14. Luna
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
LUNA
Pip perched on a nearby branch as I saddled up my horse, the cool morning mist clinging to my boots. In better light, its scales shimmering blue and white and silver. He regarded me with bright eyes whose color echoed his scales, though with a swirl of red in them. I paused and stroked his head and Pip nuzzled into my hand.
Benedetto paused in adjusting his saddle to stare at us, surprise naked on his face. "I don’t know how you’ll want to handle this. Drake usually only bond with the Imperial family, or people with powerful magic. I felt yours during the fight, you’re strong, but do you want everyone to know that? "
I glanced at him, unable to resist a smirk. "I can say he just has good taste."
Benedetto rolled his eyes. "Or that it's as foolish as you are.”
At his words, Pip mantled his wings, leaned forward and hissed, showing tiny sharp teeth. Well, that was interesting. I suppressed a smile. Seemed like I wasn’t the only one who didn't appreciate my husband’s attitude.
Curious, I asked Benedetto, "Do you know how to tell male from female drakes?"
He shrugged. "From what I've heard, they decide when they mature. For now, 'it' or ‘they’ are probably best. Or just call it by name."
“So Pip gets to choose which they’ll be,” I said as I took the leading rein. I wonder what Pip would pick when they grow up. If they grew up. My heart clenched at the thought. I was already more attached to the little creature than I cared to admit. Losing them would be like losing a piece of myself.
I shook off the maudlin thoughts and clicked my tongue. It was time to move. Kalion awaited, a place I’d never been, with all its secrets and dangers. And right now, with Pip at my side and the open road ahead, I could almost believe we had a chance at something like freedom someday.
We walked single file, the trail winding through the last stretch of the Drakewood. Pip continued making little chirping sounds, so I decided to officially name them Pip. It suited their tiny, energetic presence.
As we traveled, I pulled a piece of bread and dried fruit from my saddlebag.
"Lunch on the move," I said dryly, taking a bite. "You sure know how to treat a lady."
Benedetto looked over his shoulder, eyes glinting with amusement. "You wanted to come along. I didn't promise luxury."
He paused, then said, "Also, was a lady with us I didn't know about?"
I shot him a look, but bit back a retort. It was fine. I ignored the dull ache in my leg from the wound I'd sustained. I'd dealt with worse than a few days of rough travel. Compared to the memories of the suffocating confines of my father's house, even this arduous journey felt like a breath of fresh air.
Suddenly Benedetto stopped. He looked over his shoulder, holding his finger to his lips, then beckoned me forward. I moved as quietly as I could, leaving Dawn’s leading rein on my wrist, but letting it play out as far as it could.
To our right, through a thin stand of trees, I saw a clearing. In that clearing, a creature stretched, then flexed its wings. A lion’s body, with an eagle’s head and wings. It would have looked foolish, but instead the two melded with a breathtaking power and beauty.
Biter snorted and the creature spun to face us, then took flight. I breathed a sigh of relief. A griffin was a fearsome fighter, and I was glad it decided to flee rather than fight.
“So beautiful,” I murmured.
Benedetto smiled down at me, then flinched and jumped away as Biter’s teeth almost closed on his arms.
“You’ll find beasts like that in the more remote forests. They aren’t timid, but it’s better to avoid fighting if you can. Hellhounds have a nasty venom, for example, and leave bad burns. Hope you never meet an aggressive one.”
I nodded. I didn’t point out that only an idiot would get into a fight with a hellhound.
As the morning wore on, the ancient trees thinned, shafts of sunlight piercing the canopy more frequently. Then, as we rounded a bend, the forest abruptly ended and the shortcut opened up, giving me my first glimpse of Kalion in the far distance.
I sucked in a breath. The capital city was vast, surrounded by imposing walls of white marble that gleamed in the morning light. Towers rose like sentinels, their tops crowned with banners bearing the Imperial dragon sigil. The gates were enormous, wide enough for ten men to walk abreast, reinforced with iron and adorned with intricate carvings depicting the empire's history, victorious battles, scenes of prosperity, and the unmistakable shape of a dragon flying above.
Dragon . I glanced at Pip, perched on my shoulder. When a drake grew larger than a horse, it was called a dragon. I wondered if Pip would get that big someday. A tiny part of me shivered in joy at the thought of riding dragonback, soaring through the sky.
It was a magnificent sight. I took in the city sprawling before me. I'd never seen anything like it. How many people lived there? Hundreds of thousands? More?
I realized I was staring, my mouth slightly open, and quickly shut it, hoping Benedetto hadn't noticed. The last thing I needed was him mocking my country bumpkin reaction to the grand city. But as I sneaked a glance his way, I saw his gaze was fixed ahead, his jaw set with determination.
He wasn’t there to sightsee. And neither was I. We each had a mission, one that could mean life or death for those we loved. As awe-inspiring as Kalion was, I couldn't afford to lose sight of that.
Squaring my shoulders, I mounted and urged my horse forward, falling into step beside Benedetto,
A few hours later we approached the city gates. Whatever awaited us within those tall walls, I was ready to face it. I had to be.
For Rose's sake, and for my own.
Benedetto chuckled, the sound low and amused. "Try not to look too impressed. Beggars will swarm you if you look like you’re from the country."
I scowled at him, my cheeks heated. "It's not every day you see a city this size."
He leaned closer, lowering his voice. "And just so you know, you'll need to find your own room. I'm not sharing mine with you."
My sweet, insincere smile would have been used to flavor the morning’s porridge. "Oh, don't worry. I'm sure I'll have no trouble finding a room. I don't run out of coin at the drop of a hat."
I paused, tilting my head. "Though you might need to find someone who wants to share with you to save on expenses. It'll be a struggle with that… charm of yours."
Two can play at this game. A flash of annoyance filled in his gaze. If he thought he could unsettle me with his arrogance, he would be wrong.
As we rode through the gates and entered the market district, the city came alive around us. So many people, all jostling each other and moving and shouting.
And so many smells, not all of them pleasant.
The gate we passed led straight to the market. Vendors lined the streets, shouting their wares, fresh fruit, spices, silk scarves that fluttered in the breeze. The smells of roasting meat, spiced drinks, and the distinct tang of the sea filled the air, covering the odor of so many people living close together.
This city seemed like it was a living thing, pulsing with life. I could spend weeks just exploring the streets.
I didn't have weeks. I was here for a reason and had to work for Benedetto’s cooperation. I tore my gaze away from a display of glittering jewelry and focused on the road ahead.
"Where to first?" I asked Benedetto, raising my voice to be heard over the clamor of the market.
He glanced at me, his expression unreadable. "We'll stable the horses, then find lodging. After that…"
The words trailed off, Benedetto’s gaze turning distant. "After that, we start looking for answers."
I nodded, my pulse quickening. Everything was so different from Legnali here.
"Benedetto, is that really you?" a voice said as we made our way through the crowded market.
Benedetto's face shifted from wariness to annoyance to something softer as a man strode up to us. He was a few inches shorter than Benedetto, with a well-groomed beard and wavy black hair. He was dressed in fine but comfortable clothes, his eyes twinkling with genuine warmth.
"Lorenzo," Benedetto dismounted and greeted him with a rare, genuine smile. "I didn't expect to see you here."
Lorenzo's eyes flicked to me, widening slightly in surprise. They rested on Pip and widened further. "And who is this lovely lady? Your wife has grown up to be a lovely woman, Bene."
He had a nickname? I’d never heard it used. I filed it away for future reference.
Before Benedetto could respond, I smiled a bright smile, sliding off my horse’s back.
"Luna," I said sweetly. "Luna d'Alvarez, my lord. And yes, it's true, at long last, we’ve found each other and travelled to Kalion."
Lorenzo laughed heartily, clapping Benedetto on the back. "I never thought I'd see the day, Well, you must both come to my home. I won't hear of you staying in some cramped little room, not when there's plenty of space at our place."
Laughter bubbled in me. This was an unexpected opportunity. Both a place to stay where we could be intimate and where we could gather information to further Benedetto’s quest.
"We'd be delighted," I ignored Benedetto's pointed look. "Lead the way, kind sir."
Lorenzo grinned and turned, motioning for us to follow. As we walked, I leaned closer to Benedetto, lowering my voice. "Seems like you have a kind friend. What should I know?"
Benedetto sighed, his gaze fixed ahead. "Lorenzo and I go way back. He's one of the few people I trust in this city. But don't get too comfortable. I don’t stay in one place for long, usually."
I rolled my eyes. "I know that. But there's no harm in enjoying a bit of hospitality while we're here, is there?"
Benedetto didn't reply, but I could see the tension in his jaw.
Lorenzo led us through the streets to his home, a beautiful villa near the hills that held the palaces and the estates of the very wealthy. It was a place of understated luxury, with a courtyard garden filled with blooming flowers and shrubs and a small fountain.
When Lorenzo led us to the courtyard, a petite woman with flashing dark eyes and a beaming smile stood up from the bench.
“This is Palma, my wife,” said Lorenzo, pecking her cheek affectionately. This is Benedetto d'Alvarez and his wife, Luna.”
Palma swept forward, turning her bright gaze to me. She was about my height and build and wore a simple yet elegant gown, her hair perfectly coiled into an intricate braid. She took my hands in hers. Her touch was warm and welcoming, her smile genuine. "Welcome, welcome, you look like you've had quite a journey. I’ll have the bathhouse readied for you both.”
Benedetto opened his mouth to object, but Palma cut him off with a stern look. "Don't you argue, Benedetto d’Alvarez. You'll stay with us tonight, and that's final."
I couldn't resist a smug smile, casting a sidelong glance at Benedetto. "Well, if you insist."
Palma led me up a sweeping staircase to a guest room filled with a selection of dresses in various styles and colors, so I had something to wear of my choice once I bathed. I realized with a twinge of embarrassment that my traveling garments were hardly appropriate for visiting the upper class. I’d had little time and no amount of space for baggage, and I’d assumed I would hire a seamstress to put together clothing when I arrived in Kalion.
That’s what happened in the stories I read anyway. I knew Vala ordered her clothing from a dressmaker who created them very quickly.
The room was bright and airy, with a large window that overlooked the garden. Palma carefully ignored Pip until it hopped onto the bed, preening and nudging her.
“May I?” she asked, a hand hovering.
“It looks like Pip wants you to pet it,” I answered. “Is there etiquette on dealing with drakes? I’ve never seen one.”
Palma laughed. “Nor I! They’re very rare. How did you...?”
She waved her hands as if implying I’d conjured Pip out of thin air.
“He came to us in the Drakewood and didn’t leave.” I couldn’t help but smile as Pip leaned into Palma’s gentle strokes.
“As for etiquette, you’re not supposed to really mention a drake, since it’s a symbol of magical power. That’s why it was surprising, since Bene didn’t mention you were a, um, unusually powerful and well trained.”
I gave her a mysterious smile. “No worries. And Pip likes attention, feel free to pet it whenever it seems to want it. Which is most of the time.”
As I sorted through the dresses, Palma chattered away, giving me a rapid-fire rundown of the latest gossip. "Oh, and have you heard? There's been a spate of mysterious deaths in the Imperial family. They say it's some sort of curse,"
I listened carefully, filing the information away. "A curse, you say. How tragic."
Palma nodded, her dark eyes wide. "Yes, and some say it's related to dark magic. But who knows with these things? The court is rife with rumors."
Dark magic? It could be connected to everything happening with Benedetto's search, given it was his family.
I selected a dress in a deep, rich red-purple, the fabric soft and luxurious against my skin. As I bathed, Palma continued to talk, filling me in on the ins and outs of Kalion society. I listened with half an ear, my mind racing with the implications of what she'd said about the Imperial deaths.
If there was dark magic involved, Benedetto could be in more danger than he realized. I frowned. If he was in danger, so were Rose and I.
Clean, I emerged from behind the screen, the dress fitting me like a second skin. Palma clapped her hands in delight. "Oh, Luna, you look stunning, That color suits you perfectly."
I smiled, twirling for effect. It was a little short, but nothing that couldn’t be fixed with lace and a few pins. "Thank you, Palma. You're too kind."
She waved a hand, dismissing my thanks. "Nonsense, my dear. It's my pleasure. Now, let's go down and join the men for dinner. I'm sure they're cooking up mischief and need supervision."
I followed her out of the room, my mind still churning with questions. What was happening? Who was behind the deaths? And how could I use circumstances to my advantage?
I didn't have the answers yet, but I was determined to find them.