Page 44 of The Dragon Queen

“I count six,” Queen Eldinar said. “And it seems an odd place to have six soldiers placed for no discernible reason. Good thinking, Calista.”

“There must be a door somewhere.”

“An enormous one.”

“What should we do?”

She examined the situation for another minute before she spoke. “We can climb the rocks along the side, to the right. When we’re on their level, I’ll kill them all except for one.”

“Why one?”

“Because someone needs to tell us how to open the door.”

“Right. You can handle all of that on your own?”

“Absolutely.” She moved to the wall and prepared for her climb.

“I feel like I should help?—”

“You are helping, Calista. Now, let’s climb.” She grabbed a handhold and pulled herself up, climbing in near darkness like this was a pastime of hers in Riviana Star.

I followed her movements, and together, we made the climb.

When she reached the top, she gave me her hand and pulled me up. “Make sure none of them call for help. If they try, stab them through the neck.” She removed both of her short blades then approached them from the side.

The men didn’t seem to take their position too seriously, because two were smoking cigars as they spoke in quiet conversation.Instead of standing at full attention, one was leaning against the wall like he might fall asleep.

It seemed a peculiar thing to have guards when the dragons would bite off the heads of anyone who came too close. Underneath the spell of the dark elves, the dragons were still subjected to mental control.

Queen Eldinar went for the one against the wall and sliced her blade across his throat. She cut him before he buckled and lay him down gently, blood oozing from his neck as he gripped it, unable to speak as he drowned in his own blood.

She went for another, but the kill wasn’t as smooth because he released a cry of surprise. She slammed him into the wall, and he collapsed against the surface. Now the others knew she was there, but their reaction was too slow for her prowess. Their cigars dropped from their mouths as they fumbled for their swords. She took them both on with a couple swipes of her sword, while the last one tried to run away.

He didn’t realize I was there because he headed straight for me.

I unsheathed the sword Talon had gifted me, and it must have been an impressive sight because the guard skidded to a halt.

Queen Eldinar appeared behind him and pressed her blade to his throat as she gripped him by the back of the hair.

He went still, not even breathing, as if that would push his neck too close to the blade.

“You can get out of this alive. All you have to do is exactly what I say.”

Panic was heavy in his eyes, looking at me like I was the one who held the sword to his throat.

“Do we understand each other?”

“Y-yes.”

She removed the blade and shoved him away.

His back went to the wall as he tried to look at us both.

I sheathed my blade.

His eyes settled on the queen, whose sword was still drawn. “What do you want?”

“The dragons.”