AllFreeNovel
Share Us
DharSii froze in front of Wistala.
“You! You live,” he said.
“I was rescued by the Firemaids,” Wistala said. “They brought me here.”
“I . . . I am relieved.”
Takea slid off her back with a thud, righted herself, shaking her head.
“I have oathed myself to the Firemaids,” Wistala said. “To repay my debt.”
“Add impressed to relieved, then,” DharSii said. “I tried to tell you, once, years ago. Not that it would have aided your purpose. The dragons here aren’t much interested in the surface, except as a source of food and slaves.”
“Who does he speak to, there?” Nilrasha asked.
Ayafeeia, who had a longer neck than most, raised her head. “That’s Wistala, here for her presentation.”
“What was that name?” the Tyr asked.
DharSii gave a brief bow and stalked toward the door, as stiff as though someone had plunged a spear into him, Wistala thought. His tail just brushed her across the base of her neck as he passed.
She watched every step, every swing of the neck as he left, but he did not look back.
“What did you say was—” the Tyr asked, but the growl of conversation smothered the rest of his words.
“My name is Wistala,” Wistala said. “Daugter of AuRel and Irelia, granddaughter of AuRye the Red and EmLar the Gray.”
Another babble broke out. “EmLar? Didn’t explore . . .”
She pushed forward in earnest, felt a slight thump as Takea landed on her back again.
“AuRye,” someone murmured. “Weren’t he and his mate in that back-to-nature cult?”
“No. They fled the civil war when Sofol hill was burned out . . .”
“Anklene, wasn’t his mate?”
She stared at her brother. “My Tyr,” she said.
“Welcome to the Lavadome, Firemaid,” her brother replied.
Nilrasha glanced from one to the other, as did Ayafeeia. Wistala couldn’t say whether she enjoyed the moment or loathed it. Her emotions were buffeted as though by a fierce spring thunderstorm.
“Why, look at their snouts and teeth. They might be—” Nilrasha said aloud, but the words ceased as though snapped off like a brittle twig. Wistala felt the mind-speech more than she heard it.>Wistala had eyes only for DharSii.
“Have a mouthful of gold, visitor,” Queen Nilrasha said. A few gasped, and the old silver-blue rattled his griff.
“More oliban, there,” NoSohoth said quietly, but Wistala was near enough to overhear. Hearts pounding, she wished he’d shift his great black bulk so she could see better.
DharSii’s horned head dipped and he pecked at the pile of gold at the base of the throne like a bird taking an insect.
“Thank you, Queen.”
Another big, multi-horned blue dragon, griff down and scales bristling, planted his saa in an effort to still a thrashing tail. “How dare such as you—”
“Quiet,” NoSohoth barked.
“Like that scalepainter ever tasted blood and sand in the dueling pit,” the old blue grumbled.
