Page 21 of Blood of Dragons
“Of course.” I’d never been asked to bow in my life. I didn’t bow for King Theodore in the capital, and no one ever bowed to my father. I bowed to Talon…but in a different way. I bowed to Queen Eldinar, holding the position for seconds before I righted myself once again. “Your forest is beautiful…as are you.”
Her hands were positioned on the armrests, and she watched me with the same hardness, regarding me as an enemy rather than a friend.
I tried to remember that I’d shown up at their borders uninvited, and anyone would be uneasy.
The man spoke again. “This is Calista Laurier, daughter of King Laurier from Scorpion Valley. He disclosed the location of ourforest, so she made the journey here. Although, I’m not sure why.” His hands moved behind his back, and he turned his stare back to me. “I asked if she came alone, and she said yes—but we saw her emerge from the back of a red dragon. So take her words with caution.”
My eyes snapped back at him. “Do you see a red dragon standing next to me? Then yes, I’malone.”
“You could have disclosed that, nonetheless.”
“You didn’t even tell me your name, so why am I obligated to tell you my life story?” I snapped.
“If you want to be recognized as an ally rather than a foe in a foreign land, it’s wise to be transparent.” This time, the queen spoke, and her voice was strong and authoritative, but it was also soft like the flowers in her hair.
“I’ve proven I’m your ally,” I said. “I told you my father died and gave me this information.”
“That proves nothing,” the man said. “You’ve been gone from Scorpion Valley for ten years, so your allegiances are unknown.”
“How did you know I was gone for ten years?” I sized up the man beside me, realizing he was more than just a soldier to the queen.
“We have our spies in your lands,” Queen Eldinar said.
“Then you know that the Death King conquered our lands in his name, and you did nothing.” I looked at her, holding her personally responsible. “My father died to keep your location a secret, and you did nothing. You question my allyship—but now I question yours.”
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
When the man spoke to me again, his anger was irrepressible. “Speak to my queen like that again, and I’ll personally escort you from these lands.”
The queen didn’t look at him, eyes still on me. “Your father fulfilled his obligation, and for that, we’re eternally grateful. He believed in our cause, that the dragons must be protected from the greed of men. To challenge the Death King, we would have to expose ourselves—and put our secret at risk. I’m sorry for what happened to your father and your people, but there was nothing we could do.”
“So you’ve just been sitting here for ten years?” I asked. “Going about your daily lives? Because I was a slave in the Arid Sands for that time, under the thumb of a corrupt general and then a prisoner to the Death King himself. While you’ve sat here and done nothing, I’ve been subjected to unspeakable cruelty.”
The queen turned quiet.
The man said nothing.
Silence hung heavy between us, so heavy it felt like the sun had disappeared even though it was barely dusk.
The queen found her bearings. “You escaped the Death King?”
“Yes.”
“How?” Her voice was stronger now, her spine straighter.
It was far too complicated for a couple of sentences. “I fled.”
“You don’t flee the Death King when you command a powerful red dragon,” she said. “He will hunt you upon the back of Khazmuda—and that will lead him straight here. You exposed the very thing that your father tried to protect. You must leave.”
“He won’t come for me?—”
“He will not stop until he has that dragon in his possession,” the queen said.
Now, I wished I hadn’t shared any of this. “I said he won’t come for me.”
“Why?” Now, the man spoke. “Why are you so certain?”
“Because…” What words could I ever find to describe our relationship? “Because he let me go.”