Legend of the Inero Dragon (9 page)

He wanted to ask her what life was like on
her farm, if he could get her to talk about it. Every other time
he'd asked her about it, she had avoided saying anything. Perhaps
she'd answer him now that he needed to know for other reasons
besides his own curiosity.

He couldn't focus on the rest of the
meeting. All he could do was sit in shock and replay his father's
words in an attempt to make sense of it all. Never in his wildest
dreams had he imagined his first experience at the great council
would be so eventful. Matt always spoke of how boring the meetings
were and how nothing interesting ever happened.

The whole thing was overwhelming. Thousands
of men from all over the world sat in an arena listening to
discussions from the leaders of the four major nations. Even more
overwhelming was the fact that Jason got the privilege to sit on
the floor with his father and brother. He had a front row seat. All
of the other leaders had a son with them to observe. If not a son,
then another young man fresh into adulthood. He couldn't stand
being so close to the center of attention. The spotlight had never
been his thing. All he wanted to do was get away.

Finally, they were released for the day.
Jason stood, his knees a little weak from shock.

"You knew," Jason said to his brother as they
exited.

Matt shrugged. He was trying to dodge the
subject. Jason wasn't going to let him.

"Why didn't you say something to me?" he
continued.

"It's not something you need to worry about,"
Matt said.

"Yes, it is. Inero is my home. If I can help
my people, I want to."

"Which is exactly why I didn't want to say
anything. You're a worry wart and you can't fix everything. You
definitely can't fix this. Father has a plan. It doesn't involve
your area of expertise. When he needs you, he will call upon you,"
Matt replied sharply.

Jason stopped walking for a moment, feeling
as though he'd been slapped. With a scowl, he pushed forward again,
moving past Matt so he could go back to the room alone. Matt
quickened his pace, grabbing Jason's arm.

"It's not like I wanted to keep you in the
dark. I promised Father I wouldn't talk about it. He doesn't want a
panic. He hates being so vulnerable to the point where we have to
ask for help. He feels like a failure."

With a sigh, Jason led them to a side path
where they could talk more privately. He ran a hand over his face
slowly so he could buy more time to think.

"Please try to understand," Matt pleaded.

"I am." He did understand, somewhat. He knew
how bad a panic would be amongst the people, especially before a
plan was thought out. Chaos would have put the entire nation at
risk. Still, it bothered him that Matt or their father or both
believed he would ignite that panic. Why would
he
have told
anyone?

Matt sighed. "If it wasn't for Father, I
would have told you."

"I know. You're right. I am worried. I have a
reason to be. If I can help, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Thank you. Father will appreciate your
support."

"I'm honored," Jason said. Something felt
wrong. He recalled his conversation with Navi, wondering what else
he wasn't being told.

Chapter
Seventeen

Once she changed into her sleep clothes and
brushed her hair, Gwen went out into her living room to join Navi
and Chris. They were having a weeklong slumber party while their
men were away.

The first night Gwen had been hesitant about
the idea. She had been looking forward to being on her own. Not
that Jason invaded her space. She just always felt like she had to
be strong in front of him. She thought she'd finally have a chance
to cope with being taken from her family, and someone else was
around with watchful eyes on her so she couldn't let go like she
needed to. She wanted to cry, scream, and throw things, to be able
to react to her situation. But maybe that was why he set the
friendship up with Navi. Gwen could have destroyed the house, along
with herself.

Navi made for good company. She was a lot
like Jason. She kept to herself and spent her time enjoying her
privacy. Navi, being the head wife of the Inero line…Gwen imagined
she didn't get a lot of it. Besides, as much as she didn't want to
admit it, she was happy to not be alone. In a way, she missed him.
Navi made for an appropriate substitute.

She settled herself onto the couch, watching
Navi brush her hair in a nearby chair. Gwen chewed on her lower
lip, debating whether to ask her the question on her mind. After a
few minutes of hesitation, she decided it was necessary to
know.

"How did you meet your husband?"

Startled, Navi stopped what she was doing.
She glanced over at Chris and the two made eye contact for a few
brief seconds.

"We met around a year ago," Navi said
quietly. She put her brush away and folded her hands on her
lap.

"I knew that much, but how?" Gwen asked.

"It's not an easy story to tell. I grew up in
one of the smaller cities, a few miles outside of Inero City. I had
just turned nineteen a few days prior, and my friends and I went
out to celebrate. We had gone to a club, and he was there. No doubt
to scope out the local women for his new conquest."

"And he found you."

"Yes, he found me." Navi laughed. "He asked
me for a dance—no begged me—saying how he just wanted a moment to
feel young. A pretty girl like me dancing with him would make his
night. I felt bad for him. He seemed sad.

"I didn't have any more pity for him after he
had his guard kidnap me from my apartment. He told me I would be
his queen, the head of the Elite, and I would have everything I
could have ever dreamed of. All I had to do was agree to be
his."

They all sat in silence for a while. Gwen
didn't know what to think.

"I take it you agreed?" she asked.

"Not because of greed. I didn't have a choice
any more than you did. The thing you must understand about Lynx,
especially, is that he has a silver tongue. He can make anything
sound wonderful, and he can talk you into anything. I'm not proud
of being with him, but if I had said no...."

She didn't need to finish the thought. Gwen
didn't know much about the Great Inero Lord. But with how everyone
described him, she wouldn't have put it past him to do whatever he
could to get his way. The little bits and pieces of the mating
ritual Jason had described to her also gave her shivers. If they'd
have hurt her for trying to get away, she didn't want to imagine
what they would have done to Navi.

In a rare display of emotion, Chris reached
out and put a hand on Navi's arm, letting it settle there. His eyes
held nothing but admiration for the woman. It was then Gwen
realized that he was in love with her. Did she love him back,
though?

"How can you stand it?" Gwen asked quietly.
"Letting him do whatever he wants to you."

"It's common here," Navi explained. "Most
aren't forceful, but they know what to say. They know how to
persuade. It's kind of like a magic spell. I think he means it when
he says he thinks he loves me. I don't love him, but I still acted
like an idiot and—"

"Don't blame yourself. It's not your fault
he's manipulating you."

"True, and now I have to wait until he gets
tired of me. As soon as he finds someone else to enjoy, I'm
free."

"And that's why I'm lucky," Gwen said at
last. Jason hadn't tried lying to her or manipulating her.

"Yes, that's why."

"He is a good guy. Jason, I mean."

"Yes, he is. I'm hoping the best for you two.
Even if you don't find yourselves head over heels for one another,
I'm confident he'll figure out how to protect you when the year is
up."

"What do you mean?" she said, her eyes
widening.

Navi raised an eyebrow and said, "In a year,
if you two haven't consummated your marriage, you'll be given to
another, and he will be forced to choose another bride. He didn't
tell you this?"

"No."

"Interesting, I'm sure it's because he didn't
want you to stress out about it. You've got a lot of time to plan.
A lot is going to change soon. Hopefully for the better."

"I don't understand." Gwen frowned. She
didn't know why he wouldn't be honest with her about that. She
could have helped him find a way around it. Unless he was hoping it
would be a nonissue by then.

Navi put a hand over Chris's. "The Great
Inero Lord has plans. My gut is telling me nothing will be the same
by the fall."

"For better or worse?"

"If the Great Lord has his way, it'll be for
worse."

"So then why will things be changing for the
better soon?"

Navi smirked, "Because I don't think he's
going to have his way for a change. Not if I can help it."

Chapter
Eighteen

Matt hated lying to his brother. He felt
nauseated to the point of pain. He promised his father that he
wouldn't tell a soul. Besides, he didn't believe anyone would
understand, especially not Jason. Not yet, at least. There was
still too much that needed to be done before they could unite the
nation for the cause. Matt didn't understand everything either, but
that would change tonight. His father had promised him answers.

Sneaking out of the room was much easier than
Matt anticipated. As he quietly made his way through the suite, he
heard Jason talking on his phone. Matt slipped out the door easily.
The halls were empty. It was the middle of the night and almost
everyone was either sleeping or trying to. Matt would suffer in the
morning for being out late, but some things were more important
than rest.

Outside the housing complex, everything was
peaceful and still. Crickets were singing, and a few fireflies
glowed in the distance. He conjured up a small flame in the palm of
his hand to use as a guide as he walked along the path leading to
the Grand Hall.

At first, Matt worried the doors would be
locked and he would have to break in. They were unlocked.
Was
the building always open like this?
He walked in and turned off
his magic since all of the lights were on inside. He couldn't help
but wonder what was going on. Despite the lack of cover, he felt
the need to tiptoe through the hallway anyway—if only to not
disturb the quiet surrounding him.

He was told to go to the Great Hall where
Lynx held the meetings. The grand room was pitch black aside from
one small flame that his father held in his hands. The flame Matt
created before returned once more, and he used it to see his way
down the stairs.

"Father?" Matt called quietly, not wanting to
startle the man by joining him unannounced.

"I'm here," Lynx said, raising his hands to
his face. The fire illuminated it, and Matt saw him smiling. He
couldn't remember the last time he'd seen a genuine smile on his
face. They were starting to become few and far between.

"Are you sure this is okay?" Matt asked. He
stopped a foot away from Lynx and raised an eyebrow. The last thing
he wanted was for either of them to get into trouble. There was
more than enough of that going around these days for his people.
They didn't need more.

Lynx nodded, making a motion for Matt to sit
down on the floor. Matt did so, his body shaking. Then his father
joined him.

"Yes, we are fine so long as we don't leave a
mess," his father explained. "The buildings for the council are
always open for use, outside of the library of course, but only the
Great Lords may enter there. We are trusting of our kin."

Funny he would say that given how much hatred
he held for the Oceina tribe. Matt didn't question him on the
matter though. It wasn't his place to doubt, only to obey. He
stared at his father, his eyes unblinking.

In the light of the fire, his father appeared
so much younger than he actually was. His eyes were filled with an
intense determination, and his jaw was tight. A few strands of his
chin-length black hair fell in front of his face, and for a moment
Matt didn't recognize him. He looked almost sinister. He only knew
his father to be a gentle, caring man. He shuddered.

"Is something the matter?" Lynx asked.

"It's cold," Matt said. The room was cold in
the dark. They needed to refocus on business. "What are we doing
here?"

"I need your help to summon the prophet. My
magic is not strong enough," he explained.

"I don't know how," Matt said, hoping this
would get him out of the task. He should have known better than to
make such an assumption.

"I will teach you."

Slowly, Lynx lowered his hands, placing his
fire over a small pile of wood between them. It took him a moment,
but he was able to get a strong flame going.

Matt took in a sharp breath then looked
around him. The massive room felt eerie when it was empty. Even if
no one was there, he could still feel thousands of eyes on him as
if the ghosts of the past Dragon Lords still lived there.

"Why are we here? Why couldn't you just
call?"

Lynx smiled. "I cannot summon the prophet
outside. This is the only indoor space large enough to perform the
spell and hide it from view. I cannot simply call because anyone
could listen in," he said then raised his hands high.

Matt watched him.

"Do as I do," Lynx said.

Matt raised his hands, hating the exposed
feeling it gave him. Then his father began to chant—words he'd
never heard before. Matt couldn't quite make out what they were, so
instead, he closed his eyes and focused on the prophet. He'd met
the boy a handful of times but hadn't spoken with him much. Maybe
he would finally be let in on this big secret.

Deep inside of him, power began to grow. He
felt it inside his stomach first. The anxiousness he felt was so
overwhelming it made him nauseous. The beating of his heart
quickened to a painful pace. Energy built up to the point where he
felt like he might explode if he didn't get up and move to relieve
it. Then his hands became hot. He realized why when he opened his
eyes. Flames shot out from his hands and onto the wood. The fire
grew, nearly engulfing them. Matt was afraid, but not of the fire.
He was afraid of the strength of his own magic.