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“Our deal was that you’d get me out of the castle.”
“I didn’t say when.”
Indeed. The prince could keep him prisoner for some twenty years and still not break their deal. Silly River had not noticed that, surprised by the loose terms of the bargain. Loose forbothof them. Regardless, the important thing was that he was out of that dreadful room, far from whatever thing that had been keeping his magic blocked, and could probably soon find his way out on his own.
They got to a narrow staircase and the prince started descending.
This couldn’t be right. River stopped. “The bridges are upstairs, prince.”
“Exactly. Where all the guards are. Frankly, I don’t underestimate your intelligence that much to think you need help to find the main entrance.” He smiled. “That said, maybe I overestimated it…”
“There’s another way out of the castle?”
“Believe it or not, we are not standing on a bottomless pit.”
True. But that would lead him straight to the magnetite deposit. Even immune to iron, River still dreaded the iron magic in this castle, and whatever was at its base. The thought of descending so far down gave him chills.
Venard then added, “It’s safe. There are no monsters down there.”
“You think I’m scared?”
He shrugged. “I’m just saying. And there’s something else I have to show you.”
This something didn’t sound right either. “You do realize our deal implied that you’d help me leave the castle unharmed, right?”
Venard chuckled. “Afraid I’m leading you to a trap?”
“It’s just a reminder.”
“I need you to see something—to help me. Then I’m taking you to a secret exit. If by any chance you can do your fancy disappearing, go on, but please wait until you see what I have to show you.”
That made River curious.Pleasewas not a word Ancients used, and by itself would only make him less interested in seeing whatever the prince wanted him to see, but his curiosity had been ignited.
Plus, if his magic didn’t return soon, he would indeed need help to find that secret passage.
9
Interrogation
Alost uncle. A lost family. This was something Fel couldn’t have imagined finding when he’d flown to Fernick.
“I…” Words were difficult. What was he meant to say? “… am glad to meet you. To meet you all.”
His uncle Ekateni turned to the other dragon lords. “Let him out.”
“No,” Relia said. “We need to follow procedure. Just a couple of quick questions.”
The man sighed. “Very well. ButIwill question him.” He turned to Fel. “Don’t lie or it will hurt, all right?” His voice was gentle. “Have you met other dragons before?”
There was no reason to try to evade the question—and no point, really. Fel related his encounter with the hostile dragons on the way, then Tzaria and Risomu saving him. He then added, “Before this morning, I didn’t even know I was a dragon. In fact, I didn’t know dragons, real dragons, still existed.”
His uncle frowned. “How did you swap forms?”
“I’m a prince, and responsible for the people of Umbraar. There’s some strange magic in Aluria. There were these things… Like dead bodies coming back to life. We couldn’t save them. I couldn’t save…” He was going to say Leah, but then realized they wouldn’t know who she was. “Anyone.” He decided not to mention his sister yet, at least for now. “I was desperate for fire. Somehow, I figured if I had that power, I could defeat them. And then I felt different, and I had fire, so we won. But it’s not as if I can understand what I did or how I did it. We need help, that’s another reason why I’m here.”
“Dead bodies coming to life?” Relia sounded incredulous.
One of the men in armor shook his head. “That human magic, it’s quite volatile, especially their necromancy. I never liked that magic running loose like that.”
