Great Escape
Huddled deep in the shadows, I watched the scene before me by the dim light of my father’s candle.
I could now see the leader more clearly.
He was older, his dark hair graying, and his face was weathered and stern.
His gaze was trained on my father, and I shivered slightly as if I could feel his gaze pinned on me as well.
“Good, you got my note,” the older man said, his voice just above a whisper.
“How could I have missed it when you pinned it so carefully into my saddle with your dagger?” Father replied, anger coating his words.
“I needed to make sure you saw it and listened to what it said.”
Father grunted at this and glared at the man, unafraid. What was happening? Who were these men, and how did they know my father?
“Why are you here? I thought the clan disowned my family many generations ago when we took the title,” Father asked.
“The black dragon has reappeared. That changes everything,” the man said simply.
“She knows nothing. I have kept all knowledge of the clan from her as my father should have done with me.”
“Your father was wise to teach you of your heritage, even if you have forsaken our ways. But we cannot let that happen to the girl. We need her, and she needs us. Without the clan’s protection, she and her dragon will be in danger.
We’ve already heard of the attempts on her dragon’s life from our spies at the castle. ”
“I can protect my child without your help.”
The man in black shook his head. “Could we at least speak to her and see what she has to say?”
“No. We will handle this like the noble family we are.”
“Who are you to forbid me from talking to her? We of the clan have more claim to her than you do as her father. The black dragon has chosen her as clan queen. The old ways overrule all things, even blood ties.”
“Damn you, Ballard. The old ways don’t apply to us since we are no longer clan. Once ties are broken, it cancels all obligations to follow the clan’s laws. I will not hand over my only child to you!” Father snapped, shaking with anger.
“There is a plan to kill her dragon tomorrow night. If he dies, so will she. Does that change your mind at all?”
“This king would never allow someone to kill a dragon, even if it is a cursed black one.”
“The king’s own captain of his personal guard has plotted to kill the dragon in order to save the kingdom from its darkness,” Ballard hissed.
“Come now. The king has to know about the plan, then. If he makes the call to kill the dragon before it becomes a threat, who am I to stop him?”
“He has planned the attack but won’t be there in person.
His plan is to make it look like zealots of the church broke into the roost and killed it.
It’s been taught in the history books that the black dragon is a symbol of death, sickness, and evil.
” Ballard shifted his weight, pointing a finger at my father.
“You know the truth, even if you deny it. That dragon represents change, the darkness before the light can be seen. You’re telling me you would sacrifice your child out of misguided prejudice? ”
Father rubbed his face with his hand, groaning. “Let’s say I let you talk to her and save her dragon. What would you want in return?”
“We would take her to the clan and train her to be our queen,” Ballard answered without so much as blinking.
“You’re out of your bloody mind if you think I’m going to let that happen! I would be marked a traitor to the kingdom if I gave the mercenaries back their royalty.”
Ballard advanced on my father so they were face to face. “You’re a fool, Charles! You would rather stand by and let your daughter die than deal with who you really are?”
“Fuck you, you bastard. Get out of my house and never come back here, or I will kill you and any other clan member I find,” Father snarled, shoving Ballard away from him.
“Know that her blood is on your hands,” Ballard said before he signaled to the others and slipped back out the window.
My father muttered to himself, blowing out his candle as he left the library, leaving me in the dark with more questions than I knew what to do with.
Slowly, I stood, looking out the library window long after the men had left.
What did they mean about the old ways? Did the black dragon really mean I was to be their queen? They must be mental…
But could they be right about the attack on Vasin?
I couldn’t take the chance. I had to get out of this house tonight and save him.
I quickly returned to my bedroom, quietly opening the door and slipping past Becka, still sleeping.
I smiled down at her. After all the years that we’d been together, I thought of her as a sister.
She’d been through it all with me—my temper tantrums and the punishments that happened after, my broken heart when my first crush was betrothed, and everything else in between.
It would be hard to leave her behind without an explanation, but the fewer people who knew where I was going, the better. I couldn’t let anyone else take the blame for my running away.
I walked out onto the balcony to take in the view I loved shining in the full moonlight.
Closing my eyes, I took in a deep breath, reveling in the feeling of purpose followed by nervous excitement.
When I opened them again, I was looking into a pair of deep green eyes shining with mischief.
I stepped back, letting out a little squeak of surprise as he climbed over the railing onto the balcony.
“Who are you?” I demanded once I recovered from my shock. “How did you get up here?”
“I climbed,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “A manor this old and neglected is easy to sneak into.”
“Why are you here sneaking into my room at all?” I asked, clutching my dressing gown around myself.
I’d heard stories of men creeping into young maidens’ rooms and stealing their virtue before they were married.
“I saw you hiding in the library, little mouse.”
When I stared at him with my mouth gaping like a fish, he continued, “My grandfather sent me to fetch you. You know, the man who was talking to your father a little bit ago? We can’t leave here without you,” he said, giving me a dangerous grin.
I raised an eyebrow at this strange man’s boldness, yet I was still frightened of him.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I said, turning my back to him and walking into my room.
He quickly grabbed my arm and yanked me back onto the balcony so forcefully that I groaned a little as my back hit the stone railing.
He kept himself a handbreadth away from me as he towered over me, pinning me with his fierce gaze.
I could feel his warm breath on my face as I looked deep into his fierce green eyes.
“Don’t you think I should know your name if we are going to be this well acquainted?” I asked, my voice a little too breathy for my liking.
Why does that matter if he is going to kidnap me? He is rather handsome up close. Stop it! Pull yourself together! Just because he’s handsome doesn’t mean he can be here in your bedroom.
His intense expression lightened a little at this, and the corner of his mouth turned up in a rueful smile.
“Forgive me for not properly introducing myself sooner, but we have more important things to talk about. However, since you are asking for it specifically, my name is Cole, grandson to Ballard, the Regent of the Royal Raven Rose mercenary clan.”
I was taken aback by how his gentle expression didn’t match the snide words coming out of his mouth. Who was this guy, really? Does he even know himself?
“Is there a reason you are still this close to me? As you can tell, I’m not going to fight back, nor could I, even if I wanted to,” I said, trying to be as calm as I could while my heart was pounding in my chest.
The feel of his body heat against mine out in the cool air had my skin tingling. His sharp citrus and pine scent surrounded me. It was intoxicating. I’d never been this close to a man before, and my treacherous body was deciding it was kind of okay with it.
“Does a man need a reason to be this close to a pretty lady in her nightgown on a cold night?”
I blushed hotly, dropping my gaze. I’d forgotten I was indeed still only in my night clothes and dressing gown.
Glancing down, I noticed my dressing gown had opened when he grabbed me, so he could see the rosy color of my nipples peaked by the chill and his proximity.
This was so highly inappropriate and one of the most unladylike things I’d ever done.
Slowly, I pulled my gown around me, trying to act like I wasn’t going to melt in embarrassment.
Who was this man to think he could just show up here and act this way toward a proper lady? Why did I feel that every word he said to me was a veiled threat? Why did that make my heart beat faster?
“Clearly, the man addressing this lady isn’t a gentleman because a gentleman would never have climbed into my room.
And a true lady would never entertain anyone less than a gentleman,” I answered, trying to put some force behind my words.
“Besides this being highly inappropriate, if we get caught by Becka, your whole plan will fall apart.”
He bent down even closer so I could almost feel his lips on my ear and whispered, “I’m no gentleman, and you’re no proper lady. So I suggest we be very quiet and not get caught.”
A shiver ran down my spine at the feel of his breath on my neck, then, reacting out of instinct, I shoved him away with all my strength.
Unprepared for my assault, he stumbled back a few steps and looked at me, stunned.
I wonder if any woman had rejected his advances before, but I wasn’t just any woman.
“I would ask that you never do that again,” I said, squaring my shoulders and lifting my chin just like I’d been taught to do when speaking to someone of a lower class. “We are not that well acquainted, and you have taken liberties you shouldn’t.”