The Dread Five crew rode the waves of their dragon’s long body like sailors on a rolling sea. Evander could feel their icy glares on his back as the clouds wetted his face. He kept an eye on Samara as she held the reins steady. She didn’t seem like a bereft woman; she just seemed frightened. More frightened than angry, he thought.
Haldir sat at the tail like a cornered animal, watching the Cobblepinions. In return, Evander caught them stealing glances at Haldir, their eyes glistening with cruel hunger. Sitting beside him, Valenna looked deeply unimpressed with the whole crew, and it was gratifying not to be the only person fed up with them for once.
The flat marshlands rose to craggy, black mountains that bordered the strait. As the sun dipped, they landed in a sheltered pass overlooking the sea. Spires of dark, marbled rock rose over them, blocking out the cloud-smothered sun. Gusts of wind whistled through the crags, but their camp was sheltered.
Since the dreadnought was too large and conspicuous to fly over Scathmore, Evander planned to leave her in the mountains and swim the narrowest part of the strait to the Barrens. The tide would be in their favor on the journey in, but it would be against them on the way back. Because of this, they would have to takea different return route, by way of the Crag, or risk being caught in the open when the sun rose.
For now, they would wait until nightfall.
Despite the spring warmth, the atmosphere was frigid. The conscripts were too quiet, too deliberate. Evander gripped his cutlass and his shotfire, his palms sweating. He felt like he was hugging a scattershot ball against his chest.
“How did we not know about Samara and Lysander?” Valenna whispered.
Evander inclined his head toward her, keeping his gaze fixed on the others. “I can’t wrap my mind around it.”
The wind moaned through the spires; a dirge.
Samara walked past, her plate of untouched food shaking in her hands. “Stop looking so shocked,” she hissed. “So I was betrothed to Lysander, so what?”
“Did you even love that boy?” Evander asked. “You were so far superior to him in every way.”
“Vander!” Valenna exclaimed. “Be nice!”
“It’s true! Samara is my best trainee, and Lysander failed out of the program.”
A glimmer of gratitude showed in Samara’s eyes, but she blinked it away. “I tried to love him. I loved the idea of being married to him and leading Cobblepine with him ... for him. Now that he’s gone, I’m just the apothecary’s daughter. I could have been dragon master with a connection like that.”
Samara turned to join her friends, but as she did, she passed Haldir and, by accident or intent, jostled his arm. He spilled his dinner ration across the ground.
“Watch where you’re going, you little skat!” Haldir bellowed.
“Watch who you call a skat!” Ignatius shouted back, vaulting to his feet.
“Hal …” Evander warned. Before he could move to stop him, Haldir pulled his knife from his belt.
It was the spark that lit the powder. Samara and the others were on him in a second, fists flying, knives flashing.
“STOP!” Evander shouted.
Ignatius, Elspeth, and Giles caught Haldir’s arms, pinning them to his sides. He fought them, a wolf caught in a trap, and they tumbled together to the ground. Haldir thrashed, but three bodies weighed him down.
Samara knelt over him, her knife at his throat. “We’ve had enough of you,” she snarled. “Do you remember the boy you murdered in Cobblepine? His name was Lysander, and he was to be my husband.”
Haldir grunted and fought harder, nearly shaking free, but Samara pressed the knife below his jaw, and he stilled.
“Stop!” Evander cried. “Samara, he has to return alive, or we’ll be sent into the invasion at the front! Please, none of you is ready for that!”
Samara hesitated, her breath whistling through her nose. Her shoulders trembled and a tear dripped down her cheek, but she dashed it away with her free hand.
Samara’s hesitation was her undoing. Haldir lurched, yanking his arm free. He pulled his shotfire from his belt. Evander’s world slid into slow motion as the blast echoed off the stone walls and Samara fell with a cry, clutching her side. The others released Haldir and ducked as he drew a second shotfire and swept it across them.
“I’LL KILL YOU ALL!” he bellowed. “EVERY ONE OF YOU!”
Evander plunged toward Samara, skidding to his knees beside her, praying she was alive. She lay on her back, moaning, blood dripping between her fingers. Cursing, Evander shrugged offhis coat and unbuttoned his white uniform shirt. Haldir jumped behind Evander.
“Don’t let them kill me, Trevelyan,” he pleaded.
Evander looked over his shoulder at him. “Give me that, you idiot,” he snapped, snatching the shotfire from Haldir’s hands and shoving it into his belt. Then he faced the crew. “How many more of you need to die before you bloody listen to me? If you want to kill this man, then fine. Do it. He deserves it, but you’ll have to kill me in the process. Valenna over there is my wife, so if you kill me, she’ll lash out, and you’ll have to kill her. We are the only ones here who know how to properly treat Samara’s injury, and so with us dead, she’ll go gangrenous and die as well. That’s three of us for this single piece of dragon skat. Is he worth that much blood?”
