Page 5 of The Dragon Queen

Regardless,eveniftheyhavetoflytheentireway,wehaveadayatmosttoevacuate.

MyconnectiontoMalikvibrateswithabuzzytensionthatmakesthebackofmyneckprickleanditch.Acrossthetablefromme,he'sdrawingpatternsinthecondensationonhispintglassandchewingontheinsideofhislip.Thewayheflicksthedropletsofwaterfromhisfingerdoesn'tscreammagic,butitisn'tentirelynatural,either.Helooksup,hisgazemeetingmine,andIraisemybrows.

Heconsidersforamomentbeforeexhalingslowly.Clearinghisthroat,hesays, "It'srisky.ButImayhaveapossiblesolution."

Chapter

Two

MALIK

It'snotthatIhaveneverreturnedtothesiteofmyoldkingdom.Whenourpeopledeserteditattheendofthewar,weleftinhaste.Themagicrequiredtoremoveanentirenationofdragonswasdangerousandunpredictable.

AsIstandbeforetheportalthatEmberandRookhavecreated,leadingusbacktotheabandonedruins,Ihuffoutabreaththattastesofashandbile.

It'sonlynowthatunderstandwhythemagicwassovolatile.Itwascreatedbymymother'srage,butitwasfueledbytheShadowKingdom'sdarkmagic.

IfonlyIhadknownthat,then.

Asitwas,Itrustedinmymother'swisdom,leadingmypeopleinourexodus.Weleftourhomeashambles,relyingonacobbled-togetherseriesofillusionsandafriendlyseatocoverourtracks.BythegraceoftheGods,itworked.Noonefromtheotherkingdomssuspectedwhatwehaddone.BelievingthestorywesowedthatwehadbeenwipedoffthemapbyaShadowDragonattack,theymournedus,andwesatback,satisfiedinourdeception.Webegananew,andwerarelylookedback.

ButIwasjustaboy,grievingthelossofmyfatherandmybrothers,drowningundertheweightofmynewresponsibilityasthecrownprince.Whenmymotherandheradvisorsdeemeditnecessaryforournationtoconductmissionsbacktoouroldhometoensureitssecurity,Iwasalltooeagertovolunteer.

Eventhen,stridingthroughthewaterloggedstreetswaslikewadingthroughanoceanofghosts.Therewasnosolaceintheeerie,silentcity.

AllIcandoispraythatitoffersme,mymate,andourcompanionssomekindofsolacenow.

Withallofherconcentrationbentonmaintainingtheportal,Emberflickshergazetomineforthebriefestofmoments.Eversosubtly,shenods.

Takingadeepbreath,IlooktoRafeandJett.Thetwomennod,andtogetherwestepthrough.

Theworldshivers,andthere'sthatterriblemomentoffallingthroughnothingness,butit'safeelingI'mbeginningtobecomeaccustomedto.IkeepmybearingsthebestIcan.

AndthenI'mlandingondampearth,theskyabovemeachinglyfamiliarandvast.

Allaroundusisrubble.

"Lovewhatyou'vedonewiththeplace,"Rafequips,butIignorehim.

We'vematerializedahundredmetersorsosouthoftheabandonedcapitaloftheoldWaterDragonKingdom.IgestureaheadandleadRafeandJettbetweenovergrowntreesandalongpathsallbutburiedbydecadesofneglect.

ThewardsarewhereIrememberthem.Iclosemyeyesandfeelthecoolwaveofmymagicrushingthroughthemagicalinkonmyarms.Openingmyeyesagain,Iinscribeaseriesofoldsigilsintheair,thewritingflowingoutward.Ashiverpassesthroughmeasthewardscrumbleaway.

"You'resurethequeenwillnotdetectourpresence?"Jettasks.

"I'msure."

It'sbeenyearssincethelastexpeditiontocheckthestatusofouroldhome.Whenwedeparted,itwasforgood.Therewasnothingleftforushere;nosecretsremainingtoprotect.Evenifanyonewasmonitoringtheoldwards,Iwasentrustedwiththeirkeys.I'vedissolvedtheminawaythatonlyIwouldhavebeenabletosense.

Still,we'vebeensenthereasanadvancepartytoscoutahead.

"Come,"Ibidmycompanions.

Betweenonebreathandthenext,Icallforthmydragon.RafeandJettfollowsuit,andtogether,weflyalowpathovertheruins.Nothingstirs.

Pangsofsourregretsqueezeevenmydragonheart.

TheWaterDragonKingdom'sspiesworkedhard,thosefirstfewyearsafterourdisappearance.Theyconvincedeveryonethatratherthantryingtorebuild,thesiteofouronce-grandkingdomshouldbepreservedasamemorial.Duetoitsremoteness,itwelcomesnotouristsorpilgrims.Noonehastriedtosettleit,andthankstoourmagic,evenwildlifehastendedtostayclear.

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