Page 24 of The Dragon Queen

Withimmediatelogisticalconcernshandled,Freyashiftsherfocus. "AnyupdatesonthesituationinUnity?"

Lettingmyfakesmilefadeaway,Isitupstraighter.

Quietly,Amyfillsmein. "Thewardsweleftinplaceafterwefledalltrippedmid-dayyesterday."Sheshudders. "Rookwasright.TheShadowDragonsreturnedinforce."

"Andthey'veleftnostoneunturned,lookingforcluesastowherewe'vegone,"Rhiannoncontinues.

Myhearthammersinmychest. "Thankthegodswegoteverybodyoutintime."

Gratitudeisonlyoneoftheemotionstwistingaroundinsideme,though.Unityfellunderattackbecauseofme.Ishouldbethere,protectingthetown.NothidingoutwhileShadowDragonsburntheplacetotheground.

"They'veshatteredanyremainingsecuritycamerasanddisruptedthewards,"Zahrainformsus. "Butmyspiestellmethatthey'vemainlydispersed,leavingonlyasmallcontingentofguards."

"Waitingforourreturn,nodoubt."Freyaisslowlytearingapieceoftoastapart,lettingthecrumbsraindownonherplate.

"Weshouldbideourtime,"Jettsays. "Regatherourstrength."

Freyadropswhat'sleftofthetoast,hervoicegravellywithfrustrationandbankedrage. "Iknow."

"Wewillretakeourhome,"Rhiannonpromises. "Oncewe'vehadtimetorestandheal."

Thewayshesaystheword 'heal'hasmesuckinginmybreath.Iknewwe'dsufferedcasualties,butIwassofocusedonworkingwithRooktocreatetheportalherethatIdidn'thaveachancetobebriefedonthedetails.

"Howiseveryone?"

"Fine,"Amysays,toofast,andInarrowmyeyes.

FreyaexchangesalookwithRhiannon. "Mostofthemembersoftheguardarerecovering.Welostafewsoldiers,andthereareseveralciviliansunaccountedfor."

Assheliststheirnames,myheartsqueezeswithgriefandself-recrimination.

Butthere'smore. "And?"

ToFreya,Rhiannonsays, "Shedeservestoknow."

"What?"IceslipsdownmyspineasIglancebetweenthetwoofthem. "Whathappened?"

Amyputsahandovermine.Gently,shesays, "It'sMariutza."

IGETawhirlwindtouroftheoldWaterDragonKingdomcastleasRhiannonandAmyleadmetoMariutza'sroom.Thewholeplaceisbeautiful,ofcourse,carvedfromoldstoneanddarkhardwoodanddecoratedrichlywithtapestries,sculpturesandpaintingsthatdon'tshowabitofwear,despiteadecadeofneglect.Idon'thavethebandwidthtoreallytakeitin,though.

BackwhenIwasworkingontheportalspellwithRook,Mariutzaseemedfine.Inhindsight,itwasstrangethatsheandDelayniedidn'toffertohelp;afterall,itwasthecombinationoftheirmagicandRook'sthatallowedthethreeofthemtoescapetheShadowKing'sCitadelinthefirstplace.

"She'sgoingtobefine,"Amypromisesmeagain,squeezingmyhand.

"That'swhatyoukeepsaying,"Imumble.Themoresherepeatsit,thelessIbelieveher. "Ijuststilldon'tunderstandwhathappened."

"Nothinghastohappenatherage,"Rhiannonsayssoftly. "She'ssurvivedbattlingtheSorceress,escapingtheCitadel,amonthontherun,andnowanassaultbyaphalanxofAirandShadowDragons."Sheshakesherhead. "Itwassimplytoomuch."

Mythroatistight. "Butshe'llrecover."

"Ofcourse."Amyprojectsevenmoreconfidencethistime,andyeah,I'mnotbuyingit.

We'reinadistantwingofthecastlenow,withdoorsthatarefarapart.Probablyquartersformembersoftheextendedroyalfamily,backwhentheWaterDragonKingheldcourthere.Rhiannonstopsatoneofthelastdoorsinthehallandknocks,andavoicegivesuspermissiontoenter.

Inside,theroomisspaciousandwell-appointed,althoughit'shardtotakeinthedetailswiththecurtainsdrawn,thewholeplacelitbyonlyacoupleofsconceswithbulbsburninglow.

Iblink,waitingformyeyestoadjust.Astheydo,ItakeinDelayniesittinginachairbesideanenormousbed.Andthere,proppeduponacoupleofpillows,isMariutza.

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