The Dragon's Slave

Chapter 25

Before you read this chapter I just want to thank each and every one of my readers who have made it this far.  Thank you for reading. Thank you for voting. And thank you for commenting. Without you I would have given up long ago. The support you have shown is certainly something else.

We are heading into the climax now and this being a first draft I am hoping the storyline stays together enough to make sense. There's a good chance I will have some adjusting to do in earlier chapters for the next draft so please bear with me. :)

Grim. I knew that man was trouble. All his talk about the shifters, and their evil, and it turned out he was the snake in the eagle's nest.

I looked at the woman again. She was a passive thing, and the markings on her face angered me. What right did he have? Simply because she was weaker? And my guess was the visible injuries were only part of her troubles.

"What is your name?" I asked.

"Beska, Lady," she winced as I let go of her chin and grabbed her arm, hauling her upright. The stairs were not a safe place for her to hide, and I planned to give her a chance to retrieve some of her lost power.

"Beska, I have something to tell you," we began ascending the stairwell. It remained abandoned and a fear grew within me that the many servants and women-statues had succumbed to death by Quatori. I halted three steps up, my heart hammering with realization.

I could succumb to death by Quatori. How would I even know they were about? My mind replayed the scene from the forest, the shifter being bled dry. And I froze. Fear, such great fear came upon me. More than ever before I felt death closing in. I struggled with my breathing, and the desperate sob that suddenly wanted to escape. What was I doing?

A soft hand brushed mine, Beska. Pale blue eyes looked up at me, dull with pain and trauma, but reassuring none the less. And in that space, suddenly our positions were reversed.

I had been wrong. She was not weak, not at all.

And I couldn't be either. Dynarys was counting on me. He didn't know it, but he was. That orb could not be in Grim's hands. In fact, I was coming to believe it should never be in anyone's hands. And if I found the blasted thing, the first thing I would do would be to destroy it.

And Beska counted on me too, it was my fault she was here. My lie that drew her to the tower. And I would fix it.

"Wait here," I commanded.

I hefted the dagger, no longer idle at my side. How stupid I had been to run across the aerie and through the main hall thinking I was safe. What I wouldn't give for Scet by my side now, or even Illaise, assuming she wouldn't simply feed me to the creatures. But Scet waited without, in the forest somewhere, where I should be right now.

I gave my head a physical shake. Should have been was not going to do me any good. I needed my wits about me.

Working quickly I dislodged the first lantern I came across that still fluttered and hung upon the wall. The hook was a little high for me, built for those of taller stature, and some of the oil dribbled out as I worked the lantern off. Then I moved down the wall to a second light.

Three lanterns and a dagger was really too much to hold, but I felt much safer once I had gathered them. Besides, Beska would need one too. I pushed the wicks upward, so they glowed as brightly as they would. Then, having as much light as I could procure I returned to the staircase. It wasn't very sneaky, running around like a blazing sun, but at the moment it was the less dangerous option.

"Take this," I handed Beska one of the lights.

Beska took the handle. Her pale eyes regarded me from above the glowing light.