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‘They’ve been through a lot. He thought she would die, and blamed himself.

It’s natural for him to cling to her now.

’ It was a feeble excuse and Jani knew it.

She wondered if Keffria had heard of it yet.

Would it change her plans? Why did Reyn have to behave so strangely just now, when there were so many other crises to deal with?

‘Well, I certainly wish he was “clinging” to her now, instead of ranting and raving in his room,’ Bendir observed coldly.

Jani Khuprus stood abruptly. ‘This isn’t good for any of us. I can’t talk sense to him tonight, if he’s drunk, but we’ll take the brandy away and insist he sleep. Tomorrow, I’ll demand he mend his behaviour. You should find some work for him.’

Bendir’s eyes lit. ‘I’d like to send him back into the city. Rewo found a mound, further back in the swamp. He thinks it might be the upper storey of another building. I’d like to put Reyn on it.’

‘I don’t think that’s wise. I don’t think he should get anywhere near the city.’

‘It’s the only thing he’s good at,’ Bendir began, then clamped his lips at his mother’s glare.

He led the way and Jani followed him out into the night.

They were still two catwalks away from Reyn’s chamber when she began to hear his voice.

It was slurred. Another level, and every word of his drunken rambling was plain.

It was worse than she had feared. Her heart sank.

He couldn’t go as his father had gone, talking only to himself.

Please, Sa, mother of all, do not be so unfair.

Reyn’s voice rose in a sudden shout. Bendir broke into a run.

Jani hurried after him. The door of Reyn’s chamber was suddenly flung open.

Golden lamplight flooded the night. Her son lurched into view, and then halted, clutching at the doorframe.

It was obvious he couldn’t stand by himself.

‘Malta!’ he bellowed into the night. ‘NO! Malta, no!’ He staggered out, his arms flailing wildly as he reached for a railing and missed.

Bendir’s shoulder hit Reyn in the chest. He strong-armed his brother back into the room and onto the floor.

Reyn seemed incapable of putting up any real resistance.

He thrashed his arms, but went down flat on his back, groaning loudly as the air was driven out of him.

Then Reyn shut his eyes and was suddenly still.

He had passed out. Jani hastily shut the door behind her.

‘Let’s get him up onto his bed,’ she said with weary relief.

Then Reyn rolled his head to one side. He opened his eyes and tears flowed down his cheeks. ‘No!’ he wailed. ‘Let me up. I have to get to Malta. The dragon has her. She’ll take her. I have to rescue Malta.’

‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ Jani snapped at her son. ‘It’s late at night, and you’re in no condition to see or be seen by anyone. Bendir is going to help you to bed and that’s as far as you are going.’

His eldest brother stood over him, then bent and grasped him by his shirt.

He dragged him half off the floor, two steps to the bed, and dumped him mostly on it.

He straightened, and brushed his hands together.

‘Done,’ he panted. ‘Take the brandy, and put out the lantern. Reyn, stay here and sleep it off. No more shouting.’ His voice brooked no nonsense.

‘Malta,’ Reyn drawled again in misery.

‘You’re drunk,’ Bendir retorted.

‘Not that drunk.’ Reyn tried to sit up, but Bendir pushed him back. The younger man made fists, but then suddenly turned to his mother. ‘The dragon has Malta. She’s there for me. She’s going to take her.’

‘Malta is going to take the dragon?’ Jani frowned at his words.

‘NO!’ He roared in his frustration. He tried to get up, but Bendir shoved him back, more roughly this time. Reyn swung at his older brother, who easily evaded the roundhouse punch, and warned him fiercely, ‘Don’t try that. I’ll knock you silly.’

‘Mama!’ The wail sounded ridiculous coming from a grown man.

‘Malta went to the dragon.’ He drew a deep breath, then spoke slowly and carefully.

‘The dragon has Malta now, instead of me.’ He lifted both hands and patted at his head.

‘The dragon is gone. I don’t feel her anymore. Malta made her leave me alone.’

‘That’s good, Reyn.’ Jani tried to be comforting. ‘The dragon is gone. All gone now. Go to sleep. In the morning, I want you to tell me all about it. I have some things to tell you, too.’ She ignored her eldest son’s disgusted snort.

Reyn took a huge breath, and sighed it out. ‘You aren’t listening. You don’t understand. I’m so tired. All I want to do is sleep. But I have to go to her. I have to take the dragon back and make Malta go. She’ll die and it’s all my fault.’

‘Reyn.’ Jani sat down on the edge of her son’s bed.

She tugged a blanket over him. ‘You’re drunk and you’re tired and you’re not making sense.

There is no dragon. Only an old log. Malta is not in danger.

Her injury was an accident, not truly your fault.

She grows stronger every day. Soon she’ll be up and about again. Now go to sleep.’

‘Never try to reason with a drunk,’ Bendir suggested, as if to himself.

Reyn groaned. ‘Mother.’ He took a deep breath, as if to speak. Instead, he sighed. ‘I’m so tired. I haven’t slept in so long. But listen. Listen. Malta went to the city, to the Crowned Rooster Chamber. Go get her. That’s all. Please. Please do that.’

‘Of course. You go to sleep now. Bendir and I will take care of it.’ She patted his hand and brushed his curly hair back from his pebbled brow.

Bendir made a disgusted noise. ‘You treat him like a baby!’ He gathered up the bottles from the table and went to the door.

One by one, he threw them out into the swamp.

Jani ignored his display of temper. She sat by Reyn, watching his eyes slowly droop and then close.

Drowned in the memories. No. He wasn’t, not her son.

This was just the rambling of a drunken man.

He was still himself. He saw her, he saw his brother.

He didn’t talk to ghosts. He was in love with a real live girl. He hadn’t drowned, and he wouldn’t.

Bendir came back into the chamber. He picked up the lantern from the table. ‘Coming?’ he asked her.

She nodded, and followed her eldest son. As she shut the door, Reyn was breathing deeply and evenly.

‘And you will leave him alone, forever,’ Malta stipulated bravely.

The dragon laughed. ‘Once I am free, little one, why should I be interested in your brief little lives? I will fly away to seek my own kind. Of course, I will leave him alone. Now. Let me show you.’

Malta stood in the black chamber. Both her hands and her aching forehead rested against the block of wood. She took a breath. ‘And you will go and rescue my father.’

‘Certainly,’ the dragon purred. ‘I already told you I would. Now release me.’

‘But how will I know you will keep your word?’ Malta cried out in agony. More decisively, she added, ‘You have to give me something, some sort of a sign.’

‘I give you my word.’ The dragon was getting impatient.

‘I need more than that.’ Malta pondered. There was something, if she could just remember it. Then she had it. ‘Tell me your name.’

‘No.’ The dragon was adamant. ‘But once I am free, I will bring you treasure such as you have never dreamed existed. Diamonds as big as pigeons’ eggs.

I will fly to the south and bring you back the flowers that never fade, the blossoms that cure your kind of any ill just by the breathing of their scent.

I will fly to the north and bring you back the ice that is harder than any metal and never melts.

I will show you how to make blades from it that can cut even stone.

I will fly to the east and bring you back —’

‘No tales!’ Malta protested. ‘No treasures. I ask only that you will leave Reyn alone, and that you will rescue my father. The name of the ship is Vivacia. You have to remember that. You must find the ship, kill the pirates and rescue him.’

‘Yes, yes. Just…’

‘No. Swear it by your name. Say that by your name you swear to rescue Kyle Haven and to leave Reyn Khuprus in peace. Say that, and I’ll do as you say.’

She felt the blast of the dragon’s anger like a slap against her whole body.

‘You dare to dictate to me? I have you now, little bug. Deny me, and I’ll ride your soul to the end of your days.

I will rule you. I will tell you to pull the nails from your own hands, and you will do it.

I will demand you smother your babies, and you will obey.

I will make of you a monster that even your own folk will—’

A little tremor shivered the chamber, breaking into the dragon’s threats. Malta pressed her lips together to keep from crying out.

‘You see, you anger the gods with your demands on me! Do as I tell you, or they will make the whole hill fall on you.’

‘And on you, as well,’ Malta pointed out relentlessly. ‘I care not what you threaten me with. If you could do such things, you would have forced Reyn to obey you long ago. Say your name! Say your name or I do nothing for you. Nothing!’

The dragon was silent. Malta waited. She was so cold.

She had gone beyond shivering to a bone jolting shaking that made her head pound and her spine hurt.

Her feet felt numb. She thought she was standing in a puddle but could no longer be sure.

She had come to the city, she had found the dragon, but she was still going to fail.

She couldn’t save anybody, not her father, not the man who had given up his city for her.

This was all she was, a helpless woman with no power in the world.

She dropped her hands from the wood and turned away from it.

She began to grope her way across the room.

She hoped she was going in the right direction.

The dragon’s voice rang suddenly in the stillness. ‘Tintaglia. My name is Tintaglia.’