Page 115 of The Dragon Queen Complete Series Collection

Chapter 114

The Pickled Parrot was considerably less colourful than the name suggested, but it smelled a lot better than the area immediately around the tanneries. With some relief, I moved my hand to pull down my kerchief but Ged just shook his head. As we got close to the pub, we saw people stumbling out into the morning light, some were pissing up against the wall, others were vomiting in alleys. I wasn’t sure if it was because they were still drunk from the night before or had started early on the day’s business. Before we reached the door, Ged turned to me and in a low voice gave me a warning.

“Stay close. Do not, for any reason, allow yourself to be separated from me. If anyone tries, scream like the Devil’s on your tail.”

“Of course, but?—”

“And keep your mouth shut,” he told me, not unkindly. “Your accent gives you away as soon as you speak. So don’t.” He eyed the pub suspiciously, as if the rundown building might rise up on its foundations and lumber after me. “I don’t know what I’ll fucking do if the bastards in there realise I’ve brought a noble- born lady in with me.” His breath came out in a sudden rush. “Maybe I should take you back, come back later.”

“No.” I realised I’d just done exactly what he asked me not to: talk when anyone could hear me. I’d been creeping closer, itching to reach out and touch him, but I managed to control that impulse as it wouldn’t look right with the way I was dressed. “We go in and get the information we need, then leave. I’ll stay quiet.”

“Yes, you will.” He nodded sharply to me and then marched forward to push open the door, leaving me to scramble to catch up.

Pickled was right. It was hardly gone eight in the morning, and yet the rum was flowing. A slender young man in raffish attire was playing a wild jig on a fiddle, with many drunken men clumping around the pub floor in a dance. The beer from their tankards splashed on the floor, but Ged paid that little mind, skirting the chaos and walking past the crudely constructed booths, searching for someone. I moved swiftly, dogging his heels all the way to the door of a private room at the back. The roar of the drunks, the music, the dancing seemed to fade away as we stepped inside. Many men were clustered around a massive table, but I only noticed one.

He was a glorious creature, looking like the pirates I’d heard tales of, those who dared to cross the strait between Nevermere and the mainland on boats swift enough to outrun a dragon. His long, light brown hair was clean, amazingly, and scrupulously scraped back in a neat queue. But that wasn’t his most striking feature. He had one green eye, bright as an emerald and twinkling like a freshly polished gemstone. A long scar ran across his face, broken only by a leather eyepatch that hid what remained of his other eye.

“Will Rolandson?” The man’s lips quirked into a wicked smile, throwing his sharp cheekbones into stark relief.

“Marcus Lighthands,” Ged replied with a slow nod of acknowledgement.

“Well! It’s been a bloody age since you’ve trod the Parrot’s boards.” He turned to his cronies. “Out, the fucking lot of you.”

“Marcus…” one grumbled, though not for long. A vicious-looking knife was produced and pressed against the complainant’s throat, cutting off anything more he might have to say. The others chuckled, having already risen to their feet.

“Fucking idiot,” one of the men cursed him, shaking his head. “I’ll get you another bottle of rum, sire?”

“That, and a round of drinks for everyone,” Marcus replied mildly, pulling away his knife, but not before a small bead of blood rolled down the man’s neck. The complainer got to his feet with a scramble, pushing past others to get out the door. “Not you two,” he commanded the only other people in the room.

A very pretty young woman with long blonde hair was curled up at Marcus’ side, while a young man, with matching hair was reclined on the other side. Marcus stabbed the tip of his knife into the wooden tabletop, then leaned back and wrapped an arm around each one of them, idly caressing their skin as the door was jerked closed.

“So to what do I owe the honour of this visit?” Marcus asked, watching us closely as he nuzzled into the girl’s hair.

When the door was closed, a kind of quiet settled over the room, enabling us to hear just how the two young people felt about Marcus’ attentions. I heard her little sigh, and it reminded me of the sounds I’d made last night. The lad moved to pluck at Marcus’ shirt, opening just enough buttons to slide his hand in and making a low noise of appreciation. But the man himself seemed to pay them little attention, his focus on us.

“We need information,” Ged said.

“And I need gold.” He turned a heated look to each of his companions. “Pretties like these are expensive.” I heard a giggle, although I wasn’t sure from which of the two, followed by the rustling of clothing.

“I’ll get you your gold, but you’ll need to be discreet,” Ged replied, shifting to block my view of the proceedings.

“I’m always discreet.” Marcus let out a ragged gasp at what his companions were doing to him, explaining why Ged felt the need to protect me. “Except when I’m not. Well, out with it. I’ve got my hands full. Or rather I will have, the moment you piss off out of this room. These two tell me they’re twins and I love discovering all their similarities and differences.”

“Tell your whores to wait. This is important,” Ged insisted.

“It always is, Rider Ged.”

The sly intonation in Marcus’ voice felt too much like he was threatening my dragonrider. Forgetting Ged’s instructions, I stepped forward, not that I would’ve been much use. Once I’d moved to stand beside Ged, I saw that Marcus and the ‘twins’ were more than transfixed by each other. Marcus had the lad’s head tilted up, waiting until the younger man strained against his grip before bestowing a kiss on his lips.

Being aware that men loved other men was one thing, but seeing evidence of it was something else again. I watched the two men kiss each other thoroughly. On Marcus’ other side, the blonde girl shifted, pulling at his shirt, running her hands over his body, as if stirred by the sight while also demanding some of the attention be bestowed upon her. Marcus responded readily, drawing away from the lad and giving her just as lusty a kiss. When he was finished, his eye glittered dangerously as he smiled up at Ged.

“So what seems to be the problem?”

“Some cadets from the keep have gone missing,” Ged told him.

“With their dragons?” Marcus leaned forward, intent, the twins swiftly forgotten.

“Not with their dragons. The king would have us out hunting them night and day if they’d tried that.”

“A pity,” Marcus sniffed.

“These lads were taken from the keep the night of Zafira’s heat.”

“Oh, we remember that night well, don’t we, pretties?” Marcus’ voice was a feral purr as he turned his attention back to one twin, then the other. “It's the night I found the two of you. Damn near wore my dick down to a sore nub with your rutting.”

“If we could just focus on the matter at hand,” Ged said with a sigh.

“Continue.”

Ged shook his head at the other man’s theatrical gesture, then forged on.

“Four lads were taken from the keep during the chaos of Zafira’s heat. Their dragons are fading away, seeing only darkness and refusing to eat.”

“Dying dragons.” A small line formed on Marcus’ forehead. “This is a serious thing. But what has this to do with me?”

“The lads were moved, that much we’ve been able to glean, and if it's anywhere in the city?—”

“I’d know.” Marcus’ smile was smug. “The news hasn’t filtered down to me yet but, knowing my little mice, someone will have seen something. Twenty gold pieces and I’ll find out.”

I blinked at anyone asking for such a staggering amount of money, but Marcus obviously knew his worth. Ged stared at the other man’s outstretched hand and for a moment said nothing. Marcus simply waited, his smile growing broader until finally Ged let out a huff of breath.

“Fine.”

Marcus wiggled his fingers, indicating he expected to get paid now, but Ged produced only one gold piece, minted with the king’s image upon it, before flicking at the man. Marcus snatched the coin from the air and bit down on it, satisfied it was genuine when he saw a small crimp in the edge.

“I am a simple man,” Marcus said, “but even I know this here ain’t twenty coins.”

“You’ll get the rest on delivery of useful information,” Ged said. “Send a bird to the keep as to when and where to meet if you find something.”

And with that it appeared our business was done. Ged turned to me, putting out an arm to shepherd me out of the room.

“So has this got anything to do with the deposed queen-in-waiting at the keep?” Our feet stopped at the sound of Marcus’ arch question. “I’ve caught wind of some very curious stories, of a golden queen dragon bonding with a noblewoman, but that somehow she was thrown to the mercy of you riders, rather than ascending as the Crown Prince’s bride.”

“You got some of it right.” Ged turned slowly to answer him. “The woman in question is my wing commander’s wife. The king?—”

“The king hasn’t had an independent thought since the moment that Harlston cunt took the throne,” Marcus snapped. When I turned my head at this open expression of treason, his eye looked as hard as malachite. “This is the queen’s doing.” His shifted his head to shift his gaze very obviously to me. “Isn’t it, milady?”

My eyes jerked up to meet Ged’s, which wasn’t bloody smart. It was as good as an admission of guilt if ever there was one. Ged stared down at me, emotions warring on his face. When I reached for my kerchief, he shook his head slightly, but I jerked it down anyway. I turned to face Marcus who had a smile spreading across his face.

He had no attention to spare for his companions because he was studying my face with absolute focus, storing away every mole, every blemish for later, or so it felt. When he tilted his head to one side, I mirrored the movement, sporting my own inscrutable smile.

“That it was,” I replied. “And if you find those boys, I’ll give you the ins and outs of it.”

“Pippin—”

“Pippin? Not Lady Pippa Wentworth? I must say, that’s an awfully familiar term to be using for your wing commander’s wife.” Marcus’ smile turned knowing. “Before I’d even had my first drink of the day, word came to me of a big red dragon parking his massive behind on the outskirts of the city, dancing attendance on a much smaller golden one.”

“Find me those lads, and you’ll have the truth of that too,” I replied in a lethal tone.

“Amusing that you think I won’t find out anyway,” Marcus said, “but, I can respect a lady’s right to privacy… for the right coin.”

“How much?” I asked flatly. I had coffers I could draw upon, now my estate was my own again.

“Nothing so base as money,” he replied, his eyes sliding almost palpably over my body. “A favour.”

“Do not—” Ged started to say.

“Done. But those boys need to be returned—and in good health—for the deal to be done. And soon. They’re… hurting.”

“And why would the queen of all of Nevermere order the kidnapping and torture of four young cadets, who are no doubt from humble origins?”

“Of course they are,” Ged rumbled.

“To what end?” Marcus’ eyebrow rose slowly. “It’s almost like they’re hostages of a sort, to ensure compliance. Who would need such an incentive?”

“That goes beyond the scope of the deal,” Ged snapped.

“No matter. I’ll find out anyway.” Before we could turn to go, Marcus pulled a signet ring from his little finger and tossed it at me. Ged caught it before it could reach me. “There’s been a lot of well-heeled souls coming tracking down here looking for poisons that are tasteless, odourless. The traffic of such things is entirely my purview, so I notice when there’s a sudden influx of orders. That ring there is nephrite jade. Drop it in anything you drink, press it against anything you eat and if it changes colour, find a medic and quickly.”

Ged frowned and then placed the ring into my palm, the stone still warm from the original owner’s touch.

“Why would you give me such a thing?” I asked.

Real amusement appeared on Marcus’ face.

“I’ve never been fond of those in power. But that Harlston bitch? She’s her brother’s whore, doing things with him that would make these two blanch.” He gestured to the twins. “And willing to do more besides. War is coming. The man on the street might go on, oblivious, but not me. We’ve lived under the rule of a vicious queen and an indifferent king for a long time. But nature’s a funny thing. Abhors a vacuum, it does, and this one's about to get filled.”

Marcus performed a funny little salute then, touching his forehead, his nose and his lips, and I recognised it as something my father had told me people used to do long ago, as a sign of deep respect.

“Times of change can be a catastrophe or an opportunity and I’m determined it’ll be the latter. We’ll speak soon, Rider Ged, Queen-in-Waiting.”

“Fuck…! Fuck…!” Ged cursed under his breath all the way back to the dragons. When we reached them, Cloud Raker lay basking in the sun with Glimmer curled up on his back. Cloudy raised his head to see what had his rider agitated. I ducked around the big dragon to be able to dispense with my disguise. As soon as I’d pulled the kerchief down and the hat off, Ged was on me, spinning me around to pin me against his dragon. “I should never have brought you down here. What the fuck was I thinking?”

Glimmer moved to perch on Cloudy’s neck, watching everything that happened.

“That you wanted to spend time with me?” I suggested. “That you wanted me to be part of the process of recovering Lance and the others?”

“Gods, yes.” He sighed. “I was always going to have to chat to Marcus. All roads in the docklands lead to him. But now I’ve put you in his sights.” He pressed his forehead to mine and, even though we were within the safe harbour of Cloudy’s body, I wondered who watched us.

“I wouldn’t worry.” I stared into his eyes when he lifted his head. “I have the feeling it was only a matter of time before that happened. That man has his fingers in a lot of pies and it seems he’s aware of most everything that happens, even in Wyrmpeak.”

“I’ll keep you safe,” he promised me. “He won’t come anywhere near you.”

But while Ged might have wanted to believe that with his entire heart, I wasn’t so sure that was how it was going to be.