Page 65 of First Light
Cadell quickly said, “Nothing in the Shadowlands is born but by magic. While it is true that human and fae unions sometimes produce natural children if the gods approve, magic is still involved.”
“And how do you know if the gods approve of you?” Carys looked at Cadell.
He shrugged. “How does anyone in any world know that? We should get back to our visit with Darius and Yasmin. I believe they have prepared a feast to welcome us, not that there will be anything for me to eat there.”
Carys frowned. “What?”
“Unicorns do not eat flesh,” Aisling said. “They will not willingly take the life of any living creature.”
“And dragonsonlyeat flesh,” Cadell said. “Luckily I went hunting this morning.”
They were halfway backto the castle when Cadell shifted into dragon form and took to the sky overhead, letting out a great roar and flying in circles.
They approach.
“Who is they?” Did Cadell mean her uncle?
“The dragons are coming.” Aisling watched him in the air. “Cadell’s people are solitary by nature, but they always react this way when their kin approach.” She took Carys’s hand and picked up her speed. “Come on. You’re not going to want to miss their landing.”
Go, my lady.Cadell spoke from the air.I will fly overhead and keep you in sight.
“Okay.” The fancy boots were squeezing her feet, but Carys pushed past the discomfort and started to half jog up the path to the village.
They ran up the hill toward Tower Ridge—the backbone of rock that overlooked the castle where the old tower stood—then down through the town where the rumor of approaching royalty had already spread. Villagers rushed from houses and shops up to the castle as the sky grew cloudy and the wind picked up.
Aisling guided Carys up to the first parapet along the castle walls where archers lined the defensive structure, though they seemed to be at ease.
The crowd gasped, and several people in the crowd turned and pointed to the sky.
The beasts appeared on the horizon, emerging from a bank of dark clouds, three winged forms, two of them carrying pendant-like coracles in their clutches.
“Do you see, Carys?” Aisling grabbed Carys’s hand and pointed to the massive field that sloped down from the south side of the castle walls. “They’ll land here. If they’re coming in peace, they’ll land in the town common.”
What about if they’re coming in war?She didn’t voice the question because it was clear from the elation she felt from Cadell that the dragons were coming in peace.
“Let’s stay here.” Aisling was looking around, Carys’s hand still clutched in her own. “It’s not too crowded up here, and you’ll have the best view.”
The great beasts circled overhead, a ruby-skinned dragon with nothing in its claws, a fiery-orange dragon carrying a small coracle, and a massive black dragon with a gold-layered coracle that had to belong to a king.
The dragons spiraled overhead, growing closer and closer as they descended, and the black dragon let out a roar that shook the leaves on the trees and made the crowd shout and mill around.
“Gods save us if they were coming in war,” one of the archers murmured.
Carys felt no terror but a vibrant thrill in her chest as she watched the red dragon descend, sweeping the field just a few feet over the grass with its red throat glowing, arrowing past the castle, and coming to rest on the crest of Tower Ridge.
The orange dragon came next, flying low and gently dropping the coracle, which tilted forward as it touched the grass. A large door dropped open with a mighty thunk! and a squad of guards wearing dark green leather poured onto the field, all of them marching in formation and forming a semicircle while the orange dragon flew past the castle and landed next to the ruby.
Behind the soldiers, three figures in light green cloaks emerged from the coracle.
“My aunt!” Aisling clapped her hands. “She traveled with the queen’s guard in the green.” Aisling pointed at the soldiers who followed them. “I wondered if Regan would come.” Aisling started to wave from the parapet. “She’s been with my Aunt Eamer, your stepmother—Seren’s stepmother, I mean. She’s my teacher, and it’s been months since she visited. We’ll be able to continue lessons if she stays for a while.”
One of the cloaked figures drew back her hood to reveal a waterfall of flowing black hair much the same color as Aisling’s.
“There’s Regan.” Aisling waved her arm higher.
Regan looked up, and her eyes landed on Aisling. She was younger than Carys had expected. Her face was unlined, her eyes a brilliant blue, and a stark strip of pure silver hair flowed from her temple down to her shoulder. She gave Aisling a short nod and then drew her hood up again.
“We’ll meet her at the castle later,” Aisling said.