3. Calista
3
CALISTA
Inferno flew over the White Mountains—and then I was farther away from home than I’d ever been. The mountains were as perilous as they claimed. Not only were they high, but they were deep, the mountain ranges stretching for leagues to the north, the peaks covered with snow, the air cold and painful on the lungs.
But it was beautiful.
The sun was shining on the clear day, the snow beneath reflecting the bright sunlight like stars in the sky. The wind whipped through my hair and stung my eyes, but I would never get tired of the exhilaration of being on the back of a dragon.
I held on to the spike in front of me, but any time Inferno shifted or slowed, I felt my body lean forward, and if the jerk was too profound, I could easily stab myself through the neck or the face. We need to make a saddle soon.
THE ELVES WILL KNOW.
Khazmuda doesn’t have spikes like this.
EVERY DRAGON IS DIFFERENT. NO TWO SCALES ARE THE SAME.
I love the color of your scales. Such a pretty color.
PRETTY?
I mean…vibrant and distinctive.
THAT’S BETTER.
We traveled across the mountains and saw the world grow flat, the ground green and lush. To the east, I could see how the terrain changed, how the green faded and turned into a yellowish-brown. That must be the Wastelands.
YES. IT MATCHES THE MAP.
That means we’re close to Riviana Star. All I’ve ever known is our lands, and now I realize how small it really is. This place seems uninhabited by humans…but so much bigger. I wonder how different our lives would be if humans could scale the mountain.
THEY WOULD BE RULED BY ELVES, OR ELVES WOULD BE RULED BY THEM.
You think?
I KNOW. IT’S NOT POSSIBLE FOR TWO RACES TO EXIST PEACEFULLY.
Talon said his people and yours lived peacefully together.
UNTIL WE DIDN’T.
We flew for hours, the air warmer now that the mountains were behind us, but it still made my eyes smart.
I think that’s it . A forest became visible, dense with trees, nothing visible beyond the lush canopy. I just realized we haven’t seen a single dragon in the sky. I expected it to be full of Khazmuda’s kind, brilliant scales gleaming in the daylight. Mighty roars carrying on the wind. Dragons sleeping on rocks and absorbing the sun’s rays.
YOU’RE RIGHT. AND THAT FOREST IS FAR TOO DENSE FOR MY KIND .
Do you think my father was wrong?
PERHAPS THINGS HAVE CHANGED SINCE THAT LETTER WAS WRITTEN.
Like what?
SOMEONE ELSE CONQUERED THE ELVES AND THE DRAGONS.
That seems impossible.
I’VE SEEN IT HAPPEN BEFORE. AND IT’LL HAPPEN AGAIN .
I’m not sure what to do. I can’t risk anything happening to you .
I DON’T WANT TO RISK YOU EITHER, CALISTA .
We came down for a landing, several leagues away from the forest that was marked on the map. I climbed off the dragon and finally stood on my own two feet after several hours of sitting still. I paced for a while, letting all the tight muscles loosen. “Relatively speaking, the distance isn’t that great between here and Scorpion Valley…at least as the crow flies.”
IT’S NOT.
The forest was visible in the distance, and I stared at the tree line, wondering if someone was staring back. It looked quiet from where I stood, no guard posts visible. If I didn’t know that the elves lived there, I would assume it was just an uninhabited forest. “I’ll go alone…and let you know what I find.”
Inferno turned his enormous head to look at me. IF ANYONE IS WATCHING, THEY ALREADY KNOW I’M HERE.
“But they can’t capture you from this distance. You’re a lot more valuable than I am, Inferno.”
I DISAGREE, CALISTA. YOU WANT TO HELP ME OUT OF THE GOODNESS OF YOUR HEART, NOT FOR A SELFISH ULTERIOR MOTIVE LIKE THE OTHER TWO.
“Honestly, I’m just as selfish as they are.”
Inferno stared at me for a long time, his red eyes considering. HOW SO?
I almost couldn’t bring myself to say it, not wanting to admit it to myself. “For the first time in ten years, I’m free. But I have nowhere to go, and no one to see.” My family was dead. My home was destroyed. “I have no other purpose.”
I KNOW YOUR HEART—AND KNOW IT’S IN THE RIGHT PLACE.
“I want to reclaim my kingdom and drive out the man who destroyed it. And I need the dragons to do that, so I’m just as bad as he is. I thought we were different, but I’m realizing we’re the same person.”
He continued to watch me, sympathy in his eyes.
“You can’t tell me I’m good and he’s evil, because we’re one and the same.”
Inferno said nothing.
I didn’t expect him to argue with me, not when there was no foundation to stand on. I did care for the dragons, cared for Khazmuda and Inferno and wanted them to be free in all the skies, but I did want my crown. I did want my revenge against Talon. “I’ll enter the forest and report back what I find. If it’s safe, I’ll let you know. And if it’s not…”
I’LL BURN IT TO THE GROUND.
I walked across the land that seemed untouched by humans. There were no trails for horses and carts, no footprints of passersby in the soil, no sign that the land was inhabited at all. It wasn’t cold the way it was on the other side of the mountains, welcoming rather than harsh, slightly humid.
The closer I came to the forest, the more I realized its size. Not just in leagues, but in height. The trees were taller than the ones I knew back at home, much taller. The canopy was so high in the air it was hard to see the top. Consolidated and dense, it seemed unlikely that sunshine could touch the forest floor.
The closer I came, the open ground was replaced by trees, and they became denser as I approached the tree line. The sounds of the birds became louder, thousands of them chirping in the branches of the trees, all singing different songs, so it was a cacophony of music.
I peered past the trees into the shade, seeing the white flowers on the forest floor. There were wildlands back home with forests and trees, but they were different from these. There were pines with moss growing on the north side, with pinecones and rocks on the ground. But here, the leaves were a lighter green, the trunks paler in color. Flowers were everywhere, birds praising their beautiful world.
I’d never seen anything like it.
I stepped into the forest and that music continued, the birds everywhere, high into the trees, so far toward the canopy that I couldn’t distinguish their features. I moved forward, through the bushes and the flowers, and then a bird swooped down in front of me.
It landed twenty feet away, having an enormous beak that was orange and yellow, its body black, its eyes intelligent. He cocked his head left and right as he looked at me, sizing me up like he knew I didn’t belong there. Then he hopped and released a loud call from his enormous beak before he took flight.
I watched him go before I proceeded forward, farther into the forest.
WHAT DO YOU SEE?
It’s beautiful. Lush and green, lots of birds.
YOU DON’T SEE ANYONE?
A cute bird said hello, but that was it .
PROCEED WITH CAUTION.
I will . I continued my journey deeper into the forest, seeing patches of sunlight on the forest floor coming from the small openings in the canopy. It was cooler in the shade, but it was a nice reprieve from the hot sun.
I walked for a long time, heading deeper into the forest and seeing the same trees and flowers over and over. The birds remained constant, claiming the canopy for their homes. The place was so big that I wondered if I would find anyone inside, even if the elves lived here. It would be easy to get lost if I couldn’t feel Inferno’s mind and know the trail back to the tree line.
I’d just been appreciating the tranquility of the forest when I blinked, and everything changed.
“Halt.”
I was surrounded on all sides, soldiers appearing from their hidden spots behind trees and rocks. Dressed in dark green armor with black capes, some had their swords at the ready, but most of them had arrows aimed at my exposed neck.
I stopped and felt my lungs freeze. I had a sword at my hip, but I didn’t reach for it. Instead, I raised my hands slightly, away from the hilt of my sword, to show my peaceful intention. “My name is Calista Laurier. My father was King Laurier of Scorpion Valley. He was killed ten years ago when the Death King claimed our lands for his own. My father left me a letter and a map directing me to Riviana Star, and that’s why I’m here.” My hands remained in the air, looking at the soldier who seemed to be in charge because he was the only one who didn’t point an arrow at me or grip his sword in his hand. His armor was different from the rest, heavier with medals pinned to his chest that looked like flowers. He had dark hair, wrinkles in the corners of his eyes like he was several decades older than me, but he was muscular, cords running up his neck, and his eyes had that same authority that Talon’s did.
He continued to size me up, his green eyes piercing into my face.
I stared back, waiting for him to say something. “Who are you?”
He raised one hand slightly, and the soldiers immediately lowered their bows and returned their swords to their scabbards.
“Are you the king?”
He came closer until we were just feet apart. “There is no king in Riviana Star. We serve Queen Eldinar, who has sat upon the throne the last fifteen hundred years, the most powerful and beautiful queen who’s ever lived. It’s an honor to serve her.”
“I would love to meet her, if I’m welcome.”
“Are you alone?” His eyes remained sharp like the edge of the sword he didn’t draw.
“Yes, I’m alone.” Inferno was leagues away from the forest, so I considered myself alone.
He watched me for another moment before he turned away. “Follow me. It’s a long journey.”
We walked in silence for hours, the muscular human in the lead, while the other elves flanked me from behind. Elves and humans were hardly distinguishable. The only real difference I could see was in their complexion. The elves had a glow to their skin, so unblemished it looked like glass, forever youthful. The human, however, looked like time had slowly ravaged his appearance. There were lines around his eyes, a hollowness to his cheeks, spots of gray in his hair.
ARE YOU SAFE?
Yes. I ran into soldiers, and now they’re escorting me to Riviana Star.
DID THEY HURT YOU?
They haven’t touched me . They didn’t try to restrain me or grab me by the elbow. I was already treated with more respect than I’d ever had in someone else’s lands. They’re taking me to their queen, Queen Eldinar .
DID THEY MENTION ME?
No. They asked if I was alone, and I said yes .
REMAIN VIGILANT.
Always . “Your forest is beautiful.”
He didn’t turn around. “The forest is not ours. We don’t believe in ownership the way humans do.”
“You’re a human.” I cocked an eyebrow.
He came to a sudden halt and looked at me over his shoulder.
Everyone else halted too, in sync with his movements.
I glanced around me before I looked at him again. “I didn’t mean to offend you.”
“Then perhaps you shouldn’t speak.” He moved forward again, his cape billowing behind him, his presence so distinguished that it reminded me of Talon, the way he changed the atmosphere of a room just by being in it.
We continued our walk, several more hours passing. We stopped for short breaks, and I drank water from my canteen, but I didn’t have any food. There seemed to be berries in the nearby bushes, but I didn’t dare take anything from their forest without their permission. And I didn’t want to ask for permission, because that might offend them too.
I knew when we were close to the Riviana Star because the sound changed. Instead of hearing the birds chirp at the tops of the trees, I heard music. A light, ethereal sound with harps and stringed instruments. It grew louder the closer I came, and then there was a hum, a hum that felt audible or vibrational, I couldn’t tell which. “That music…where is it coming from?”
“Riviana—the heart of the forest.”
“I assumed it was coming from your city. I meant, is it coming from the elves? Because it seems to be everywhere all at once?—”
He halted and turned back to me, the annoyance in his eyes. “Riviana is the great tree at the center of our forest. The source of our power, of our longevity, of our purity. The music you hear is coming from her—not from us.” He turned forward again and continued.
That music came from a tree? I had questions, but I was smart enough not to ask them. The trees started to thin once we reached the center, more space between the trunks, less of a forest and more of a clearing. Then we reached the main path, and the city of Riviana Star appeared—tree houses in the boughs, glowing lanterns hanging from branches, a royal structure that rose high into the trees with statues erected in the front, of a female elf with long hair as she held a butterfly in her open palm, of a man in the armor of a king, standing tall and proud with one hand upon the hilt of his sword, one of the birds I’d seen earlier perched on his shoulder.
The music was louder now, but not so loud it was overwhelming.
My eyes took in the sight of a place I couldn’t have imagined before I saw it. I looked down the paths and saw the city branch farther into the distance, seeing a market where elves gathered to buy their produce and essentials. The women all wore dresses in a deep, olive green with different flower arrangements in their hair. The men wore dark trousers and dark shirts, tall and lean.
I looked elsewhere so long that I lost my trail and felt an arm grab me to bring me back in line. When I looked forward again, I was behind the human, heading to the royal structure with the statues, the walls covered with ivy and flowers. “It’s so beautiful.” I’d seen the beauty of the wildlands, even appreciated the isolation of the Arid Sands, had seen the mighty scales of a powerful dragon, but I’d never seen anything like this. The peace…I could feel it like raindrops on my skin.
The man ignored me as he led the way to the staircase. The elves who had escorted me there remained outside near the statues so we could make our way alone.
This time, he waited for me to join his side before we proceeded forward. He had a heavy sword across his back, just the way Talon did, and he also had a bow and a quiver of arrows. There was another blade along his hip, a man outfitted for war in a place of peace.
We entered the building and moved past the guards positioned on either side into a hall with another staircase—the throne placed at the top. There were open windows along the wall, no glass separating the exterior from the interior so the ivy could grow inside as well as the outside. It brought natural light to the room, natural light that blanketed the queen in an ethereal glow.
I stared at her and was immediately at a loss for words.
She really was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen, with long blond hair woven into a crown of white flowers, skin the color of snow and eyes the color of the ocean and ice. She wore a white dress, flowers stitched into the fabric, the sleeves reaching down her arms to her wrists. She sat with a perfectly straight spine that didn’t touch the back of the chair, and her ankles were crossed as they rested on the floor, the beautiful gown spilling out around her.
I rarely grew nervous, but she made me lose my voice.
The man who escorted me there stepped forward and looked upon his queen. “I present to you Queen Eldinar, Queen of Riviana Star.” His stare lingered for seconds before he turned to me. “Bow.”
“Of course.” I’d never been asked to bow in my life. I didn’t bow for King Theodore in the capital, and no one ever bowed to my father. I bowed to Talon…but in a different way. I bowed to Queen Eldinar, holding the position for seconds before I righted myself once again. “Your forest is beautiful…as are you.”
Her hands were positioned on the armrests, and she watched me with the same hardness, regarding me as an enemy rather than a friend.
I tried to remember that I’d shown up at their borders uninvited, and anyone would be uneasy.
The man spoke again. “This is Calista Laurier, daughter of King Laurier from Scorpion Valley. He disclosed the location of our forest, so she made the journey here. Although, I’m not sure why.” His hands moved behind his back, and he turned his stare back to me. “I asked if she came alone, and she said yes—but we saw her emerge from the back of a red dragon. So take her words with caution.”
My eyes snapped back at him. “Do you see a red dragon standing next to me? Then yes, I’m alone .”
“You could have disclosed that, nonetheless.”
“You didn’t even tell me your name, so why am I obligated to tell you my life story?” I snapped.
“If you want to be recognized as an ally rather than a foe in a foreign land, it’s wise to be transparent.” This time, the queen spoke, and her voice was strong and authoritative, but it was also soft like the flowers in her hair.
“I’ve proven I’m your ally,” I said. “I told you my father died and gave me this information.”
“That proves nothing,” the man said. “You’ve been gone from Scorpion Valley for ten years, so your allegiances are unknown.”
“How did you know I was gone for ten years?” I sized up the man beside me, realizing he was more than just a soldier to the queen.
“We have our spies in your lands,” Queen Eldinar said.
“Then you know that the Death King conquered our lands in his name, and you did nothing.” I looked at her, holding her personally responsible. “My father died to keep your location a secret, and you did nothing. You question my allyship—but now I question yours.”
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
When the man spoke to me again, his anger was irrepressible. “Speak to my queen like that again, and I’ll personally escort you from these lands.”
The queen didn’t look at him, eyes still on me. “Your father fulfilled his obligation, and for that, we’re eternally grateful. He believed in our cause, that the dragons must be protected from the greed of men. To challenge the Death King, we would have to expose ourselves—and put our secret at risk. I’m sorry for what happened to your father and your people, but there was nothing we could do.”
“So you’ve just been sitting here for ten years?” I asked. “Going about your daily lives? Because I was a slave in the Arid Sands for that time, under the thumb of a corrupt general and then a prisoner to the Death King himself. While you’ve sat here and done nothing, I’ve been subjected to unspeakable cruelty.”
The queen turned quiet.
The man said nothing.
Silence hung heavy between us, so heavy it felt like the sun had disappeared even though it was barely dusk.
The queen found her bearings. “You escaped the Death King?”
“Yes.”
“How?” Her voice was stronger now, her spine straighter.
It was far too complicated for a couple of sentences. “I fled.”
“You don’t flee the Death King when you command a powerful red dragon,” she said. “He will hunt you upon the back of Khazmuda—and that will lead him straight here. You exposed the very thing that your father tried to protect. You must leave.”
“He won’t come for me?—”
“He will not stop until he has that dragon in his possession,” the queen said.
Now, I wished I hadn’t shared any of this. “I said he won’t come for me.”
“Why?” Now, the man spoke. “Why are you so certain?”
“Because…” What words could I ever find to describe our relationship? “Because he let me go.”
“He let you go.” The queen repeated the words slowly, like saying the sentence aloud would make it make sense.
“And why would he do such a thing?” she asked. “When you’re in possession of something that would make him even more powerful?”
I didn’t have the answer she sought. Truth be told, even I didn’t know why he let me go. He had the sword to my neck and could have swiped it clean from my shoulders, but he’d mounted Khazmuda and left. “I told him I would rather die than submit, so he had no other choice.”
“That did not answer the question,” the man said. “He could have killed you and taken the dragon. Why would he show such mercy?”
I was backed into a corner, with nowhere to run except the truth.
But the queen figured it out first. “Because you were more than his prisoner.” It was a simple statement, no longer an interrogation, and her stare burned right through me. “I understand now.”
The man stared up at his queen, his hands behind his back.
“But that still makes you a great danger to us,” she said. “There’s no guarantee he’ll extend us the same mercy he’s extended to you. It’s imperative that you leave before he discovers your whereabouts. I suspect whatever relationship you two have is not over.”
“It is over?—”
“It’s never over, child.”
I suddenly felt my pulse in my neck, felt the flush of heat across my skin. “I told him we were enemies, that I would take back my kingdom and drive him out of these lands. I’m pretty sure that means it’s over.”
“And how do you intend to do that?” She tilted her head slightly, her eyes looking like ice.
“That’s why I’m here, because I thought you could help.”
“Help you defeat the Death King?” she asked incredulously. “The man who breaks the Oath of Caelum and raises the dead? The man who’s hell-bent on his own interests, despite the decimation it causes to people like you and us? The man who’s somehow earned the undying loyalty of a black dragon? No, we will not help you.”
The disappointment stung like the stinger of a wasp. “That’s a cowardly thing for a queen to say?—”
The man unsheathed his blade with lightning speed and placed it right at my neck.
“Ezra.”
His blade shook before he sheathed it once more.
My disappointment was replaced by pain, a powerful burst of it. I turned to look at the man who had escorted me here, the man who had a vague resemblance to my father, a connection I didn’t see because I was distracted by my circumstance. “You’re my uncle…and you raise your sword to me?”
He looked at me without a hint of affection. “We’re the same blood, but that doesn’t mean we’re the same people.”
The pain intensified. I wasn’t sure what I’d expected from him when we met, but I had definitely expected more than this.
“Until I know your truth, I can’t embrace you as my own.” Ezra looked at me without a hint of apology. “The last time we met, you were a young child, so we’re strangers as far as I’m concerned.”
I’d been on my own for a long time, ten horrible years, and I didn’t realize how much I wanted a familial connection until it was denied to me. It stung more than I would ever show. “I’m sure my father would be pleased to hear that.” I kept my eyes on the queen so I wouldn’t have to see my father’s eyes staring back at me. “In the time I spent with the Death King, his search for the dragons was relentless. He will not stop until he finds them. It might take years or decades or longer, but I assure you, he’ll figure it out. It’s better to be proactive in extinguishing his power than letting it show up on your doorstep while you sleep.”
The queen stared at me, her fingers starting to drum on the armrest.
“He told me his story…that his family was murdered by a close enemy, and he’s determined to get his revenge. That kind of ambition does not fade over time, nor does he. I suspect he’s immortal, but I’m not entirely sure.”
She remained quiet, her eyes glued to mine and unblinking. “So your plan is to defeat him then secure the kingdoms for your own?”
“I would return the capital to King Theodore’s heirs…if they still live…and then take the crown for Scorpion Valley, the place my family has ruled for generations. Peace would return to this world once it’s no longer controlled by a necromancer.”
Her fingers continued to drum. “Then you intend to use the dragons against him.”
“I see no other way.” The elves might have thousands of soldiers, but Talon could conjure an army from any soil he stood upon. He was far too powerful to defeat with normal means.
“Then you’re no different from him…from anyone else.”
My eyebrows furrowed.
“Dragons are not to be used. They’re to be respected.”
“I wouldn’t use them. I would ask for their help, and they can choose to give it.”
“And why would they help you?”
“Because once he’s gone, they can fly free in our lands. We would never subjugate them again.”
“ Once he’s gone …” Her eyes shifted away as she considered what I said. “I’ve noticed that you’ve never once described him as dead, only gone and defeated.”
I swallowed.
“Because you can’t kill him.”
“Not everything has to end in bloodshed?—”
“There is no scenario in which the Death King is vanquished by exile. You said yourself that his ambition is relentless. Death is the only thing that will stop that madman and his endless rage. You request our aid but are unwilling to do what it takes to win.”
“He’s not as evil as you describe?—”
“You recounted all the horrible things he’s done to you, but now he’s not evil?”
“It’s more complicated than that?—”
“Your allegiance is complicated,” she said simply. “That’s the only thing that is clear.”
This had gone far worse than I’d ever expected. “The red dragon’s name is Inferno. He’s from the Southern Isles, the same place where the Death King comes from. His species was taken prisoner by the same man who killed the Death King’s family. Those dragons are still enslaved—and he wants to petition help from the other dragons. If you don’t want to help me defeat the Death King, then that’s fine. I’ll do it myself. But please help him.”
She stared me down coldly. “You have many requests.”
“I accept your rejection, but don’t reject his plea. My father said you’re the Guardians of Thalian. Thalian must be the land of the dragons because there’s no way they’re confined to this forest. There are more dragons out there that need your help. They deserve to be free just as much.”
Her eyes shifted to Ezra before they came back to me. “We can’t risk the remaining free dragons. They’ve suffered enough at the hands of your people. We safeguard their peace and will continue to do so.”
Every request I’d made had been shot down, and my own uncle viewed me as a stranger. I’d failed in my quest and had nowhere to go. I had nothing else to say. My eyes moved to the floor as the defeat swept over me. But then I thought of Inferno, alone just like me. “If you won’t help me or ask the dragons for their aid, then could you at least take Inferno to Thalian, where he can live a free life among his kind?” I would lose my only friend, and I would truly be alone, stuck on this side of the mountain until I found the secret passage to the other side, but I wasn’t sure what reason I had to go back anyway.
The daggers in her eyes slowly retreated, and her hostility passed like a floating cloud. “You’re fused with Inferno?”
“Yes.”
“And you would unfuse with him?”
“Yes.” I said it without hesitation.
“You would lose your powers and your immortality,” she said. “Do you understand that?”
“I never expected to be fused with him forever. I knew we would part ways once our mission was over. We’ll be parting sooner than that, and that’s okay. I know he’ll be disappointed that we won’t be able to free his kin…his sister, but he’s not stupid. There’s no way we can do this alone. He’ll just get himself killed, so he should make a life in Thalian and start over. I’m sure his kin would understand.”
She continued to stare at me like she wanted me to say more.
But I was empty.
She turned her gaze to Ezra. “I wish to speak in private.”
“Yes, Your Highness.” Ezra turned to me and gestured to the entryway.
I didn’t say goodbye before I walked out, taking the hallway until I left the building and moved down the steps to where the statues had been erected.
Ezra instructed his men to guard me, like I would run off.
He returned to the building and disappeared.
I stood there and watched the elves come and go, passing on the trail with beautiful flowers in their hair. When I first saw this place, I was excited by its beauty and serenity. It was a shame I would have to leave it so soon.
I must have stood there for nearly an hour before Ezra returned.
When the soldiers saw his approach, they all stiffened.
Ezra walked up to me then gestured with his hand, silently dismissing the soldiers who’d held their positions.
They moved away out of earshot.
“Queen Eldinar has carefully considered your predicament. Since you’ve selflessly offered to release Inferno to the Thalian sanctuary, she’s chosen to offer you asylum here in Riviana Star. You may call this place your home, but it must remain your home permanently.”
I expected him to grab me by the arm and escort me from the forest like a prisoner, not to offer me anything at all. Seconds passed as I looked at him, trying to understand their sudden extension of generosity. “You don’t offer out of sympathy or reward. You just don’t trust me.” Queen Eldinar feared I would share their location with someone—like the Death King. Keeping me here was the safest move.
Ezra didn’t refute the accusation.
“What if I refuse?” Would they keep me prisoner? Did they make the offer in the hope I would take it and they wouldn’t have to get their hands dirty?
“We aren’t like the Death King and the others who’ve wronged you. You’re free to go, but based on what you described, I’m not sure what your options are.”
I looked away, his words hitting too close to home.
“Only a sincere heart would willingly unfuse from a dragon, would relinquish their power and longevity. But you’ve looked beyond yourself and put your dragon first. Perhaps we’re more alike than I previously assumed.”
I continued to stare at the statue, seeing him in my peripheral vision.
“You could lie, tell him that we don’t know where the dragons are, and find your next destination. But you’ve put him before yourself. A very admirable quality—the same quality that your father had.”
I turned back to him.
“What is your decision?”
“I—I don’t know.”
“What are your other options?” he asked. “What’s waiting for you on the other side of the mountain?”
It wasn’t the valley of my childhood home that came to my mind. It wasn’t the hills of desert in the Arid Sands. It was the dark eyes with the hint of gold deep in their abysses, the warm fireplace that heated the bedroom and cast shadows in the corners, the silence in a powerful stare.
I pushed it from my mind and tried to pretend it hadn’t been there in the first place. “You’re right. I have nowhere to go.” If I returned to my lands, I would have to start over, find a trade in Scorpion Valley, earn money and hopefully buy a dwelling, but that would just be existing…not living. “My father is dead…my mother is dead… Scorpion Valley is ruled by someone I can never vanquish on my own.”
For once, Ezra looked at me with pity in his eyes.
“I’ll speak with Inferno.”