“Who speaks for you?” she asked, making certain her voice rang out loud and clear.
Just as she suspected, the lone warrior off to himself rose. He was a large Fae, larger and more muscular than Incendium, and looked as if he had been dipped in bronze. This Fae rivaled Jeros’s stature and build. Eyes glowing red, he removed his helm, tucked it under his arm, and stepped forward.
“I am Chotenth, overlord. Yer deputy major.” His red-eyed gaze slid over to Jeros, and he offered a curt bow. “Yer Majesty.”
Jeros nodded, but remained silent.
Moving closer to prove she wasn’t afraid, Lexi stood as tall as she could and squared her shoulders. She wanted them to believe she was benevolent but not weak. “I am honored to see so many. Is this all of you?”
Scowling, Chotenth shook his head. “We left a few to guard our homeland. Is that acceptable?”
“Of course, it’s acceptable. I don’t want anything to happen to your homes,” she said. “You do know you cannot trust Faeniana or her allies?”
“Trust is a luxury we rarely partake in.” His eyes narrowed even more, and his glare shifted to the trident. “The crystal?”
“I shattered it so Incendium could no longer focus his power.” She wouldn’t lie to them. Instinct told her that somehow, they would know. Maybe they could smell lies like Jeros could. “When I released the dragon, he turned Incendium to ash.”
“To ash?”
“To ash.” She nodded. “There was nothing left of him to pray over.”
“I see.” He looked back at his kneeling troops for a long moment, then turned back to her, once more lowered himself to his knee, and held up his dagger as though it were a cross. “I pledge my fealty to ye, overlord, she of the prophecy. As do all who kneel before ye. Yer will is ours.”
Instinctively, she knew to touch the dagger, but was afraid to do so with her bare hands. She had already learned that lesson once when it came to the Fae of the Fires. Instead, she touched it with the center spoke of the trident and said, “Thank you, mighty Chotenth, and all the courageous Fae of the Fires. I am honored to have your trust.” She stressed the word trust, hoping they would notice and believe it.
The deputy major smiled. Well, maybe not an actual smile, but his scowl seemed to soften as he rose to his feet. “Trust,” he repeated with a slow nod. “Show us our trust is not misplaced, overlord.” He lifted his hand high in the air, then let it drop.
In the large open space between Chotenth and his warriors, the air shimmered, and then it was almost as though an invisible curtain fell, revealing an enormous cage imprisoning an equally gigantic white dragon. The beast was magnificent. Its iridescent scales gleamed a pearly silver in the sunlight. Its head was not as elongated as Corvit’s had been, but fuller, almost like the head of a snake. It lay in a tight, defensive curl, taking everything in with its huge golden eyes.
“Help me, she of the prophecy. Protect my young.”
Without a thought, Lexi went to the dragon, reached through the cage, and rested her hand on the mother dragon’s snout.I will get you freed, and your babies too. Don’t you worry.
Lexi turned to Chotenth. “Why was this dragon not freed with the others?”
Chotenth maintained his distance, but his hatred for the beast was unmistakable. “That animal was caged with magic, because she is a killer. Even harnessed, she incinerated a dozen of my best warriors.”
“And were they torturing her at the time?” Lexi stamped the ground with her staff. “I tolerate no cruelty to any creature. We might as well get that straight right now.”
Chotenth didn’t answer, just jutted his bronzed chin higher.
“I am going to take your silence as ayesto the torture question. Where are her young? What have you done with them?”
“We do not have her young.”
Lexi pointed her trident at him. “Don’t you dare lie to me.”
“We do not have her young,” he repeated, baring his clenched teeth.
Lexi turned back to the dragon. “Where are your babies?”
The silvery white female lifted her wing and revealed three scaly eggs that were as lovely as gemstones. A sapphire, an amethyst, and a ruby.
“Is that all of them?” Lexi asked. “None are missing?”
“Aye, she of the prophecy. These are all of my precious children.”
“Dismantle the cage,” Lexi ordered Chotenth. “I want her freed.”
