Chapter 26
Avera
Avera held her breath and feigned sleep as the potion took effect, knocking out Griff, Monty, and Simhi. She felt her own mind and limbs trying to succumb, but she fought it, digging her nails into her palm deep enough she pierced skin. The pain helped to clear her head.
Not that staying awake helped her situation. She remained tied to a table, the needle in her arm still draining her.
Basil muttered aloud, “What a lucky day. Four samples to work with and two of them of royal lineage. Surely one of them will provide the answer, assuming the boy is like his father. Better test that first.” The man hummed as he banged around, leading her to slit open an eye for a peek.
Basil wheeled a barrow close to Griff’s prone body.
He knelt by it and unbuckled the sheath with Griff’s sword. “Ah, your father’s wolfframm blade. How fortuitous. I wonder how the dragon will react to it,” Basil muttered as he put it aside. He then tried to heave Griff into the barrow but lacked the strength to lift the thick captain.
Avera watched—in annoyed amazement—how he rigged a pulley system to heave Griff into the contraption. He then had his back to her, and only when he moved did she see he’d tied Griff’s hands. Given he crouched by Simhi and Monty, she assumed he did the same to them.
When Basil stood and turned toward her, she pretended sleep.
Basil neared and murmured, “Pity I didn’t have access to you sooner.
Perhaps I should have read the letters your mother sent.
A child of my loins would have inherited my brilliance.
We could have worked on this together. Raised properly, you would have been willing, even eager, to donate your blood to the cause.
” Basil sighed. “Perhaps you’ll come around.
I doubt Griffon will, though. He’s just like his father.
Unable to understand the sacrifice science needs. ”
Avera bit her inner cheek as Basil suddenly pulled the needle from her arm.
“That’s enough blood to get me started.” He pressed down on the pinprick wound before wrapping a bandage around her arm. “Time to put Griffon to the test. Be a good girl. I’ll be back shortly.” He patted her on the head and then, with a creak of wheels in need of grease, left.
Avera’s eyes popped open. She didn’t have much time to free herself. If she even could, bound as she was.
At least the blood siphoning had ceased. She turned to look left and saw nothing of use. A glance to the right showed the same. She growled. How frustrating—
“Ugh, how much did I drink?” Simhi groaned.
“Simhi!” Avera exclaimed. “You’re awake.”
“Barely. What happened? Hold on, I remember. That slimy bastard,” Simhi exclaimed. “He drugged us! And what’s this? Trussed me like a chicken for roasting too.”
“Basil took Griffon,” Avera announced. “I think he’s planning to expose him to the dragon.”
“Oh, that doesn’t sound good,” Simhi muttered. “We should go save the cap before that happens.”
“Would love to, only I’m just as tied up as you.”
“Me, tied up?” Simhi snickered. “This Basil obviously never had a sailor teach him knots. Give me a minute to get out of these ropes.”
It took her less than that.
Simhi stood and shook out her limbs, leading Avera to ask, “How come you weren’t affected by his sleeping drug?”
“I was, just not as much as he expected. Must be the same thing that lets me drink men under the table. Kreed jokes I’ve got a belly of iron, seeing how much alcohol it takes to get me truly drunk.”
“Can you untie me?”
“Of course.” Simhi made quick work of the restraints and while Avera sat up and stretched her stiff limbs, Simhi untied Monty, who remained snoring.
Simhi planted her hands on her hips staring at him. “Guess he won’t be giving us a hand.”
“With what?” Avera asked.
“Saving Cap, of course, that is once we figure out where Basil took him.”
“He left that way.” Avera pointed to a flap of canvas hanging on the rear wall.
“What are we waiting for? Let’s get Griffon back.”
Avera swooped up Griff’s sword before following Simhi through the tarp.
The tunnel beyond proved warm and as they moved through it, the smell of sulfur tinged the air.
They encountered no critters, a relief given what Avera had experienced thus far.
Danger beyond her wildest imagination, and yet Simhi and the others had still chosen to come find Avera.
It tightened her chest to know Griffon and her friends hadn’t hesitated to come to her rescue. They’d sailed into danger, to a place Griffon swore he’d never visit, for her. Hopefully, she could repay his braveness by rescuing him.
“There’s a split in the tunnel up ahead,” Simhi whispered from her spot in the lead. “Which way should we go?”
A glance at the floor showed both sides equally scuffed. “I don’t know. Left?” The direction that tugged her strongest.
“Okay.”
Simhi marched fearlessly while Avera did her best to hold Griff’s sword with sweaty fingers. She crept behind Simhi and wondered what she’d do when she saw Basil again.
Probably run him through with the blade.
The man her mother, and even Griffon, must have known wasn’t the Basil she’d met. That person was detestable and given what he’d done—and would continue to do—there was only one real option. Still, planning his murder did leave a sour taste in her mouth.
They reached the end of the tunnel and found themselves on the ledge that overlooked the magma lake not far from where Lenno died. The edges were laden with treasure. The dragon’s hoard. To her left, Avera could see the four rocks she’d spotted before.
The Dracova stones.
How she wished she’d never heard of them.
They had brought nothing but trouble. Actually, the blame rested squarely on Basil.
Had he never removed them from Fraegus Spire, then Zhos would have remained trapped, Verlora wouldn’t have fallen, Avera wouldn’t be here wondering if a dragon would eat her, and perhaps her father wouldn’t have gone mad.
“We went the wrong way,” Simhi muttered.
Avera followed her friend’s glance upward and noticed a jutting tongue of stone. Barely visible on it? Basil and the wheelbarrow holding Griffon.
“I’m coming, Cap.” Simhi darted back into the tunnel, but Avera stared. Not at Basil tipping over the wheelbarrow, but at the bubbling magma.
Avera took a step back as the dragon rose from the lava, the liquid sluicing from its tough skin.
She saw every detail from the jutting crest on its head to the flaring holes of its nostrils which huffed steam.
Its scales were a red so deep they were almost black.
It made little noise but still drew Basil’s attention.
She saw her father glance over the ledge. Could even see his expression of frightened determination as he dumped Griffon onto the rock ledge. But when Basil would have fled to leave Griffon at the dragon’s mercy, he found himself facing off against Simhi.
She stood framed in the cave opening, scimitar out, and while faint, Avera could hear her taunt, “Let’s see you try and take my blood now that I’m awake.”
“Out of the way, girl,” Basil harshly ordered.
“I don’t think so.”
“The dragon comes,” Basil hissed as said beast pushed itself from the magma.
Avera flattened against the wall and eyed it with fear. She’d seen what it had done to Lenno. Only it wasn’t interested in Avera. It grabbed the stone and began to climb toward Griffon.
Overhead, Avera could see Simhi hesitate, the need to punish Basil warring with self-preservation.
The dragon neared the jutting shelf and opened its mouth.
Avera screamed, “Hide. It’s about to breathe flame.”
Simhi moved quickly, ducking into the tunnel. Basil moved quickly as well but tripped. He fell on his hands and knees, then failed to scuttle fast enough to escape the flames that came jetting out of the dragon’s mouth.
Fire bathed the ledge, so bright she had to close her eyes, but she could still hear. Hear Basil’s piercing shriek as he died.
But Avera didn’t care about him. When the brightness of the flames dimmed, she opened her eyes to see the dragon gone and everything on the ledge incinerated, including the wheelbarrow that had previously held Griffon.
She closed her eyes, but it didn’t stop the tears from tracking down her cheeks. Didn’t stop her from hearing Simhi’s wail, “The Cap’s gone. It obliterated him.”
Gone.
Dead.
Because of her.
How many would die because of her damnable quest?
Avera’s lips tightened as did her resolve. No more. She left the dragon’s hoard and ran into a blotchy-faced Simhi in the tunnel.
“I can’t believe the Cap’s gone,” sniveled her friend.
“Me either. And now we need to make sure no one else dies. Let’s get Monty and get back to the ship.”
Simhi sniffed. “Aye. Let’s do that. But what about your stones? Shouldn’t we find them first? Isn’t that why you wanted to come?”
Avera’s lips tightened at the reminder. “Yes, but I’m wondering now if they were worth the cost.”
“You have to get them,” Simhi huffed. “Or the cap will have died in vain.”
Simhi made a good point.
“I know where they are, but the dragon won’t like me taking them.”
“Good,” Simhi snarled. “Stupid overgrown lizard, barbecuing the cap. Let’s go get them.”
“No, you stay here. I know where they are. I’ll be but a moment.”
Avera returned to the hoarding ledge and didn’t bother looking upward to see if the dragon had returned.
She’d come for the stones, and by damn, she would leave with them.
She marched quickly to them, quite the armful when gathered and colder than expected, especially given where they’d sat.
With them tucked close to her chest, she returned to Simhi.
“Those are the rocks you been looking for?” Her friend eyed them dubiously.
“Yup. Let’s find Monty and get going.”