Their boots thudded against the stone as they strode toward the throne at the end of the hall. Overhead, a domed ceiling arched a thousand feet above them. Black scorch marks surrounded the opening in the middle of it.
That opening revealed the clear blue sky beyond. Then the sun shining through vanished as a dragon soared overhead.
They were halfway to the throne when the dragon in front of them unfurled from its sleeping position and rose onto its hind legs. His father’s footsteps didn’t falter as the dragon bellowed, spread its wings, and launched off the ground.
Its wings made a loud, thumping sound, and the wind it created blew back their hair and plastered their clothes to them. It was nearly free of the hall when it released a blast of fire that charred the stones before it disappeared into the day.
Cole hid his apprehension, but he looked forward to getting out of this room and away from these nearly unstoppable killing machines.
“Tove!” the Lord exclaimed when they were twenty feet away. “How good to see you! I hope you didn’t mind waiting, but I’ve been so busy that it took me far longer to get to you than I anticipated.”
“Of course not, my Lord,” his father replied.
They stopped only five feet away from the dais the throne sat on. The Lord sat fifteen feet above them.
“The wait allowed my son and I to work on his chess game. Besides, I needed a little vacation from the Gloaming,” his father continued.
“That’s why I like you, Tove. You’re always so easygoing.” The Lord steepled his fingers before him as he studied Tove. “The pressures of leadership are such a bore.”
“They can be rather tedious.”
The Lord’s hazel eyes gleamed with malice as his mouth twisted in amusement. His brown hair hung to his broad shoulders in limp strands. The sharp angles of his face made the contours of his skull evident.
They were so close Cole could almost smell the Lord’s blood on his hands. If he could get his hands on him, Cole could slaughter him. It was the getting his hands on him part that was tricky.
As he contemplated how he could kill the Lord before being eaten by a dragon, the gold-colored beast behind the throne lifted its head. Dragons couldn’t read minds, but when the creature’s green eyes locked on him, it slipped its tail around the throne like it was embracing the Lord.
The Lord leaned forward, and when he did, he provided a better view of the throne. The gold back of it was composed of two dragons with their wings spread wide. Behind the Lord’s shoulders, those dragon heads nearly touched, and their tails created the seat holding a red cushion.
“I suppose you’re curious as to why I wish to speak with you,” the Lord said.
“I admit that I am,” Tove replied.
Cole stiffened when a shuffling sound alerted him that a dragon was moving behind him. Though he wanted to know what was happening, he didn’t look. He refused to let the Lord think these creatures unnerved him, even if they could swallow him like a frog with a fly.
“I’m hearing rumors about a growing rebellion,” the Lord said.
“I’m sure they’re just rumors, my Lord. The rebellion is broken, and the traitors are running,” Tove replied. “As we speak, they are relentlessly hunted across the realms. I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before they’re all found and destroyed.”
“Now you see, that’s where I have a problem. I don’t want it to be a matter of time. They should all be dead by now, including your sons.”
The Lord’s tone dripped venom, and his eyes shone with a malevolence the likes of which Cole had never seen. Cole glanced at his father as he sensed an unraveling in the monster sitting across from them.
“Varo and Orin are also being hunted as we speak,” Tove replied. “I’m sure someone will find them soon.”
“And if they’re not?”
“Then I will personally help to hunt them down. I want all traitors persecuted as badly as you. I have two loyal sons who fought by my side and for you. That is enough for me.”
The lie rolled so easily off his father’s lips that Cole almost believed it. The Lord’s gaze shifted to Cole.
“Yes, and here is one of those loyal sons,” the Lord purred.
“Loyal to my father, to you, and the cause,” Cole replied. “I had just returned from the human realm, where I was tracking Orin when you summoned us here.”
“And did you have any luck in locating your brother?”
“No, but I did uncover a couple of leads. Unfortunately, my brother Brokk and I were ambushed by traitors before following through on those leads. Brokk was badly injured. However, I plan to return to hunting Orin and Varo as soon as I can.”
However, he planned on making sure they stayed out of the Lord’s hands once he found them.
“Wonderful,” the Lord said and settled back on his throne. “Because some of those rumors claim that Orin is the one gathering more recruits for the rebellion.”
Cole’s blood ran cold. He wanted to look at his father, but he didn’t dare take his eyes off this madman for one second.
“I’m sure they’re rumors, my Lord,” his father demurred. “But if not, then we will stop such a thing before it ever gets started.”
The Lord didn’t look at him as his gaze remained focused on Cole. “Oh, I’m sure I can count on you not to fail me.”
“Of course, my Lord,” Cole said.
“Because no matter how close they are, brothers always secretly hate each other. That hatred is ingrown into them. They compete for their parents’ love and, in doing so, they grow to loathe one another.”
Orin, Varo, Brokk, and all his brothers had pissed him off countless times over the years, but even when they were pummeling each other, he’d never hated them. Not even when his impetuous, stubborn brothers joined the rebellion did he hate them.
He’d grieved their deaths, and he still did. However, he was not going to correct the Lord. He’d let the crazy prick think he hated his brothers if it made the Lord happier.
“Unfortunately, no matter what a child does to its parent, that parent still retains some love for them. Isn’t that true, Tove?” the Lord inquired.
An uneasy feeling twisted in Cole’s stomach. He did not like the direction this conversation was taking.
His father hesitated before replying. “I love all my children, yes, but my loyalty is to you. Orin and Alvaro chose the wrong path and will face the consequences of their actions.”
“That they will,” the Lord agreed. “But I must question if you’ll help them escape when the time comes.”
“I would never help them escape, my Lord,” Tove said.
Cole’s uneasy feeling grew, and this time, he couldn’t stop his gaze from traveling to the dragons. Two of the beasts had crept closer and were only ten feet away.
He contemplated grabbing his father and running from this place, but the dragons would never let them go.
“I want to believe you, Tove, I really do. However, though I have no children, I know the bond between a parent and their child is special. I do recall the love of my parents; my mother died to keep me alive,” the Lord said.
Cole wished his mother hadn’t been so selfless.
“I assure you, my Lord, that I would hand over any traitor, son or not,” Tove replied.
The Lord tapped his fingers against his chin and stared down at them. “I truly want to believe you, but I can’t. Kill him.”
Cole had just processed the command when the dragon closest to them surged forward. With a snap of its powerful jaws, it consumed the top half of his father’s body. Blood sprayed over Cole. His father had to be in serious pain, but he didn’t make a sound when the dragon chomped down again.
Cole twisted his head away when the next snap of those jaws caused another wave of hot blood to spray him. And then the dragon swallowed.