CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN Maren

The red dragon hit the roof of a low building and crashed straight through it, sending dust and debris into the air. My body jolted, as though the impact had passed through me.

“Sev!” I screamed. Fear clawed at my throat. Take me down! I cried to Naava.

There is more to do, she replied. I cannot leave my children now.

All I could think about was Sev. I know, but I have to get to him. Take me down. Please!

Naava nodded. She found an open patch of sky and descended into the city, landing in a small square not far from where the emperor’s dragon had fallen. I slid down to the ground, and Tasia landed beside me. Good luck, daughter of dragons, Naava said. Then she was away again, her song calling to every dragon in the air. I closed my eyes and saw the dragon lights painted across my vision. No Talon stood a chance.

Then I looked down at Tasia. She had flown! My pride at her accomplishment was dimmed only by the direness of our situation. I had only a dragon kit and a knife that I wasn’t trained to fight with. I had no mother dragon, no allies. And I was about to confront the emperor of Zefed himself.

But I saw no other way forward, so I started down the street at a trot, Tasia by my side. There were a few skirmishes in the streets, but most of the ground fighting seemed to have ceased. I elbowed my way through a group of Seratese fighters standing side by side with Zefedi soldiers, their mouths agape as they watched the sky.

There was destruction everywhere in Irrad today, but smoke rising a few streets ahead of us called to me like a beacon. I ran toward it, and rounded a corner to find the building into which the emperor’s dragon had crashed. One wall had collapsed, and another leaned in precariously… and it was on fire. Sev!

I took off my jacket and pressed the cloth against my mouth, trying to block out the smoke as I picked my way through the rubble toward the door. My eyes smarted as I peered inside.

It was difficult to see through the smoke, but there was no dragon here, nor did I see any human bodies. I retreated, coughing, and looked up and down the street. I didn’t know the full extent of the dragon’s injuries, but I didn’t think it would still be able to fly. Then where had they gone?

Tasia brushed up against my leg. Sev.

I— I swallowed. I don’t know if he—

Sev, she repeated, indicating a curiously clean sweep of ground. I followed her nose. That was strange. It looked as though some massive snake had slithered through here… or perhaps an injured dragon.

Can you smell him? I asked.

Tasia nodded eagerly and immediately jumped onto the trail, which led away from the building and up the hill. I placed one hand on the hilt of my knife, ready to pull it free.

We followed the scent trail toward the center of the city, and the farther we went, the surer I was that we were heading the right way. While Tasia tracked without hesitation, there was another clear sign of a dragon’s presence. Buildings on either side of the street had been set ablaze, creating a foreboding pathway wreathed in smoke and flames. The emperor’s dragon was burning the city down. Of its own accord, or the tyrant’s?

Some people were fighting the fires—others had simply abandoned their houses and fled. Passing through these panicked streets, I felt as though I had come to the end of the world. I had seen enough of Irrad to know we were heading toward the tyrant’s palace. With such destruction behind us, I couldn’t fathom what Tasia and I would face when we got there.

I was surprised, then, when we arrived at the palace to find the gate hanging ajar and the outer courtyard empty. But I was certain the dragon had passed through—there were fresh scorch marks on the stone walls.

I looked down at Tasia, whose nose was twitching. She stared at the palace doors, which appeared to have been battered open. Are you ready to rescue Sev?

Yes, she said decisively, an angry gleam in her eyes.

I steeled myself, drew my knife, and walked through the palace doors.

It was eerily quiet inside—this hallway was completely deserted. Where had the guards gone, the courtiers? Had they been ordered to evacuate? Or perhaps they had abandoned their posts. I allowed myself a small, vindictive smile at that thought.

We ventured farther into the palace. Beyond the sunlight entering through the door, the hallway was dim, the only light shining from torches fixed to the walls. We walked down the hall, listening intently for a sign that anyone was approaching.

For a while, there was nothing. Then there was a slight trickling noise, as though there was running water nearby. The sound tickled at my ear, insisting on attention. I shrugged it off. This hall was enormous, surely built to accommodate both humans and dragons, and there were more doors leading off it than I could easily count. I didn’t have time to explore what was behind every single one.

Light shone through an open door up ahead, and I approached with caution. On the other side was a hall large enough to house hundreds of people. Rich tapestries hung on the walls, and there was a line of tables filled with platters of food. But there was no one here.

The cloying scent of rot hit me as Tasia and I entered the hall, our footsteps echoing across the floor. The food must have been sitting in the summer heat since this morning, at least. I breathed shallowly and tried to shut it all out—the stench, the dead air, the sweat dripping down my back. This was a distraction, nothing more.

I looked down at Tasia. Which way? She turned in one direction, then another, before sitting back hesitantly. My heart sank. She’d lost the trail. Sev could be anywhere.

But we had to keep moving. Let’s go, little one. I smiled encouragingly at the kit, and we continued on.

At the far side of the hall stood two silver thrones that gleamed in the torchlight—the tyrant’s throne, I realized, and that of the empress. The rulers of Zefed had sat here every day surrounded by such decadence, all the while ignoring the troubles outside their gates. I shivered and hurried past—I hated the very sight of them.

Behind the thrones another set of doors stood open, leading to a smaller hall with a floor as black as a starless sky. I stepped out onto it—then stopped.

I knew this place. I had been here before.

Not in reality, but in dreams. Before I’d even truly known Sev, I’d dreamed that we would be here together. I’d kissed him here, in this hall, and the memory brought a blush to my cheeks.

I had to find him. I walked down the hall, listening as I passed door after door. This place was labyrinthine. I didn’t have time to waste going down the wrong path. Until—

I heard a sound coming from behind one of the doors I’d already passed. I doubled back carefully, making sure that Tasia stayed behind me. I readied my knife. Then I took hold of the doorknob and turned it silently.

For a moment I thought I’d crossed into some alternate realm, so different was this place from where I had just been. I stepped from a palace into a lush garden, its trees and shrubs forming a veritable indoor forest. The air was fresh and cool. From somewhere ahead of me came the sound of a running fountain.

Tasia ventured forward, sniffing the air in front of her. Suddenly she nosed her way to the dirt under one of the bushes and started pawing at the earth.

What are you doing? I hissed.

She ignored me, digging faster. I considered dragging her away, then decided that would create more noise than it was worth. So instead I rolled my eyes, sheathed my knife, and went over to help her. Soon, our efforts uncovered something—a hilt. I reached into the dirt and pulled out a short sword. I looked at Tasia. How did you know this was here?

Smells like Sev, she said.

Really? I could only smell the earth it had been buried in. I would have to trust her on this. I took the sword between my hands. Then I stood up and ventured farther into the garden, listening as carefully as I could. As I rounded the last hedge, the fountain at the center of the garden came into view—as did the woman standing in front of it.

She was an Aurat. I recoiled on instinct, then paused. She was young and seemed… distressed? I ran through my options. Kaia would have tried to befriend her. I could confront her, but what purpose would that serve? I was looking for the emperor and Sev. Unless she knew where they were… I looked down at my sword and at Tasia. The woman looked unarmed. My odds were probably good, though I hated to walk into anything on the basis of assumptions.

My decision was made for me when the woman whirled, spotting me before I could duck behind a tree. Her eyes widened as she saw Tasia beside me—but instead of speaking, she turned around and ran through a side door.

I ran after her without hesitating. She was the only living person I’d seen in the palace—I almost didn’t care if she was leading me into a trap, as long as I found more people there. I then cut through an office and yet another hallway until I ducked through a door and into a large room that smelled of fire root and mirth wood, both of them so thick in the air that I nearly choked.

The Aurat was nowhere to be seen—but there was a man standing next to a small table across the room, and a large, irregularly shaped hole in the middle of the floor. Something that vaguely resembled a stairway had been cut into one of the sides. A chorus of shrill cries echoed off the walls, and I suddenly realized what was at the bottom of that hole. Dragons.

Bile rose in my throat, and I gagged, trying not to vomit. Sev hadn’t exaggerated when he’d told me about the emperor’s oubliette. It was horrific.

“I am here for the emperor,” I said, sounding braver than I felt. “Tell me where he is, and I will not harm you.”

The man looked at me. “So you must be the one they call the dragon mistress. You’re younger than I expected.”

Why had he expected me at all?

“And I’ve heard nothing about you,” I said, though I had a sense about him, based on the way he stood so familiarly near the oubliette, his dress and the belt he wore around his chest. But if I was right, that would mean… “Has the Aromatory died?”

He shook his head. “Her days are numbered. Soon I will take her place.”

In a flash I realized that this must be the manufacturer of the oils that the Talons had carried to try to subdue Naava. That was why the scents smelled wrong—Neve hadn’t had anything to do with it.

The longer I stood here the more I could distinguish the scents in the room. This man must have been completely loyal to the emperor, to have been selected for such a post. But I was certain he had not been chosen for his expertise with scents, or his understanding of dragons.

I circled the oubliette carefully, keeping my back to the wall and Tasia behind me. The worst thing I could do was turn away from the enormous hole in the floor housing vengeful beasts. The man did not move, except to cross his arms as I approached. I stopped at a careful distance.

“Let me pass,” I said.

He laughed. “Not a chance, dragon mistress.” He took a step forward.

“Don’t move,” I said, leveling the sword at him.

He looked at the blade, and then at me. An amused expression came over his face. Then he grabbed a shallow bowl from the table and threw it at me. I ducked and the bowl missed me, but its contents splashed over my face and into my eyes. Stinging fire root oil! I staggered back, yelling in pain, and he was upon me.

We tumbled to the floor, and the sword flew from my hands. My face was burning as the man wrenched my arm back. I screamed, then lunged forward and bit down hard on his forearm. He yelled and reared back. I scrabbled for my knife, pulling it out of its sheath, jabbing wildly. The man wrapped his arm around my neck and squeezed. I clawed at his arm, but spots began to appear at the edges of my vision. I was running out of time.

There was a heavy thud, and the man suddenly fell back. I kicked my way free and scrambled to my feet. Neve was standing a few feet away, holding a Talon’s case in both hands. She must have hit him with it.

“Neve!”

She ignored me, keeping her gaze fixed on the man. He lurched to his feet and fell back to the table, where he picked up another bowl. “Your master is losing, Milek,” Neve said. “Give up now!”

Milek’s eyes slid between us. “The emperor should have had you killed a long time ago, Aromatory.”

“Put down the bowl,” Neve said.

He lowered his arm—and then tossed the bowl up into the air. It flew over our heads and came down behind us, shattering and spilling its contents—pure mirth wood oil, I noted faintly—on the floor right in front of Tasia.

Tasia!

She bent down, inhaling the scent as it enveloped her small body. No! I’d worked so hard to keep her free—and that was far too much oil for such a young dragon. I ran to her and pushed her away from the oils, wiping the substance from her scales with my sleeve.

Tasia, are you all right?

She didn’t reply.

No. This couldn’t be happening. Tasia, speak to me!

But she seemed utterly under the influence of the mirth wood. She melted to the floor, where she lay still.

“Tasia! Come back to me!” I shouted aloud.

Her wings fluttered sluggishly.

Tasia! I threw my arms around her, hugging her tightly. Naava had said the only thing that could break an oil bond was a free dragon’s song. Every time I had sung before, it had been with Tasia by my side.

I bowed my head and wept. Closing my eyes, I could see that the oil had already dulled her light. Usually so bright, Tasia’s consciousness had withdrawn so deeply into her body that I could barely see it. But it was still there. Could I draw it out again?

I swallowed my tears and sang, sinking deeply into my memories of the dragon kit. The day she had hatched in Vir’s Passage, and I had been so afraid that she might die. The first time she had seen sunlight. The way her scales had shimmered and deepened into a brilliant blue. Tasia spreading her wings, hunting butterflies, speaking—flying.

Tasia, I sang. Come back, little one.

I was so absorbed in my task that I didn’t hear Milek approach until the sound of a sword being unsheathed broke my concentration, and then it was too late. I turned to see him raise the blade above his head—and then Neve was there, throwing her body between us as she thrust forward with a knife—my knife.

They both fell to the floor, the sword clattering down a few feet away.

I pushed myself up, drawing in my breath in shock. Milek had caught Neve diagonally across her stomach, slashing deeply. Blood poured from beneath her clothing. She had wounded him too, but he was recovering, pushing himself upright. I had to stop him. I charged forward and shoved him hard, putting all of my strength into the blow. He fell back, tripped—and tumbled down into the oubliette.

The dragons attacked. I threw myself away from the pit, trying to block out the man’s screams and the wet sounds of flesh separating and bones cracking. Tasia sprang into my arms and huddled there as I cried, tears streaming down my face. What had been done to these dragons was monstrous—and it was all for nothing more than a tyrant’s vanity.

After a while there was only silence from the oubliette. I got shakily to my feet and went to Neve. She was lying where she had fallen, her hands pressed over her stomach.

I sank to my knees at her side. “You saved me,” I said.

A ghost of a wry expression crossed her face. “You’re the dragon mistress. The world needs you.” Her body spasmed, and she winced in pain. “There’s—no time,” she said, her breath coming shallow and fast. “The emperor has Sev. Go to him.”

“But what about you?”

Neve shook her head minutely. “Don’t—worry about me. It needed doing.”

She had saved my life—how could I leave her?

Sev was in danger—how could I leave him?

“Thank you,” I whispered.

I got to my feet and ran to the table that Milek had left and picked up the bowls, sniffing until I found the lavender. It was a poor blend, but it would have to do. I took the bowl to the edge of the oubliette, dipped my fingers in, and dripped the oil down upon the dragons.This was nowhere near what they deserved, but it was the best I could do for now—I had to find Sev. I hoped this would soothe them until I returned.

I turned to Tasia. Are you here with me, little one?

She shivered in response but ran to me. I closed my eyes briefly in relief. Then I grabbed my sword and ran back to the garden to dunk my head into the fountain, scrubbing until the worst of the fire root oil was washed away. My eyes were still stinging when I was through, but at least I could open them for more than a second at a time. I dunked Tasia into the water too, washing away the essence of the oil from her scales.

Do you want to go to Naava? I asked when I’d finished bathing her. I didn’t know what was happening outside the palace, but it couldn’t be worse than what she’d just gone through. She was a child—she shouldn’t have had to see such things.

I was relieved when she shook her head and spoke. I will stay with you. We will find Sev.

I nodded. All right. Let’s go.

I had been afraid that the confrontation with the inferior Aromatory would bring guards running, but once again, there didn’t seem to be anyone here. It almost began to feel more unsettling than fortuitous as Tasia and I moved through the deserted halls.

As we turned down yet another empty corridor, there was a flicker of movement at the end of the hall. I froze. It might just have been the torchlight, but no—there it was again, a flare of light. I took a deep breath and raised my sword.

We made our way slowly down the hall, on the lookout for any sudden movements. The light flickered again, and I crept toward an open door. I could make out the sound of voices, but not quite what they were saying.

Through the door was a garden very like the one we’d come from filled with plants and fountains and… hundreds of towering glass sculptures. The first being I saw was the dragon lying on the ground, and then the emperor, leaning back against its flank. The dragon was breathing fire erratically, its flames coming dangerously close to the greenery. And there, lying near a wall of mirrors, was Sev.

I barely resisted the urge to run to him. He was alive and seemed to be in one piece. I hadn’t been able to count on that, after the fall he had taken. He looked so pale—and so angry.

Movement at the corner of my eye caught my attention, and I saw the Aurat we had previously encountered in the other garden was standing against the wall. So I had lost the element of surprise. But the emperor had always known I was coming. He had counted on me chasing him back to the palace. He had used Sev to lure me here, and here I was.

I took a deep breath and let it out deliberately. I stepped into the light.