“It was a battle strategy to get some of us into Dragonia. Even though he believed we were on his side, the Lord never trusted us enough to allow too many of us into that realm. I was working on a way around that. It wouldn’t work now. We don’t have enough men—”
“We will get them,” Orin interjected.
Del ignored him as he continued. “And it wasn’t complete. I still have many details to hammer out.”
“You work on that,” Cole said, and Del nodded.
“How long do you think the Lord will back off after you give him your brothers?” Lexi asked.
“Not long.”
“And then what?” Brokk asked.
“By then, Lexi should be experiencing her powers. We’ll have to figure out how to get her around a dragon,” Orin said.
“What?” Lexi blurted.
“We have to see how they’ll react to you once you have your powers,” Orin said.
“That’s not going to happen,” Cole said.
Orin lowered his arm from the mantle. “It has to happen. Without them, the Lord only has the power of the throne, and that’s not enough for him to keep control of the realm.”
“That throne is what helps him control the dragons.”
“Is it? Or do they follow him because he sits on it and they haven’t encountered an arach in a thousand years? How will the dragons react when they feel an arach in their presence? Will they still follow him, or will they followher? We have to figure out how to catch one, and then we’ll send her in to introduce herself.”
“Have you lost yourfuckingmind?” Cole demanded. “That’snotgoing to happen.”
“Why not? Once her powers are active, she’ll be immune to their fire.”
“They could stilleather,” Del said.
“What are the odds of that happening?” Orin inquired.
“One. Ate. Your.Father,” Sahira said slowly.
“Eh, Tomato, Tomahto.”
“You’re an asshole,” Brokk said.
“You know you’re curious about what would happen too,” Orin retorted.
“So am I,” Lexi said. “He’s right. It’s something I have to know; we all do.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Lexi couldn’t believeshe’d said that. Was she really talking about putting herself in the path of adragon?
Though the dragons had always fascinated her, they also petrified her when she saw them in Dragonia. They were amazing, but so was life, and she was not in the mood to be some dragon’s meal.
However, there was no other choice. When the potion wore off, if she possessed powers that would help them defeat the Lord, she had to figure them out.
And if it took throwing herself into the path of a dragon to do so, then so be it.
“I don’t like this,” Cole said.
“Relax, brother, it won’t be until she’s more powerful,” Orin said.
