Chapter 11
CHAPTER ELEVEN
FOX
Dread settled across Fox’s shoulders as he packed, tossing in an extra uniform and travel clothes, unsure of what he’d truly need.
His choices were limited by what he had in his bedroom compared to his room in the barracks, but his old uniform would have to do.
Tomlo had made it clear there wasn’t time to go back to the lower city.
Fox left Sofia’s book nestled beneath his jacket, too afraid to leave it in the manor for someone to find.
He kissed his mother goodbye, tears shining in her eyes.
He didn’t have answers for her, and she knew it.
She smiled, but as they broke their hug, he felt a tight grip on his upper arm, holding him back for an extra beat before she let go, and he turned away.
Tomlo waited for him, as if he might get lost on the way to the lab, which only made his ire grow.
He waited impatiently, leaning against the doorway and playing with the small silver ring on his pinky.
It was his family’s crest—proof of a long Dereyan lineage and a completely unnecessary embellishment for any soldier to wear.
His obsession with his bloodline was one of the many reasons Fox hated the man.
But he wasn’t truly angry at Tomlo. He was angry with Chief Commander Harlow for his vague directives. And, if he was being honest, he was scared. There were only so many reasons that the chief commander would call for him so last minute and without warning.
Had he found Sofia?
Outside, an icy drizzle had left the street wet, reflecting the gas lamps that lined the streets and the moons above. It was their first rain in blinks, and it only made Fox think of Chalia, whose wings somehow created clouds from nothing. What could an entire flight of dragons produce?
Despite his initial brusqueness, Tomlo’s walking pace was slow, and Fox brushed past him after a block, pushing their pace until the shorter man was walking at a clip behind him. Tomlo was panting by the time they made it down the stairs, and Fox practically burst through the doors.
On the other side, the enormous cavern with its wooden levels spiraling down was teeming with noise and activity.
Fox paused at the railing, looking down at the levels below.
Eha was still there, chains pulled tight, pinning her to the ground with the short tether, as diligent soldiers moved boxes and supplies around her.
It took a second to find Chief Commander Harlow in the chaos, but he did at last. The man was standing in the middle of it all, directing with barked orders.
“Come on,” Tomlo said, already at the nearest staircase. Fox followed, no longer in such a hurry. He didn’t want to hear the words from the chief commander’s mouth.
We’ve found the rebels. We’re ready to wipe them off the map.
“Junior Major.” Chief Commander Harlow’s voice was full of warmth, his eyes lit with an energy Fox hadn’t seen in him in weeks.
“Sir,” Fox said, nodding.
“You’re leaving tonight with the second and fifth units.”
“Sir?” Fox swallowed back the lump in his throat.
“General Luna will be in charge, but you and High Major Bernardo will assist with logistics.”
He waved at the large cage, the small dragon quivering within its confines, too small for it to stand or stretch his wings. “You’ll be taking this one.”
Fox had only seen the small dragon once. Zuni was a small thing, though Eha had proudly told him he was already forty sun cycles old. Looking at the small thing huddled inside the bars, he couldn’t wrap his mind around that. He looked so young and so vulnerable.
“We’re taking the dragons?” he said, alarm seeping into his voice.
“Not the dragons, just the whelp.”
“What about E—the dragon?” he said, almost saying her name before he caught himself. “How will you keep it under control?”
“It cares about the Dragonborn,” he said. “And I always have the other option. The experiment at the farms isn’t going well. All we’ve managed is to flood a field and ruin the crop.”
Fox swallowed. Harlow had hinted that he had something he was working on over at the labor farms, but this was the first time he’d practically confirmed it was another dragon. The man had three dragons—three too many.
“How are we going to make it out of the city without the citizens seeing…” he motioned to the cage, too small for the dragon, but large enough that it would take ten men to carry the thing.
“You’ll leave tonight so no one sees you.”
“Even at night, someone might notice a hundred of us leaving with a dragon.” He bit his tongue the moment the words slipped out. His father would have hit him for less insolence.
Chief Commander Harlow only smiled. “Don’t worry, Junior Major. I have a plan to ensure you make it out without causing a fuss.”
He was going to make Fox ask. “Where are we headed, sir?”
“The mountains.” He pulled a small red journal from his front pocket. His hand ran gently over the soft leather cover. “Our other translator did it. He broke the code.”
“The code?” Fox said, the question clear in his voice. His heart was in his throat, choking him.
“Son,” Harlow said, placing a warm hand on Fox’s shoulder, his smile wide. “I’ve found the dragons’ nesting grounds.”