“He’s not listening to you?” Lorien asked between gritted teeth. “Neither is ‘Fang.”
It became apparent why. The dragons came to a stop some way away from the depression, which was the only thing keeping me calm. As we drew closer, the green dragon’s claws raked through the earth. This seemed to be a call to action. The others milled around, then started digging as well. Great plumes of earth and rock went flying back, forcing me to grab Fern and haul her into my side. She shook her head, blinked, and then quickly realised why. Whatever spell the dragons were under, she was befuddled by it too.
“Dain—” I said, but he cut me off.
“She’s talking to them.” He didn’t bother to explain who, and I knew it was neither Fern nor Auren. “She talked to me all the time before.”
“She did?” Lorien stared at our brother. “Drathnor, you mean?”
“Great queen. The White Death.” There was something portentous about the way Dain said the words, but then he frowned. “She’s telling them where?—”
“To enter the caves.”
Lance dropped down into the new tunnel and it quickly became clear why. A great stone archway had been excavated from the soil. Large enough for dragons and humans alike to pass through, the dirt encrusted surface was covered in carvings. Before I could pause to inspect them, the dragons moved. Grabbing rocks, they pulled them free, turning to toss them on top of the dirt pile, then went back for more. They were more like bees than dragons. Their blank-eyed stares as they worked making my hair stand on end.
Slate, I said as he passed by and I followed.Slate!
Perhaps the bond is broken?
Where the hell had that thought come from? We were bound together at the soul level. Nothing could break the link between us.
But how do you know?
I frowned, gritting my teeth as I strode forward. Dain might get lost in the what ifs and maybes, but I would always put a hypothesis to the test first. I stepped in front of my dragon’s path, expecting, hoping he’d stop.
“Kael!” My brothers’ shouts echoed across the site. “Kael!”
Perhaps it was my name, or maybe it was the fact my dragon had a massive claw raised, ready to stamp down on me. I followed the pattern of the pale, pale scales, waiting for Slate to realise what he was about to do. When his head dropped down, when he blinked and then took a step backwards, I let out a sigh of relief.
Brother,I said.What are you doing? We were going to work out what is the best plan and then forge ahead.
She’s calling me, he said, his voice somewhat faint.She’s calling me and I must answer.
Who is she?I was forced to throw myself out of his path as he moved again, tossing the rock where I was just standing, then turning back to gather another.Is it Auren? Fern?I swallowed, not wanting to name the most likely culprit.Drathnor?
Mother, he corrected, pausing for a second to stare at me.
We hadn’t returned to the caves since the day he washatched. Why would we? Blackreach was a cesspit full of bad memories. I was beginning to see the difficulties we might’ve faced if we’d been forced to stay on the streets of Coalbottom.
“What do you mean Drathnor talked to you?” I asked Dain as he wove his way through the dragons. “Brother?—”
“I have heard her voice all my life.” His fingers spread wide as they skimmed across the carvings. “She was more mother to me than my own. Told me one day I would discover the truth. If I just came to her…”
“You never said a word about that.” My hand went to his arm. “Dain.”
Trying to haul him backwards, away from the damn stone, earned me a snarl and a look that should’ve melted the flesh from my bones.
Maybe today is the day you lose it all, that insidious voice said.Everything you worked for. All that grubbing on the streets for nothing.
A figure moved to stand beside me and something in me told me not to look around. Never one to follow orders, my head turned slowly. There he stood, large as life and twice as natural, the Duke of fucking Harlston stood there.
“Hello, son.”
“I am not your fucking son.” That response was snapped out before I could think twice, because I knew what this was. We might not be near the damned hallucinogenic mushrooms of the Tomb of Terror, but there had spores of something in the air. How else could I explain this? “And you have been lying in the dirt, feeding the worms for five long years, you old prick.”
“You might join me after today.” That grin was a perfect replica of mine, but I liked to think it was never that cold. “You and all your little friends.”
This was not real. He was a mirage pulled out of my brain by a damn mushroom. My hand shot out, mostly to dispel the ghost of the old bastard, but if that wasn’t enough, then I’d have to settle for slapping the man that abused my mother. Part of me was disappointed when the Duke’s form disintegrated. Lorien replaced him, bent over and vomiting water into the dirt.
