Dragonvein (Book Two) (5 page)

It was not the smartest thing to say. Kat threw the book at his head, missing by only a few inches. “Scared hell!” she exclaimed. “She didn’t look scared when she was about to kill you.”

“Help me move her over to the cot,” said Jonas.

Ethan obeyed. Once there, Jonas examined where Kat had struck her.

“She’ll have a headache,” he said. “But I don’t think she’s badly hurt.”

“Then I should have hit her harder,” Kat grumbled, her arms crossed and a look of contempt written plainly across her face.

“We need to figure out what to do,” said Ethan. “When she wakes up she’ll…”

“Kat,” said Jonas, cutting him off. “Go and get King Ganix.”

Still staring hatefully at Lylinora, she made no reply.

“Kat!” barked Jonas. “Hurry.”

After a brief scowl, and still without a word, she turned and left, slamming the door behind her.

“What do we do if she wakes up?” asked Ethan.

Jonas shrugged. “Hope that she doesn’t kill us.”

Nearly ten minutes passed. By now, Ethan was growing increasingly nervous. Lylinora had stirred several times, but thankfully hadn’t yet woken.

When the door finally did open again, it was King Ganix who appeared. His expression was strained and his shoulders were slumped. In his right hand he held a book which Ethan recognized as the journal written by King Vidar.

“The girl has told me what happened,” Ganix said. “You two should leave. I will speak with Lylinora when she regains consciousness.”

“What of the traitor?” asked Jonas.

“That matter has become…complicated. But for now there is nothing to be done about it. Markus will tell you what happened. He’s waiting for you in your chambers.”

He took a chair from the wall and placed it beside the cot. “Now go.”

“But, Your Highness,” Jonas protested. “I should be here too. She knows me.”

“And she almost killed you in spite of that,” he replied flatly. He looked to Ethan and saw the concern on his face and smiled reassuringly. “I’ll be fine. I doubt she’ll attack me.

“And if she does?” asked Jonas

He reached into the folds of his robe and produced a short green rod. “If she does, I can protect myself far better than either of you.”

Jonas took another long look at Lylinora before nodding his agreement. “You’re right, of course. But please…be gentle.”

“I will,” he promised

Jonas followed Ethan from the chamber and together they climbed the ladder leading up to the manor. Once at the top, they were met by Kat. The sheer intensity of activity here was startling. The attempt on King Halvar’s life, along with the revelation that there was a traitor in their midst, had everyone on edge and scurrying about in a thousand different directions. The guards at the entrance who escorted all three of them to Ethan’s room, never allowed their hands to stray from the hilt of their weapons.

Just as Ganix had said, Markus was there waiting for them. He was seated at the small table in the corner, a bottle of dwarf whiskey in his hand. Ethan could hear the guards standing just outside the door talking nervously. The words
‘murder’
and
‘doomed’
reached him quite clearly through the thick timbers.

“They are right to be afraid,” said Markus, also listening. “Ganix’s escort did not betray us willingly.”

The other three quickly took seats at the table. Within moments, in an action entirely uncharacteristic of him, Jonas snatched the bottle from Markus’ hand and turned it up to his mouth.

“Careful, old man,” Markus warned. “That stuff is stronger than what you’re used to.”

Jonas suppressed a cough and wiped his mouth on his sleeve. “I think I
need
something strong right now.” He offered the bottle to Ethan, who politely refused.

“Yeah, it looks like you might,” Markus agreed, noticing the redness of their skins.

“What do you mean, the escort didn’t betray us
willingly?”
Ethan asked, eager to be brought up to date.

Markus frowned. “I mean that he was under some sort of magical influence. He remembers everything clearly - how he helped the Rakasa through the gates, and telling him all about the layout of the manor. And yet, as soon as the beast was dead, he confessed to it all without any persuasion whatsoever. Apparently, he was under a spell or curse…something like that. But after the Rakasa died, the spell was broken and the escort immediately became his normal self again.”

Jonas rubbed his chin and took another, much smaller drink. “Does anyone know
how
he was cursed? Or more importantly,
when?”

“Not exactly,” answered Markus. “But it was before King Ganix arrived in the city. At least, that’s what we think.”

Jonas nodded. “Good.”

“Why is that good?” asked Kat.

“Because it means he was not influenced by someone already among us,” Jonas told her.

“But it also means that Shinzan has plans,” added Markus. “Plans that have been in motion far longer than we’d hoped.”

This consideration brought on a long and somber silence.

Breaking the dark mood, Kat reached over to snatch the whiskey bottle from Jonas. But before she could raise it to her mouth, Jonas grabbed it back.

“Wine is one thing, young lady,” he scolded. “But this is
not
something a girl your age should be drinking.”

Kat frowned. “You’re no fun at all.”

Jonas leveled his gaze. “You are certainly right about that.”

“Tell me what happened with Lylinora,” said Markus. “I gather from the way Ganix tore ass out of his room that it didn’t go quite the way you thought it would.”

Ethan recounted most of the events, though Kat interrupted, insisting that she tell how she snuck up and hit Lylinora, thereby saving both Jonas and Ethan from being burned to cinders.

“So she’s not exactly the delicate flower you were hoping for then, Ethan,” teased Markus.

“She was afraid,” he shot back. “That’s all.”

“Hopefully, King Ganix will be able to reason with her,” said Jonas.

Ethan lowered his eyes. “I guess we’ll know soon enough.”

Chapter Three

H
ours ticked by,
and still there was no word from Ganix. At one point Lady Thora came in looking very displeased and began scolding Kat for sneaking away. But after discovering that the girl had saved the lives of both Ethan and Jonas, she was unable to mask her approval.

“Brave and foolish,” she said. “So much like my own daughter. Come now. Asta won’t stop whining about your promise to play with her today.”

“Go on,” urged Jonas. “I promise I’ll let you know if anything happens.”

Reluctantly, Kat left. But not before Making Jonas repeat his promise.

It was nearly time for supper when King Ganix at last entered. He looked exhausted and plopped heavily into a chair across the room from the table. “She’ll be fine,” he announced before anyone could ask. “She just needs some time alone to take it all in.”

“Did she attack you?” asked Ethan.

“No,” Ganix replied. “She was hesitant to attack a dwarf, and I was able to convince her of my good intentions. Once she had read the journal of King Vidar, she was able to accept what has happened – though far from easily. The poor girl has lost everything she knew.”

“Can we see her?” asked Jonas.

“Not yet. Give her a day to come to terms with things.” He pointed to the half empty bottle of whiskey, which Ethan quickly handed him. Ganix held the bottle under his nose and smiled. “Made by the Lugnar family. Where did you find this?”

“King Halvar gave it to me,” Markus said.

Ganix raised an eyebrow. “A fine gift to be sure. And rare.”

“You’re welcome to what’s left,” offered Markus.

He smiled broadly and took a long drink. “Ah. Nothing quite like it.”

“Are you sure it’s wise to leave Lylinora alone?” asked Jonas. “Don’t you think I should at least see her?”

Ganix took another drink. “Not yet. Though she did ask me to convey her apologies for what she did.”

“How much did you tell her?” asked Ethan.

“As much as I could,” he replied.

“Did she mention me?” Ethan pressed. As the words came out, he realized how childish and love sick he sounded.

Ganix chuckled. “She did indeed.”

There was a long pause.

“Well?”

“She said that you look nothing like your father.”

Ethan’s shoulders sagged.

This revelation drew a hearty laugh from Markus. “Sorry, Ethan. I guess it’s not love at first sight after all.”

Ethan’s face turn bright red. “That’s not what I meant. I just…I was just wondering if she…”

“She knows who you are, lad,” assured Ganix. “And she knows it was you who freed her. And I’m sure she is grateful. But as I said, for now we should leave her alone.”

“There’s still the matter of the dwarf who betrayed you,” noted Jonas. “He might not be the only one who was compromised.”

Ganix’s mood instantly darkened. “Yes, that’s very true. And until I find out how Ferier was cursed, we must take extra precautions. He has been a part of my personal guard for many years and would never have betrayed me willingly. If he can be made to do so, then there is no telling who else might have been corrupted.”

“What will you do with him?” asked Jonas.

Ganix lowered his head. “He must be imprisoned. At least until we can be sure the spell has been lifted.”

“I’m sorry,” said Jonas.

Ganix nodded. “As am I. He has been a loyal friend for many years. But too much is at stake to risk that he is still under Shinzan’s control.”

Markus then took up the conversation to recount how they had tracked down the Rakasa. He made a point of saying how well the dwarf fighters had handled themselves.

“For what they lack in sheer speed, they more than make up for in cunning,” he said. “I don’t think the creature was prepared to be outmatched.”

“In the forest or a human city, the Rakasa may hold an advantage,” explained Ganix. “But within our own walls, no one could escape us without using powerful magic.” His voice carried noticeable pride.

A short time later a messenger came to summon Ganix for a meeting with King Halvar. Soon after that, both Markus and Jonas decided that they’d had enough excitement for the day and retired to their chambers.

It took a long time for Ethan to relax enough for sleep. He thought about taking a walk, but the idea of being followed by guards was not appealing. Better to be alone in his room than have his every step hounded, he felt. Eventually, he changed into his bed clothes and laid down.

For more than an hour he stared at the ceiling, a vision of Lylinora’s anger and fear as she threatened to burn him alive boring into his mind. He had certainly been hoping for a far tenderer greeting than that. The idyllic fantasy of her falling into his arms once she discovered it was he who had released her was now well and truly shattered. Not that it was ever real to begin with. Jonas had constantly warned him that she might not be receptive to a romantic situation, and that he should not be building up hopes for one. In response, he consistently denied that he even held any such hopes. But both of them knew it was a lie.

As he drifted, he could hear her voice screaming at him in terror. But it was soon replaced by another, all too familiar call – the dragons.

“Come to us,” they beckoned. “Time is running out.”

Ethan desperately wished he could reply. So many questions. And in spite of everything he had learned about his past and his family, he was still no closer to the answers he needed. Shinzan was out there…waiting. But for what?

A cool breeze warned him that the door to his room had opened. For a moment he thought it was just an illusion brought on by being on the edge of sleep. But the hard clack of the door closing again sharpened his awareness. Someone was definitely in the room.

As slowly as he could, he reached beneath his pillow and felt for the small dagger he kept hidden there. When Markus had first suggested this precaution he’d thought it excessive. Not any longer. His hand wrapped around the cold hilt, but he did not dare make a move until first having a good idea of where the intruder was standing.

In spite of straining his ears to the maximum, only a few random sounds coming from the hall outside reached him. He cracked open his eyes. After a few seconds he was able to make out a silhouette standing absolutely motionless just a short distance inside the door. It was close enough for Ethan to think that he might be able to leap from the bed and surprise his attacker.

He held his breath and tensed. One…two…three.

Jerking the dagger free, he rolled his feet quickly to the floor. The moment they made contact, he burst forward. But fast as he was, he’d barely taken two paces when a stream of green light ignited and wrapped itself around his legs and torso. Before he could even cry out in alarm, it lifted him a foot into the air and began to contract. Ethan struggled, but the pressure only intensified. As the dagger fell from his hand, sparks danced from the encasing light in a series of sharp pops and sizzles. He twisted and tried to call for help, but was like a rat caught by a giant snake.

“Be still, Dragonvein,” called a soft and distinctly female voice.

His eyes had been dazzled to near blindness by the light. All he could see was a blurred shape of someone with an arm extended toward him – the apparent source of the attack. He could feel consciousness leaving him. Then, as quickly as it appeared, the light vanished and he dropped hard down onto his knees. Coughing and gasping, he clutched at his throat and chest while searching for breath.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you,” the voice continued. “I’m sorry if I did.”

Ethan felt two delicate hands on his shoulders. He looked up. It was Lylinora. She was now dressed in a white cotton robe tied at the waist by a blue sash. Her hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail that allowed it to spill over her shoulders. She met his eyes with a look of concern.

Ethan tried to speak, but for the moment he could only continue gasping for more air. Yet even through his distress and pain, he still felt thrilled by the mere touch of her fingers.

“Can you stand?” she asked.

Ethan nodded, then struggled unsteadily to his feet. Lylinora took his hand and led him to the plush chair near the breakfast table. Satisfied that he was settled, she sat facing him.

“I’m – I’m fine,” he managed to gasp out with only a small cough.

“I had not intended on waking you,” she said. “I should have waited.”

Ethan shook his head and held up his hand. “No!” His tone was a touch too eager. “I’m glad you’re here. I was worried.”

“Worried? Why?”

He did his best not to sound like some kid with a crush. Choose your words carefully, he warned himself. “King Ganix told us you were upset.”

Lylinora narrowed her eyes. “Is that really why?”

She paused, but Ethan said nothing.

“Yes. I was upset,” she affirmed. “I still am. I have a right to be. My world is gone and all of my family are dead. And if that alone was not hard enough to accept, I discover that the one to blame for this now rules over all of Lumnia. So yes. In truth, I am
very
upset.”

“I’m sorry,” said Ethan. “I understand.”

“Possibly you do.” She leaned back and folded her hands in her lap. “King Ganix tells me that you’ve been watching over me.”

Ethan felt heat rushing to his cheeks. “I was trying to free you.”

“Is that why you slept down there?” she asked. “To free me?”

“It was just easier that way,” he lied. “I’ve been trying to learn magic. It seemed like a better place to do it.”

“And that is what the young girl will say when I speak to her? You know. The one who hit me with the book?”

“Kat? She…she was just protecting us,” Ethan explained. “She didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“Don’t misunderstand. I’m grateful. Otherwise I would have likely killed both you and Jonas. But such daring and courage usually comes from love. And King Ganix has said enough for me to suspect that it wasn’t Jonas she was protecting.”

Ethan was unsure how to reply.

She waved her hand and smiled. “It doesn’t matter. I’m sorry if I’ve embarrassed you.”

“You didn’t embarrass me,” he replied unconvincingly. “Kat has feelings for me. But she’s too young.”

Lylinora raised an eyebrow. “Is she? And how old are you?”

“Eighteen.”

“And you harbor no feelings for her at all?” Her tone was probing.

“I care about her. But I don’t love her…not in
that
way.”

Lylinora nodded with a satisfied grin. “This is good. With things as they are, you cannot afford to make unwise choices.”

Ethan furled his brow. “I don’t understand.”

“You will soon enough.”

Lylinora rose to her feet. Her movements were graceful and her demeanor not at all like someone who was feeling the deep pain of loss. Instead, she appeared resolute and fueled by a fierce conviction. “We shall speak more in the morning,” she said.

Her imminent departure had Ethan rising quickly up out of his chair. “Don’t go yet!” he pleaded. “There are so many questions I want to ask you.”

“They’ll have to wait,” she said firmly, making her way to the door. “But don’t worry. If what King Ganix told me is true, we’ll be spending plenty of time together.”

He could only watch as she left the room. What was that all about, he wondered? It didn’t make sense. It was almost as if she was saying that they would be…

He shook his head, cursing himself for being stupid. She was probably just curious about him and nothing more.

He got back into bed and closed his eyes, his heart pounding as he thought about her. How beautiful she was. How graceful. Even the call of the dragons was now dull and distant to him. Only with a tremendous effort was he able to push her from his thoughts and allow himself to sleep.

*

A hard knock at the door startled him awake. Before he could respond, Markus came striding into the room, a broad grin on his face.

“Rise and shine, mate. Are you going to sleep all morning?”

Ethan rubbed his eyes and yawned. “Why are you so chipper?”

Markus opened Ethan’s wardrobe and fetched him some clothing. “Looks like we might just be getting the hell out of here.” He tossed a shirt and trousers onto the bed. “King Ganix is out gathering supplies, and King Halvar is waiting for us…with Lylinora.”

At the mention of her name, Ethan instantly snatched up the clothes and began to change. “Already? What time is it?”

“Early,” Markus replied. “At least, I think it is. Who the hell can tell down here? Jonas is already on his way. When he heard Lylinora was up and about, the old boy nearly jumped for joy.”

The rumble in Ethan’s stomach as he finished dressing reminded him that he had not eaten for some time. On his way to the door, he spotted the dagger he had dropped. Markus gave him a curious look when he paused to pick it up and put it back under his pillow.

“Lylinora came here last night,” he explained.

Markus cocked his head and smirked. “A beautiful woman comes into your bedroom in the middle of the night…and you pull a dagger on her?”

“She surprised me. I thought it was an intruder.”

“What did she want?” he asked.

Ethan told him about the encounter.

“Interesting,” Markus mused. A wry grin crept up from the corners of his mouth. “Though if I were you, I wouldn’t mention any of this to Kat.”

Ethan couldn’t help but laugh.

The guards outside led them through the manor and up to a spacious room on the third floor with a long wooden table placed in the center. The walls were bare, and there was no carpet or rugs. Ethan assumed it was a room not often used.

At the head of the table sat King Halvar, with Lylinora beside him. Ethan stopped short the moment he saw her. She was still wearing the same white robe and sash, but her hair now fell loosely down her back, held out of her face by two delicate silver combs. He scanned the room for Jonas, but the old man was nowhere to be seen.

The pair, engaged in deep conversation, scarcely noticed their arrival. “It’s too dangerous,” Halvar growled to Lylinora. “I won’t risk the lives of my people on this.”