Dragon Wish (35 page)

you seek. The mystic dragon awaits also, hoping to devour

your soul.”

With a slight tilt of his head, Paladin released a low

chuckle. “Arcane may hunger for it, but he will find it a bit

too tough to chew.”

Rie raised his gaze and grinned, the full set of white teeth

belied his age. “You have finally found your father’s spirit.

This is more than we have expected.”

Rie’s pleased tone echoed in the clear, cold air. For a

moment, Paladin studied the two men. Both had lived long

in these lower reaches of the kingdom. Preferring seclusion

over the intrigue of the royal court, Cie and Rie came from

this long forgotten location within the kingdom. The two

men, though old, still possessed vast magical abilities. At the

moment, Paladin needed their skills. When the time arrived,

and he took Seren back, these two would benefit him more

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than his ship’s crew.

“Do you hunger, Sire?”

He shook his head. Seren’s face appeared in his mind. No,

he didn’t hunger for food, but for Seren’s sweet kiss. “I will

eat later. I want to speak of your impending tasks.”

Both men inclined their heads, and parted to allow

Paladin to lead the way. He picked up his pack and walked to

the path hidden by the trees. They followed behind. He

remembered the way. He and his family had often visited

this place during his growing years. The twins’ secluded

home lay not far away. The icy ground crunched under their

boots.

The small wooden building, tucked into the side of a

rising cliff, was sheltered at its back by the solid earth.

Towering firs guarded the place on the three outer sides.

Mist from each breath they took trailed behind the men.

They reached the door. Cie stepped in front of Paladin and

shoved it wide.

Warmth rushed out, a shock in the freezing air. Paladin

stepped over the threshold, thankful to be out of the chill. No

more than a step into the structure, he staggered to a halt. A

hearth with stones covering the entire wall opposite the door,

held dancing flames. Sitting in an overstuffed chair in front

of the fire, a woman tilted her head in his direction. Bask

stood behind her, his hand resting on the top edge of the

chair.

Without taking his gaze off the couple, Paladin shifted a

foot to the right. He stared at the lengths of white hair

flowing about the woman’s shoulders. Her skin, even with

the flames so near, gleamed pearly white, translucent with

bluish veins visible beneath. Clothed in a thin, pastel blue

gown, she shifted her stare back to the fire. Her hands,

graceful and delicate, lay still in her lap.

Unsure of the identity of the woman, Paladin waited.

Bask, his usual grin absent, stared at him through narrowed

eyes. The silver skull cap reflected the reddish orange flames.

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Cloth swished behind him, bringing Paladin’s attention

around. The twins knelt with their hands held together at

their chests in supplication, their heads lowered in respect.

His gaze moved back to the woman. She looked at him. His

breath caught in his chest and refused to leave. His knees

weakened. Unable to stop, he staggered in her direction, a

little to the left. A sudden, uncontrollable loss of strength

weakened his muscles.

Bask, his voice low but hard, ordered. “Kneel, you fool.”

The woman lifted a hand. Paladin regained the ability to

stand. “Leave him be. He’s never seen or even imagined me

in this form. He cannot be held accountable for his

disrespect.”

Realization flooded Paladin. He stared from the top of

her head to the softly rounded tips of her toes which peeked

from under the edge of her gown.

Lior.

The great white dragon.

He forced words past his lips. “This is your human form.”

She nodded. Unable to tear his gaze from the pure

blueness of her eyes, Paladin stood awed by the powerful

aura emanating from the woman.

His mind whirled through this information, but didn’t

allow fear to control him. He moved on to more important

matters. “Why are you here?”

Seren’s image appeared in his mind. His belly burned

with the pain from her under his brother’s control. Was she

still alive? Was this why Lior and Bask had come? To tell him

she and his unborn child had died? “Seren? Is she...?”

Lior shook her head. “She is well. For now.”

Tension seeped from his shoulders with his relieved sigh.

Her words eased his mind a little.

A gentle but knowing smile graced Lior’s lips. “I came to

tell you that when you go to her, the seven will have gathered

once more. We will be ready to send your lady to safety. All

you need is to make a wish.”

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“Safety? Where in all of Avaris is this safety?”

“Did I say it was on Avaris? No. She will return from

whence she came. There, our king will be born and allowed

to grow in strength. After a suitable time, we will bring him

home.”

He let her words soak into his mind. He would lose Seren

if he returned her home. “And Seren? Will she return also?”

Bask laughed softly. “So you are smitten with the off-

worlder?”

Lifting a hand, Lior brushed the back of her fingers

against Bask’s arm where it lay on the top of the chair. Her

glance met the wizard’s. Paladin sensed the depth of their

devotion to one another in their eyes. “It is good that he is.”

She returned her attention to Paladin. “Avaris’s future

holds many paths. We can only hope that with the help of

you and Seren, the one which is chosen will be the most

beneficial.”

The word choice sparked some hope in him. “So we do

have a choice in what will happen.”

“You have always had a choice. We have only guided you

to the right ones,” Lior said. She rose from her seat and

glided nearer to him. The scent of spring flowers came with

her. “I go now, my king, to prepare for the moment you will

need us. The man you have misplaced is hiding in the forest

outside Heart’s Thorn. I will send word for him to meet you

at the castle.”

Caught by her clear gaze, Paladin nodded, relieved to

discover Calis’ whereabouts. Seemingly satisfied with what

she saw in his eyes, Lior sighed and glanced at Bask. “Come,

my beloved.”

For a moment, Bask stared at him. He moved until he

reached Lior’s side. “Remember, Sire, love will guide your

path.”

The two then stepped out the door. Paladin continued

looking at the opening long after they had disappeared into

the darkness. Thoughts rolled around in his head, bumping

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and shoving against each other. Exhaustion shut the door on

some while others brightened to awareness.

Bask loved Lior. For five thousand years. Paladin

considered whether what he felt for Seren could survive so

long. Her image formed in his mind. A slow smile pulled at

his mouth. Yes, he believed so, but first, he had to retrieve

her from his brother.

He glanced at Cie and Rie. “Shall we begin our rescue

plan?”

Standing on either side the door, the elderly twins

grinned at each other.

Two days later, Paladin sat on the back of a white

dragoon. Dressed in Bask’s ancient armor, he waited at the

edge of the secluded tunnel entrance. Rylen had made his

entrance into Heart’s Thorn simple by hosting a costume

ball. His brother expected him to arrive soon.

With his hair tied at the back of his neck, the helm fit over

his head, concealing his face. He rotated his neck, trying to

relieve the bothersome itch at the base of his skull.

Unaccustomed to having a cover over his head, the helm

pulled at the strands of hair, aggravating him. He needed no

distractions tonight.

In less than two hours, daylight would arrive. The magic

on Avaris would decrease. He took a chance the magic of his

armor would decline also with the sol rising, but he had to

take the risk. Seren’s life hung on the brink of oblivion.

Movement on his right pulled his thoughts to the present.

Simultaneously, Cie and Rie swung down from their mounts.

Rie spoke first. “Would that you allow us to accompany you?”

Several seconds passed while Paladin considered then

shook his head. “You serve me better on the outside to help

with the escape. Your magic is strong enough to hold the

guards back. This is what I require of you.”

They nodded in unison. With a deep breath, Paladin

swung off his dragoon’s back and entered the tunnel. Damp

darkness along with the slow drip of water enveloped him.

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He shut his eyes, switching to his dragon vision. When he

reopened them, the darkness had dissipated a great measure.

Water ran down the stone walls into the middle channel

where it drained to the land beyond the opening.

Mist escaped from under his helm with each breath he

exhaled. Hurrying, he made his way to the cellars. He soon

reached a narrow opening in the wall. He slid through the

crack into the room on the other side of the tunnel. Vaulted

ceilings disappeared in the pitch blackness above. Tall racks

and huge barrels lined the walls of the cellar.

He grabbed a dragonstone torch off an iron bracket on

his way across the center space to a slight gape between two

of the older wine barrels. Secluded behind the one to his

right, a doorway concealed the entrance to the secret

passageways running throughout the castle. His father had

revealed the entrance to him many years ago. He hoped

Rylen didn’t know of them. With time racing, his plan

depended on no detours. Having to dispose of any guards

posted in the passageways would delay him from reaching

Seren.

With his hand on the wall, he shook his head. Even if his

brother decided to post sentries in the passages, there were

many other ways to reach the upper library. There he would

enter the castle and make his way to the ball. Instruments

playing a fast song mingled with voices above him. The ball

had begun. From the information Cie and Rie had given him,

most if not all of the nobles within the kingdom were in

attendance. If so, it made his task to disappear amid the

revelry easier. The twins had even told him that many of the

nobles had decided to wear antique white dragon armor.

Hopefully, his brother wouldn’t notice one extra guest attired

in such a fashion.

The musty odor of disuse and age filled the passage. He

held up the dragonstone to light the way. The damp walls

glistened in the light. Cobwebs and debris cluttered the

corridor.

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Paladin climbed four flights of stone steps, eased through

narrow walkways until he reached the third floor library. He

forced the cover off a peephole and surveyed the room on the

other side. Walls of books, two stories high, met his gaze. A

fire burned in the central hearth. No one occupied the room.

Relieved, he released a pent up breath. With extra care, he

opened the secret door, shoving the sheltering bookshelf out

from the wall. He slipped through and replaced the shelf.

Music filtered through the closed double doors. He strode

across the room in the opposite direction of the doors. He

would enter the ballroom through the balcony. He wanted to

study the layout and locate Seren—if Rylen had allowed her

to attend. If not, his next move meant finding her.

The moment he stepped through the balcony doors, the

icy cold of the northern regions slipped through the openings

on the helm. His eyes watered at the instant change from

heat to cold. He waited for the cold to chill the armor. It

didn’t. The magic induced spells kept the metal warm in the

cold.

He grinned behind the face shield. He liked this armor,

deciding that no matter what, he would keep it.

Slipping from shadow to shadow along the wide terrace,

he reached the ballroom balcony undetected. Satisfied, he

stood outside the multi-paned doors, and looked out over the

room. Built to hold over five hundred attendees, the room

overflowed with disguised guests.