Page 20 of Bewitched

“She’s dead now,” she answered. Then she stopped talking altogether.

Rhys felt as if he’d said something wrong, but had no idea what. He was about to question her about it when they heard a roaring noise in the sky, coming from behind them. His horse became spooked and rose up on its back legs, pawing the air.

“I’ve got you,” said Rhys, holding her tightly, all the while trying to calm Sampson. “It’s the dragon. I can see it over Kasculbough Castle.”

Rhys turned the horse, shocked to see fire and smoke coming from the direction of the castle now. Something was burning, and he had the feeling it was damage brought on from the dragon.

“Bloody Abyss and damnation, I think the dragon attacked the castle. Zann! Darium!” he shouted for his brothers.

“What is it? What’s the matter?” Zann opened the door to the cottage, wiping the sleep out of one eye.

“It’s Kasculbough. I think the dragon just attacked it,” he told him. “I can see smoke and fire coming from that direction.”

“Nay!” shouted Zann as Darium appeared at the door as well.

“What is all the shouting about? I was trying to sleep,” complained Darium. “You two don’t make it easy.”

“It’s Kasculbough,” said Rhys. “The dragon attacked. We’ve got to get there, quickly.”

“I can transport there and find out for sure.” Medea started to move off the horse, but Rhys held her back.

“Nay, Medea. This is not your land, and you don’t know it. There are many dangers here that you are unaware of. You’ll stay with me. Let’s go!” he called out to the others.

“I’m coming after all,” said Darium, quickly pulling a tunic over his head. “If there are dead, they’ll need me to sin eat.”

“We’re all coming with you.” Talia appeared at the door with Alaina and Rapunzel.

“We’ve got to get there quickly,” said Rhys, turning his horse. “I need to stop that dragon before it destroys the Kingdom.”

“Just don’t hurt it, please,” called out Rapunzel, running for Zann’s horse.

“Hurting a dragon is the least of my concerns,” grumbled Rhys. “If King Osric was killed, we’re going to have a war on our hands, as the other two kings try to claim his castle and lands for themselves.”

Six

Rhys wasn’t sure what to expect when they rode up to Kasculbough, but the devastation was worse than he thought. Small fires burned inside the castle’s courtyard. There were broken items and rubble scattered across the ground. Black, billowing smoke curled up into the sky from the thatched roofs of the outbuildings as they smoldered. It almost reminded him of some of the evil faces from the demons they’d experienced with the portal of the Land of the Dead.

Acrid smoke filled his nostrils, making him want to retch. When Rhys directed his horse over the drawbridge, he saw scorched wood beneath his horse’s feet. The castle’s crops outside the castle were scorched and broken. Debris floated in the moat, looking as if something had exploded.

Chaos reigned all around him. Soldiers, nobles, and peasants cried out and yelled to one another. They all moved with urgency as they ran to long troughs filled with water, and even headed to the moat to fill their buckets to help put out the fires.

“It looks like the dragon did some damage,” remarked Medea.

“Aye. The thatched roofs of the outbuildings have been burned. I wonder how many people were wounded or even killed.”

“Blackseed, get over here!”

Rhys looked up to see King Osric emerging from the keep. He let out a deep sigh of relief that the man hadn’t been harmed.

“I’ll be right back, Medea. Stay here,” he told her, dismounting and making his way over the rubble and through the puddles of spilled water to speak with his king. “My King, how do you fare?” he asked with a slight bow.

“I’m angrier than a wet vabesta-bee in the middle of a downpour.” The vabesta-bee was a cross between a bee and a bird. It was a very large flying insect that had a long, sharp stinger and hated to get wet.

“Are there any deaths?” asked Rhys with concern.

“Nay, thank the gods, not from the dragon. However, there are quite a few injuries. Some are severe.”

“King Osric.” Darium rode into the courtyard with Talia, stopping his horse and helping his wife dismount before rushing over. Zann and the others were right behind him. “I thought perhaps my services might be needed.”