Would Bell even have said anything if Rakos hadn’t offered to sight-share? Maybe Bell had, though not in so many words. Every time he asked to ride double and rest was an admission of pain.
Heart hurting, Rakos squeezes Bell’s hand. “How long have you been seeing this?”
“It only got this bad this morning.” Bell squeezes back. “The source must be north of the forest. Whatever it is.”
“I could have dimmed your vision to help. I still could.”
Bell shakes his head. He doesn’t seem nearly as affected by the sick glow as Rakos. Like he’s used to it. “Now who’s ignoring their limits? You’re barely keeping up your barrier as it is. I promise that if I couldn’t bear this, I would say so.”
“I hate that you’re right.” Rakos lets go of Bell’s hand. He’s seen all he needs to see. When the nauseating light dims away, he says, “You’re pretty fucking powerful, minstrel. That’s nothing I can nullify. What you’re seeing is scalestone.”
Rakos feels pretty pleased with himself for the deduction. It’s the only answer that makes sense. If he can’t dim Bell’s vision right now, at least he can help him with an answer.
He doesn’t expect Bell to laugh—then break off in shock.
“You’re not joking,” Bell says, eyes wide.
“Why would I joke about that?” Rakos waves at the trail ahead of them. “The mountains are right there, and the scalestone veins impact this entire region. We’re just finally close enough for you to see the influence.”
Bell shakes his head, inexplicably pale. “But it can’t be scalestone. That’s impossible.”
?
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Bellamy
Rakos must be mistaken. That’s the only option. Because this is the same iridescence that drives Bellamy dizzy every time he visits his mother’s palace. Sandrelle, the forest in the very heart of Silaise.
If what Bellamy sees now is scalestone, then what he sees in Sandrelle must be scalestone too. But that’s impossible. Everyone knows scalestone is only found in Draskora. Scalestone is why Draskora has dragons. It’s whyonlyDraskora has dragons.
Bellamy can’t fathom the ramifications if hidden veins were discovered in Silaise.
“I’m definitely right,” Rakos says. “I’m a dragonrider. I know scalestone.”
Bellamy tries to regain his composure. “I guess it must be.”
“What’s wrong?” Rakos is getting far too good at reading him. “Wait, where did you say you had seen this glow before again?”
“By the coastline,” Bellamy lies, urging his horse into a walk. “I didn’t think there were deposits of it that far south.”
Rakos moves his horse too. “We use it throughout the country. There was probably a supply stockpile somewhere in the area.”
“Can it be contained?” Bellamy asks as his initial shock subsides. “So normal mages couldn’t sense it, and it wouldn’t influence the surrounding land?”
Nobody is born with purple eyes on Silaisan soil, after all.
“I don’t know about containing it. There’s some tipping-point quantity before it starts bleeding into the land. I bet you didn’t sense the tiny stones at the bloodmasque.” Rakos sighs. “You need a fuckton of it for dragons.”
“How much?” Bellamy asks.
Rakos opens his mouth, then stiffens in the saddle. “It’s safer for both of us if I don’t tell you that. Ask again when I’m on my island paradise.”
Bellamy falls quiet and rides on, lost in thought.
An hour later, the forest crests over a hill. A vast valley sweeps below, cradling a fortress-like city in its craggy grasp. Parsk is one of Draskora’s largest cities. Bellamy learned during long-ago lessons that House Bernek governs the surrounding lands, but much of Parsk itself is under direct control of the drasgard and dragon corps.
The city itself is but a shadow to the surrounding mountains. Peaks and ridges rise like towers, laced with tunnels, barracks, and nests. Visible purple veins riddle the dark stone. The scalestone itself doesn’t glow, but its influence blankets the entire valley in an eerie mist.
