“Why aren’t we told this?”
“Perhaps to keep you from asking questions. Part of thetreaty required the king during that time to cast a spell to suppress their magic.”
“And that’s when the Claiming began.”
“The king refused to allow all his servants to leave. He insisted on this in exchange. Thus, Nullens came into existence, though they are not the true Nullens.”
“You refer to the powerless.”
“Now where did you hear about them?”
Madrood landed lightly on the ground, as did the other dragons.
Tempest flicked her fingers out. “I read about them somewhere.”
“Where?”
“In a book that disappeared.”
So many odd things had happened, as if the very fates themselves kept placing a finger on the scale to tip it in various directions.
“The new Nullen king at that time agreed to send a certain number of people to the Claiming each year,” I said.
“Why do the fae need to drain Nullens?”
“You don’t know?”
“I wouldn’t be asking if I did, now would I?” she grumbled.
“It’s the easiest way to add to their own power.”
18
TEMPEST
“Of course,” I said with a huff. “The fae deserve to be called wicked.”
“I can’t disagree.”
My friends dismounted from their dragons and started pacing around, stretching their legs.
Drask, who’d flown beside us for the last stretch, landed on my shoulder and slumped against my neck. My poor little guy was tired. He’d sleep tonight. We all would.
I’ll take the others to the aerie,Madrood said.Call for us in the morning.
What do you know about what Vexxion and I were talking about?
Do you think I can understand everything you fae say aroundme?
I assumed you did,I said.
If that was the case, there would be no need for hand or foot gestures, now would there? Trainers could verbally instruct us and if we chose, we’d do as they asked.
I snorted.If you chose.
We do as you command because we want to, not because we’re forced to.
Other than with Ivenrail, though I didn’t point that out.
