Page 24 of Blood of Dragons
Ezra instructed his men to guard me, like I would run off.
He returned to the building and disappeared.
I stood there and watched the elves come and go, passing on the trail with beautiful flowers in their hair. When I first saw this place, I was excited by its beauty and serenity. It was a shame I would have to leave it so soon.
I must have stood there for nearly an hour before Ezra returned.
When the soldiers saw his approach, they all stiffened.
Ezra walked up to me then gestured with his hand, silently dismissing the soldiers who’d held their positions.
They moved away out of earshot.
“Queen Eldinar has carefully considered your predicament. Since you’ve selflessly offered to release Inferno to the Thalian sanctuary, she’s chosen to offer you asylum here in Riviana Star. You may call this place your home, but it must remain your home permanently.”
I expected him to grab me by the arm and escort me from the forest like a prisoner, not to offer me anything at all. Seconds passed as I looked at him, trying to understand their sudden extension of generosity. “You don’t offer out of sympathy or reward. You just don’t trust me.” Queen Eldinar feared I wouldshare their location with someone—like the Death King. Keeping me here was the safest move.
Ezra didn’t refute the accusation.
“What if I refuse?” Would they keep me prisoner? Did they make the offer in the hope I would take it and they wouldn’t have to get their hands dirty?
“We aren’t like the Death King and the others who’ve wronged you. You’re free to go, but based on what you described, I’m not sure what your options are.”
I looked away, his words hitting too close to home.
“Only a sincere heart would willingly unfuse from a dragon, would relinquish their power and longevity. But you’ve looked beyond yourself and put your dragon first. Perhaps we’re more alike than I previously assumed.”
I continued to stare at the statue, seeing him in my peripheral vision.
“You could lie, tell him that we don’t know where the dragons are, and find your next destination. But you’ve put him before yourself. A very admirable quality—the same quality that your father had.”
I turned back to him.
“What is your decision?”
“I—I don’t know.”
“What are your other options?” he asked. “What’s waiting for you on the other side of the mountain?”
It wasn’t the valley of my childhood home that came to my mind. It wasn’t the hills of desert in the Arid Sands. It was the dark eyes with the hint of gold deep in their abysses, the warm fireplace that heated the bedroom and cast shadows in the corners, the silence in a powerful stare.
I pushed it from my mind and tried to pretend it hadn’t been there in the first place. “You’re right. I have nowhere to go.” If I returned to my lands, I would have to start over, find a trade in Scorpion Valley, earn money and hopefully buy a dwelling, but that would just be existing…not living. “My father is dead…my mother is dead… Scorpion Valley is ruled by someone I can never vanquish on my own.”
For once, Ezra looked at me with pity in his eyes.
“I’ll speak with Inferno.”
4
CALISTA
Ezra and his soldiers returned me to the border of the forest. It was a long journey, one that took place in the darkness. Fireflies lit the forest floor, illuminating the path through the trees. I was tired but didn’t complain, the sadness heavy in my heart.
We reached the tree line, the world dark without the fireflies.
“You should stay here until morning,” Ezra said. “You can build a campfire, but it must be at least a hundred feet from the tree line. Fire is prohibited in our forest. We’ll come back for you in the morning.”
“Alright.” I stepped away from the company and moved into the opening, feeling the temperature drop once the canopy didn’t cover the sky. It was a clear night and the moon was bright, so I was able to build a campfire but unable to light it because I didn’t bring matches.I just left the forest. I’m at the same entrance where I went in.