Chapter 17
Zane and Ryder headed down to the guard station just after dark to wait for Paige. She'd sent word to them of the time she would be ready. She showed up in the clothes she'd been wearing when she'd arrived in Ethiolan—the high brown boots and ripped jacket. As she got closer, Zane noticed that even her eyes were the same brown as the night she'd arrived.
The guard station was built from the same rough cut stones that fortified the vaults under the castle. Entering through the interior, he found a rich, sandy colored wood. A narrow hall with some offices and impromptu sleeping quarters for the guards led to the main area of where a large room held a cell, fireplace, tables, and chairs.
They were shown to a back room without a word. Paige was seated in a chair near the open door where they could hear the guards talking in the next room. Byran left the room, and a moment later, they heard a loud bang, then Byran yelled at the prisoner.
"Tell me who sent you?"
The prisoner responded in his language and Paige smiled, as if she was the winner at some dangerous game that didn't necessarily mean winning was good thing. She nodded to Zane, who'd been watching her intently.
A moment later, Byran came in and Paige motioned for everyone to go outside. "I wanted to make sure it was English. They have so many languages in the Earth realm, it would be impossible for me to communicate with him if he spoke something else."
"Would you like to question him? I can guarantee your safety, My Queen," Byran offered.
"I don't think he'll tell me anything if I question him, at least not directly."
"What do you have in mind?" Byran asked.
"Arrest me." She held her hands out to Byran.
"Excuse me?"
"If he thinks we're on the same side he'll talk to me. He'll tell me more if he doesn't know who I am."
"Did he see her today, standing on her balcony before the attack? What if he recognizes you?" Zane asked.
"No, the angle of the weapon was not in a position to see the queen's balcony from where he was," Byran informed.
"So what do you want us to do? Chain you to a chair and walk away?" Ryder asked.
"No, I want you to treat me like a criminal and throw me in the cell with him."
"Absolutely not," Zane fumed.
"Zane, it's the fastest way to trick him into trusting me."
"What if he figures it out? He'll attack you."
"I'll stay close to the bars so the guards can reach me if he tries anything."
"No, it's too risky. You're too weak to fend off any sort of attack if things don't work out," Zane warned.
"I'm dying, not dead." She looked Zane in the eye. "I have to make the hard choices and do what's right for the whole, not just what's best for me. I have to do everything in my power to make sure this place is safe for Dean before I go."
"Very noble, Paige, but—"
"It's stupid," Ryder interrupted. "You are the last Bluescale Queen, and the only dual-natured in a thousand years. We can't allow you to take such a risk."
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Dragon Blood (Completed)
Fantasy"He's dead, and we're all going to die." The words haunted Zane, their truth could not be denied. His days and those of every other dragon in Ethiolan were numbered. Seven months was the best he could hope for after that he knew there would be no h...
