27. Tempest, A Crown of Cursed Hearts (Kingdom of Blighted Thorns #3)

27. Tempest

TEMPEST

M adrood sent me an image of the aerie’s location from overhead. I could’ve flitted, but instead, I chose to walk along the edge of the city.

I came across many of Lydel’s people standing in the open market, hawking their wares, others sitting at tables outside cafes. Still others worked in the fields near the edge of the city or bent over to pull weeds or plant something in a backyard garden.

All were frozen in place, some even with smiles curling their lips or mid-blink.

I touched them, and warmth hummed beneath their skin. Their eyes gleamed with moisture, and I swore I heard rumbling inside stomachs when I paused beside a few of them.

My mother had cast an amazing spell. Why freeze them if they were covered with thorns to keep everyone away? She’d locked them in time while the world continued to move on around them.

Spooked after seeing so many like this, I flitted to the open area outside the cliffside aerie. Inside, I found the tack room and collected supplies. I’d only traveled from the fortress a few times, mostly to visit other fortresses to deliver a message for the commander or to collect a dragon for training. Sometimes, one fortress had too many, and they shared them.

This aerie had been built like all the others.

Where are you? I asked Madrood as I strode down the hall.

Here. He bumped a gate to my right with his snout, sending it flying on its hinges to impact with the far wall. I hope you brought claw oil too because mine are a mess.

Stepping into his stall, I lifted the basket loaded with supplies. I have everything you need.

Start with my claws, please.

Since you asked so nicely, I will. It’ll be fun working with you now that we can communicate. No need to worry about you burning me alive.

He huffed, shooting sparks down the front of my leathers. I’ll never do that.

Others would disagree, though I wasn’t going to point that out.

Taking the claw oil, I started on his back left foot, filing the sides of the claws to remove burrs and rubbing in oil after. As usual, I left the tips alone. Some people insisted we should blunt them to keep them from slashing out at us when they were irritated, but too often, they’d used them to come to our defense against dregs .

That feels fantastic, he said with a throaty groan. You need to do this for me daily.

What did dragons do before we groomed you?

We bathed in warm pools topped with oil that coated our hides and claws when we emerged. We filed them ourselves on rocks. You do a better job.

Pride brought out my grin. I’ve never heard of pools topped with oil, let alone hot ones.

There are none on this continent, he said. You’ll only find them on the land stretching south of this one, the place where all dragons come from. I suppose there might be other pools elsewhere, though I haven’t traveled far to find out.

I paused while filing his front foot I’d chosen to work on next. There are other continents besides ours?

Why wouldn’t there be?

I’d never thought about it. How do you get there?

We fly, of course. We’re not fish splashing about in the sea.

Dragons can swim, I said. One dove into a lake during one of my flights. Knocked the air right out of me and nearly drowned me before she flew up out of the water and into the sky—with a fish in her mouth.

We rarely have the chance to do anything like that, he said wistfully.

We’ve done dragons a disservice. We’d taken them from their nests and worked with them until they were ready to carry a rider into battle. Many died and were seriously wounded.

Most of us don’t mind.

What about you?

I wouldn’t have bonded with you, little one, if I wanted to be free .

You remained with the king without a bond, I pointed out.

His long pause followed, and for a moment, I wondered if I’d insulted him.

In that and in so many other ways, he finally said. I had no choice.

I finished with his last foot and went over to drop my tools and the bottle of oil in the basket, returning to his side with a brush and scale oil. After coating the brush with the thick, spiced liquid, I urged him to stoop down and began to work on his chest scales. I’m sorry.

When you’re finished, I have two things to tell you.

Speak now. I’m listening. I rubbed hard, working the oil in.

He groaned out his pleasure. When you’re finished.

I sighed, my skin coiling tight. What you have to tell me is bad, isn’t it?

I’ll speak once you’ve finished.

It’s so bad, you’re afraid I’ll run before I’ve finished.

That makes me sound self-centered.

Tell me, I growled.

He blasted the far wall with fire, not speaking until it winked out. When you’re finished.

That made me want to hurry, but though I could tell Airia had done a good job last night, his scales were still in poor shape. Since it wouldn’t be fair to rush this, I took my time finishing.

After I’d returned everything to the tack room, I walked back down the hall and entered his stall.

Ride with me, he said .

Is this to keep me from running away? I was mostly joking. Claws of worry raked down my spine.

He stooped down, and I clambered up onto his back, settling on his spine. He scrambled to the edge of the cliff and plunged through the opening. My heart tumbled down along with him until his wings snapped out to slow our fall.

A lush forest covered the broad valley to the right, and he swooped in that direction, flying low enough he could brush the canopy with his claws. The wind whipped my braid out behind me like Madrood’s tail as I pressed my thighs into his sides. Each powerful beat of his wings sent us above this unknown part of our world that held the key to my past and the hope of my future.

Below us, the emerald forest stretched all the way to the sea, a vivid green quilt dotted with bursts of colorful flowers. Their pungent scent tickled my nose even from this height. The air also carried hints of pine and fresh earth—a sharp contrast to the briny tang when we swooped out over the sea.

Where are the thorns? I asked him.

Gone. They disappeared not long after we passed through them.

Does my aunt know?

I assume so.

Lydel’s protection is gone. My mother gave her life to form that barrier. It was time to place some wards, then. I’d speak to Vexxion about it the first chance I had.

I don’t believe she expected her spell to last this long. She hoped it would keep your court safe until you could claim it and you soon will. Once you have, it’ll take considerable power to breach your barriers.

Would Ivenrail soon steal that power ?

I couldn’t imagine what it would feel like to claim the core. I had more power than I knew what to do with now. Could I manage more? I could share power with my sister.

I don’t believe that’s possible. What you can do is sit with your friends and ask their thoughts before you begin making decisions. A strong high lady seeks other opinions before forming her own.

I don’t feel like a high lady.

Which is why you’ll make a good one, he said with pride I wasn’t sure I deserved.

Time would tell. If I’d grown up here, this might feel natural. Instead, I’d stepped into a role that, with one unknowing misstep, could result in the death of everyone I loved. Maybe I should tell them to leave. They don’t need to die along with me.

If they’re true friends, they’ll refuse. You’ve never been facing this alone.

You’re right. They’re my family. If our positions were reversed, I wouldn’t consider leaving them to face the king. I’d want to stand by their sides.

Claim your core, he said. Learn how to wield it. Your mate will teach you how to build wards strong enough to hold the king back.

My mate. I’d barely had time to think about that, but in my heart, I knew it was true. I didn’t need a mark on my wrist to prove he and I were destined for each other.

Build your army and prepare for what’s coming. Your friends are eager to help. He continued flying out over the sea.

Aren’t you worried about the blue sea creatures attacking us?

They only swim in the channel between Lydel and the mainland.

Why ?

Out here, they’d face bigger predators.

My heart quivered, but if Madrood thought it was safe to be here, I’d trust him.

And for now, there wasn’t a flock of birds in sight. Maybe they didn’t like facing the open ocean either, which made me wonder what sort of terror lurked in the water.

Sunlight danced off the ocean’s blue-green surface, a canvas speckled with tiny jewels. Madrood’s rhythmic wingbeats created gentle updrafts that lifted us higher into the clear azure sky. My skin tingled from the sun's warmth while cool drafts snuck under my tunic to keep me from overheating.

Ivenrail’s going to overrun my small island, I said. I should’ve paid more attention during classes. I focused on hand-to-hand combat and new tricks I could use to train dragons. I’m not the right person to lead an army.

A high lady doesn’t need to lead the charge, he said. In fact, she shouldn’t. Her death could mean utter defeat. A clever high lady delegates tasks like this to those who have the skills to do what she can’t.

Brodine could be my general. If he could control his urge to slam through everything without thinking first.

Perhaps. I sense Reyla has incredible power. You need to help her hone it.

Another thing I needed to make time for. I wanted to spend every moment with Vexxion. The world around us was determined to tear us apart in more ways than one.

Did Reyla still have Ember’s Shadow , and if so, why keep it hidden? I wouldn’t take it from her, though I was eager to borrow it .

Do you know more about her past than us? I asked. She was found sitting on a tree branch, crying.

No, I don’t.

Neither of us had talked much about our past. Remembering made it hard to keep fighting.

What do you know about bone coins? I asked.

That, you’d have to ask a Liege, an impossible feat now.

A few still live.

I thought Kerune killed them all, he said. To seize control of the flying dreg army.

What’s their plan? I should’ve thought of asking him this sooner.

I can only make assumptions, of course. I believe they’ll be here within weeks, and I’m sure he thinks his new army will easily overrun this island. If it were me, I’d seize Lydel’s core. Then Riftflame will give way to save themselves from the dregs. After that, the king could rule this continent and begin plans to conquer the next.

He’ll never be satisfied.

Madrood flew higher and angled around, aiming for the shore far in the distance. The achievement of one goal only serves as a stepping stone to the next.

Will he start draining fae?

An interesting idea. I’m sure he will if he can’t get enough from Nullens.

We should send an emissary to form a treaty with whoever rules the continent south of here.

It’s a land of fierce battles and conniving rulers, he said.

A few may be eager to work with me if they hear a flying dreg army is on its way to conquer them .

Madrood grunted. Lydel’s high lady is wise.

A flying fish shot up from the water below, and he blasted it with fire. He flew faster to get us over land before others decided to take on his challenge.

I’m throwing out ideas here, I said. Ideas I’d discuss with my friends.

It’s a good one. Who could you send?

Zayde. I assume he’ll rule Bledmire if we can rid ourselves of the king.

Not your mate? He’s the king’s eldest.

I don’t believe Vexxion wants it. And if —no, I wasn’t going to play with ifs. When we marry, that will unite Weldsbane and Lydel, which is enough power to place in one couple’s hands. Everything in this world needs balance.

Which the powerless used to provide.

Can they be changed back?

I don’t know, but that’s something you should explore, beast master, he said.

I’m no beast master. I have no idea how to control anything, not even myself.

Yet you found a way to bond with a dragon, something no one has done for many generations.

I’m blundering around when I need to find focus. I can’t keep randomly flinging out power, hoping it’ll respond to my command.

A high lady must be willing to take risks.

Risk appears to flow through my veins, I said with a husky laugh as he flew back over the forest. I’m much too impulsive.

And that’s why you have a chance of succeeding.

Thank you .

As we soared above the forest, an overwhelming sense of freedom washed over me as if I were a songbird released from her cage. I closed my eyes and heard only peace: no chatter or shrieks of attacking dregs. Just wind whistling past my ears and the soft calls of birds in the woods below.

Contentment wrapped around me like a warm blanket on a winter night.

I have to leave soon, he said, interrupting my attempt to grab onto a bit of happiness and hold it close. We need more dragons to fight the dregs. I know where they’re hiding, and I’ll bring them to Lydel. They’ll welcome this challenge.

We don’t have many riders, but more dragons will be welcome.

You command a city full of riders. Did you think the small aerie where I sleep is the only one? That’s the manor’s aerie. Lydel was once known for their dragon riders and trainers. Your parents met during their schooling.

Do you know much about them? I asked with a wistfulness I should beat into submission. Caring meant pain.

But caring also meant power. The love I felt for Vexxion and my friends only made me stronger. It had taken me a long time to see this, but it was as clear now as the sky we flew below.

Some. Your beauty and your sharp mind came from your mother.

Are you saying my father was ugly and simple? I asked with a snort.

Not at all. I’ve only heard of him; I didn’t meet him. He . . .

The king killed him. I heard that already.

Yes. I’m sorry.

I wasn’t going to ask for details. Too much pain lay in that direction. You said they met at school ?

I heard they hated each other at first, but when they were assigned to work on a project together, they drew closer. Then their mate bond symbols appeared, and they knew. They married not long after they finished their schooling, and they ruled Lydel together.

Until the king murdered them both.

How long will you be gone? I asked him.

A week at most. I don’t dare stay away longer than that.

While the horizon remained clear and the sky without a cloud, if I squinted, I could almost see an army of dregs flying this way.

By the time I bring them back, you’ll have plenty of riders , he said. All you need to do is wake them.

How? I asked. Should I use the same spell that freed the creatures and my friends?

When the time is right, you’ll know. Lydel will once again be the thriving dragon city it was years ago, and you’ll be ready to lead the charge.

You see a lot more in me than I do. But that wasn’t quite right. As my power grew over the past few months, so did my resolve. I’d grown and changed since I left the fortress.

You said you have two things to tell me, I said. I doubt telling me you’re leaving is one of them.

The flap of his wings slowed, and he angled to the right, aiming for the city gleaming in the distance.