“Maybe with the proper training, your power would manifest,” he concludes. I nod in agreement.
“Tell that to the captain. He’s insistent I do it all on my own. He’s got it in his head I came here with some hidden agenda.”
“The captain is wary of outsiders. He takes his role very seriously, but that is what makes him a great leader. He was Princess Sorscha’s sworn protector for years before he was moved up to Captain of the Kingsguard. The king values him like a son. He has a good heart once you get to know him.”
I snort.
“Well, as I don’t plan on getting to know him, I doubt I’ll be seeing that good heart anytime soon. He’s convinced that I’m impersonating the last Blackblood, for god knows what reason. I don’t see why anyone in their right mind would lie about that all so they could ride a dragon.”
“You’d be surprised. There have been countless Bluebloods and even some Reds that have come forward over the centuries claiming to be the last Blackblood witch so they could have a shot at bonding the dragon.”
“Why?”
“Personal gain, the favor of kings. Bonding a dragon is thegreatest test of strength and power. There is no greater honor for a witch.”
“But I thought only Blackbloods were strong enough.”
“Exactly, which is why every attempt by a Blue or Red has ended…unsuccessfully.”
“I see. Are there any other witches at court?”
If there are others in the castle, maybe I don’t even need to plead with Jack to get me that blue blood.
“Well, most of the Redblood covens have migrated south to the Mydlands of Aeix. No one knows where the Blues disappeared to. So, I believe you are the only one here. It was a gods-gift that the Kingsguard found you alive in the Bone Forest. How was it you came to our lands, by the way, if not through your own magic?” he asks curiously.
“Happy accident, I guess. You said it was a gift that they found me alive? Why is that?”
“The Bone Forest is full of lethal shadow creatures. The Mara. They come out at dusk. They can’t stand the light.”
“Those were…those were actual bones?”
“The Mara have an insatiable hunger. They feast on fear and pain, leaving behind only the bones of their prey. They find those quite indigestible.”
I suppress a gag. I had been rolling around in a heap of human bone that day I arrived in Aegar.
“You’ve gone pale, my lady.” Warryn approaches me looking concerned.
“I just can’t remember the last time I had some water.”
His eyes widen.
“Stay here, I’ll return shortly,” he tells me and is off before I can protest that it’s not necessary.
Zadyn’s feline form is perched casually on a window perch, basking in the sun.
“Did you hear that? Your little escapade with that book almost got me eaten by a shadow creature. Some pet you are.”
He hisses mildly, but his tail flicks gently against the wall. For the past three days, he has been snooping around the castle as an array of small, inconspicuous creatures and insects, trying to listen in on the king’s conversations and learn of his plans for me. So far, he’s found nothing incriminating.
The faint echo of footsteps sounds from around the corner. I follow them, unable to stop myself. Zadyn hops off his perch and trails me to the end of the hall. Pressed flat against the wall, I strain to listen.
“…forced entry…dead at the portal in Hyrax,” says a voice I don’t recognize. I miss the beginning of his sentence, but the last part is clear.
There is a portal in Hyrax.
But who knows how far away it is? I can’t exactly google it.
“How many?” Jack’s deep voice sets off a flutter in my stomach. I roll my eyes at the involuntary bodily response.
