Goran, their best friend and one of the best dragon-riders, also known as Dragonians, had betrayed them.
Creepers had sprung from the earth and entrapped Goran and our capital province on the night of their death. No one could get through, as the creepers had these mouth-like shapes at the end of their bodies containing a poison that would kill you in seconds. The creepers also had this monstrous demeanor that could easily tear a man or dragon apart.
The Víden had said throughout the years that I would free the people of Etan with my rider, but my rider didn’t exist, or not the genuine kind. It was why Lucian, the Prince of Tith and my blood brother, had made it his mission to claim me.
Why my dad had felt he needed to find someone on this side of the wall was beyond me.
Tonight he’d told me everything.
“Are you sure about this?”
He nodded. “There is a Moon-bolt here that not only saw the girl in visions but met her a long time ago.”
“Her?” I froze. A heaviness sunk into my gut.
“I know it’s a lot to take in. But you have a rider. Why Albert never told me that Katie was with child, I will never know.” He rubbed his neck, and a pained, watery gaze stared at nothing.
“Dad, how did they get her past the wall?”
He blinked and sighed. “I don’t know. I got a feeling they gave the girl the Coward’s Potion.”
The Coward’s Potion. “They needed my blood for that potion.”
He nodded.
“Well, I don’t remember my blood being given or drawn. Do you? Was I asleep?”
“I don’t remember that either, Blake.”
“Then how did they get her past the wall? Who told you this?” My voice raised a few octaves higher.
“The Moon-Bolt. She sees them. The princess is with Jako Lemuir.”
“King Louie’s dragon?”
My father nodded. I’d wondered many times what had happened to him. He’d disappeared a few days after Tanya, the queen’s dragon, had left.
“How did you find out about this?”
“Someone tipped me off in a letter. I didn’t know who wrote it, but the letter said that my answers were on the other side of the wall. Your answer was on the other side of the wall. It wasn’t so hard to put two and two together when your name popped into the letter.”
“What?”
“It was by luck that I found this letter. If I hadn’t enter that hostel, I would’ve never found the letter.”
“What hostel?”
“It doesn’t matter now. It’s done, and we found your rider.” He smiled.
I didn’t like that he was still spending time at a hostel. What was he doing there? Was it before Sam took away his memories, replaced them with new ones, or after?
How did he remember the letter if it was before?
Silence lingered. I always thought that the wall had something to do with human heartbeats. My dad just confirmed it had. The shield didn’t pick up the dragons’ heartbeats. Only an EKG machine could pick up mine. But if it was the Coward’s potion, why couldn’t I remember giving my blood freely?
“Have you seen her?”
“No, but I know her name is Elena Watkins. The Moon-Bolt told me that after the queen’s death, Tanya went back to Paegeia. She abandoned the girl, and Jako took care of her. He goes by a new alias, Herbert.”
