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“I will use whatever force is necessary to bring Lady Mossi and her impudent nephew to heel,” Lady Axlya said smoothly. She pinned Prentis with an icy stare. “Any objections, Lord Prentis?”
“I will do as you command,” Prentis said, bowing his head. But even as the words came out of his mouth, he wondered just what he’d gotten himself into. He prayed that the negotiations were successful, because if they had to go to war and the Houses were prepared to use such deadly magic, he wasn’t sure the kingdom would survive.
9
Adara
Three days later
“I have to say,” Quye said as we mounted up, “my ass has never been so sore in my life.”
The priest—who was already astride his camel—gave Quye a scandalized look, but I just shook my head and laughed. “Riding is a great way to develop your muscles,” I said as I swung my leg over my mount. Privately, I had to admit I was sore as well. It had taken me a few days to get used to the camel’s odd side-to-side gait, which was very different from a horse’s, not to mention its strange, lumpy back. “And no offense, Quye, but you could use some work in that department.”
Quye huffed as she lifted her slender arms and pushed up her sleeves. “I have muscles,” she said, flexing her pitiful biceps. When I merely raised an eyebrow, she snorted and dropped her arms back to her sides. “Fine, I don’t have muscles, but who needs them when you can command the winds to do your bidding instead?”
That was a fair point, I thought to myself as we set out across the desert. Part of the reason I’d trained so hard as a warrior was because I’d never been able to use my magic. Would I have spent so much time on strength and conditioning if I’d been able to wield my powers from the get-go?
Who are you kidding?a voice in my head snarked.If you’d been using your magic, King Aolis would have snatched you up and turned you into a child bride. You’d have been locked up in Kaipei Castle and groomed into being his puppet.
The very thought of that fate made me shudder, and for the first time, I found myself grateful that Olette and Gelsyne had bound my powers when I was born. True, I still wished my mother would have told me the truth instead of leaving me blind to the threat hanging over my head. But at least I’d been raised by a parent who loved me and genuinely cared for my well-being, and not a mad king who only wanted to use me as a tool to maintain his shaky hold on the kingdom he’d failed.
Our journey through the desert had been fairly silent—the only person Quye and I could talk to was Hamond, the priest traveling with us. He’d been assigned to take us to Kemet-Nefer by High Priest Iman, who had informed us that though he wished he could escort us to the capital personally, he had to remain at the temple. Unfortunately, Hamond was just as tight-lipped as Iman, and since he refused to give us any information about the dragons and their whereabouts, Quye and I had decided to keep our own counsel. If they didn’t trust us, that meant we couldn’t trust them, either.
“Look,” Hamond told us as we climbed yet another sand dune. “You will see the city when we get to the top.”
We crested the sand dune, and Quye let out a low whistle as we beheld Kemet-Nefer for the first time. The city was split down the middle by a majestic river, its shimmering waters reflecting the teal sky above. In its center, a limestone palace sat, tall and proud and gleaming like a star fallen to the earth. Even from this distance, I could see the golden ornaments and gemstones that adorned the walls and towers, glittering beneath the rays of the powerful sun.
The buildings on each side of the river seemed so different, they looked like they were two separate cities. On the west side, sundried brick buildings gathered, almost blending into the sandy landscape save for the smoke rising from their chimneys. To the east, the buildings were more majestic—grand temple and pyramids decorated with precious stones and metal reaching toward the sky.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a massive city in my life,” I muttered to Quye, trying not to make my astonishment too obvious.
“You could fit Wynth in there four times over,” she agreed, shaking her head. “These people must procreate at a much faster rate than we fae, if they can justify having such large cities.”
It took us another three hours to reach the city, and by the time we stood before the city gates, I was exhausted and struggling not to sway in my saddle. Shaking off the fatigue, I craned my neck to take in the massive gates, which were at least thirty feet tall. They were made of sandstone blocks reinforced with iron bands, and adorned with carvings of the crocodile god as well as other figures I didn’t recognize, but assumed were deities. The gatehouse itself was an impressive structure, with several levels, and arrow slits for watchful archers to defend their city. Beyond, I could see the hustle and bustle of the city, hear merchants hawking their wares and animals braying, and smell the musky scents of sweat and spices.
The guards standing watch at the top of the gatehouse stared at us in open astonishment, the grips on their spears growing slack as they took in me and Quye. One of them shouted down to Hamond, who shouted back, presumably to explain who we were. The guards exchanged glances, and after a brief discussion, one of them left his post and ran off into the city.
“He is informing the temple of our arrival,” Hamond explained as the remaining guards waved us through. We passed through the gates and onto a paved road, and he smirked a little as I craned my neck, twisting this way and that to take into the city. “The capital is impressive, is it not?”
I nodded, too busy taking it all in to speak. The streets were packed with people, horse-like creatures with long ears and short legs, and carts carrying goods to and from the market. We ventured deeper, following the winding roads past the clay and sandstone buildings, many of which were adorned with ornate carvings and paintings. This was a residential area, the air filled with the scents of cooking fires and incense from personal altars, but as we continued down the street into the artisan, the scents changed to wood smoke, leather and clay.
“Ooh,” Quye said, her eyes sparkling as she drifted toward a jewelry store. Intricate pieces dangled behind the glass storefront, tantalizing her with their natural gems and minerals, and her gaze landed on an ornate butterfly necklace made of gold and lapis lazuli.
“Not now,” I said firmly, grabbing the reins of her mount. I pulled her away from the shop before we lost Hamond, who was already five steps ahead and disappearing into the crowd. “We have a temple priest to visit.”
“It’s so pretty though!” Quye whined as I led her away. “Can’t we just—”
I stopped in my tracks, the rest of whatever she was about to say fading away at the sight of the two well-dressed males walking along the street toward us. The shorter one looked much like everyone else we’d seen so far, with tanned skin and golden hair, but the male he was talking to stood out like an oasis in the desert. He was a good head taller than his companion, with flame colored hair that would have been unusual enough in these parts. His gaze flicked toward mine, and my breath caught as his golden eyes flew wide open at the sight of us.
There was no mistaking it—he was a dragon.
“Wait!” I cried, even as the two males walked down a side street. I yanked on the reins, pulling my camel to an unceremonious halt and causing a bit of a stir as I leaped off my mount. Hamond yelled after me, but I ignored him as I dashed down the side street and straight into a bazaar. The narrow street was full to bursting with colorful stalls, people shouting and jostling each other as they haggled, and they barely even seemed to notice me. Struggling to get through the crush, I scanned the crowds for any sign of the flame-haired man, but there was no sight of him.
I felt something brush my hip, and my hand instinctively darted toward it. My fingers latched onto a wrist, and I looked down to see a small boy staring fearfully up at me, his face pale beneath his tanned skin. He clutched a pouch in his hand—the same pouch I’d tied around my belt this morning after stuffing it with a few pieces of dried jerky.
“Keep it,” I said with a sigh, releasing his hand. He darted off immediately, and I shook my head, returning to the main boulevard.
“Miss!” Hamond shouted as he caught sight of me. He and Quye were still on their mounts, and he clutched the reins of my abandoned camel in a white-knuckled fist. His expression was torn between relief and anger as I approached, thick brows drawn into a thunderous scowl. “Miss Adara, you cannot run off like that by yourself! Kemet-Nefer is not a safe place for a foreigner to walk around alone. There are pickpockets and thieves looking for targets just like you!”
