Dragon Blood (Completed)

The Good Royal

Chapter 7

"Still no sign of them?" Titus asked the next day when he found Zane still sitting on the low wall.

"No. Dean came out for food last night. Maze gave him some medicines to take back to the queen."

"That's good."

"She is not doing well, but we can't get to them. Dean said only a Bluescale could find them."

"You are very concerned about the queen," Titus mused, looking down into the deceptively still waters.

"So much depends on her." Zane shook his head at the enormous value of the lives of the two children.

"Yes, but I think it's important that you remember your responsibilities lie elsewhere."

"Dean is starting to trust me, and I only want to do what is best for the realm." Zane sighed. "He said they didn't trust grown-ups."

"What makes you think he will trust you?" Titus looked at Zane, studying him with his sharp black eyes while he stroked his thick beard. "What happened that you're not telling me about?"

Zane looked down at the water. It was a full minute before he said, "I almost killed her."

"You can't beat yourself up over that. It was an accident."

"No. Before, in the waterway. I didn't realize at first that she was a Bluescale, or that she had gone into the water with me. I was drowning—I was dying. I've never been so scared or desperate for a breath.

"Then she was there breathing for me, giving me air. It was just one breath, but it gave me back my strength. In that moment, all I could think about was how much I wanted more.

"I forced her back to me, just so I could take what she was trying to give me, only I took too much. I took all the air she had and blocked her ability to get more. She passed out for a few seconds, and when she came to, I was running out of air again. She could have let me die, but again she saved me. Even knowing I was willing to kill her to save myself."

Zane looked down at his hands, remembering how they had grabbed her so violently.

"At some point in our lives, we all have to face the darkness within ourselves." Titus put his hand on Zane's shoulder in a rare, fatherly gesture. "Don't let this new self-awareness distract you from the good things in your life."

The good things his father spoke of, Zane had pushed from his mind. Now the thought was not happy at all. What once made him smile a few days ago now brought a feeling of unease and dread.

His sweet beautiful Lavender, who would never hurt anyone. What would she think of him when he told her about this? Would she still love him? Or would she be ashamed of his weakness, frightened of this darkness he was capable of?

The thought made him almost as uneasy as the thought of Paige lying in some hidden dingy hole, bleeding and in pain, while poor little Dean sat by just as helpless as Zane.

The day passed slowly with Zane jumping at every noise, hoping Dean had returned. Zane made a special trip to talk to Byran about his encounter with Dean. He made a request that the night guards be changed out for Bluescales' youngest looking members, explaining Dean's distrust of adults. Byran had assured Zane he would make some changes.