Page 133 of Courting the Dragon King

Two warrior monks grabbed Konrad. He yelled and thrashed as he tried to break free of their grips. They dragged him onto the stone.

“No!” Wraith shouted. He tried to stand, but the pain returned, tearing through his skull and body. Umbra whimpered and rubbed against him.

“Grand Shield, end his life. Quickly now. My patience has greatly diminished.” The grand monk marched to the side of the altar. He stepped over the high priestess’s torso, not even glancing at her bloodied form.

Then he looked at the necromancers still alive. “Get ready to bring him back as a bone dragon,” the grand monk snapped.

The grand shield lifted her sword above Konrad. Umbra barked, but Wraith’s orders kept her bound and unable to attack.

“No! No! No!” Wraith shook his head. “You can’t.” He forced himself to stand.

Immediately the pain returned, but he kept his feet under him. Gritting his teeth, Wraith took a step. His vision blurred. He choked. Agony like knives jabbed into his skull. He tasted blood. With a gasp, he collapsed onto the stone floor, breathing heavily.

Then, from the corner of Wraith’s eye, he saw orange and gold. He turned his head.

The East Tower blazed. Flames lapped up at the sides of the building. Smoke bellowed into the sky.

King Alaric had done it. He’d set fire to the tower. But will it be enough? Will it set us free?

Clara cried out. She ran to the window. “The East Tower is on fire!”

King Alaric circled the tower, spewing more and more dragonfire. Leon and Senta followed him. They shot dragonfire at the dead dragon king. But it just passed through him and hit the East Tower, adding to the flames.

Monks ran to the window. The grand shield lowered her sword, eyes wide and mouth open.

“What? How?” The grand monk took four steps away from the altar and towards the window.

But the two warrior monks holding Konrad down remained in place.

Slowly, Wraith rose, testing the control of the grand monk.

There was no pain. He stepped forward. Still no pain. The monks continued looking out the window, captivated by the sight of the blazing tower.

Wraith crept forward, as quietly as he could. He picked up his aunt’s fallen dagger. The monks holding down Konrad were too focused on looking out the window to notice him.

“Umbra,” he whispered. “Attack now. Distract the grand monk. Approach him from the opposite direction to me.”

She winked out of sight. Two seconds later, she reappeared on the other side of the grand monk. She lunged at him and bit the hem of the grand monk’s beige robes. She growled, and she tugged and pulled.

The grand monk let out a startled cry. He grabbed his robes, trying to pull them free. “Get off me, you beast!”

Konrad thrashed on the stone altar, trying to get free. The warrior monks struggled to hold him down.

Sweat pebbling on his skin, Wraith sprinted forward. If the scrolls had been destroyed and he was free, then he should be able to do this. But if he wasn’t free, then he was about to die a painful and horrible death.

Wraith lifted the dagger. With a cry, he plunged it into the grand monk’s spine, right at the base of his neck.

The grand monk made a garbled hacking sound. He lurched forward. His hand reached back for the dagger. His fingers scrabbled at the hilt, finding no purchase. Blood dripped and soaked his beige robes.

He took three unsteady steps, then fell forward, landing flat on his face.

Wraith exhaled. He’d done it. He’d killed the grand monk!

And Wraith was still alive! He let out a laugh.

It worked! Burning the scrolls set us free!

Then Wraith realised the monks who’d run to the window had turned. They stared at him as he stood over their dead grand monk.