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Chapter 20
“Help!” I shouted, my shoulders aching, unable to support Shadow’s weight. I let him slide onto the closed bridge leading to the dragon’s castle.
For the last league, Phantom and I had carried him up the mountain. Flare had tried for a while, but the effort had split open one of his wounds, forcing me to take over. The bandages, fire, my warmth—none of it had worked to ward off Shadow’s infection. More than ever, he needed the lavender lily to combat his festering wounds. I prayed the dragon king had some.
But something was amiss with the dragon kingdom. Villages half a league down the mountain, usually full of dragon folk, were empty. Wind whistled eerily through the abandoned courtyard outside the castle in the mountain. A closed drawbridge prevented access. Flames burning atop the dragon’s keep signaled war if lit during the day. Soldiers glowered at me from their positions along the wall. Strings on bows creaked as soldiers pulled them taut and aimed them at the shifters and me. Above us, the pack of crows that had trailed us for the last two leagues circled the dragon’s fortress.
Whenever my father and I had visited the dragon kingdom, parades of people had waited for us along the bridge, waving flags and scarves, throwing flower petals, and even playing music.
“I thought you said the king was your friend.” Flare’s voice held a nervous edge from his position behind me.
“He is,” I replied, wondering if word of my father’s murder and how my stepmother had blamed me had reached the dragon king. Surely, our old friend would never believe such lies?
Phantom ran his hands along the stonework of the bridge. “Third era masonry. Look at the sanding edges. The cuts to the bricks.”
Now wasn’t the time to admire the palace’s history. We needed to send word to the king. The crow’s caw grew louder when I grabbed the ring on the gate and rapped it several times. A soldier, his eyes wary and hooded, as if he had not slept the night, answered my call, sliding open the panel. The birds flew off, as if spooked by the prospect of the dragon king’s impending approach.
Scales across the soldier’s forehead glinted in the light. “Who are you, and what is the reason for your call?” His voice was as rough as his weary face.
“I am Snow,” I replied, “rightful ward of Tritonia and a friend of the dragon king. My friends and I are injured and in need of his mercy. I must speak with him.”
The soldier ran a critical eye over us all. “We were not sent word of your arrival. Our orders are not to let anyone in.”
I jerked as he slammed the panel shut.
“Maybe we should try our luck back at the village,” Phantom suggested. “Search for some medicine.”
“No,” I said. “Shadow won’t make it if we have to travel back. We’re all exhausted and need rest.”
I glanced up at the soldiers ready to shoot us with arrows.
“Tell the king I bring word of my slain father,” I shouted. “The king will be most displeased if you do not tell him of his dear friend’s passing.”
Two soldiers conversed above, and then one disappeared, hopefully passing on a message to my old friend.
Shadow’s head lolled, and he groaned. Sweat dripped from his forehead, and his skin burned to the touch. I didn’t think he had properly healed from his arm injury.
“He’ll come,” I whispered to him.
Some time later, I heard levers on the gate being pulled, chains jingling, and mechanisms clacking as the gate lowered.
Thank the sea god!
Shadow groaned.
But a hollow feeling still camped in my stomach. Something about this situation didn’t sit right.
A slimy-looking fellow with thin, greasy hair and purple-rimmed eyes greeted us. By all accounts, he looked just as ill as Shadow, with pale skin tinged bluish. The dragon badge clipped to his cape indicated his rank of king’s liege, but I didn’t recall this man from my previous visits.
He rolled his arm downward and bent over in greeting. “To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit, dear wardess?” he hissed, reminding me of a snake. “These are perilous times. One must not be on the roads with so few guards.”
Shivers raked down my back. Something about him made my instincts react, standing sharp and alert. “I request an audience with the king. My men and I require healers and medicine if he can spare them.”
The liege’s eyes narrowed, scanning my men and me. “Nasty injuries indeed. How did you come upon them?”
What was with all his questions? “Are you going to let us in or not?”
His lips twitched with the hint of a smile as he said, “Of course. This way.” He gestured for us to follow him.
