Galin frowned as he choked down the gruel the guards brought them for dinner. Sure, he didn’t like it when Sally used to make it for him, but that was before she was . . . murdered by the Dark Elves. He glanced at Jena and Ellis, who were just as unimpressed with their cuisine. A tear flowed down his cheek. He promised to get them out, but how? He didn’t want to see Ellis die, but if he had to choose whom to save, he’d save Jena. Galin shook his head. No, he’d save them both. Somehow, he’d save them both.
Galin’s head jerked up as the door opened. A man with graying blond hair and sagging eyes stepped inside. Unlike the guards, an aura of confidence surrounded him, and yet sadness overtook him. Who’s that?
The man looked right at Galin and frowned. “Galin?”
Galin nodded.
“I’m Kade, your uncle,” he said. “I’m sorry about this.”
Galin’s face reddened. “So many people died because of you.” He turned away. “If you’ve come here to gloat, don’t bother.”
“Why’d you do it?” Jena asked. “The stories about you are horrible.”
“Yeah,” Galin said. “They say that you murdered your brother and his queen for the throne. You murdered Galin’s mother and father. How could you do that? How evil does one have to be?”
“Simple,” Ellis began, “he’s a jerk, lower than ogre dung.”
Kade bit his lip. “Yes, I made . . . mistakes.”
“Mistakes?” Galin demanded. “You betrayed your kind. Some would call that treason.”
“All right, it’s all true. But, Beldroth controlled me with her stupid ring,” Kade said.
Ellis blinked. “A ring?”
Kade looked right at him. “Yes, a ring. Just like the one Chalia used on you, my boy.” He focused his eyes back on Galin. “I want to help you, with all of it. Daylor betrayed us all.”
Galin frowned. “What do you mean us?”
“I was going to help you, but he betrayed me . . . and you.”
“How did he betray you?” Ellis asked. “We’re in here and you’re out there.”
“I . . . I went to him about killing Tanyl when you attacked and he agreed to help me. You see, the Dark Elves and the Feral Orcs are miserable here. They want to go home to Setan, not occupy Axain,” Kade said.
Galin shrugged. “Looks like you got out of your insurrection easily.”
“Wait a minute,’” Jena said. “If he betrayed your plan for killing Tanyl, why aren’t you in prison with us?”
Kade looked away. “I don’t know. I can’t figure out what he’s really up to. Daylor told me that he was caught returning from your planning meeting and had to give Tanyl something. As soon as I found out that Beldroth’s daughter was disguised as a human in your party feeding information back to Tanyl, I knew he’d played me like a fool.”
“If what you say is true, why are you still alive? The Darkstriders are not known for their leniency,” Galin said.
“I don’t know.” Kade shook his head. “I didn’t come here to talk about me. I came to meet the man whom I briefly knew as an infant. I came to meet the man who sent the Darkstriders into irrational fear of a boy-king.”
“Great, you’ve met me. Now what?”
Kade face went white. “I . . . I don’t know.”
“Can you get us out of here?” Ellis asked.
“No, I can’t,” Kade replied. “There’s no way to get past the guards. Unless—are any of you wizards? Like Daylor?”
“No,” Galin said. “I can’t use that kind of magic.” He stared at Kade’s tortured face, looking as if there was a battle going on inside his head. “What are you not telling us, uncle?”
“You’re being executed in the morning.” Kade looked away.
“There’s more, isn’t there?”
Kade nodded. “Yes. The attack on Port Eldham failed. Sumia and King Faeler were both captured.”
“The dragon?”
“Escaped.”
“So he’s alive?”
Kade nodded. “For now. Even though Brock has the castle under siege, reinforcements are on the way here as we speak. As soon as they arrive, the gates will open and eight thousand troops will pour out of the castle and kill everyone you’ve ever loved.”
Jena tugged at Galin’s arm. “Forget about that, we’ve got to get out of here. Remember, our baby?”
Kade blinked. “Baby?”
“Yes, she’s pregnant,” Galin said. “I . . . I just found out. If you really want to help, you’ll help us get out of here and open the gate before the reinforcements arrive. I—” He stopped as a mind touched his. The dragon must be close.
~You’re betrayed,~ Soreth whispered into Galin’s mind.
Galin closed his eyes. Where are you?
~Close. I’m above the castle, amongst the clouds.~
“What’s going on?” Kade demanded. “What’s wrong with him?”
“This is the normal Galin,” Ellis said. “Weird.”
Jena frowned. “Ellis, stop it.”
Can you help us? They’re executing us tomorrow.
~No, not yet. But, as soon as the opportunity arises, I will.~
Fair enough. Galin opened his eyes. “How are we being executed tomorrow?”
“What the hell just happened?” Kade demanded.
“Was that Soreth?” Jena asked.
“Yes,” Galin said.
“Who’s Soreth?” Kade asked.
“The dragon,” Galin replied. “We can talk with our minds. I don’t fully understand—”
“Hold on,” Jena began. “Don’t you use dragon magic to talk to him?”
“Yeah.”
“How’s that possible if Daylor’s spell nullified your magic?”
“It shouldn’t be.” How was that possible? Galin shouldn’t have been able to speak with Soreth’s mind, right? Was it some kind of trick? Sure, Chalia knew that he could speak to the dragon’s mind, but why bother? Why expend the energy? No, it felt right. It felt like Soreth. Could this be part of the Transformation? “Jena, I need to tell you something.”
“What?”
“Soreth told me that dragons go through the Transformation when they attain a certain amount of dragon magic.”
“What’s that?”
Galin swallowed. “Their power increases exponentially. But, he said that he never saw a human with dragon magic like me. He said that I could get great power or, or, mostly likely, I’ll die. You see, dragon bodies are built to withstand the stresses their magic puts on the body. Humans aren’t.”
“Why are you telling us this?” Ellis asked.
“Maybe it started. Maybe that’s why Daylor’s spell is fading,” Galin said.
“Maybe you’re just nuts.”
Galin frowned. “You’re such a jerk.”
Ellis grinned at him.
“You can use your magic now?” Kade asked.
“I’m not sure. I can’t fight yet, I know that for sure.”
Kade turned toward the door. “I can’t help you escape, not now. I’m sorry.” He closed to the door behind him as he left the dungeon.
“Why didn’t you tell me before?” Jena asked.
Galin hugged her. “I didn’t want you to worry. I love you.”
“How do we get of here?” Ellis said.
Galin’s face fell. “I don’t know. I just don’t know.”
Brock stared at the castle wall before them. It almost felt like he’d come home . . . almost. If only Sally and Keya were there with him, he’d feel a lot more confident. Both women had that effect on him. Maybe that’s what love does to every man. He sighed as his eyes scanned the wall. Torchlight could be seen in all four towers. The ones on the corners seemed to have no one on top. Soldiers, pyromancers, and others crowded on top of the two towers on either side of the gate. Yeah, their job was to stop any attempt to break through the gate. He gazed up at the stars. Odella, please look after my boy. Trebuchets, siege equipment, and soldiers of nearly every race surrounded the castle. It nearly reminded Brock of when the Darkstriders attacked the castle, but he was on the wall. Yeah, it nearly felt like he’d come home. Brock felt a tug on his tunic and looked down to see Luthur and Tanris by his side. “What is it?”
“Everything is ready—to siege the castle, I mean.”
Brock sighed. “All right.”
Nyna joined them. “Any word from Sumia or King Faeler?”
Brock shook his head. “I have to assume they were victorious. Right?”
“We can still fly over the walls, can’t we?” Tanris asked.
“I—”
“No,” Nyna said. “We have to give this plan a chance to work.”
“As I remember, there’s a whole town inside the castle walls. It’s a good two hundred yards to the castle itself. Well, from this side of it, anyway,” Brock said. “I’m worried about Galin . . . and the others, too.”
Whoosh. Whoosh.
Brock looked up. “Soreth.”
The huge blue dragon circled above them and quickly descended.
“Watch out!” Tanris shouted as he dove out of the dragon’s way.
Soreth reared back as his feet touched the ground. “It’s done.”
Brock stared at him. Scorch marks covered Soreth’s body. “Are you all right? What happened?”
Soreth sneered at Staerdale Castle. “They ambushed us.”
“Sumia? King Faeler?” Nyna asked.
Soreth’s eyes turned red. “Captured. All of them. We were outnumbered five to one, at least. That wasn’t the worst of it.”
Brock raised an eyebrow. “Go on.”
“They seemed to know our plan better than we did.”
Nyna rubbed her chin. “Dark Elves have a lot of power, but they can’t read minds.”
Soreth shook his head. “No, Sumia believed we were betrayed. That was . . . just before they decapitated her. Port Eldham is still in their hands.” The dragon lowered his head. “I failed you. I failed Galin.”
Luthur looked straight up into Soreth’s eyes. “You did. But, don’t let it get you down. I’m sure you’ll screw up more tonight,” he said with a smile.
Soreth growled.
“Nyna, you said we had a week before reinforcements could arrive, right?” Brock asked.
Nyna nodded. “If they’re coming from Setan. If they’re coming from Port Eldham, maybe hours.”
Tanris cleared his throat. “There’s only thing we can do, and we don’t have much of a choice about it.”
“What?” Luthur demanded.
“Retreat, of course. Fight another day.”
Luthur punched Tanris in the head, sending him to the ground. “We can always count on the pacifist Gnomes to run away,” he snorted. “We can’t leave Galin now, can we?”
Tanris rubbed the back of his head as he got to his feet. “I suppose.”
What cowards! Why did Galin bring them? Brock thought. “We’re not leaving them.” What could they do?
“I spoke to Galin,” Soreth said. “He’s alive and in their dungeon, for now.”
“How?” Nyna asked. “How’d you speak to him?”
“Dragons can communicate with one another through our magic. He told me that they’re going to be executed in the morning.” Soreth lowered his head, staring right at Brock. “We don’t have much time.”
“How?” Nyna demanded.
Brock sighed as he looked right at Tanris. “We fly over the walls and open the gate.”
“Now? No. I need to find Daylor and figure out what the hell is going on. Excuse me,” Nyna pushed her way past Brock, heading into the night.
Luthur started after her.
Brock grabbed him by the shoulder. “No, let her go. We need you.”
Luthur nodded. “Okay. What’s the plan?”
Brock pointed to one of the many trebuchets surrounding the castle. “We bombard them throughout the night. We keep them up all night, while most of our force gets some sleep. We—”
Soreth belched.
Brock held his nose as the dragon’s foul breath smacked him in the face. “Really? A dragon burp? You act like my son, when he was twelve.”
“Excuse me,” Soreth said. “Continue, please.”
“At dawn, we have a force fly over the wall, near the gatehouse, and let the rest of us in,” Brock said.
“I’ll help you get over the wall,” Soreth said.
“You’re going to let him ride you?” Tanris asked.
Soreth spit on the ground. “Do you really believe that I would let a human ride me like they do a horse? Please. I meant I will give them some cover from the soldiers on the wall.”
“I’ll have my people start the bombardment,” Luthur said. “Be ready by first light.”
Brock smiled at the soldiers on top of the castle walls. “We will.”
Daylor smiled to himself as he navigated through the corridors towards his chambers. For the first time in over fifteen years, his conscience was clear. No more pretending that he hated the Darkstriders. No more pretending that he was the ultimate betrayer of his people. No, no more. Ever since his sister, Beldroth, asked him to watch over her husband and daughter, he began to question his decision to take on the special mission from the Dark Elf king. No one, not even Tanyl, knew about his mission. Why should he? After all, Daylor was promised not just Axain, but the whole continent if he thwarted the prophesied outcome, if he saved the Dark Elves from the mythical boy-king. Myth? Perhaps, but those around Galin believed it. Tanyl believed it. Heck, even Galin’s own family believed it. Why not claim his mission accomplished and be done with it? Human males cannot use magic, got it, but so what? Even once in a while nature makes a mistake. No, he proved the boy wasn’t this mythical boy-king because he now sits in his dungeon with his powers suppressed. No, he’d won.
Daylor pushed open the door and stepped inside his chambers. When he saw Nyna sitting on the edge of his bed, he frowned. “You shouldn’t be here,” Daylor said as he closed the door.
Nyna lunged at him, pinning him against the door. “You were supposed to get them into the gatehouse and open the gates. What happened? Where is Galin?”
Daylor pushed her away. “In the dungeon. If it wasn’t for me, he’d be dead right now. A little gratitude.” Did he really need to keep this up? He forced out a tear. “Kade betrayed us all. I was too trusting. Forgive me.”
Nyna’s face softened. “I’m . . . I’m sorry. I—well, we didn’t hear from you and I thought—”
“That I betrayed you? How could you? After all the years we’ve known each other?” He slid his right hand under his robes.
Nyna embraced him. “I remember what you said last year, when I was training Galin.”
Daylor nodded as he slipped a dagger behind Nyna with his right hand and hugged her. “I said I loved you, right before we made love.”
“I’m so scared for them. But . . . but I feel safer with you. I feel like we can’t lose.” Her tearful eyes looked into his. “Do you still love me?”
Daylor plunged the dagger into her back.
She screamed.
“No, I never did,” he said as he tossed her to the floor like a piece of refuse. Daylor yanked the dagger out, straddling her chest.
“How . . . how could you?”
He slammed the dagger into her throat. “Because I’d never betray my own people, any more than you could betray yours!”
Nyna’s eyes rolled back into her head.
Daylor wiped the dagger off with Nyna’s robes. We don’t have much time. He had to find Tanyl!