The Dragon's Slave

Chapter 23

It was dark when I awoke, the sounds of a storm waged outside. Rain and the occasional flash of lightning. Inside the room was black as pitch, even the light from the coals had dissipated. Blankets covered me, I was warm, but not hot as I would expect. Where was Dynarys?

I propped myself onto my elbows, muscles in my shoulders and thighs twinged as I moved. Instantly my thoughts focused on why, which set off a whole new series of aches. I reveled in the memory, and feared it a little. I had gone to him willingly, chosen him, but was I ready for such a thing? A dragon's mate?

Low mutters broke through my reverie, the sound that had awoken me to begin with. I turned my head and squinted. The next flash of light brought a bright blond head into view. Strale. And they had to be discussing our situation.

I felt around myself for my dress, hurriedly. Whatever they discussed I wanted to be part of it. It took a few swipes of my hand against the sheets to remember that my dress had met its demise. I sighed. I wasn't likely to get it on properly in the dark anyway.

Wrapping the sheet about myself I rose and padded over to the doorway.

"...its unwise," Strale was saying. He paused as I neared, likely making out more of my form than I could of his, and inhaled deeply. Could he really smell my new status? I imagined the blond of his eyebrows meeting his hairline in shock.

Instead he simply tilted his head, unsurprised as if I had been a foregone conclusion.

"Congratulations my Lady," his shadow shifted, looking to Dyanrys, "though I am hardly sure this was the time for it."

"Tell the dragon that, I was nearly mad with need."

Strale grunted. "He demands our presence in an hour, it is your choice Dynarys, you know I will follow you to death."

"What's this?" I asked.

"Celcath has demanded a meeting, given the circumstances I do not expect any Amber Lord will be returning from it."

My stomach turned. Until that moment I had pushed away the knowledge of our situation, back into the place I would think about later. A puzzle to sort out. Now lives dangled before me, their remaining time unwinding before my eyes, and real, true fear settled in.

A wisp of it escaped before I remembered my barriers.

"You see," Dynarys insisted. "You must take her to safety. You are the only one I trust with the task Strale."

Strale said nothing for a long moment. "As you command," he paused once more, and then placed a hand on Dyanray's shoulder. "Try to come back alive."

And then he was gone, and Dynarys was closing the door.

"What is going on Dynarys?" I did not like the finality of their speech, or the waver in my own voice.

Dynarys studied me for a long while. I could see nothing, but I could feel his eyes upon me. Then he spoke.

"From the first display of power I did not expect that Celcath planned for the delegation to leave here alive. Fool that I am, so eager for the orb, I did not imagine an underlying fault to his invitation. Nor did I think clearly when I brought you along," he sighed. "I have made a mistake Gayriel, and now I will be lucky if it does not cost all of our lives."

His words were sure, and laced with self hatred.

I did not believe he owned the fault he was placing upon himself, but I was curious about one thing.

"What is the orb, why risk for it in the first place?"

For a time I thought Dynarys would not answer me. He moved into my space, backing me toward the bed, forcing us down until we lay next to one another. Large arms wrapped around me, holding me close, his hand stroking my back. There he held me, clutching me to him as though he held the world.

"I never thought to find you," he admitted. "My mother," he chuckled bitterly, "I was told I would not have a mate, that even if my dragon chose none would want me, not as a half breed. Yet, here you are," soft lips met my forehead.

I was confused by the admission. How could anyone not want him? Six, I wanted him now, in the moments before almost certain death.

"The orb would have been my redemption. The bright light of our people. A way to view the Quatari with certainty, and even, if rumor is true, communicate with the evil."

I sprung upward, or I tried to; Dynarys held me close. Grim had hinted of such things, that the shifters had bargained with the creatures.

"Why in all the realms would you want that? To make deals with them?"

"I do not want that Gayriel, the Quatori have no honor. There is no bargain that will hold them, despite what the humans once thought, and what some think now. But dragons are at a distinct disadvantage, we might have the strength to counter them physically, but with them invisible to our senses we are vulnerable. Three weeks before you came several Quatori were let into the aerie, they were destroyed before they fed, but two dragons nearly lost their mates."

"You are certain they did not find a weakness in the wall?" Why would any one let them in.

I felt him shake his head. "They had to be let in, the walls have kept them out for a thousand years."

"Then Kurath too," I settled against him again, thinking.

"Yes, then Kurath. And if Scet scents him around here then his guess is logical that someone on the delegation is the traitor. The Archon believed one of the shifters betrayed us, but now..." he trailed off.

"So you need the orb to root out those unloyal?"

"As much as we need it to level Celath and the onyx aerie. The dragon bloodlines have never been fully at peace, it would spell doom for the Amber Dragons to allow the Onyx aerie to continue its path of destruction."

"How did they get it in the first place? Are there more?"

"It is unkown. Until recently the orbs were thought to be myth."

"Then how do you know Celcath even has one?" I turned to look at him. What if this entire delegation had been for nothing?

"The Amber Aerie is not the only Aerie with troubles. Spies abound in the Onyx aerie as well."

Politics.

Yet humans were no different. Not in the streets, and not the nobles. I lay thinking for long moments. There had to be a way, to secure peace, or at least our lives.

"If I were able to retrieve the orb..."

Dynarys sat upright, tumbling me to the bed. "Absolutely not. You will take no more risks," he growled, instantly angry.

"But wasn't that what I was brought for?" I sat up.

"And it was stupid, this entire delegation was foolish. Have you not been listening? I will not have your death upon my head too," he paced the floor, his footfalls punctuating his words. "I will go to Celcath's meeting, and if I can I will create a diversion so large that you will not be missed. You," he leaned in, crowding me with his body. An intimidation tactic...but it worked, "will obey Strale, he will deliver you to Scet, outside the aerie walls. You will stay safe, Gayriel, I cannot have it otherwise."

My mind whirled. He refused my aid, but he needed it. I had just as much right to want him safe as he had to see me safe.

"Promise me," he leaned forward, forehead against mine. His eyes burned with his demand. "You will find safety. Then, if I survive, I will come for you."

I met his eyes directly, "I promise."

But I lied.