Vexxion would snarl if he knew I was considering trying to get inside the king’s bedroom. But if there was a way to free my friends and all the other Nullens wandering in the ether, I was going to find it.
After finishing with his claws, I tackled Madrood’s eyes, and he was surprisingly compliant. See? When you treated a beast with kindness, it paid off.
Then I cleaned his stall and returned the gear to the tackroom, leaving the aerie without seeing anyone else, though I heard voices echoing from various stalls as I walked down the hallway and out into the afternoon sunshine.
My muscles ached from my exertion, and my left thigh kept spasming, but I felt as good as I could considering I was living this close to Kinart’s murderer.
There weren’t even any fae men or women lingering around, looking at me like they wanted to kill me. I wasn’t sure my day could get much better than this. The memory of Vexxion’s kiss humming through my veins didn’t hurt either.
I flitted to the front door and as always, I was drawn to the poor dragons writhing across the surface. I cringed as I watched them. This was wrong. No one should do something like this to such glorious beasts. I was sure they’d done something paltry, and the king had punished them by trapping them inside the frame. I couldn’t imagine what anyone could do to deserve something like this. Sneered at Ivenrail, probably. The marscapoles probably peered at him from the woods.
I stretched out my hand and laid a fingertip on the right door dragon’s snout, keeping my voice low. “I wish I could do something for you.”
The dragon stilled. Our eyes met. Then it started writhing again, its pain slicing through me.
Fuck this.
Drawing on my power, I sent it out with the spell I’d used to release the marscapoles.
Nothing happened.
What are you doing?Vexxion asked in my mind. He sounded distracted, but if I knew him, he’d send Drask my wayto spy and arrive soon after to tell me again that I needed to behave.
Nothing,I said.I’m done in the aerie. I’m heading toward our suite. Will you lay out a dress for me?
Of course.
I hope it’s pink.
You hate pink,he drawled.What are you doing?
Absolutely nothing. Don’t pay any attention to me.
I’ll be there soon.
I didn’t have much time.
I grabbed onto a bunch of power and flung it at the dragon.
To my shock, it slipped—oozed—from the door and plopped onto the stone in front of me. As it grew and grew and took the form of a beast even bigger than Madrood, I flung myself backward, toppling onto my ass on the hard stone platform.
It grew larger. And larger. Finally, its growth slowed, and it rattled its head, smoke blasting into the air from its enormous nostrils.
Damn, it was going to shoot fire at me, and I’d be turned into a pile of ash. I should’ve left this alone. Vexxion was right, as per usual. And I was wrong, as per usual.
“Free,” it hissed. “Iasar issss free!” He rose over me, looming like an icy blue, murderous statue morphed from a time long forgotten. His neck arched, jagged spikes quivering as they jutted up from his spine. His spiked tail snapped around as if he intended to smack me off the platform then lash me while I writhed on the ground.
He was going to kill me.
“I’m sorry,” I stuttered, my hands lifting, my fingers splaying wide. Struggling to my feet, I gathered power, though I had no idea what I’d do with it. “I didn’t mean to release you.” I did, actually, but maybe stating that was the wrong tactic to take. Would it help if I bowed? I did it just in case. “I’ll find a spell to send you back.”
“No.” His voice thundered, making the ground shake. Me as well. “Iasar issss free!”
Iasar. Was that this glorious dragon’s name?
He stomped toward me, each step making the stones rattle and the very air blast my ears and echo in the valley below.
I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. My heart slammed against the inside of the cage forged by my ribs, determined to break through and flee.
