AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The manacles can’t hold me but the realization that there is no victory here that doesn’t result in devastation can.
And then I realize the comments by Brantley at the summit were not chance conversation. The man plans rebellion. He thought, perhaps, to accomplish his vision for the world through marriage of his daughter to me. Now, though, he intends to use force to accomplish his aims. I am his hostage, I suppose, and he thinks to use me to manipulate my father.
My father will not be manipulated.
He will lead dragons to attack Brantley.
This will be devastating and Brantley’s intention isn’t to avoid the devastation, but to survive and fill the power gap. Were my father to lead others to war, he will instantly stand on tenuous ground when it comes to the support of his subjects. Think of it this way. There were very significant and powerful reasons for using nuclear weapons against Japan in World War II. They instantly ended the war and did so in a way that most certainly saved more than were killed.
But faced with that kind of destruction and the realization of it, nobody sees past the act itself. When was the last time you ever heard anyone refer to that decision in a positive light? I’m not talking about just how the Japanese people feel about it. When was the last time you heard an American compliment the choice?
The regret over Fat Man and Little Boy is nothing compared to the devastation a war between dragons would create in the hearts of dragon kind. Even with Brantley taking me hostage, my father would be considered the aggressor because he would engage in the first violent act while in dragon form. This is, actually, a brilliant plan. It is a diabolical plan, no doubt, but brilliant. I’m almost impressed.
I look around and take stock of my surroundings. I’m in a stone cell. This place was a thirteenth century medieval keep before Brantley’s family took over about six hundred years ago. I must be in the dungeons. I will cause a great deal of damage right now. I don’t care. I can’t allow the war.
I don’t feel the manacles break as I shift but I do feel the stone above me give way as I shoot up through it. I feel the rocks, the dirt, more stone, wood, and other building materials, too. I shoot upward through fifty or sixty meters of stone, ground, foundation, castle, and parapet before I reach the air. I turn and hovering in air beat my wings to shake off the debris. They cannot use me as a hostage. Now, it only remains to be seen if I’ve started the war I’m trying to prevent.
ChapterEighteen
The Way of Fire
Brooke
I know more about cave exploration than you might imagine. There are two reasons. First, I was involved in a mock trial in law school, a patent infringement trial between two Swiss mechanical watch manufactures. You might not believe that there are ten-thousand-dollar (or more) luxury watches actually designed to help someone explore a cave just as there are diving watches. In any case, I did some research on that. One of the features of the watch was a dial that at a glance showed if it was a.m. or p.m.
When you’re below the surface, the position of the sun has no meaning at all. Examining all the features of that watch gave me a measure of understanding about the challenges of cave exploration but, really, only from a patent and mechanism standpoint. That mock trial happened when I was in my second year of law school. My deeper understanding of caves came in between my second year and my third when a few friends convinced me to go on vacation with them. We drove to Las Vegas and took a detour on the way so we could visit the Alamo and then Tombstone. We saw a billboard in New Mexico for the Carlsbad Caverns and that became part of our plans.
Well, we had about three and a half hours of driving before we would reach the caves and I spent all of that time researching. I suppose there was some fear involved. I got it into my head that I might be separated from the group and so I followed the rabbit trails to determine what to do. I didn’t get separated but the things I memorized during those three hours are still with me.
It gives me a little bit of hope in the darkness of this damned labyrinth underneath the estate.
If you find yourself lost in a cave, it is crucial to remain calm to ensure your safety. Every single article I read, every blog post, and most of the titles and headlines always said that first. You have to stop, breathe, and assess the situation. You need to take a moment to collect yourself and evaluate your surroundings. You have to calm your mind because panic can cloud your judgment and compromise your safety.
Yeah, fuck all the people who wrote those posts. Fuck them with a crowbar because remaining calm is impossible!
All of the blog posts advised something I can’t do. They all said to stay put and conserve energy. Unless you have a clear sense of direction and are confident about finding your way back, it is usually best to stay where you are. Wandering aimlessly can increase your chances of getting more lost or injured. I suppose that’s good advice if you’re separated from a group but the whole point of this exercise is for me to move and not to stay still. I have no clear sense of direction and I have no confidence I will find my way to Valentia or my way back.
The Ancient One must find me.
I walk.
I do not look elegant at all doing it.
I feel like some kind of lost little child. I hate feeling helpless and I hate that in the midst of this helplessness all of the doubts that I probably should have felt from the very beginning hit me with a great deal of force. What if I’m wrong? What if I’m just an idiot. What if I’m…
“Remarkable,” comes Valentia’s voice. “Simply remarkable. You do not fear to wander the caverns or to face me alone?”
The nature of the caves is such that I can’t tell from where his voice comes. “I must speak with you, Ancient One,” I say. I reach into my pocket and pull out what I have inside. “This is a purple heart, a medal. My grandfather received it when he was gravely wounded in war. It isn’t gold but it is the most valuable thing I own, and it is my gift to you.”
And then, his massive face is right in front of me. “Many have brought me gifts and you, Brooke Dana Patterson, may be the first to understand the purpose. I had little doubt that Aiden is the Chosen One and you are the Chosen One’s Mate, but now I have no doubt at all.” I have never in my life felt such a strong inclination to run away mingled with such determination to stay. I extend the medal and he says, “You offering it was my gift, Brooke, perhaps the greatest gift I have ever received. Put it back in your pocket.”
There are no words to describe the awe of being in this creature’s presence. There is awe when I see Aiden in his true form, but this is something different. I recall the way it felt to first see Valentia’s eyes meet mine and understand the depth of wisdom and the overwhelming weight of the knowledge in those centuries-old eyes. Aiden is a dragon, but he’s also human, and I am intimately familiar with that human side, so while Aiden is awe-inspiring, I still see the man I love when he’s in dragon form.
Valentia has a human form, but he is not human. He is a dragon in the ancient sense, a superhuman being of great power and wisdom and strength, and it’s hard not to feel small under the gaze of those ancient eyes.
“What makes the Chosen One the Chosen One?” I ask.
“I do not know. That is lost to us.”
