“Not long.”
“Was anyone hurt?”
I frowned and sat up in bed. The conversation that had woken me was coming through the open bedroom door. I could see Falken and one of his knights just beyond the doorway.
Clothes, I needed clothes. They were scattered on the floor. I climbed out of bed and went for my pants. With those on, I ventured into the outer room.
Falken turned toward me as I entered. “The bridge has fallen.”
“The one that was being deconstructed?” I rubbed my eyes.
“Yes.”
“And now people are gathering, Your Majesty,” the blond Dragon knight said.
I really should learn the names of Falken's knights. Wait. What had he said?“They're rioting?” I stepped closer.
“Not yet, but we fear it will—”
A dull roar cut the knight off, and all three of us turned toward the window. Falken rushed to it, the knight and I following. I didn't see anything unusual, but I could hear people shouting.
“Send the Horns to help the Talons,” the Dragon King said. “I'll make another flight.”
The knight rushed off, and Falken moved to follow.
“Falken.” I grabbed his arm. “They're scared. Maybe scaring them more is a bad idea.”
“Then what do you propose I do?”
“Let your officers and soldiers handle it. If it gets out of control, you can step in.”
Falken grimaced as he looked at the city. “I can't just stay here and do nothing.”
“We won't be doing nothing.” I headed for the suite door. “We will prepare.”
Falken followed me. “Where are you going?”
“To my room to get dressed and then to my lab.”
“I'll join you.”
I paused. “You need to prepare the palace horns to defend the palace. I need to make some reagents to help you.”
“Such as?”
“Things to calm, perhaps some to paralyze.”
“Paralyze?”
“Temporarily, of course.” I went for the door. “Fetch me when you need me.”
As I left, I heard the King mutter, “I always need you.”
Ignoring the shiver his words sent through me, I hurried to my room.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
I had a basket full of calming reagents and another full of paralyzing reagents when the Dragon King entered the lab. He looked handsome and brutal in his royal raiments and gold pauldrons on his shoulders. Matching vambraces covered his forearms, but that was it for armor, leaving him looking as if he'd chosen the items for decoration rather than any protection they offered. He was ready for war, but didn't require a sword or shield to fight.
