Amos cut the connection with Roland and grinned so wide his cheeks hurt. Getting to see his mate and sister almost daily had been the best thing to ever happen to him. He spent his days looking forward to alone time so he could see them again.
It took a lot of coaxing to get Roland to agree to go to Clover’s room tonight, and getting to see her private space made Amos’ night.
Well, not as much as seeing her blush and insist on hiding her nightgown. He didn’t know why. She’d look pretty in a potato sack. He’d bribe Roland with whatever he had to, to convince the fox to sleep in Clover’s room every night.
And Amelia… Amos couldn’t put into words how relieved he was to know she was happy. Seeing her had been a shock. They looked as alike as a boy and girl could. There was no denying her lineage to anyone who had seen her father, and Amos worried someone from the Desert Kingdom might travel to her village and spot her. The odds were low, but not zero.
Her bubbly personality reeked of innocence, something she never would have had in their kingdom, and it wouldn’t take much to trick her. In a way, sending Clover to be by her side worked out in more ways than one. Though, if he hadn’t been worried about his mate’s safety, he’d never have parted from her.
Checking the clock beside his bed, he climbed to his feet to ready himself for what he needed to do. When his father told him about the dragons’ orders, he’d been elated. Being out from under his father’s thumb and in the same place as Clover’s family was a dream come true.
But his elation vanished when his father told him he was to lead the sacrifices, and that they were now once a month insteadof twice a year. The thought made him sick. Lining women up on the edge of a cliff and shoving them into the dragons’ den would kill another part of him.
Unless his plan worked. He’d only arrived this morning with his father, so there hadn’t been time to meet up with Rainer or Ruth to let them know his plan, but he’d sent Alice with a letter to them, asking them to meet him at the den’s entrance tomorrow at midnight.
His father said he’d leave after the sacrifice ceremony, wanting to return home as soon as possible, and that he wouldn’t be back until the solstice when the traditional sacrifices were held.Small mercies.
Glamouring himself, Amos left the royal estate and snuck to the stables. He pulled out a sack he’d hidden in the back of Iris’ stall and loaded everything onto the horse’s back before climbing on. He might be forced to push the women over, but he’d do everything he could to ensure their survival.
Once at the cave to the den’s opening, Amos tied Iris to the tie rail, gathered his sack of supplies, and walked into the cave, praying a dragon didn’t show up and burn him alive.
The cave wasn’t deep, but neither was the moon bright, and he had to backtrack to pull out a lantern, oil, and flint to light his way. Armed with light, he ventured back into the dark and got to work.
It took forever to make the rope harnesses and attach them to the ropes. Next time he’d do that beforehand. He carried the ropes with the harnesses, a mallet, and a pile of stakes to the cliff’s edge. Then, he tied one end of a rope to a stake and the other around his middle before hammering the stake into the ground. Lying flat on his stomach, he scooted to the cliff’s edgeand prayed he didn’t fall over or come face to face with a pissed off dragon.
He got to work, leaning over the edge and hammering stakes into the cliffside where no one could see unless they leaned over.
Each rope had two harnesses attached. One higher up that the women could hopefully grab, but if they missed it, there was another farther down.
Five ropes, spaced evenly apart for five women. He’d be sure to line them up as close to the ropes as possible without being too obvious. Gods, he hoped this worked.
After finishing his task and loading up his supplies, he rode back to the estate and stabled Iris. Amos went around the side of the house to the cells where the sacrifices were held. There were two guards standing watch, and because of the open barred windows on the small building, they’d be able to hear him speak to the women.
Instead, he walked around to the back window that went into the cell and threw in a piece of paper.
There are five ropes staked into the cliffside with harnesses. Try to grab them and secure yourself until I return to pull you up tomorrow night.
Destroy this paper.
In his room, before he fell asleep, Amos prayed to the gods to help the women grab the ropes.
Amos stood inside the cave with his father, guards, and Lester, the highborn who ruled over Dragon Village. Amos had only met him that morning, and he couldn’t get a read on the man.
The king had already explained to Lester and the guards that Amos would be conducting the sacrifices from here on out, and they stood patiently near the cave’s opening.
Amos walked to the women and smiled, grabbing the first by the arm and dragging her to the cliff’s edge. She didn’t fight, but she cried and begged him to spare her.
“Remember to reach for the rope,” he whispered with his back to the other men as he positioned her into place.
Her brows pushed together until understanding lit her gaze. “Okay.”
“Keep crying or they’ll suspect something.”
She sobbed and stood near the cliff. “Dragons of the Desert,” Amos bellowed into the dark den. “I am Amos, crown prince of the Desert Kingdom, and I hereby bring you a sacrifice as a token of our respect and appreciation.”
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, and pushed the woman over the edge, ripping a scream from the depths of her soul. If his plan didn’t work, the sound would haunt him forever.
Pasting on a sadistic smile, he turned back to the others and lifted his arms wide. “Who’s next?”
