Inside Glim’s stall, I gave him a thorough grooming. He kept nudging me playfully and huffing sparks across my leather tunic. I missed taking dragons to the training arenas and working them through their paces. I missed riding. There was nothing better than soaring through the sunshine on the back of a winged beast with nothing but you and the wind running its fingers through your hair. Spiraling toward the ground then pulling up at the last moment. Teaching them tricks they could use for fun or in battle.
I pressed my forehead against his flank and sighed. Unease kept squirming through me, and I knew why. Actually, I had a few reasons why.
Will’s death. I hadn’t caused it, but would I have killed Delaine if I knew it would also kill him? I didn’t know and that was eating me up inside as quickly as my sadness, because I’d been forced to kill her.
Brodine.
And my other concern. What were the fae doing to us with these collars? I was well aware of why they were allowed to claim us, and it was clear the king wasn’t the only one taking sips from our power. But we were mere chattel here, forced to serve at their kind or brutal whim with no way out other than through death.
I was worried about killing the king at the wedding tomorrow. Once they’d spoken their vows, I’d have to act before he collared Brenna or she’d die as well. I liked her, and I didn’t want to kill her as well.
So much rode on what would happen in such a short time.
I wasn’t worried about dying myself, but I bet Vexxion stressed about taking me along with him. I swore the collar protruded between us.
He'd said there might be a way to remove it. In addition to asking him to tell me everything, and I meanteverythingabout these things, I wanted his assurance we were close to removing mine, Reyla’s, and Brodine’s.
Short on time, I ended up grooming only two dragons, and I didn’t work with Madrood, because a trainer had taken him for a flight.
Since Brenna wanted us to help after dinner, I left the aerie, stepping outside to the blinding late-day sunshine. Fae lords and ladies still strode about everywhere. Some landed on the bridge or outside the front door, while others flew in on dragons. They’d opened the lower aerie built into the cliffs to house the new dragons. More work for us Nullens, but they had to house them somewhere.
I had a dilemma. I could easily flit to my suite, but I hadn’t forgotten my promise. Later, once the crowd had thinned out, I’d free Amronth. I should’ve done it before so many fae arrived.
Vexxion hadn’t mentioned if he’d heard Iasar’s last words on the cliffs. If I knew him, he was processing them, studying them in his mind. That man never acted without thinking things through. He’d survived this long by being craftier than everyone around him.
If he’d heard Iasar’s words, he’d use them if he thought it would benefit me—or himself. I couldn’t think harshly aboutthe latter. Wouldn’t we all do what we could to protect ourselves?
I knew in my heart that no matter what, he wouldn’t use me as a shield.
Moving quickly and keeping my eyes lowered, I took a right after crossing the bridge.
Drask soared over and landed on my shoulder, something round and white clutched in his beak. I slipped behind a long row of shrubs where I could be distracted without worrying about someone grabbing me.
“Hey, little guy,” I crooned as I eased down to the ground beside a shrub. Someone would have to step on me to notice I was there. I plucked Drask off my shoulder and placed him on my lap where I could give him a solid round of pats.
He ruffled his wings before settling them and looked up at me with pride in his eyes.
“What did you find?” I whispered.
He dropped the object in my lap, and I lifted it, grimacing when light winked off the red stone in the middle of the milky white bone coin. Vexxion had killed most of the attacking Lieges, though one got away. Crows were as eager to dine on dead flesh as any other carrion bird, but I didn’t want to think about Drask plucking his meal from the downed Lieges’ sinew.
“I’ll give it to Vexxion,” I said softly. He’d killed the Lieges, so he deserved the trophy, plus the supposed luck that came with it.
Brodine used to wear them like a badge, but while I’d collected them myself, I hadn’t flashed them around.
I tucked this bone coin into a pocket.
Rising, I plunked Drask back on my shoulder. Hunched forward to remain hidden by the shrubs, I made my way around to the back of the castle. I could emerge from the bushes when the rear entrance was within sight. I stopped when I could see the door. Since no one was around, I darted over and shoved it open, stepping inside the cool darkness.
The hallway leading to the stairs was empty. I hurried down the corridor, pausing only to duck into one of the rooms—a small, little-used parlor, where I freed every trapped creature. If I could, I’d release them all before I left the castle, though that was a big project in itself. It seemed like the king had spent a lifetime collecting these trophies, locking them away to writhe until they collapsed.
After, I took the stairs two at a time, though I had to slow part way up to catch my breath and proceed at a slower pace. I definitely needed to do more exercise than the sporadic training Vexxion offered and shoveling dragon shit. If I wasn’t worried about Lieges roaming the woods—another thing I had to quiz Vexxion about—I’d go for a run with a heavy bag weighing down my back for extra resistance.
A short time later, after I’d bathed and dressed, I left Drask in the room and flitted to the hallway outside Brenna’s suite.
Three fae lords and one lady were walking toward me. They paused, and while most of them continued down the hall, one of the lords stopped beside me, looking me over.
“Nullen,” he said with a sneer, looking me up and down. “You should be penned up until after the wedding. All of you are a menace.”
