Table of Contents

- Chapter One

- Chapter Two

- Chapter Three

- Chapter Four

- Chapter Five

- Chapter Six

- Chapter Seven

- Chapter Eight

- Chapter Nine

- Chapter Ten

- Chapter Eleven

- Chapter Twelve

- Chapter Thirteen

- Chapter Fourteen

- Chapter Fifteen

- Chapter Sixteen

- Chapter Seventeen

- Chapter Eighteen

- Chapter Nineteen

Dragon School: The Ruby Isles

Dragon School, Volume 4

Sarah K. L. Wilson

Published by Sarah K. L. Wilson, 2018.

This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

DRAGON SCHOOL: THE RUBY ISLES

First edition. January 8, 2018.

Copyright © 2018 Sarah K. L. Wilson.

Written by Sarah K. L. Wilson.

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Behind the Scenes:

For my nephews,

Evan & Seth

Chapter One

“It’s set in stone. We have to move you all up a rank within the month. Three more knots arrive here within the week and the Dominar arrives before Autumnal Sounding. When he arrives, all Initiates are to be Sworn in and all Sworn are to assume their apprenticeships to their Colors.” Grandis Elfar was talking to our knot in our lodgings. Artis sat on the edge of her bed with her mouth firm, like she was worried about how this would work and Olla and Orra had stopped teasing each other long enough to put on intent expressions, too.

“You can’t be serious, Grandis,” Lenora said. It was always the children of nobility who felt free to talk to teachers like that. “I’ve only been Sworn for a month. Artis for only six. We should have at least a year or two before we are taken on by the Colors. What about our mentorship roles? What about mastering the lore?”

Grandis Elfar sighed. “Things change, child. In my day, there would be years before you could even be trusted to fly formation on your own and last week we let your knot fly alone. A knot with three Initiates, I would add. In my day, there was as much book learning as practical work and we took the measure of each rider with care. Now...” She shook her head. “...Now we push you and we break those not strong enough to endure. There’s too much waste, but there is nothing we can do. The Initiates in this group will be sworn in. First, they will face examinations. Lenora, Artis, as the only Sworn in the fist, you will take on their mentorship. You will drill them and teach them and be sure to get them ready to be tested. Your own test, to enter the Colors, is of a different variety. The only preparation for it is the preparation of life. This mentorship will help you get there.”

“And what happens if we succeed?” Artis asked quietly.

“If you succeed, we will send you to your Colors for mentorship and training. Each of you – Artis and Lenora – will be taken on in an apprenticeship by a Dragon Rider of your Color. Olla, Orra and Amel will join another knot.”

“And if we fail?” Lenora sounded more nervous than I would have expected.

“The same penalty as always. You will join the ranks of servants.”

“But I’ve only been Sworn for a month! I’m not ready. What if I fail?”

“See that you don’t,” Elfar snapped. “You think you have a difficult time? Think of the Initiates here who have been with us scant weeks or months while you have been with us for years. They are not more ready than you are. We desperately need more Dragon Riders, but the Dominar is correct – if war comes to us, we won’t be able to expend our time teaching or training.”

“War?” Lenora said. “I thought they were giving one of our High Castelans to the Dark Prince to prevent that.”

“Do you see Savette around here?” Olla asked, her tone derisive.

“I see Starie Atrelan around here. And she looks like a child with a pocket full of sweets. Isn’t she Savette’s replacement?”

“Enough,” Grandis Elfar said. “Continue your training. Do your work. Work like your lives depend on it because it turns out that they might. Artis, it is your job to get Olla and Orra ready for the test. Lenora, it is your job to get Amel ready.”

“What?” Lenora said, her face painted in shock.

“You heard me, Castelan. Your job is to train her in etiquette, history, and as much lore as you can manage in the weeks ahead. How well she does will determine your final grade as a Sworn.”

“No!” She looked positively green and I shuffled my foot a bit. What if she failed because of me?

“Enough talk,” Grandis Elfar said. “Get to your work and show me I was right to depend on you. Except for you, Amel. I need a word with you.”

I followed her to the balcony at the side of the room – my crutch had been returned to me by Artis after the struggle, bless her for her conscientiousness!  - and she carefully shut the door behind us so that we stood in the open air, unable to be overheard by those within the room.

“I received both your messages,” she said. “Your loyalty to your friend is touching, but believe me when I tell you that we are doing everything we can to recover Savette Leedris. Your assistance is not necessary. We appreciate your fervor that night in trying to recover your friend. How or why Leng’s dragon agreed to carry you is a mystery, but I want to warn you again to stay away from other rider’s dragons. You are not safe from them and purples are notoriously unpredictable.”

“Do they have any idea where to look for Savette?”

She cleared her throat. “Like I said, this is Dragon Rider business, not the business of Initiates. You should never have been involved in the dangerous mess of her kidnapping in the first place.”

What about Savette? She was an Initiate, too. She should never have been there that night, either. She should have been protected from all of this. I had another problem – not as big as Savette, but close to as big.

“Starie-” I began, but Grandis Elfar cut me off.

“I have interviewed Starie Atrelan myself and she has a very different account of things than you do. Since Leng Shardson was ill at the time, it is your word against hers. For the present, I will judge neither of you. Prove yourself loyal and we will say no more of it.”

“Wait,” I said, stunned. “She’s the reason that the rest of my knot died! You can’t trust her!”

“I think I said that we would say no more of it, did I not? Starie is as much a victim in all this as you are, and we are grateful to have her returned to us.”

What had Starie said to make Grandis Elfar trust her again?

“You will show her respect, as a fellow trainee and a High Castelan.”

I bowed my head, frustration biting deep into my belly.

“I need to hear you say, ‘Yes, Grandis.’”

“Yes Grandis,” I mumbled, but I was not happy. Starie wasn’t trustworthy. She had arranged for Savette’s kidnapping and now she was tricking them all!

But if no one else could see it, then it was up to me to bring it into the open.

“Good. Dismissed. I’m sure Lenora will have much for you to do.”

My heart sank as I realized that she was right about that. Lenora was going to be completely insufferable.

Chapter Two

“And how do you greet a High Castelan?” Lenora asked, tailing me doggedly as I hobbled to the alcoves.

“With my hand to my heart.” I was concentrating more on keeping my load from spilling than I was on what she was saying. It’s hard to carry a kettle and climb up to dragon cotes at the same time.

“Fist to heart. Be sure of this, Amel, I am not going to fail because of you!”

She wasn’t going to fail. Even if Grandis Elfar had said she was responsible for me. Lenora knew everything perfectly just one month into being Sworn.

“Let’s try something in history. When was the Dominion founded?”

“The fifth year of the Great Plague.”

The alcoves were quiet. No one was flying today except the guards. They’d been flying double shifts since Savette was taken as if care now could make up for their earlier neglect.

“Which was when?”

“The year two hundred and forty by common reckoning.”

“Good. Now, name the first Dominar.”

“Can we take a break for a moment?” We were at Raolcan’s alcove and I couldn’t wait to give him his treat.

She sighed. “Fine. I’m going to check on my dragon, but find me as soon as you are done here. We have to cram years of study into your head in just a few short weeks.”

I nodded and tried a timid smile but Lenora was already gone.

She’s an interesting one. I’d like to know her better.

She was going to drive me crazy. Not that it was my biggest worry. No, my biggest worry was that no one seemed to be taking Savette’s disappearance as seriously as I was.

The dragon rider guard here continues to search. I hear the thoughts of their dragons.

Well, that was something but Grandis Elfar wouldn’t listen to my questions and Leng had disappeared.

He left that same night and has not been back. I think he also searches.

Could he do that? I thought Purples were dedicated to message-bearing. I took out a dish from the shelves and set it on the ground before him. I couldn’t wait for him to see his surprise. Raolcan shifted excitedly, his eyes bright as I tilted the kettle and poured the hot honey into the dish.

You remembered.

His mental voice sounded so satisfied that I felt a genuine grin forming on my own face. He stuck his tongue out, licking the hot honey up slowly as if he were savoring it.

Oh. I am.

Now that I’d kept my promise to him, I needed to work on a way to find Savette. No matter what the Grandis said, I didn’t trust the guards were doing enough to find her and I didn’t trust Starie not to make things worse for Savette - somehow.

Do you have any idea where she is? If you do, then it is easy. We fly out of here together and go after her. If you do not, well, that’s more tricky. We need somewhere to start beyond a hunch.

And that was the problem because I had no idea where to start.

Or do you? Is that girl Starie still here?

He knew she was. He must have an idea.

Perhaps she knows more than she is saying.

She definitely did but she wasn’t going to tell me about it.

Bring her here and let me try to see if I can figure it out. Until then, you need to start readying supplies and stashing them here so that when we get a chance to leave, you will have what you need for a journey.

How would we do that with him bound to the alcove?

We’d have to sneak out when you are about to launch for formation practice. Or you could find out how to free me from my bonds.

I hadn’t thought of that. My breath seemed to be coming quicker. This was real. We could really do it. Yes, it would mean risking everything. Maybe they wouldn’t let me back into Dragon School afterward, or maybe they would make me a servant, but Savette had said she trusted me. She said I was her only ally. I couldn’t abandon her when she needed help the most.

I promised you we wouldn’t and we won’t. Just get that Starie girl up here and let me fish the answers out of her mind.

It seemed that I was going to have to swallow something a lot more deadly than boiling honey. I’d have to swallow my hatred of Starie Atrelan and invite her up here. I chewed my lip as I gave Raolcan a good-bye hug and went to find Lenora. What would tempt Starie into doing anything with me?

Chapter Three

“Don’t forget what we call the consort of the Dominar,” Lenora whispered.

“The High Consort.” We filed into the large room in a single file line. There were only a dozen of us, but the room had been cleared of the many clerks that usually worked here and several of their writing tables were placed in a long row with crisp papers and quills laid out. It was five days since the Grandis had told us to prepare for this. Five days since I determined to get Starie up to the dragon cotes and I hadn’t seen a glimpse of her. Five days since Raolcan promised me we would find Savette and I had found nothing. Lenora, however, had made good on her own promise. She had never left my side, drilling me morning, noon, and night on everything she thought I might need to know for the examination. I was so tired of her voice that I’d come close to asking her to be quiet. Me! To a High Castelan! But it really was that annoying.

“Take your seats,” Grandis Elfar said from the front of the room. My knot was all there, but there were six more students I’d never met before. They’d arrived last night and were going to be examined alongside us. “In a moment Tamas will move the cloth and you will see the chalkboard with the questions of your examinations written on them.”

Tamas?! He was here? I snuck a look and saw him standing deferentially to the side, eyes on the floor before him. Someone must have brought him along as a servant. Perhaps even another Grandis.

Grandis Elfar was still speaking and I forced myself to concentrate on her words instead of speculating about Tamas. “Initiates will answer the questions listed on your side of the board. Sworn, those listed on your side – this is only the written portion of your examination. In the coming weeks, we will do the practical examinations one-by-one on dragon back, but this will serve as examinations before then.

“Initiates, your answers are important. These are not simple yes or no questions. They require thought and the drawing of correct conclusions. Answer them carefully. Where and what you are assigned during your Sworn studies will be dependent on your ability to answer these questions. You Sworn already know this. You have seen who was given greater opportunity and better position in formations based on how they did on this test, but what you do not know is that your test now is even more important. Ranking within your Color is a careful thing. From here on in, you will be required to adhere to internal ranking strictly and where you place in that ranking will depend on numerous things ... including this test. Do your very best if you don’t want to be called on to do the irritating tasks every other member of your Color wants to avoid. Understood?”

We saluted, fist to heart.

“Take a seat,” she said and we sat at the tables. I leaned my crutch carefully against my seat and dipped my quill in ink. “Begin.”

Tamas reached across the large fabric that had been draped over a chalkboard in the front of the room and pulled a cord. The fabric dropped to the floor and as he began to gather it up, I read the first question.

“As a Red Dragon Rider, you are called up to assist a group of Black Dragon Riders at Leedris Castelan. The Dominar has declared the situation to be under the sign of the Raven and bandits roam throughout the area. The highest-ranking member of the Blacks has deemed the bandits of little importance and demands that you guard the walls without concerning yourself with them. However, Leedris Castelan is marrying into Haruk Castelan the next day. What is your role in this situation and what would you suggest to the High Castelan if called upon for advice?”

I was suddenly feeling grateful to Lenora for drilling these answers into me over the last few days. The Sign of the Raven meant that the Dominar was personally ensuring the safety of all people in this Castelan. As a Red, it was my job to wage war on the Dominar’s enemies, but Blacks had the right to make decisions for the defense of a Castel. But that marriage had something to do with it, didn’t it? Could I remember what? I focused hard, trying to recall what Lenora had said about when Castelans married into each other. Oh yes. There would be a procession from one Castel to the other. That procession would fall out of the jurisdiction of the Blacks because it went between Castels. If I was a Red Dragon Rider, that made the procession my responsibility – especially under the sign of the Raven. I glanced up at Lenora whose intense eyes were fixed on her own paper, her pen scratching across the paper wildly. Thank goodness, she took my education so seriously. I set my own pen to work.

The next questions were of a similar vein, requiring knowledge from multiple different areas and then expecting you to combine them into a judgment call. I forced Savette and Starie and Tamas from my mind so that I could tackle them one by one. This was one area where my disability didn’t affect what I could do and I was determined to shine here.

At the end of the hour, Grandis Elfar rang a small bell and we set our pens down. I’d just finished my last question but there hadn’t been enough time to reread what I wrote. I hoped it would be enough.

“You are dismissed to dinner,” the Grandis said. “Tonight, we are all invited to a display at the docks. Wear your best and I will collect you at eighth bell.” We stood up at her nod, but she gestured to me. “I’ll have a word with you, Amel Leafbrought.”

Of course she would. Was there ever a time when I could just be like everyone else?

Chapter Four

Once everyone had left the Grandis sat down beside me.

“Grandis Dantriet arrives here within the next few days and I, for one, will be grateful for that. I don’t know how you get yourself and everyone around you into such trouble, Amel. I really don’t.”

What had I done now? The worst I’d done this week was sneak honey from the kitchens for Raolcan ... three times. He really enjoyed that treat.

She rubbed her forehead with her fingertips before putting a long-suffering expression on her face. “The Dark Prince has asked to speak to you, Amel. Why would he do that?”

“I don’t know.” I felt my face heating. He’d been very unflattering the last time I’d seen him. If he wanted to see me again, that couldn’t be a good thing. I could almost smell that island we’d been on and the white flowers we’d used to cure Leng. Perhaps he wanted to ensure my silence? It seemed to be the thing everyone wanted most from me.

“Foreign princes rarely ask to see Initiates by name. And by ‘rarely’ I mean ‘never.’”

I nodded.

“And now he has asked to see two.” Two? “First Starie Atrelan, and now you.”

“I haven’t seen Starie since the ball,” I volunteered. Maybe she would be less frustrated with me if she knew I hadn’t contacted her. Not that I hadn’t been trying.

“I am aware of that. The High Castelan has instructed us to keep her from the other Dragon Riders at this time.” So, someone else knew about her treachery! “She will replace Savette Leedris as our offered bride to the Baojang if Savette is not recovered.”

At least the Grandis had the good grace to look embarrassed at this admission. They’d lost one girl they’d offered to our enemy and now they couldn’t recover her and were going to offer another one. It was like the young Castelans were disposable to the Dominion.

“Another Dragon Rider?” Wasn’t it strange that all the girls being offered were also Dragon Riders?

Her expression became stony. Ah. I had hit on something significant. There was a reason that the girls being offered were Dragon Riders. Was it also significant that they were Initiates from my own wave, or was that coincidental? Maybe it was because I had just finished the exam, but my mind insisted that this was a puzzle to solve. Perhaps, if I solved this, I would be a step closer to finding Savette.

“I will take you to the Dark Prince for an interview. I promised you would be sent to his quarters at sixth bell. We have just enough time to get there, but before we leave I have something to say to you.” Her expression hardened and I felt a stirring of fear in my belly. I’d always thought of Grandis Elfar as a friend. It worried me that she would look at me like that. “I take the guardianship of my Initiates seriously. I do not want to see you fall to harm. Do not encourage this prince. Do not draw his notice further. Keep silent about all you know – you know far too much for an Initiate. You will be punished if it seems you have divulged our knowledge to him. Understood?”

“How will you know it was me and not Starie?” I asked. After all, knowing her, she’d be doing whatever it took to ingratiate herself to him and she knew more about these things than I did.

“Starie Atrelan is a High Castelan, loyal to the Dominion and of a family sworn to our nation. I wish you had not pushed me to this, Amel Leafbrought, but to be honest, we trust her much more than we trust a girl born of common blood with no ties to us or to our nation beyond the coincidence of birth. It is not good for you to continue to try to slander her or to improve your own situation by doing so. If I hear you say another word against her, you will be removed from Dragon School and your dragon will be taken from you. This time, do you understand?”

Cold washed over me, followed by a wave of heat. She would really do that. She trusted Starie’s lies over what I had told her. And now, she had made it impossible for me to find allies anywhere else.

“Yes, Grandis Elfar,” I whispered.

“I can’t hear you, child.”

“Yes, Grandis Elfar.”

“Follow me.” She bit the words off at the end like she was trying to control her temper and I clenched my jaw as I stood.

I felt like I was in a bucket being lowered by rope into a well. The walls were getting closer and closer, higher and higher, and any friends I might have had were further from me than ever. How was I going to get out of this mess?

You could do what they say.

Had Raolcan been listening the whole time?

I was just listening to your conversation with the Grandis. I think, more than ever, that you need to find that girl and bring her to me.

And then what?

And then I will show you a trick that dragons have.

I tiny flicker of hope sprang to life in my heart.

Oh, it should be more than a flicker. Haven’t you heard? We dragons can light anything ablaze.

Chapter Five

I liked the architecture of the Ruby Isles. It made me think of the little pastures spread out from hill to hill where I grew up. There would be a set of terraces and then a bridge over to another set, both bedecked with enough Ashavan poles that they looked forested. Some terraces overlooked the water with narrow rails surrounding them, while others were concentric circles rising higher and higher until at the very peak a small pagoda was built.

We were headed to a set of garden terraces within the Castel, Grandis Elfar leading the way. She seemed frustrated and didn’t have her usual tolerance for my slower pace. I was losing friends too quickly, whether by having them stolen or by having them give up on me. It was a terrible feeling.

Most of the people we passed in the Castel were servants or guards, hard at work dusting or polishing or standing guard at entrances. I caught sight of one or two nobles at the far end of a path, but the Grandis would quickly steer me down a different route so that we wouldn’t trouble them.

We saw only one other Dragon Rider, his hair in the braids-mixed-with-loose look of the Dragon Riders and the black leather suit tightened frequently with leather belts that proclaimed him a full dragon rider. The red scarves hanging around his neck and tied around one wrist declared him to be Red – the same color Savette would be one day if she survived that long.

Now that we had arrived in the gardens, the Grandis was a little less circumspect, marching us straight through the middle of them to the terrace at the center of the gardens. Waterfalls poured from tier to tier on this terrace and dragons - sculpted in black mica and gold - guarded every path to the top. A pair of Castel guards stood on either side of the path, alert and focused. We weren’t dealing with the bottom drawer here.

At the summit, the Dark Prince sat on a wide bench under two wide weeping willows, playing an instrument I’d never seen before. It looked a little like a lute. Only his own men were with him and I swallowed when I realized it was the two I’d seen on the island the day I’d met them. They must be bodyguards and their casual attitude must be for show.

The deadliest of creatures always seem the least likely to be deadly.

Raolcan always saw what others didn’t see. I watched the nearest one with care as Grandis Elfar led me past him. He appeared to be studying a feather that he turned back and forth in his hands, but his gaze was sharp as a dagger when it scanned us both as we passed.

When we reached Prince Rakturan, the Grandis surprised me by falling on her knees. Should I be bowing? To him? I didn’t really think he deserved that much respect, but it didn’t seem right that the Grandis would bow and not me, so I lowered myself carefully with my crutch, attempting as much of a bow as I could. My eyes caught on Leng’s initials carved into the crutch but I didn’t want to think about why he may have made it for me or why he’d carved them into his gift.

Rakturan’s sharp gaze took in everything and I saw a flicker of curiosity in his eye at my late bow. He still wore his strange, upside-down crown and stiff, segmented clothing like those I’d seen him in the night Savette was stolen away.

“Thank you for bringing your charge to me, Grandis,” he said, his voice charming and deep like he was used to honoring others with nothing more than a word. “I have questions to ask her.”

“Whatever you ask is yours, Prince,” the Grandis said, her gaze still at the ground. Why would she act so meek? We were dragon riders! We rode the wind. We didn’t bow and scrape to arrogant princes ... did we?

I think that your Grandis will do whatever is necessary to prevent a war.

That must be it. Even so, I chewed on my lip. There was something nerve-wracking about Rakturan.

“Now that you have fulfilled your mission, please leave. I have things to discuss with your trainee.”

Grandis Elfar looked like she might swallow her own tongue, but after a moment she exhaled and said, “I’m afraid that won’t be appropriate. I will stay to oversee her and ensure that she answers you truthfully and favorably.”

“What did you say a moment ago? That anything I asked for was mine?”

Her jaw shut with a click. Ah. So now she would have to do as she had promised. And what would that mean for me? An Initiate was hardly on even ground with a prince. I was far below a Grandis.

“Of course, your gracious majesty,” she said, rising and pulling me to her feet beside her. She whispered in my ear before she left. “Ruin this and the deaths of thousands are on your head. Answer his questions if you must but without mentioning those things you have been warned not to say. Be respectful and humble and then meet me below.”

She was gone so quickly that I wondered for a moment if she had fled or if I had been too stunned to notice the passing of time. Diplomacy rested with me now? That couldn’t be right.

“Is she worried you will cause a war?” Prince Rakturan asked. I nearly jumped out of my skin.

Chapter Six

Rakturan grinned slowly but the sound of metal on metal drew my attention as each of his guards pulled swords from scabbards. I leaned into my crutch, raising my free hand in a defensive posture.

“You have nothing to fear from me,” I said hurriedly. My mouth felt suddenly dry.

Rakturan laughed. “None of us thought we did, Blighted. The men are just well-trained. It is time for drills and they can easily practice while we speak.”

What game were they playing at? The bald guard squatted low, sword out and low, and a fierce expression on his face while the other stood with arms flung outwards, his own blade stretched out stylishly, its tip an inch from touching the flagstones.

“Ha!” The bald man shouted before leaping from his crouch, spinning through the air like a top and stopping only inches from the other man, his blade slashing a neck height. The other man hadn’t seemed to move, but his own blade deflected the other almost indifferently.

“Have you seen the Dance of Blades before?” Rakturan had a glitter in his eye. Just a few weeks ago I would have been intimidated by that but I’d met High Castelans since then and I’d realized something important. They were the same as regular people. Some were kind. Some were cruel. Some intelligent and some foolish. This Prince and his Dance of Blades was no different. I gritted my teeth willing myself to be courageous and to remember that he was more than an intimidating prince – he was a man. And that meant that he shared the same fears and triumphs as anyone else.

“I’m afraid not, Prince Rakturan.”

“No bowing and scraping from you?” His eyes narrowed as he set his instrument aside and stood. Did he expect me to be different than the last time we had met? I only knew one way to be.

“Is there a question you want to ask me?”

His guards continued their leaps and spins, the occasional clash of steel reminding us that they used real blades for practice. Rakturan stood, walking between the whirling forms as easily as a Dragon flew through the air.

“I came here to wed a bride provided by the Dominion. I found their offered choice to my liking – a bit cold and distant perhaps, but noble and fair.” I shivered. That’s all he had to say about my friend? “And now they have a different choice in mind – a pretty enough girl, and intelligent – but the circumstances of the change bother me. The first was stolen away by Magikas and the second arrives at almost the same moment. What game do your people play at here, Dominion Sky Rider?”

I cleared my throat. “I’m only a Dragon Rider Initiate.”

“Who just so happened to be there that night, and to have seen me on that island. If I am not mistaken, you knew both my first and second intended bride.”

I stayed silent. Now we were getting close to the things I was told not to speak of. Rakturan circled me as he spoke, as though examining me from every side. He would be disappointed. There was nothing to see here that couldn’t be noticed in a single glance.

“The mighty conspire. One side to give me the silvery damsel, the other the red-headed minx. And which is better for Baojang? Which is better for me? Which will deliver my enemies into my hand and shore up my relationship with my allies?” He ended his sentence standing behind me so that he was practically whispering in my ear when he echoed his own words, “Which?”

I shivered. “How should I know, Prince Rakturan? I come from peasant stock. I’m hardly the one to tell you about politics in either of our lands.”

He laughed. “And yet, I suspect that you are at the heart of all of this. Like the axel on which the wheel turns. It seems plain and insignificant and yet...”

If only he knew how insignificant I really was, maybe he would stop pushing me for something I couldn’t give.

“Tomorrow,” he said, “they are throwing another party for me and my new betrothed – a Starie Atrelan. You know her, I think. Nod if you do.”

I nodded. The men with whirling blades were growing closer so that Prince Rakturan had to stand very close to me as their blades and flying forms whirled around us. They really were like dancers. I barely dared to breathe as a sword slashed inches from my nose. I clenched my jaw and stood frozen in place, trying not to show how terrified I was.

“And do you trust her?”

If I said anything and it got back to Grandis Elfar my time in Dragon School would be over. They would take Raolcan away and my future would be nothing. I didn’t dare speak.

“Do you trust her to help me rule an empire? To make decisions about what we will do about your Dominion and whether to pursue war or peace?”

I shivered. Of course I didn’t trust her! I wanted to scream it from the rooftops. I wanted everyone to know. But if I did... I bit my lip, tasting blood and refusing to speak.

“Do you think she may be responsible for the disappearance of my first would-be bride?”

Did he know?

“I think that you know. Or if you don’t, then I think that you can find these answers for me.”

The bodyguards swirling dance ended behind me and I breathed a sigh of relief. I heard them grow still a fraction of a second before I felt the pinpricks of each of their swords at the back of my neck. A wave of fear washed over me from head to foot, leaving my belly swirling and my legs weak and wobbly. I had relaxed too soon.

“You have three days to find them and return to me with an account of what happened to my first would-be bride and who I am to trust. Fail, and we will remove your head – and that of the purple beast you ride.” He circled to stand in front of me, his gaze boring into mine. “Tell anyone what I’ve told you and it will be the same fate. Do you understand?”

I nodded. The best thing for me right now would be to fall ill or be rendered mute. Everyone wanted my silence and all of them were happy to threaten me to get it.

“I understand,” I said, slowly.

“Three days. Watch your step on your way out.”

The pressure eased from my neck and my hand sprang back to slide across the skin. It came away red with blood. The sharp blades must have punctured the skin.

It was all I could do to turn and leave at a steady pace without rushing out in a panic. I’d attracted the notice of too many important people and for a common girl that was a terrible thing to do. Was that a joke about watching my step? Or a threat?

Chapter Seven

Rushing down the tiers was difficult with a crutch to manage. Stairs aren’t my friends at the best of times. They are worse when I’m feeling panicky and light-headed and my face is hot and my belly roiling and I can’t seem to catch a full breath. I almost ran into someone ascending while I was still descending.

“Watch yourself, Blighted.”

Starie Atrelan! Now was my chance, if I could just think of the right thing to say. I looked into her eyes but she was faster, ducking in close so that our noses almost touched.

“I hear you told Grandis Elfar things about me. Lies.”

What should I say? What would convince her to come with me?

“We need to talk,” I said. Would it be enough to tempt her?

“Blackmail?” Her head tilted to the side like she was considering if I would be bold enough to do that. Is that what she would do? It was so mean-spirited!

“Just come to my dragon’s alcove at tenth bell and I’ll tell you everything,” I breathed.

She nodded, a hard look on her face. It felt unethical to even pretend that I was going to blackmail her, but here I was doing it anyway. I tried to suppress my sickened expression as she pushed past me and rushed up the steps to the next tier.

She must be off to tryst with her new betrothed. It was strange to me that he didn’t think he could get the information he needed from her directly. Why use me? Or was I just a backup plan in case he didn’t get what he needed on his own. If I’d planned to lie to him – which I hadn’t – I knew now that he had more ways to get to the information he wanted than through me. It would be wise to remember that he was a prince, used to intricate court maneuvering, not a peasant like me.

Grandis Elfar was waiting at the garden entrance.

“You answered the prince’s questions?” she asked.

I nodded and she began to lead me back the way we came.

“And you said nothing to him about High Castelan Starie Atrelan?”

“No, Grandis.”

“Good. Her betrothal to him is important to our nation.”

“I thought Savette’s betrothal was important.”

She shot me a stern look. “You are a Dragon School Initiate of the lowest level come to us from a peasant family. Remember that. This is not your business and putting your nose where it doesn’t belong can get you killed.”

I followed her with a dry mouth. I knew her well enough to know she was usually fair and kind – but lately, she’d been very different – foolish and prejudiced - and there was something strange about her, as if she was being stretched with ropes between two trees and as the ropes pulled on her, she became more and more taut. One day, she would snap and I hoped I wasn’t nearby when she did. What could do that to a woman?

Chapter Eight

I heard the tenth bell ring out as I entered Raolcan’s alcove.

You should stay outside on the ledge. She won’t want to come into the stall of a strange dragon.

Someone would see us if we stood out there and tenth bell was curfew. If I went out there I could be dragged back to my dorm before I even saw Starie.

Perhaps, you should have chosen a better time for this meeting.

Our schedules were too packed for it to be earlier. Lenora had drilled us through the afternoon, and pleased with our progress, she’d increased the difficulty of the maneuvers.

I’m glad she did because I was getting bored. I could fly these silly shapes in my sleep. Give me something interesting to do – an underwater dive or hugging a weather formation to drive speed and then shooting an arc around a mountain. That would be fun!

The way things were going he’d have his chance. It seemed my life grew more dangerous by the moment. It had never been my intention to draw the attention of princes.

At least he doesn’t want to marry you.

Thank the winds for small mercies. Where was Starie? Had she forgotten our meeting? I was already in a difficult enough spot without her making it worse.

Who will you try to please? The Grandis who can separate us forever or the Prince who would see us both violently murdered?

I shivered. It was growing cooler, but in Raolcan’s alcove it wasn’t cold. His body temperature warmed it too thoroughly. No, my shiver was for my options. Perhaps, I could avoid both by getting the answer I needed from Starie and flying away immediately to help Savette.

The bedroll and camping supplies you have stashed here are a good start, but before we can leave you will need food and water. A journey like that is one we will not return from. You need to be ready to live as a refugee for the rest of your life. Are you truly certain you wish to do that?

What were the alternatives? Leave a friend to die? Die myself with Raolcan? Become a servant and watch him die because of my failure? None of those things were acceptable. I’d felt bad when I’d seen my knot, though. They would be held responsible when I left. Artis and Lenora especially. That didn’t seem fair. I was going to miss them and miss being an Initate. I wasn’t really ready for a life as a nomad.

It’s not too late to change your mind.

But I would have Raolcan and that would be enough for me. I felt a warmth in his thoughts, but they turned to alertness a moment later.

She’s outside.

“Starie?” I whispered. “Come inside.”

“Inside your dragon’s alcove? You’re crazy!” She whispered, cursing as she snuck within the shadow of the alcove. “I hope you’re ready to tell me everything.”

“It’s not money that I want.” And it wasn’t. I needed information about Savette, but I doubted she would give it if I just asked.

Remember the plan.

We’d come up with it only a few hours ago when I knew we’d finally have our chance.

Just talk about her and the Magikas. Ask the right questions and she’ll think of the answer herself and then I can pull it from her mind.

Ask the right questions. Stick to the plan. I could do it.

“You’d better not have called me here for nothing. I want to know what you know.”

“And I’ll tell you everything. Just like I told Savette everything a few hours before she was stolen. Do you remember how they swooped down to get her?”

She remembers. She’s thinking about them...

“Forget Savette. She means nothing now. Tell me what the Prince said to you.”

So close. I can see the plan but not where they are. Try harder.

“I told Grandis Elfar everything that happened, but she doesn’t believe me. She is siding with you and backing you as the new tribute bride for the Prince.”

“Forget Elfar, too. I already know what she is thinking. Trust me, I know a lot more than you about her.”

Even in the darkness, I thought I could see her smirk. Perhaps, she was one of the ones who was making Grandis Elfar look so tight and drawn. How could I make her think of where Savette was? Maybe I should just ask.

“Where is Savette?”

“Is that what you want? Tell me what the prince said to you and I’ll tell you where she is.”

I don’t have it yet. She needs to think very clearly.

A light breeze gusted into the alcove, cooling the sweat beading on my forehead. Don’t ruin this, Amel! This is your only chance!

“He wanted to know if you are trustworthy.”

“And you said?” Her voice was breathy, like this meant a lot to her.

“Nothing.”

“Next time you will say ‘yes.’ What else did he ask?”

“He wanted to know if you were part of Savette’s disappearance. And you were, weren’t you, Starie? I know because I saw you arrive that night with Corrigan. I saw you sneak into the ball. I know that you know where the Magikas took her. You know them each by name and why they are plotting against Savette. You know exactly where they brought her, right down to the building and the very room she is hidden in. You probably even know the color of the sheets on her bed. Don’t you?”

Got it!

“I don’t know any of that. What did you say to the prince.”

“Nothing.”

“Good. Because now you never will.”

She lunged at me, something in her hand flashing in the moonlight. I stumbled backward, tripping and falling to the ground, but not before a massive paw raised up and pinned Starie against the wall, claws on either side of her body.

Flame her?

We couldn’t. They would know it was Raolcan and punish him – maybe even kill him. Besides, Starie had done nothing to deserve death – not yet – and I was no murderer.

I don’t share your confidence on that score.

“Tell your dragon to let me go.” Her voice sounded strangled.

“How do I know you won’t be waiting in the shadows to kill me again?”

“I won’t be.”

I pulled myself up, recovered my crutch and hobbled to her side. Taking the knife from her hand.

“I left a message in a spot it will be found, but only if I am dead. Did you really think I would meet you here without something to guard me if you turned on me?” But I had been that foolish, hadn’t I? I had left no message.

“You’ve made your point.”

Raolcan released her and she slumped against the wall.

“It will remain where I left it. If you try to kill me again it will be much worse for you. The prince is counting on my report and he will know everything about you if I don’t make it to my next meeting.”

“And if you do make your report?”

“Just leave, Starie.”

“You want to know where Savette is. If you give the prince a favorable report, I will tell you where she is. I’ll even draw you a map. Deal?”

“Yes,” I said. I wouldn’t have to fulfill the deal, but it made me feel dirty anyway. I’d just blackmailed someone. That wasn’t something I’d ever intended to do.

Starie slipped away into the night and I leaned tiredly against Raolcan. This had all become so much more complicated than I’d ever wanted it to be.

Next step – figure out how to loose my bonds and then we will go find your friend. Don’t despair. We’ve accomplished much tonight.

Chapter Nine

Loose a dragon’s bonds, loose a dragon’s bonds. How would I find that out? Half my mind was focused on the problem, while the other half focused on sneaking through the streets and alleys to my quarters. At least it was dark, but curfew was at tenth bell and they’d rung that so long ago that everyone should be in bed by now. It was harder to sneak with a crutch than anyone might think and my speed was limited. Still, that was the least of my problems right now. If it was easy to figure out how to loose the bonds on a dragon in training, everyone would be doing it.

And everyone would be getting their arms bitten off and their skeleton warmed by a hearty gust of flame. Or have you forgotten that most dragons aren’t as civil as I am?

Oh. Right. It was easy to forget. After all, Raolcan was nothing but kindness to me. Okay, so maybe no one would want to do it even if they could – except for students who might want to sneak off on their own dragons. But, if it were difficult and took time to master, they’d have to teach them before they were full Dragon Riders. Maybe they taught the Sworn or the Colors.

I hobbled up the stairs toward my knot’s room. I was ready for bed. My head was pounding from all the adrenaline today. I eased the door open and crept through. It slammed behind me and a match flickered to life, lighting a lantern. Artis raised it from where she stood a single pace in front of me.

“Where were you, Initiate?” she asked.

“And don’t bother lying to us. We’ll all catch grief if you get in trouble for this. You owe it to us to admit what you were up to.” It must have been Lenora who had slammed the door. Her voice was right behind me.

“I was at the dragon cotes,” I said.

“We didn’t tire you out enough during practice?” Artis asked, her free hand resting on her hip, accusatorily.

“What holds them there? What keeps them from flying off?”

“You mean other than the binding?” Lenora walked past me and sat on the edge of her bed, her expression incredulous, like I was a fool.

“That’s the part I’m curious about - the binding.” I wouldn’t lie to them. I just couldn’t. But was it lying if I just didn’t answer them straight?

“So you snuck up there to try to watch them do it? For winds and skies, girl. You’ve risked all of us getting a punishment for something I could have easily told you,” Artis said, stalking back to her bed. “Get changed quickly, because I’m blowing out this lantern in ten minutes and if you aren’t in your bedclothes you’ll have to dress in the dark.”

I hurried to obey. “I couldn’t figure it out. Is it magic?”

There was a long pause broken only by a snicker from one of the twins. I couldn’t see which one as I dressed behind the screen.

“It’s not Magika magic, if that’s what you mean.” Lenora surprised me by answering when Artis wouldn’t. “Oh, give it a rest, Artis. She’ll be Sworn in just a few days. You saw the lists. We all passed exams.”

“We did?” I gasped.

“And you’d know that too, clouds-for-brains, if you were here and not sneaking off in the dark. Yes, you’ll be Sworn as soon as you have a chance to swear. The practical exam will be easy compared to the formations you’ve been flying. So, you might as well know what they teach us. Especially if it keeps you where you should be after curfew.”

I tried to keep my expression smooth so that she wouldn’t realize how eager I was.

“It’s the magic of binding words. Magikas call on power sources – like wells throughout the world and tap that power. Don’t ask me how. They don’t tell anyone who isn’t in training with them. But Castelans and Dragon Riders and Dominar Elite know that magic of words. It’s the power of a vow, the power that binds you to the one you wed or to a contract.”

That didn’t seem right. Raolcan would have come to save me, vow or no vow if he could have when the Magikas attacked. He’d had to wait to be released by Leng.

“People leave the ones they’ve wed,” I said, coming out from behind the screen in my nightclothes. “They break contracts.”

Lenora nodded her head with a look of exaggerated patience. “Those are normal vows. Our word magic amplifies them and makes them binding. Only the person who placed the vow on you can release you from word magic vows – or covenants, as we sometimes call them.”

“But one Dragon Rider will fix a dragon in place and another will set them free.”

“Exactly. That’s because trainee dragons are sworn to their rider and to Dragon School. The vow that holds them is the one for Dragon School. Anyone from Dragon School who knows the words of release can set them free.”

Good news! I could do it myself - if I had the right words.

“Don’t look so hopeful,” Lenora said with a smirk. “I’m not going to tell you what the words are. You have to wait to be actually Sworn to do that. It will be soon enough, so don’t get your scarf in a bunch. Come on, let’s go to bed.”

I looked hopefully at Artis.

“Don’t look at me,” she said. “I think Lenora has told you more than you should know. Go to bed.”

I slipped into my bed as the others settled in and a moment later Artis blew out the light. Sleep was hard to find. There had to be some way to find those words. Perhaps there was someone else I could ask?

If Leng was here, I would ask him, although since he was so obsessed with keeping me out of trouble he probably wouldn’t give them to me. Besides, I was still confused by those kisses. Did he have true affection for me, or had he simply been contrite for treating me like a cripple instead of a Dragon Rider? Why did he blow so hot and cold? Sometimes he seemed like a good friend, other times he seemed like he could hardly look at me. And he’d left his initials on my crutch. Did that mean something?

With no clear answers and nothing more than added worries, I slipped into a fitful sleep.

I woke with a start. The sky was black and around me, I heard the sounds of sleeping girls breathing. A hand covered my mouth. Lenora’s whisper startled me despite the hand.

“Amel? Are you awake?”

I nodded and the hand left my mouth.

“I don’t know what you’re up to, but here’s the thing. I think freedom is important. I think you should make your own choices – whatever they are. I wrote the words you need on a slip of paper and put them in your boot. Just don’t get the rest of us in trouble. Promise?”

“I promise,” I whispered.

“And don’t sneak out tonight, or Artis will know it was me.”

“I won’t.”

“Go back to sleep.”

Her feet padded across the dark room and then silence descended. Again, I fought to sleep, this time because I was too excited to lay so still.

Chapter Ten

My eyes snapped open and I scrambled up in bed. The note in my boot! I needed to find it and make sure it was secure. Who would have thought that Lenora - of all people! - would help me? She was so arrogant and obnoxious but she’d been the one who’d told me the truth last night and then given me this note. Was there more to her than there appeared, or did she truly think freedom was important enough that she was willing to help me even though she didn’t really seem to like me?

I grabbed my boots, feeling in the toe. There was definitely a note in there.

“You put your clothes on first, then the boots,” Lenora said dryly from the other side of the room.

Olla laughed. “And you’d better be quick, Amel. We heard last night that we’ll be spending all day preparing for the Havenalla.”

“What’s a Havenalla?” I asked.

“The official betrothal of Starie and the Baojang Prince. I guess they’re rushing this time so that the bride doesn’t disappear before she’s even pledged to him.”

“What do we have to do?” I asked as I finished dressing and slipped my boots on, carefully tucking the note into my waistband. I didn’t like the idea of seeing Starie dressed in those magnificent clothes that would make her look like some sort of goddess and then standing where Savette should have been. Although, to be fair, Savette hadn’t seemed excited to be marrying the prince.

“We’re tasked to provide support to the kitchens,” Artis said. “Bringing food to the courtyard feast. It’s traditional for the Castel to provide a feast to the common people the morning before a noble engagement is announced.”

“Really?” That sounded like a nice tradition. I could just imagine how much my family would look forward to it if we lived near a Castel. It also provided an opportunity. If I was near the kitchen, I could get some food and water, couldn’t I? Maybe enough for a journey? Was it stealing if they were going to be feeding me anyway if I stayed?

“Yes, really.” Something soft smacked me in the face and I shoved away a pillow. Had Olla just hit me with a pillow? Really? No one had ever done that before! “Don’t be so serious, Amel!”

“Enough, you two! Come on!” Artis said from the door. I stood and hobbled towards her.

Olla slipped her arm around me, walking beside me. “You’re a good sport, Amel. It’s nice to have you in our knot.”

I smiled tentatively. I’d never had a real girl friend except for Savette, and Savette wasn’t the affectionate kind. What did you say to tell someone that you were grateful for their friendship without sounding too desperate?

“Thanks for being so kind, Olla.” I felt my face heating up. Oh! Was I messing it up? Would she think I was too strange?

“I have an idea for a new trick, Amel, let me tell you about it.”

Olla kept talking flying maneuvers the whole way to the kitchen. I liked her chatter. It was nice and focused on this specific moment in time – a welcome refresher from the things on my mind. She smiled when we got there and then whirled off to take the first tray offered by the under-cook.

“You girls handle this food with care! We have lots, but I still don’t want it wasted,” the under-cook said, patting her neat bun and smoothing her apron over her hips. “You girls with both hands should take the trays, and the one with only one free can take the extra canteens of water and the sacks of dried foods. We can sling them over your shoulder and if it takes you longer it doesn’t matter since it’s all backup food.”

My mouth dropped open. Could my luck be this good?

Don’t look a gift dragon in the mouth.

He could hear me from here? Our range was getting wider and farther! Every time I thought we’d reached its limits, it expanded a little more.

“Oh, don’t fret, girl,” the undercook said. “All work is important work.”

She loaded me with canteens and jute sacks filled with dried meats, bread, and dried fruits. The other girls were given wide trays piled with similar foods, as well as delicacies of all types, strawberry tarts, candied oranges, fried meats and sweet buns. The smells alone were breathtaking.

“Take care not to spill! A poor showing at the feast before the Havenalla is bad luck! Follow Fitazt and watch your step!”

A spindly man in livery burst out of a doorway, leading the way through the kitchens where cooks ordered under-cooks and under-cooks waved ladles or large spoons at scullery maids as food was chopped, prepared, simmered, sauced and plated. It was like a cacophonic magic all its own. I was distracted by the bustle. If I failed in Dragon School, I’d be a servant just like this. It didn’t look so bad – except that I wouldn’t be with Raolcan and that would be terrible. I turned the last corner and Tamas stepped up behind me.

“Tamas!”

“I’m supposed to follow you and make sure everyone gets to the feast.” He stared at his feet as I slowly hobbled forward. His own arms were full of serving implements, and baskets.

“I’m happy to see you, Tamas. Do you like the kitchens here?”

“Just keep moving, Amel. We have a schedule to keep.”

I hobbled along at the end of the line, following up the stairs – a challenge for me. By the time I’d crested them, the others were so far ahead that I could barely see them as they moved toward the first courtyard. No one was watching me but Tamas. If it wasn’t for him, I could leave out that other door with the supplies I needed. I bit my lip, looking at the gate on the far side and then back at Tamas.

“I need to go, Tamas,” I said.

“Yes, please hurry.”

“No, I mean, I need to go out that gate ... with these supplies.”

He stopped, his eyes finding mine, finally. “Like, you’re going to take that food?”

My face grew hot. How could I take it? It would be wrong. But then again, how long would I survive away from civilization without food or water? I needed these things to survive.

“Yes. I’m going to take it.”

“And you think I would allow that?” His face grew hard.

“I think I need to try to do it anyway.” I said the words slowly, horrified that I was saying them, but certain that by going I’d be preventing something much worse.

“Just because I chose to be a servant doesn’t mean I’m a pushover. It doesn’t mean you can walk all over me.” He looked furious.

“I’m not trying to walk all over you, Tamas. I’m trying to save a friend. And to do that I need these supplies.”

He bit his lip and looked away. “All my friends and family are servants. If I chose to be a Dragon Rider, I would have had to leave them forever. It wasn’t because I was afraid – not completely. You shouldn’t have tried to stop me.”

His change of subject seemed so abrupt, but we were talking about loyalties, weren’t we? And he was thinking about his while he judged whether mine were valid. I’d misjudged him before. The least I could give him now was an apology.

“I’m sorry.”

“Who are you trying to save?” His expression hadn’t melted. He was just gathering more information, but the others were out of sight now and no one else was watching. Was it possible to persuade him?

“Savette Leedris.”

“Her? Why, Amel?”

I sought his gaze with mine. I wouldn’t have understood either a few weeks ago. “Savette trusted me. I can’t betray that. Please, will you walk away and leave me here? Let me take these supplies and go save her.”

I swallowed, my eyes pricked with tears. What would I do if he said no?

He looked down and then looked back at me, his expression torn. It was a long time before he nodded.

“I hope I’ll see you again, Amel.”

“I hope so, too.” I watched him go with a smile. I had more allies than I thought – and more friends.

I always knew you would, but if you still want to leave, you need to hurry.

Chapter Eleven

Is it going to be enough?

I dropped the jute sacks and canteens beside Raolcan and dropped to the floor beside them gasping for breath. The climb up to his alcove with the added burden of supplies had been almost too much for me. My head was spinning and little flecks of light danced across my vision. I needed to rest for just one moment. I closed my eyes.

No! There’s no time to recover. If you have decided to leave we need to go right away. Someone will notice you are gone and come to look for you.

I couldn’t get up yet. I was too tired.

Come on! Dig deep. Stand up and start saddling me!

I groaned but I pulled myself back to my feet, wobbling as I limped to the pack and carefully took down his tack, inspecting each piece. They were all well-oiled and in good repair, just like when I left them. I saddled Raolcan, loaded up the gear I’d stashed and the food and water I’d pilfered from the kitchens. When I was done, I leaned against his hot side, catching my breath. Just one more minute.

Come on, spider. Dig deep.

I wobbled backwards and pulled the scrap of paper from my waistband, maneuvering to stand in front of him. This had better work! Lenora had better not have been lying to me.

Did you discover how to release me?

I read the words on the paper aloud. “Raolcan of the Purple, by the authority over you granted to us by Ha’drazen, Queen and Sovereign of Dragons, we release you from the bond of your word and blood to remain in this place. Your other bonds to rider and school remain. Protect your rider and remain faithful to your true word.” I paused over the last sentence, but when I said, “Be released,” a cracking sound echoed in the words, and for a half a second I saw both Raolcan and a second Raolcan – this one white and ghostly – before the second one disappeared. My head flared with pain like I really had done some sort of magical thing.

What had just happened?

Raolcan shook, starting with his head and then right down through his spine to the very tip of his tail, like a dog flinging water from his coat.

No time to lose! Let’s ride!

From outside the alcove, I heard the sound of raised voices. Did someone know what we were doing? I mounted Raolcan hurriedly, tucking my crutch into the strap at his side. He shuffled forward as easily as if we were just flying out for daily maneuvers.

Hold on.

As we stepped into the morning light, my gaze found a knot of people hurrying toward us, led by Tamas. He must have had second thoughts!

He pointed at me as Raolcan’s feet found the edge of the ledge. Behind Tamas, the under-cook shouted something and then we were dropping like a stone, spinning into a somersault and kicking off to burst forward through the rushing air.

I didn’t scream, but something let loose in my chest like a dragon breathing fire. We were off! The city streets raced beneath us, a busy hive of workers decorating and preparing, decking every hall, every doorway, every bridge with garland, lights and flowers. Tonight, would be the party of a lifetime and I wasn’t at all sorry to be missing it. Starie’s moment of triumph meant only one thing for me – that Savette was still missing, kidnapped by enemies, and depending on me for her rescue.

Don’t fear. We will find her. Now, hold on tight. I need to fly low. The guards are defending against attack from the outside. We don’t want them to notice that we are breaking out of this island until we’re well away

I couldn’t believe those simple words had set him free.

They were more than just words or it wouldn’t have worked. I couldn’t have told them to you. Someone with authority must have. Word magic comes from truth and authority.

Truth and authority. What an interesting idea. I’d need to think on that and what it meant for Dragon Riders and for me. I gripped the saddle tightly, leaning down to lay across Raolcan’s back, my cheek pressed to his neck. He didn’t need my help to fly and I was still catching my breath from the hard work of getting us to this point.

That’s right, spider. You can trust me. I’ll take over from here.

Moments later, we were over the ocean, the land far behind us. The guard dragons – not knowing that our flight was unauthorized - gave us the sign of goodbye as we flew past and I returned it, glad to finally know Dragon Rider hand signals. Even so, I didn’t breathe a sigh of relief until we were so far out over the water that the Ruby Isles were nothing but a speck in the distance.

Chapter Twelve

Where were we headed, exactly? It seemed to be to the West.

Daedru Castel and the sprawling sky-city of Vanika.

I’d seen it on a map before, but never in person. I focused my mind, thinking back on my lessons. It should be about three days flight by dragon – not very far at all, but I’d never been in such a large city before.

I’ve never been within one, either, though I’ve passed by Vanika many times. Cities – even sky cities - are not home for dragons. We like the outdoors.

Would there be other dragons there?

Many. There will be the Blacks who build and maintain the sky cities and guard them, Reds moving through on their endless campaigns, Green to push the bounds around her and White promoting the healing arts. If you wanted an adventure, this is going to be one. Forget backwater places like the Ruby Isles or Dragon School out on the edge of nowhere. Daedru Castel is an important place and Vanika is the fifth largest sky-city of the Dominion.

My mind filled with images of a sky city – I’d never seen one, and yet I knew they existed. Held by arcane magic and the strength of dragonsteel, they rose up from the ground on a single pillar and then spread out like a sunflower from the stalk, reaching for the sun above. I’d seen drawings in my textbooks, but I wondered how accurate they could be. Could a whole city be formed from a lace of steel and magic? Could it sprawl out across the sky, filled with inns and taverns, homes and apothecaries, barracks and dragon cotes but no farms or wells or cellars? It was a strange idea, but one that excited me.

You will have all the excitement you could want, but we will have to be clever. You won’t be able to admit you are a student or they will send you back to Dragon School. You’ll need different clothing and a story to tell anyone who asks.

I didn’t have the money for that, or the ability to lie like others seemed to do so easily.

We’ll figure something out. We’ve come this far.

Of course we would. With Raolcan, I could do whatever I set my mind to. Savette was out there and I was going to find her and free her.

There will possibly be a chance to flame people. I’d like that.

Then we’d bring her back – victorious - and of course Dragon School would forgive us for going when they realized what a big mistake it was not to take her kidnapping seriously.

That might be more of a daydream than a possibility. They tend to take things like betrayal and rebellion seriously.

And if they were reluctant, then Savette’s father would arrive in a blaze of Castelan glory, setting everything right and just being so grateful that she was saved.

You bring up a good point. Where is the mighty Castelan in all this, with his daughter kidnapped and before that being sold off to a foreign prince as a bribe to prevent a war? You know that dragons don’t do that, right? Marry for power.

And somehow we’d expose what the Prince of Baojang was hiding.

Now you’re on to something. That man has secrets.

And I would swear before the Dominar and continue on as a student of Dragon School.

The Dominar is interesting. I know he is the supreme ruler of this land and I know he rules through his Castelans, but why this song and dance with Baojang? Do you think he has a hidden motive, too?

And we’d all live happily ever after...

Okay, that was a nice daydream, but maybe it’s time to come back to reality.

It was easy enough to do that when we landed in a clearing six hours later: tired, sore, and under a light drizzle. It was hard to light a fire, harder to find any place dry to sleep. In the end, I ate cold food from the jute bags, kept all the gear wrapped in the tent to keep it dry, and curled up against Raolcan in a damp blanket to sleep.

I felt a lot less optimistic in the cold and dark with a smoky, guttering fire and no stars. Maybe this was a terrible idea. Instead of being grateful, I’d probably be kicked out of Dragon School, or made a servant, and I might not find Savette at all. The sky city was probably a big place and not forgiving to a girl with a crutch – nowhere ever was. I bit my lip and squirmed. My belly was so tied in knots that it hurt.

Dark of velvet, deep embrace,

Silver, bright, smiling face,

Moon and stars reign above

Nature’s intertangled love.

I’d never heard a dragon song before. It was like the roar at the heart of a fire. It warmed me to the core of my heart. I fell into a deep sleep, reaching with my heart towards the tantalizing song.

Chapter Thirteen

The next day, cold descended. The wind was boisterous and so rough that it seemed to swirl from all directions at once. It sparkled with tiny particles of ice, giving the forest an other-worldly air and turning my damp hair and clothing stiff with frost. I shivered constantly, and my hip was so stiff and painful that the throbbing didn’t let up from when I woke to it in the dark hours of predawn. I struggled to keep from angry, jagged thoughts while I managed my pain.

We were taking a direct route to Vanika. Ahead, jagged mountains loomed, purple and shrouded in gusting snow.

“Do we fly over those mountains?” I asked, the wind ripping my words away so that anyone but a dragon who could read minds would never have heard them.

No. We need to fly through a pass. The air above the mountain is too thin. I could fly there, but I don’t think you could breathe.

Did he know a way through?

I can find one. It just might take a while. I need to look.

We spent the morning trying one way and then backtracking to the next. The wind buffeted me and chilled me to the core until, by noon, it was all I could do to just hold on. I shut down curiosity and eventually even hope in an attempt simply to endure against the constant, bone-chilling cold, the loud intensity of the wind and the jarring pain that spread from my hip into my lower back and dead leg. Snow descended, filling the wind with ice and stinging my cheeks and hands as I clung to the saddle. It obscured my vision so much that I could hardly tell anymore where we were going or if we’d been there before. I would have cried, except that I was too cold and too despairing even for that.

Eventually, Raolcan landed, creeping into a rocky crevice that partly hid us from the wind.

We’ll have to stay here until the wind calms. I don’t see what else we can do. It’s too stormy to find the path.

Was he even sure that there was one?

I’m sure. Don’t lose hope.

I shared my water with him and ate a little. There was too little wood for a fire.

Just keep holding on. It will pass.

How long could a person be so cold before they froze in place?

A lot longer than this.

I closed my eyes and leaned my forehead against his neck, grateful for the heat of it. I needed to persevere. Just keep putting one foot in front of the next, Amel. I let my mind drift, tired from the concentration of trying to see through the blowing snow. I must have drifted off, even though I was standing, since I was utterly startled when I heard a voice.

“Amel? Is that you? We’ve been looking everywhere!”

I spun around. Lenora’s hair swirled in the wind and the wool cloak she wore - fur lined, of course – flapped like a flag. She held Lypukrm’s reigns and his eyes burned with what I imagined to be angry resentment as he crept forward, lifting his feet high as if the snow stung them.

Oh, you aren’t imagining it. Snow is terrible when you’re hot-blooded.

Behind her, Artis landed in a puff of snow and Olla and Orra were right behind her, their dragons in line like they had been flying in formation.

“Lenora!” I gasped. “What are you doing? You aren’t supposed to be away from the Ruby Isles!”

“I could say the same to you.” Artis had to yell over the wind to be heard as she dismounted and stalked towards us. “Did you think no one would notice you were gone? What in the world do you think you’re doing?”

She crossed her arms over her chest. Would she tap her foot next? Behind her, Olla and Orra landed in the snow, their dragons protesting the cold with loud snorts.

“I can’t just leave Savette with her kidnappers. I have to find her and rescue her.”

“Savette Leedris? She was in your wave, right?”

“Yes.” Despite the cold, I felt my face growing hot. After all, I was the most inexperienced of all of them and a cripple as well. What did I think I could do to save my friend?

You can care. Right now, it looks like you are the only one who does.

“Are you friends?” Lenora asked.

“Yes ... I think.”

“You don’t even know where she is! No one does.” I’d never seen Artis so angry. “You know that we’ll be thrown out of Dragon School, too, if you don’t come back, don’t you? You need to give up this idea and come home with us. Well make up a story for why you left, okay? We’ll make sure that we don’t all have shattered dreams over one little mistake. It isn’t too late.”

“I know where she is.”

“How?”

I looked at Raolcan. He winked. I might as well tell the truth. What other option was there?

“Raolcan read Starie’s mind. She was part of the kidnapping, so she knows where they took Savette.”

Artis said, “Dragon’s don’t read minds.” At the same moment that Lenora said, “Where?”

“In Vanika.” I chose to answer Lenora’s question, but I was puzzled. Why was she so supportive when before she’d been openly hostile to me?

It was her turn to flush as Artis glared at her, too. Olla and Orra joined us, making hand signals to each other that I didn’t know – it wasn’t Dragon Rider sign. It must be their own hand signals.

“Castelan Deneris stands with Castelan Leedris,” Lenora said, twisting her flapping cloak in her hands.

“And that’s why you insisted that we follow her here,” Artis said, her expression turning sour. “It wasn’t just to save all our chances, was it? Maybe we would have been fine if we’d just confessed her disappearance wasn’t our fault, but you insisted we had to bring her back. Did you know what she was doing?”

“I suspected.”

So, she did have a greater reason to help me! Her family was loyal to Savette’s. I’d heard that there were alliances and honor ties between Castelan families, but this was the first time I’d seen one in action.

“And now what, Lenora? You don’t really think I’ll allow you to go with her to Vanika and Daedru Castel? We need to return to the Ruby Isles. Now.”

“We’re all in this together,” Lenora said, her hands twisting in her cloak so that it was one big knot around her. “Now that we’ve come this far, we need to finish what we started and only return with Savette Leedris. They’ll forgive us when they see why we left.”

“They won’t!” Artis looked desperate. “Maybe you think you’ll get off with a warning because you’re a Castelan, but the rest of us are commoners. There is no forgiveness for us. No connections. No pull. We have hard work and a strict adherence to the rules and that is it. You’ve ruined us.” She turned to me. “Both of you have.”

I swallowed, not sure what to say, but Lenora raised her chin and spoke with defiance. “I’m not going with you, Artis. I’m staying with Amel and we’ll rescue Savette together and if you don’t like it then you don’t need to come.”

Artis’s expression looked almost like a snarl, but she spun away from us, rounding on Olla and Orra. “Come on, you two. The adventure’s over.”

Olla shook her head as Orra spoke. “We’re staying with them. We didn’t know what was coming, but we won’t back down from a challenge and this seems like a real adventure, Artis. A damsel in distress? A group of brave friends? You can count us in.”

They shared a smile and Artis stormed away in the snow. She didn’t mount her dragon, though. She just stood there, her back to us, heaving like she was crying or cursing or something else that required every drip of emotion in her veins.

“Did you find the pass?” Lenora asked me.

“Not yet. And I ... I just want to say...” How did you say thank you for something this big?

“You’re thankful. We know. Now, let’s pitch a tent because the storm’s going to get worse before it gets better. We’ll station the dragons around it. Does yours need binding? The new ones usually do.” Lenora looked around her like she was trying to find a spot to tie Raolcan down physically.

“No! He’s fine.”

She nodded curtly and gestured to Olla and Orra. “Get the dragons circled up and we’ll bind yours. I’ll help Amel pitch a tent. It will be tight for five, but warmer that way.”

“Five?” I asked.

“Artis will get over herself and join us when her rage calms down. She’s just mad that you’re risking her life and future. Did you bring food?”

“Yes.” I felt a little lightheaded at the thought. Were they all risking that just to help me?

“Don’t look like that. Anything worth doing is worth risking for. Now, let’s get to work.”

I hobbled over to Raolcan and unsaddled him. Was he okay with this turn of events?

I knew other people would learn to trust you. Enjoy it. It’s well deserved.

I smiled as I worked, not sure what to make of this sudden support, but delighted to have help and the warmth of friendship. The encouragement was even enough to take some of the bite out of my chronic pain. By the time we were done, Artis joined us. She wouldn’t speak or make eye contact with us, but her actions spoke loudly enough. She was on our side.

Chapter Fourteen

We stopped at the edge of the sky city at the command of the guard dragons circling the vast city. I’d barely been able to take a full breath since it came into view. Who could have imagined such a city? Below it, swirling snow covered the ground. Lakes, farmland, and a wide road ran right underneath the sprawling city. Who could walk or ride under there without the terrible dread that the city would come crashing down? And yet, there it sat like a massive mushroom. A single pillar as wide as Dragon School rose up into the air – woven from cords or swirling dragonsteel and glowing with what I was certain was magic. The wide top was broad at the bottom and rose to a peak, tier upon tier like the gardens back on the Ruby Isles.

“It seems impractical,” I’d breathed. “Why build a city in the air?”

It’s the perfect defense. The Dominion is the only nation with dragons. An army can’t touch a city in the air.

It truly did look impregnable. With black dragons circling it constantly in a steady, measured pattern, no one could get through without being stopped and questioned. Did all the people and supplies come by dragon?

Look more carefully.

When I squinted I could see what he meant. Long cables extended to the ground, hauling up bundles of goods and even the occasional basket filled with passengers. My belly lurched at the thought of riding in one. Had Savette’s kidnappers arrived by dragon or had they hauled her up in a basket?

By dragon. They are in the merchant district not far from the dragon cotes.

There were dragon cotes here?

Everything is here if you look hard enough.

My eyes were still wide when Lenora spoke to the guards. I felt tense as their eyes examined each of us and wrote our “names” in their book. What would they have done if I’d followed my original plan and flown here alone?

“They’d arrest you and take you into custody if you appeared in Dragon School grey and brown leathers with no Grandis or Dragon Rider,” Lenora had said just before we settled down by a village nearby. When she returned she had shoe black and silk scarves – enough to disguise ourselves as full Dragon Riders.

“This is worse!” Artis had moaned. “We’ll never get away with it.”

“I’m Castelan Lenora Deneris. If I say I’m a full Dragon Rider, then I am.” Lenora hadn’t paused for a moment as she blackened her brown leathers and tied her scarves on. “The rest of you will need to braid your hair and wear it loose in the traditional way. Don’t talk unless you have to. I’ll do all the negotiating.”

Her negotiation skills were turning out to be as important as the money she’d brought. After a few moments of conversing with a pair of guards mounted on fierce black dragons, she was signaling the rest of us forward. The guards gave us the Dragon Rider salute as we crossed their circle and into the sky city. I returned mine shakily. Both the lie and the excitement of my first sky city were making me feel as skittish as a songbird.

We flew in an arc around the perimeter of the city until we reached the south side where dragon cotes speckled the edge of the city and rose up in tiered heights. Lenora planned to rent spaces for all our dragons and then we would find an inn for the night. I swallowed hard. I wasn’t ready to be away from Raolcan – especially in such a strange place.

We’ll both be fine. They might even have molten honey.

We followed Lenora in formation and waited as she spoke to an attendant on a round platform that extended on a long arm from the cotes. The attendant waved to the cotes and handed Lenora some sort of scrip and then she was signaling for us to follow and pointing to the correct cotes. Mine was right beside hers and Raolcan leapt into it as easily as if we were back on Dragon School.

Steam filled his alcove – piped in from some heat source - and fresh water, hay bedding, and a dinner of raw meat greeted us.

Perfection. Let’s hope they treat you half as well.

He was in good spirits for a dragon on the run.

On the wing.

Ha. Ha.

Remember – merchant district. Look for a blue sign with weigh-scales on it. You will find Savette within.

I dismounted, removed his saddle, rubbed him down with oil, retrieved my things, and bent to kiss his forehead.

“Thank you, Raolcan,” I whispered. “This wouldn’t be happening without you.”

Happy flight, spider.

It was time to find my friend.

Chapter Fifteen

We pushed through the busy streets, Lenora leading the way with a determined look on her face and an aggressive pair of elbows that granted her a passage through the press of bodies. We followed in her wake. I’d never expected to see a Castelan push through crowds like that, but Lenora surprised me in so many ways. I was beginning to realize that her dislike of me wasn’t personal. She didn’t have compassion for anyone. She barely noticed the beggars squatting just outside the busy dragon alcoves. Their ragged clothing and gaunt faces pierced my heart. How did they survive in this strange city? I wished I had coins, so I could give them away.

She might not have compassion, but she does have the intelligence and drive we need to help you find Savette. Stick close to her. Besides, I can tell she’s starting to like you.

He would know better than I would. Dragons were amazing at reading people.

Purple dragons are. Don’t give the rest so much credit.

Not for the first time, I wondered why he hadn’t been snatched up when we were picking dragons.

Lots of reasons. First, we do the choosing and I chose you. I didn’t want to have to live in any of those other minds. I warded them off. Second, not everyone finds us as charming as you do. We don’t listen, can’t be trained, and only fly where we want to fly. You’re just lucky that we always want to go to the same place. Third, there’s no glamour in being Purple. We are messengers, not battle leaders, or the kings of keeps. We don’t lead politics or run hospitals. We are concerned with truth and the declaration of that truth. No one likes that kind of thing.

I did. I needed to concentrate on walking, though, and not be distracted by the inner workings of dragon culture. The walkway was a lace of dragonsteel, which was probably convenient when it rained, since the water would wash right through, and the holes were too small to put a foot through, but you could easily lose a coin or a button through the gaps and I had to take care with my crutch that it didn’t get stuck in one of the holes.

“Hurry,” Artis whispered from in front of me. She seemed nervous in the city and even more uncertain now that Lenora had taken her usual role of leader. I hurried as much as I could while watching every placement of my crutch.

Olla and Orra brought up the rear, their bright eyes everywhere but where they were walking, and who could blame them? The crowded streets were filled with people of every color and costume that I could imagine a human in. They juggled for coins, sold cloth from large stalls, hawked hot pastries or shoe cleaning, or little glass bottles of unknown potions. People talked and argued, pushed through crowds and leaned against buildings, entered taverns and were promptly thrown back out. Above us, sign after sign proclaimed an inn, a tavern or a shop of some kind. I peered into one that had open windows and billows of hot steam coming out. Within, blacksmiths worked. I wondered with horror what might drop through their floor and who in the world would work with hot metal in a city with a webbed-steel floor.

Stop worrying about the magic. It’s not our concern. Look for the sign!

Lenora had stopped up ahead at a stall, fingering fabric and arguing with the woman who sold it. Both of them wore grim expressions, as if they were out to skin the other one and sell her hide instead of the cloth in the stall. Were those cloth dresses? What was she buying dresses for?

I took the moment to catch my breath and take in more of the city. We stood in a square, six roads branching out from it and each of them just as packed and busy as ours. I could hardly make out the signs for all the people, even those that were almost as large as the building they swung from. Whoever made signs here must have a good business. There wasn’t a door in the whole place without a carved wooden sign suspended from chains on a pole above the door. People here took pride in who they were.

Coins finally exchanged hands and Lenora shoved her way through the crowd with a large paper package under one arm. Combined with the bags we all carried from our dragons, it was a sizeable load and it was only her ever-jabbing elbows that carved a path to a door located right in the corner of a building between two of the roads that entered the square. Above the door, a large and slightly aged white sign swayed on its chains with the words, “Proud Rooster” and a picture of the same animal decorating it.

We followed Lenora into what appeared to be a prosperous inn. The common room was clean, large windows looked out over the square, and aside from a few patrons eating at the tables, it was mercifully quiet. An apple-cheeked woman wearing a large white apron bustled out from behind the counter.

“Rooms?” she asked. “I can only spare two.”

“I’d like three, at the very least,” Lenora said with a frown.

“Well, you won’t be getting them. Not here and maybe not anywhere. There is a meeting of Castelans here this fortnight and with all their retainers, guards, and riders there isn’t a room to be spared. These last two are my smallest and poorest and they’ll be gone by seventh bell. But you must know that, being Dragon Riders.”

“How much?” Lenora asked as I looked out the window. I could see another group of Dragon Riders moving toward the inn. If we were taking these rooms, we needed to get upstairs before they arrived and questioned us. We might pass as Dragon Riders to the average person or a harried guard, but we wouldn’t stand up to much scrutiny.

“Two silver. Each.”

Lenora’s mouth opened, but I put a hand hurriedly on her arm. “I think it’s a lovely inn.”

She scowled at me but her scowl disappeared when she looked behind me. She could see the Dragon Riders, too.

“Done.” Her words were almost too fast as she shoved the coins into the surprised innkeeper’s hand. “And we value your silence. We would prefer to keep a low profile while we are here.”

“Of course,” the innkeeper said, reaching for two keys from the hooks behind the counter and giving them to Lenora. “Stew’s included in the price.”

I felt my belly rumble at her words. The stew smelled amazing.

“Thank you, but we need to freshen up first,” Lenora said.

“Of course.”

The innkeeper led us up the stairs to a long narrow corridor and to the doors of a pair of cramped rooms and then bustled off.

“You could be more polite,” Artis said. “Why buy dresses and then hustle us up here?”

“Shhh.” Lenora made the Dragon Rider sign – a circle made with a single forefinger - to follow and then pushed into the first room. We followed her, cramming into the tiny space. With our bags, and even standing, we barely were able to close the door. Lenora checked that the window was shut and then gathered us in to whisper. “If we are discovered by real Dragon Riders or a Castelan, then this is over for us. We need to get out of these clothes and stop drawing so much attention. I bought us plain dresses so that we’ll blend in. Well change and start searching. What are we looking for, Amel?”

“A blue sign with a balanced scale on it. And thank you for the dresses and the inn.”

She shrugged like it didn’t matter. Was she so well-off that she could just buy expensive things without a care?

“We’ll divide up the rooms, dress and then break into two groups to search. Artis, you go with Amel and I’ll take the twins.”

“Fine by me. This is an exciting city,” Olla said, but Artis frowned.

“No. I think this is crazy and we’re all risking too much, but Lenora and Amel, you two got us into this mess. You bunk together and search together or I don’t search at all.”

Lenora sighed dramatically, but she opened the large package, threw three dresses almost at random on the bed and then picked up her other bags and the last two and led the way out into the hall and then into the smaller of the two rooms. I followed, feeling anxious. We’d gotten this far and now we were going to have to prove we’d made the right choice.

Lenora handed me a plain black dress as she shut the door behind me. It was cut in a simple style, but it would be easy to move in. There was a woolen cloak that went with it. Her own dress and cloak were almost an exact match.

“With our similar coloring, we can say we are sisters,” she said.

I stared at her with wide eyes. She certainly seemed at home with this subterfuge.

“Oh, stop looking so surprised.” She almost looked irritated at me. “Why do you think I joined the Dragon Riders in the first place? I like adventure. I don’t like sitting and rotting in the same place forever. Just because I find ignorance frustrating and babysitting an irritating chore doesn’t mean that I won’t help you when you finally have something interesting to contribute. Now, get dressed. We have a city to search and we can’t be caught doing it.”

Chapter Sixteen

“Now what?” I asked as we stared down the street. We’d come to a quieter street – at least by Vanika standards. It was still busy, but if you stopped for too long then people noticed. Along the street, there were seven blue signs. Every one of them had a set of weigh scales drawn on them.

“You tell me,” Lenora said. “You’re the one she talked to.”

No, Raolcan was the one she talked to. Had she shown him anything more than that blue sign?

I saw there were hidden rooms. Do any of the buildings back onto other structures?

They all did. I scanned them while trying to look nonchalant. Lenora was examining a belt buckle at a stall.

“It’s a lovely buckle,” the hawker said, his eyes glittering with a potential sale. The buckle Lenora was holding was brass with a roaring dragon’s head as the emblem. The eyes glittered with yellow glass.

“I’m afraid I can’t afford it,” Lenora said, putting it back.

I think there was a room beneath the surface.

Was that even possible? Wouldn’t people notice it was beneath the lattice? Did the dragons fly underneath very often?

Are you close to where a tier rises?

A tier rose behind the buildings on the left side. We’d climbed up two of them to get to this point, each tier five steps above the one before, a ziggurat rising upwards in the air, its surface encrusted with buildings, people, dragons, and culture.

“Then borrow money from one of the lenders and come back. After all, this is the street of moneylenders,” the hawker scoffed, pointing to the nearest blue sign. So, that’s what they meant!

A perfect disguise. Any number of people could go in and out of a money lender and no one would ask questions. It would also be handy for financing their aims. If there’s a tier nearby someone could build a lower level and tuck it under the edge of a tier. You wouldn’t notice it from underneath unless you were looking for it. It would be very difficult and expensive, though. You’d need to build it of dragonsteel and magic. And you’d need to do it secretly.

Nothing said secret like a money lender. I looked down the street, trying to see if there were any tell-tale signs of a lower level beneath the lattice of the street. It was impossible to tell. Even if there hadn’t been people walking on it, the holes were just too small.

Perhaps at night, if you knew what you were looking for, you would see the glow of lights.

It was worth a try. We’d just have to come back then. I took Lenora’s arm.

“It’s lovely. Let’s come back when we have the money ... sister.”

Lenora frowned but I pulled her along the street.

“It’s below one of these money lenders. Which one, is the question. We can return at night and see if there are any clues.”

“Below? That’s ridiculous!”

I opened my mouth to answer, but instead, it just stayed open as I watched a compact, baldheaded man in Dragon Rider blacks enter the third moneylender on the left-hand side of the street. He ducked in so quickly that it looked like he was fleeing someone. Was that Leng?

Chapter Seventeen

“I’m certain it was Leng,” I said again as I sat on the edge of my cot. I was breathless from trying to keep up with Lenora and she was already pacing a tiny circle in our room at the inn. Did she ever stop moving?

“What would Leng Shardson – a Purple Dragon Rider - be doing here?” she asked.

“Maybe he is looking for Savette, too.”

After all, he’d said he would, didn’t he?

And you should trust him to do it. He is more than he seems. He wouldn’t have been chosen by a Purple dragon if he wasn’t. We are not fools when it comes to people.

Then why did he act so strangely since his illness?

Love does strange things to young men. Even dragons aren’t immune to this.

That was a crazy explanation, but sorting out Leng was more confusing than sorting out our current puzzle.

“Maybe he was just borrowing money,” Lenora said.

“’You should have let me follow him into the money lender’s instead of dragging me back here.”

“And tip our hand? If that one really is where they have your friend our arrival will tip them off. We need to sneak in at night when no one is expecting it.”

“Then we need a plan. I doubt they’ll leave the place unlocked, and I am not a seasoned criminal who knows how to bypass locks.” I chewed my lip. We were so close. There had to be a way.

“Let’s worry about confirming that it’s the right one first, then we’ll figure out what to do next. Right now, I’m hungry. Let’s eat.”

Lenora strode out the door and I leapt to follow her. She truly was an adventurous Green, leaping into our task without any worries about how we would accomplish it.

When we reached the common room, the other girls were just arriving from outside, shaking out their cloaks. From out the wide-paned window, I saw snow swirling through the crowds.

“Why is it so cold here when it was balmy on the Ruby Isles?” Olla complained as we took a seat at one of the tables.

Lenora jabbed her in the ribs with one of her handy elbows, but Artis whispered a real reply. “The ocean is warm, and so are the hot springs of the islands. Some say that a mountain of fire lies beneath them. It makes them warm when the rest of the land is freezing in this unseasonable storm.”

“See? It won’t kill you to tell me things,” Olla said to Lenora.

“Just remember who is paying for your hot food,” Lenora said, waving to the girl who was tending to the tables. She whisked into the kitchen and came out with a tray loaded with stew and bread. Steam swirled up from the bread, filling the air with a mouth-watering smell.

“Are storms like this common here so early in Autumn?” Orra asked Artis. “I didn’t think it would get this cold until much later. It never got like this so early at Dragon School or our home.”

“It’s a freak storm,” Artis said. “Everyone is talking about it. No one’s seen anything like it since our grandfathers’ time. It’s all I heard on the streets and at the stalls. Weren’t you listening?”

“It’s true,” the girl said. “My grandfather says there was a storm this early when he was a child, but we don’t remember one like it. It’s awful strange and I’m worried about what it means for the harvest.”

Once the food was distributed, the girl left and we dug in. The common room was filling up, but our table was in the corner and we had some privacy from listening ears.

“We have good news,” Orra announced. “We found it.”

Lenora and I exchanged a look. They did?

Olla still seemed irritable when she spoke. “There’s a place with a blue sign one street over from here. The only one like it on any of the streets we searched.”

“It turns out that means it’s a money lender,” I said. “There were many in our area.”

“Then how do we know which one to check?” Orra asked.

“We need to watch them at night. By then, normal people will have gone home and we can watch for specific activity.” It was almost certain to be the one that Leng walked into. He must be as hot on the trail as we were. Maybe we should see if we could find him before dark. Would he stay in an inn?

He’s not in the dragon cotes, though Ahlskibi is.

“And what will you do once you find out which it is? We’ll have to sneak in. Do any of the rest of you know how to pick locks?” Orra asked.

“Are you saying that you do?” Lenora looked around as she spoke, clearly worried about being overheard, but no one was looking our way and their own conversations drowned ours out.

“Both of us do,” Olla confirmed. “You know we grew up in a sky city. You don’t think we spent the whole time begging, do you?”

“I didn’t know,” Lenora said.

“Enough.” Artis’ words were cold as the snow outside and her face was grim. “I’ve heard enough. This ends now.”

Lenora waved a hand. “Just be patient until we get Savette back. It will only be a few more days at most.”

Artis leaned forward over the table, her words coming out in almost a hiss. “It was one thing when you suggested that we find Amel and bring her back. That was risky enough. Then to follow her here – that was worse! Now, you’re talking about criminal behavior. I won’t risk everything on your reckless whims! I’ve wanted to be a dragon rider my whole life and you’re stealing my only opportunity. We don’t all have money and important fathers who will save us from our foolishness!”

Lenora’s face colored and she opened her mouth, but Artis was up out of her chair and stalking out the inn door before anyone could say another word. I felt my heart sink. What was she going to do?

Chapter Eighteen

“She’ll be back when she sees how foolish she’s being,” Lenora said, but I didn’t agree. She had the look in her eye of a student who went to ‘tell the teacher.’ She was going to find the nearest Dragon Rider and report us. I was certain of it.

“I’m going back out to watch the moneylenders,” I said.

Lenora grabbed my sleeve. “Don’t do anything stupid.”

I wasn’t going to. I was going to do something smart and hide my gear with Raolcan and then keep my eyes peeled on the streets for Leng, Artis, and anyone who might lead me to Savette. I gave Lenora a tight smile.

“Thank you for dinner.”

They weren’t finished, but I was. I’d come too far to be stopped now. I returned to my room, packed my things, gave the cot a longing look – I’d been looking forward to sleeping in a bed – and made my way through the crowded streets back to the dragon cotes.

The guard at the entrance gave me a strange look, but let me through. I didn’t realize why until I was already at Raolcan’s alcove. I was still in the dress. Should I change and risk standing out in the crowd or should I keep it on and risk standing out when I did Dragon Rider things?

Keep it on. People will underestimate you. That is one of your greatest strengths.

It didn’t sound like much of a strength.

Trust me. No one else knows what a deadly flower you are.

It would be amazing if I was as wise and powerful as Raolcan thought I was – or as wise and powerful as he actually was.

I really am quite amazing.

Would he be willing to watch my things while I went back?

Does a dragon flame?

I took that as a yes, deposited my gear in his alcove, checked his food and water and gave him a kiss on the forehead before I left.

Don’t let anyone see you do that. It would ruin my reputation.

You aren’t bound here, are you?

No one knows I’m in training here.

Good. Who knew if I might need him to fly off and save my bacon?

Knowing you, I will absolutely be needed.

As always, I left Raolcan with a smile on my face. He was the best friend a girl could have. I was willing to bet that there wasn’t another dragon like him in all the world.

There really isn’t.

Okay, I needed to focus. Dusk was falling, but the sky city was like a flower of light, blooming bright in the gathering darkness. Hanging lanterns lit the inns and taverns and even some of the shops and businesses lit the lanterns over their shop doors. Some of the lanterns on the corners had red glass over them, making the light red. I wonder what that signified.

The law. Those are guard stations.

How did he know that?

I listen.

I found the street of moneylenders and made my way to a shaded area to the side of where the belt cart had been earlier in the day. It was easy to see the whole street here, tucked in beside the stairs that led up to a noisy tavern. But it would be hard to see me. I slipped into the shadows and leaned against the wall. Was it dark enough to make out a hidden level yet?

A hand tightened around my arm and I leapt, fear soaring within me.

“Shhhh. It’s just me.”

Lenora! “Where are the rest?”

“You were right about Artis. She came marching into the inn with full Dragon Riders! They grabbed Olla and Orra while I was upstairs. If I hadn’t been quick they would have grabbed me, too.”

Would that have been better? “Maybe you would have been safer if they had.”

“Don’t be a fool. We came here for Savette Leedris. I’m not accustomed to failure.”

That must be nice.

There! Two shadows slipped out of the door that Leng had entered earlier. One was tall and lanky and the other bulky. Were they the moneylenders? Or someone else? If only I knew where Leng was staying. We could use a third person – especially one who new what he was doing.

“Do you see it?” Lenora whispered excitedly. A loud man, drunk already despite the early hour, stumbled past with his friends singing loudly. Why did they have a tavern so close to the moneylenders? Did they expect people to loan money just to come and spend it here?

“See what?”

“The glow. Look at the street and unfocus your eyes.”

Just like she said, I could see a very slight glow beneath the building Leng had entered.  I swallowed, nervous now. With Olla and Orra ‘rescued’ by the Grandis, how would we get in?

“Come on!” Lenora grabbed my arm and pulled me across the street, ducking into the shadows once we got there and then slinking towards the moneylender’s. Unsurprisingly, the door was locked. Lenora tried it three times just to be sure, but I’d never thought that they’d leave it open if they had anything of value within and my friend was valuable.

“Now what?” she asked.

“Now we stop thinking like Castelans and think like servants.”

She snorted. “What good will that do us?”

“Put your hood up.”

I hobbled past her and down the side of the narrow building. It backed up against the lattice of the wall to the next tier, but there was a door at the side and businesses were just closing. I knew what that meant. Someone would be here soon to do the scrubbing. No matter what people were up to, no matter how nefarious or wicked, they still needed someone to scrub. I took a place by the door and waited.

“Now what?”

“Wait and be quiet.”

The waiting seemed to take forever. I had to keep leaning against the wall to keep my leg from falling asleep and every so often Lenora sighed dramatically, but eventually, someone came, bucket and mop in hand and an apron tied tight around her middle. She took a step back when she saw us.

“We were sent to help with the scrubbing tonight. The master wants it done twice as fast so he sent us from the house staff,” I said, hoping our black dresses would pass for servant attire.

“I’m not sharing his coin, that’s for sure. I don’t need help.” She was my age and very thin with a suspicious squint.

“He didn’t say anything about pay. He just told us to do it.” I put a saucy tone into my voice, the way I’d heard other servants argue. There was a hierarchy and long-term bitterness to that role that could be easily faked.

“I clean just fine on my own.” This time she stepped forward and I knew what she was saying. She didn’t mind the help, but she wanted to know if she should take it as an insult. If I coddled her now, she’d be sure it was one.

“It’s not our business what the master says about you and how you drag your heels, is it? We just go where we’re sent. We’ve been busy all day and would like our rest, so let’s be about it.”

Perfect. Her sullen expression told me I’d hit the right note. She unlocked the door quickly and opened it up, lighting a lantern within. I followed her and Lenora was on my heels like she was my shadow.

A pair of guards stood on either side of the door, short swords strapped to their waists and a bored look that vanished when we entered. I swallowed hard. I hadn’t expected guards.

“Who are these, Sal?” one of them asked.

“They’re here to help me finish up faster,” the scrub girl – Sal - said with her nose in the air. “I’m to tell them what to do here, so don’t put your nose into it.”

The guard looked skeptical, but he ignored us, clearly believing her.

Sal turned to us. She had the beady eyes of someone who had lived too much already. “No one cleans the lending floors but me. I won’t have your dirty hands on the glass cases or the valuables.”

“We’re more than good enough to clean the lending floor,” I said, crossing my arms.

“You? A cripple? And this mute? Don’t insult me! You two can clean the backroom and the lavatory. Mind you don’t go through the door in the back. That’s our orders. Polish the handles, sweep, mop and tend to the lavatory. Now, be quick about it. There are extra cleaning things in the lavatory. I see you aren’t responsible enough to have your own.”

She smirked like she’d won something, and I tried to keep my face sour and irritated when inside I was so excited my hands were shaking. We were in. We just needed to get to that back door and hope it wasn’t locked.

Chapter Nineteen

“Is it locked?” Lenora whispered from behind me.

“No.” I pressed my ear to the door, but there were no sounds. Lenora stood in front of me looking furtively down the hall. We’d surveyed the back room and the lavatory – yuck! Other than needing a good cleaning there was nothing in either one to make us think this was anything more than a money lender. There was a strongbox in the back room with three big locks, but we weren’t here to steal. We were here to get back someone who was stolen from us. “I’m going to slip in. Can you watch the corridor?”

Lenora nodded, pushing a broom she’d taken from the lavatory across the floor. She’d clearly never swept a floor in her life.

I eased the door open slowly, hoping it wouldn’t squeak or that light wouldn’t flood an otherwise dark room, and then slipped inside and eased the door closed behind me. I was at the top of a flight of stairs that went down to the right and then jogged sharply to the back the building. Below, a glow of light told me something was going on down there. Voices murmured below, so I crept down, a stair at a time, listening.

“When is Cadra coming back with food? I’m getting hungry.” Corrigan! But hadn’t Prince Rakturan knocked her out in the battle? What was she doing here?

“You need to focus less on physical things and more on the magic I’m teaching you, girl. You make me doubt the trouble we went to in freeing you from the Ruby Isles.” Magika Hectorus! I crept down another stair until I was almost at the turn.

“You had no choice. I knew too much, and they would have questioned me. If you hadn’t spirited me away that very night, who do you think would be in more trouble, you or me?”

“There are other ways to deal with loose ends, Corrigan.” His voice sounded very dangerous. “Don’t mistake my fondness for you for weakness. I will do what I need to for the sake of the Dusk Covenant.”

Dusk Covenant? That sounded promising. Maybe if I listened more I would finally understand who was behind all of this.

“Now,” he said, “Forget the moneylender and concentrate. Pull your power up from the source and let it flare the way I showed you. You saw in your last encounter that fireballs only have so much use. It’s time you focused and learned something else of value.”

It was silent for a moment and then there was a cry of pain and a groan. Who was that? It didn’t sound like Corrigan or Hectorus!

“A bit better, but he is still intact. Try again.”

Were they torturing someone? I swallowed and peeked my head out around the corner in the staircase.

In one glance I could see the whole room below, woven from the same dragon-steel as the street above. Strangely enough, there was an open hole at one end with ragged edges, as if the room was not yet finished being constructed. Beneath it was nothing but darkness, but my stomach lurched as I realized there was nothing beneath it but the ground far, far below. Why would they be down here without even a railing?

A glowing chandelier of candles hung over the room. It lit everything and with horror, I realized who they were torturing.

Leng hung from the wall, his hands fixed above his head in cruel manacles. He moaned and swayed slightly as Corrigan raised her hands to try her magical training on him again. No one had ever told me that Magikas did things like this! Had they been doing this since I saw him this afternoon? He was bloody and battered, his Dragon Rider leathers ripped and worn.

Another moan escaped – not his - and my eyes darted to the other side of the room. Someone was crumpled in the corner there – a girl. Could it be Savette? I didn’t know if I should hope it was or hope it wasn’t with what they were doing to Leng.

I needed Raolcan. I couldn’t save them alone.

I come.

A bang from the building above startled me. Had Lenora seen something? Should I try to scramble back to her or stay where I was? Moving was too risky. Hopefully, she was clever enough to figure out what to say or do on her own.

“That must be Cadra,” Hectorus said. “Go and get your food. We’ll try again when you are done. Maybe you will be more use with a full belly.”

What was I going to do? As soon as Corrigan came up the stairs she would see me! I shrank against the wall, extending my crutch across the stair within the shadow. If I could trip her before she saw me, at least I’d have that much advantage. I could hear her footsteps getting closer.

“And now we’ll show you what a true Magika can do, Dragon Rider. And this time you will tell us who sent you and how much they know about the Dusk Covenant. Tell me, do they know our symbol?”

A cry ripped from Leng’s lungs and I flinched in sympathy. Why were they doing this to him? I should have come sooner. I should have been more prepared. This couldn’t be happening. My breath was coming too quickly. I fought panic as it tried to grip me. Corrigan’s feet were on the stairs. Her skirts rustled as she walked. I had seconds to act.

I held my crutch firm, braced myself and refused to allow myself to think about anything except the task at hand. There was another bang from above us – this one loud enough to send a shudder through the stairway. I tried not to think about what that might mean for Lenora.

“Would you hold your patience?” Corrigan’s tone was frustrated as she sped up just in time. Her foot caught on the crutch and she fell forward, arms wind-milling and face crashing into the step in front of her.

I ripped the crutch out from under her. She moaned, clutching her face, but I didn’t have time to watch. I slid down the steps on my bottom - it was faster this way – crutch clutched in both hands. As soon as I turned the corner I saw Leng, eyes open now and mouth wide in a rictus of pain as the Magika tortured him. Hectorus’ hands were green with rippling lightning bolts tangled around his clutched fists. They extended to Leng’s arm, ripping up and down it, but while Hectorus was unaffected by the ropes of fire, smoke and the smell of burnt meat came from Leng. How could I stop him? I should have brought a weapon.

In the corner, the girl stood on shaky legs, her hands clutching at the lattice of the wall for support. As her dirty hair fell from her face, I saw it was Savette. Her once-fancy dress was torn and dirty beyond recognition, only shreds of it remaining, but her eyes glowed with fire, as if they were reflecting the magic Hectorus was wielding. No, not reflecting. There was something strange...

I threw myself to the ground just in time. Savette raised her hands and from them a burst of blue lightning shot out, striking Hectorus in the chest and flinging him backward. He hit his head against the lattice and slumped to the floor. I rushed to where he was, scrambling through his pockets. A key. There had to be a key in his robes! I needed to unshackle Leng and get them both out of here! And until then I couldn’t afford to feel the injuries they’d been subjected to or the horror of it all.

“Amel?” Savette’s voice was too shrill, like she was barely holding on to sanity.

I can see the addition to the structure. It’s cleverly done. Hard to see from the outside. I’m almost there.

The key! My hand closed over a key ring and I yanked it from Hectorus’ pocket at the same moment that his eyes flickered open. He wasn’t moving yet and I couldn’t wait for him to start.

“Lenora! Get down here!” I yelled and raced to where Leng was, fumbling through the keys to try to find one that might match the lock. I tried not to look at the nasty burns on his left arm or to breathe the smell of his burned flesh too deeply. Poor Leng! I needed to get him out of here now! Was this it? I tried the first key. No.

“Amel?” Savette sounded lost.

“Yes, it’s me, Savette. I’m here for you. Just let me free Leng and I will get you both out of here.”

“Think again!” Corrigan! I risked a glance at her. Both her hands were lit up like holiday lanterns, ready to throw fireballs again. I didn’t have time to worry, or a way to defend myself, so I went back to Leng’s manacles. I tried another key. No. Another key. No. He looked so hurt and vulnerable. How did this happen? Why was he alone doing this when he should have had allies? “Turn around with your hands up or I’ll let these loose.”

Should I flame her? I’m right outside that hole in the floor.

He couldn’t do that without killing us, too. Click. The key worked! Frantically, I unlocked the other manacle, catching Leng’s slumping body as he fell. One of his eyes was open, the other crusted over with blood.

“Amel,” he whispered, like my name was a blessing.

I gripped him harder, bending under his weight, but a second later Savette slipped under his other arm. Her eyes were wild, like she didn’t know what was going on.

“I’m not bluffing,” Corrigan said, but she still hadn’t let the fireballs loose. “There’s no way out of here but through this door.”

I swallowed, edging toward the hole in the floor. If Raolcan could just line himself up under the hole we could drop onto his back.

Risky with all three of you and it doesn’t sound like Savette is tracking right or Leng is in any position to land on a saddle.

It was the only chance we had. Master Hectorus was getting up. He scrambled to his feet, clutching his chest and leaning against the wall. I’d had nightmares about him since he tried to kill me in the woods. They were nowhere near as terrifying as he was in the flesh.

“I mean it!” Corrigan’s voice was shrill as we shuffled towards the hole in the floor. It was just a step away. If we could just make it over there...

The door at the top of the stairs opened with a crash and the sound of feet on the steps broke into our tableau. Corrigan jumped, letting her fireballs go – unintentionally, I was sure as they splashed against the wall where Savette had been, instead of where we were now. The heat of them hurt my skin and they left trails of fire still burning on the wall where they hit. Hopefully, dragonsteel didn’t melt at high heat points.

There wasn’t time for relief. Magika Hectorus’ eyes were focused on us. A green glow blossomed around his hand. Was Raolcan in place?

I’m ready.

“You’re first Savette,” I said, gesturing to the hole. “Raolcan will catch you.”

A flicker of fear passed over her eyes, but whatever they’d done to her here must be worse than what she feared from the fall. Her expression hardened and without hesitation, she leapt through the gash in the floor.

Caught her. She’s badly hurt.

She hadn’t looked hurt.

In her mind.

No time to dwell on that. Green lightning flared from Magika Hectorus’s hand, hitting Leng on his injured arm. He screamed.

Above us on the stairs, Corrigan screamed, too, I glanced up to see someone hit her on the head. She slumped forward.

My gaze met Leng’s for a moment and I mouthed “Raolcan” as I pushed him out of the flames and into the hole. Oh, sweet stars and clouds! Raolcan, please catch him! I felt like my own heart had been flung out into the night with nothing to save it but faith in Raolcan.

Hectorus turned on me, his emerald lightnings racing from his hands. No time to guess or fear. I pushed off with my crutch and stumbled to the hole in the floor, but my gaze traveled up to where Corrigan had been on the stairs. Was Lenora the one who had knocked her off her feet?

As I dropped through the hole, my eyes met those of Prince Rakturan, standing over Corrigan’s fallen form, sword in hand and his bodyguards on either side. He had a quizzical expression as if he were amused by something. What was he doing here?

Cold air whistled around me. There was no sign of Raolcan! I was falling, falling, falling with nothing but a sparkling city above me and the cold hard earth below. I’d made a deadly error. I shouldn’t have leapt-

Brace yourself!

I hit his back spine-first, scrambling to catch his saddle in my hands. I’d lost my crutch in the fall. Strong hands gripped my dress and pulled me firmly onto the saddle. I looked up to see Savette, a vacant look on her face and one hand gripping me, the other reaching to grab onto Leng.

She’d saved me just in time, but I had a sinking feeling that we hadn’t been fast enough to save her.

Continue Amel’s story in Dragon School: Sworn

Behind the Scenes:

USA Today bestselling author, Sarah K. L. Wilson, hails from the rocky Canadian Shield in Northern Ontario where she lives with her husband and two small boys. Her interests include the outdoors, history, and philosophy. Her books are always about fantastical adventures in other worlds.

Sarah would like to thank Harold Trammel and Sarah Brown for their incredible work in beta reading and proofreading this book. Without their big hearts and passion for stories, this book would not be the same.

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Visit Sarah’s website for a complete list of available titles.

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