“Stay grounded,” I ordered. “Let him come to us, unless there’s a sign of aggression.”
Lorien grinned.
“He’ll rethink his life decisions right quickly if he tries to flame us.”
“No aggression.” Dain was perfectly still and so was Argent, the two of their minds melding. “A… messenger?”
“Then let’s see what news he brings this way,” I replied.
The dragon landed some way away. A hereditary wariness, I was willing to bet. His rider bustled up, looking around the estate with a familiar look in his eyes: greed.
“I come bearing a writ from the Prime Minister.” We all just started at this officious fool. He might have all sorts of silvery insignias on his uniform, but that meant nothing here. “He has given me this land?—”
“He did what?”
Slate took a ponderous step forward. I took satisfaction from the way the man went milk pale, his dragon swiftly joining him. A pretty blue beast, its neck snaked around his rider in a protective gesture.
The blue one doesn’t want me to eat his bondmate, Slate said.
I see that too, lad.
I won’t.Slate’s throat started to rattle, the threat clear, but just in case this ‘messenger’ missed the point, quicksilver leaked from his jaws, instantly eating away at the grass and soil under it. That was the moment when the rider realised exactly how much danger he was in.
“Who are you?” His voice was shrill. “What wing do you belong to? What is your rank? How did you come by land that was gifted to me by the crown?”
He went to wave that silly piece of paper again, but Slate lunged forward, plucking it from his fingers and then passed it to me.
“Kael of Blackreach,” I replied as I read the text. “No rank to speak of and my wing is my own. As to how we came to occupy this land.” I looked up, spearing the rider with my gaze as the dragons moved closer. “This is our territory, and if you wish to stay alive, you must get back on your dragon and ride as far as you can from here.”
I admired the man’s gumption. He was going to argue, but his dragon picked him up and deposited him on his back, before taking to the air. We followed them with our eyes until they disappeared completely.
“Can I see that?” Barry had appeared by my side, holding out a hand for the writ. I passed it over without comment, waiting for him to be done. “The crown is carving up Nevermere into territories,” he said. “Giving chunks to dragon riders.”
“Don’t they all live in that keep of theirs?” Lorien asked.
“Not since the war.” Barry shook his head. “Dragons need mates, their own territory to be happy, and so the crown is ensuring they get it.” He crumpled the paper into a ball. “By giving away our land.”
“Not for long,” I promised. “We’ll head for that keep.”
“Kael, no!” Mother said.
“See the king for ourselves,” Dain growled.
“Make them realise what a mistake it would be to give away our estate to a Royal Rider.”
Lorien held out both fists, and we leaned forward to bump them.
“We’ll have this sorted quickly, Mother,” I told her. “Be back in time for dinner.”
“You see that you do!”
She shouted that as Slate started to move, all three dragons picking up speed before launching themselves into the sky.
In all my days, there was nothing as grand as flying on dragon back. I flattened myself against Slate’s spine to reduce wind drag.
Ready to show those puny royal beasts what a real dragon looks like?I asked.
They’ll rue the day they thought to give our territory away to inferior dragons, he growled as his wings raked through the air.
