likely to be our best bet for information,” I said. Brom came closer, his warmth, his woody scent filling my nose as he looked over my shoulder. “This map, where did it come from?”

“Marcus Lighthands gave it to me.”

“Marcus?” Soren spluttered. “How the hell did he get within ten feet of you, let alone pass a map along? We’re not going anywhere listed on that piece of paper. At best, it’s a list of places not to go, at worst, a trap.”

“No, I know Holdfast Bay.” Brom’s eyes flicked over the map. “And I know my own duchy. What’s on here, it looks accurate.” He looked over at me. “I know the pub you’re talking about. Soren’s right, it’s no place to take a lady. ”

I tugged my cap down over one eye.

“Well, lucky I’m not here as a lady.”

My bravado came back to bite me on the posterior the moment we walked into the pub. This was definitely Marcus’ territory. Men lurched about drunkenly, not noticing the stench of piss like I did, hitting us like a wall as soon as we walked in.

“Definitely not a place for a lady,” Flynn said, wrinkling his nose. “Or me either. Does no one use a privy in this place?”

“There.” Ged pointed to a table where men were sitting and playing cards, several walking away in disgust. The man remaining hauled the coins left on the table towards him with a self-satisfied smile. “A bloke that’s flush with money, thinking Lady Luck is with him.” He pulled a pouch of coins off his belt. “Sure he’ll win more. He’s the one we need to talk to.”

I grabbed the money out of his grip and strode over to the table, then took a seat. The winner looked up at me with bleary eyes, a grin spreading across his face when he saw the coin pouch.

“Ready for another game?” I asked.

“Ready when you are, lad.”