Dragon Wish (30 page)

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Velhaven city. His rich apparel and commanding stance with

the haughty tilt of his head spoke of his power.

Denol, King of the Black Dragon Clan.

Proud and defiant, Denol lifted his chin higher. He strode

toward Paladin. A sharp flicker of trepidation weakened

Paladin’s thigh muscles. He stopped and waited for the King

to reach him.

The older man, royal to his bones, halted in front of

Paladin. Over-bright eyes stared into Paladin’s. He reached

out, gripped him by the upper arms, and jerked him into a

tight embrace.

“You have been a good husband. Pity my daughter never

realized this during her lifetime.” Denol’s quiet words sent

relief through Paladin.

He relaxed. He tried to pull back, but Denol tightened his

hold, his voice low and urgent. “Be still. Listen to me, this is

the only time and place I have which will suffice to tell you

what I must. Mind you, there are spies everywhere.

“Your brother plotted with my daughter to kill you. When

she discovered that she carried your child, she committed the

unspeakable act of murdering the babe. They knew the true

Dragon King would come from you, so they had to destroy

you and all of your lineage.”

Paladin’s heart pounded in his chest. He stared, unseeing,

straight ahead. How did the King know these things? Could

he trust him? Here on the Black Dragon lands, he didn’t have

much of a choice except to listen. Hoping Denol had more

information, he gambled on the integrity of the older man.

“Yet, they failed. Both of them.”

“Have they? Even now Rylen bites at my borders. He has

brought rogues with him. All of the outlying villages are lost.”

Denol shook his head. “He is determined to gain control of

many realms before the new King is born.”

So he was right. The old man did know more. Paladin

tried to keep his voice level, maintaining a bit of calm. “So he

knows of the babe.”

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Denol squeezed his shoulders. “Everyone knows. I would

much rather serve under the true king than one such as

Rylen. He cares nothing for anyone or anyplace. He desires

only to conquer and destroy.”

“I would speak with him, persuade him to stop...”

Drawing back, Denol stared hard at Paladin, interrupting

him. Several moments ticked by before the older man said,

“Your words will do no good. He is crazed, my son. There is

only one way to stop him. It is for the true king to be born.

Then, by the graces of the cosmos, the dragons will be honor

bound to obey him.”

“It will take time. You cannot expect a small babe to rule

over the beasts immediately.”

“We have
no
time. Do you not understand? He is coming

even as we speak. My daughter, who loved him with an

obsession, will not have been interred for long before he

destroys her grave.”

Stiffening, Paladin pulled free from the older man’s grip.

“I will never allow him to do so.”

“How can you stop him? Even Sinimal, the great black

one, will be hard pressed to halt the attack.”

At the mention of the black dragon, the flapping of

gigantic wings carried by the wind reached them. Paladin

glanced over his shoulder in time to see the dragon Denol

spoke of sail close to the spires before he angled at the dock.

The giant dragon landed not far from where they stood.

When the massive clawed feet hit the stone, the ground

shook.

The soldiers scrambled out of the way, some cried out in

fear as they tried to avoid the wide taloned feet skidding on

the stones. Deep guttural grunts came from the dragon, its

scales flickering like ebony crystals in the dusky light. Steam

gusted from his nostrils at the same time his words took

shape in Paladin’s mind.

“Return you from whence you came, Lior’s king. Return

now. For much will be lost if you tarry too long.”

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Scant moments before, he had trembled with fear of

coming face-to-face with his late wife’s father. Naught but a

tremble when compared to the images the black dragon’s

words painted in his mind. He’d never experienced such a

reaction to where his legs threatened to give out on him and

cold sweat beaded his brow. What had happened? She’d been

glowing with happiness at the prospect of the impending

birth of their child. A chill swept through him. Had his

brother—damn his soul— done something to harm Seren and

the baby? By the dragons…

“Return now. I cannot follow, but Lior is aware. She flies

with hopes to stop him.”

Paladin panted as he strode to the walkway leading

aboard his ship. His heart threatened to beat out of his chest.

All he could think of was to depart. What if Lior didn’t arrive

in time? What if something befell Seren and their unborn

child? He tried to stop the onslaught of his worries but they

grew stronger with each heartbeat. Denol, shouted orders to

bring dragonstones and food stores for the journey then

hurried after Paladin. “Restock first. You cannot leave here

with depleted resources. What good will you do the off-

worlder or the babe if you must stop along the way?”

He nodded, never missing a step up the boarding ramp.

“Have them fill the bins then we must depart.”

He stopped, pivoted on his heel to face his father-by-

marriage. “I would stay to see to them properly placed in

their resting carne, but I cannot.”

“Even though she was my daughter, I do not blame you.

She made wrong decisions. She paid for them with her life.

Do not let this worry eat at you. I will see that their final

place befits both of their stations in life.”

Satisfied Denol would not treat his daughter like a traitor

and an adulteress, Paladin nodded. The older man clasped

his arm in farewell and departed. Denol strode across the

dock and through the gate. Paladin hoped his clan fared well

against Rylen’s impending attacks.

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The loading of supplies frayed his patience. He paced the

deck until the preparations were complete. Once done, the

ship took flight. He stood at the rail offering supplications to

the dragons for Seren’s safety.

* * * *

window, waking Seren. She tossed the light sheet off, jumped

from the bed, and hurried to the terrace doors. She shoved

them open in time to witness a huge dragon, a shade lighter

than the night sky, blast one of the archway entrances to fine

thick dust.

Memories of the tarot cards she had read for Luci lanced

through her mind. Her future vision had come true. But Luci

had departed and Seren remained. Whirling back into her

room, she ran to the wardrobe and grabbed some clothes.

She wasted no time in dressing. The dragon’s cries mixed

with ear piercing explosions came nearer. The room vibrated

with aftershocks.

Leo banged on her door. “Seren! Wake up! We have to

leave now.”

She jerked the door open and tumbled out, tripping over

her feet. Leo caught her arm, hauling her up. “The dragon’s

taking out the entire city. He’s a rogue.”

“Where’s Calis?”

“He’s gone to help the soldiers distract the beast.

Hopefully, it’ll give us all time to escape.”

Horrified, Seren pulled back. “He’ll be killed. Doesn’t he

know that?”

Leo turned and stared into her eyes. “True courage is

when someone is willing to give their life to protect another.

Learned that a long time ago in Nam. Calis is willing to die to

make sure you’re safe. Are you going to allow him to give his

life in vain?”

Confused and terrified, Seren shook her head. “I don’t

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want him to die.”

“He wants us to leave. Now!”

Tightening his hold on her arm, Leo tugged her after him.

He wouldn’t allow her to stay. Because of Calis and what he

tried to do, she had to go. They raced down the stairs and

across the foyer. Leo led her to one of the front sitting rooms,

through the terrace doors, and into the garden. A small

opening in the shrubs revealed a gate in the stone wall

surrounding the house.

Once past the gate, Leo ran, Seren followed, stumbling

now and then, down the street. The city’s residents surged in

streets, many screaming. Their horrified cries tore at Seren’s

heart. Terror drove the inhabitants of the city in frantic

motions and different directions. Fires flared with each

explosion. The thundering booms became deafening within

the walled city. Seren, having never witness such violence,

glanced around, her own panic pounded against her chest.

Nausea roiled in her stomach. She searched for a way to

escape, survival prominent in her mind.

All these gentle people looked at death and reacted in the

same way those on Earth would have. Some took charge and

were shouting orders, mothers and fathers held tight to their

children, soldiers cut through the crowds, heading for the hot

spots in the city. All wanting one thing—to live.

Several minutes later, Leo had dragged her down a

number of streets, all the while heading deeper into the heart

of the city. She didn’t understand his reasoning. Why go

deeper into the city? The stately towers of the wizard’s

academy came into view. Many of the masters stood atop

them, casting magical attack spells at the dragon. The entire

building glowed a bluish white. So Leo meant to take them

there.

Dragon fire bounced off the spelled walls. Hope stirred in

Seren’s heart.

Several people bumped into her. Leo’s grip slipped. A

wave of human flesh shoved them apart. Leo shouted her

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name, but the sound grew less and less until she couldn’t

detect his voice any longer. Body shaking with fear, she

slipped to the right side, out of the sweeping multitude of

sweating, fear-laden flesh, and leaned against a garden wall.

Heart pounding, she looked around, trying to find Leo or

some way to escape without being trampled by the massive

flow of people. One hand caressed the mound of her baby.

Just a few feet away, she noticed a gate entrance into a

private garden. She sidled along the wall and eased through

the wrought-iron gate. The sudden stillness in the place

helped sooth her rattled nerves.

Trembling, drawing in calming deep breaths, she moved

further among the shrubs and trees, looking for a place to sit

so she could rest a moment before she tried to tackle the

terrified mobs in the streets. She rested her palm over the

bulge of her belly. The baby banged against her inner wall,

inspiring a smile. The reassurance he was all right helped

calm her.

When she’d gone some distance into the garden, she

came to a clearing. The fires from the dragon lit the night

skies. The beast’s cries had stopped a short while ago. She

tilted her head, trying to hear the beat of its wings. The

screams and shouts of the city’s inhabitants tore at her heart.

Maybe the attacker had left...

Flapping wings rang out from her right.

She cringed.

Well, maybe it hadn’t.

She rubbed her hands together, trying to warm the icy

coldness in her fingers. With one blink of her eyes, the

dragon landed in front of her. Air pushed out from the

beast’s wings and rushed over her face. The ground shook

under its weight. She shrieked, but clamped a hand over her

mouth while she stumbled back into the cover of the dark

foliage along the edge of the clearing. Unable to move, she

held her breath, standing still, hoping it wouldn’t notice her

in the dim light.

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Iridescent light reflected off the dark scales covering its

body. Wide nostrils flared and the beast lowered its head in

the direction she hid, staring into dark shadows. The slit-

pupil eyes never blinked. It came no closer. She blinked as

realization came to her that no matter how much power this

dragon possessed, he lacked one major factor. If he had been

serious about destroying her, he would have already done it.

She straightened, the fear for her child decreasing. She