Page 63 of The Dragon Queen

Chapter

Nineteen

EMBER

AhushedsilencefallsovertheroomasIlayoutmytheoryaboutwheretofindthelegendaryCrownOfCinders.TheonethatissaidtohavebelongedtotheoriginalMotherOfDragons--theGoddesswhocreatedourkind.

TheoneImustrecoverifI'mtoclaimitspowerandascendtotheGrandThrone--andstopKingErembourfromstealingallthemagicfromthehandsofdragons,andplungingtheworldintoShadow,onceandforall.

Nopressure.

MyvoicewantstotrembleasIspeak,buteverytimeIbegintofalter,mymates'softeyesandwarmpresencebringmebacktomyself.I'vealreadyexplainedallofthistothem,sittingonthefloorofthenursery,thatuncannilyfamiliarbookinmyhands.Theywereincredulousatfirst,buttheycouldn'tdenywhatIwassaying.AsItakeintheconcerned--andinsomecases,downrightskeptical--expressionsofmyfriends,mentors,teachers,supporters,Ihavetoreassuremyself.It'llbethesamewiththem.

MyconfidencestillquakesasIfinishmyexplanation.Theroomisutterlysilent,noonemoving.

Then,finally,LordRookclearshisthroat.

Andjustlikethat,allhellbreaksloose.Everyonespeaksatonce.

"Thisisachildren'sbook,"Rookbellows,risingabovethetideofvoices--ifonlybarely.

Ican'tlistentoallofthematthesametime,soIfocusonhim,first.

"Itisachildren'sbook,"Iallow, "butonethattellsthestoryweallnowknowtohaveitsrootsintruth."Isuckinadeepbreathandletitout. "Afewmonthsago,weallthoughtthelegendsaboutbringinglighttoshadowandanheirtothegreatkingdomsascendingtothethronewereabunchoffairytales.Buthereweallare."

"Thereareahundreddifferentversionsofthosestories,though,Ember,"Rhiannonremindsme. "Justbecausethere'sagrainoftruthtothemdoesn'tmeaneverydetailineveryoneistrue."

"Iknow."HowdoIexplainthewaythebookfeltsorightinmyhands?ThewayitpracticallyopeneditselftothepageIneeded?

HowIcouldalmosthearmymother'svoice?

"Evenifthisistrue,"HighPriestessFanginterrupts, "itrepresentsaworst-casescenario."

Myabdomenconstricts. "Iknow."

"Doyou,though?"Rook'sdarkeyesgleam,theforebodingShadowDragonwithinhimrisingtowardthesurface. "Doyouunderstandwhatyou'resaying?ThattheCrownhasbeenunderErembour'snosethisentiretime?"

MythroatgratesasIswallow,butIstandtall,refusingtobackdown. "Iknowitsoundsimpossible--"

"Notimpossible."Rhiannon'shandonRook'sissubtle,butnowthatI'veseenthemcanoodling,it'sunmistakable. "Just--alittlehardtobelieve."

"Alittle?"Rookbarelyhideshisscoff.

"NotifwhatI'mreadinghereisright."InarrowmyeyesatRook. "Youweretheonetosaythatit'shiddensomeplacethatcanonlybeaccessedbysomeonewieldingallfivebranchesofelementalmagic."

"IalsosaidtheShadowKinghadastrategyfordrawingitout."

Andyes--I'veconsideredthat.Hisstrategycouldbeusingmetoleadhimrighttothecrown.

"You'resuggestingthishasallbeenatrap?"Freyaasks.

Rhiannonworksherjaw. "ThatwouldbeErembour'sstyle."

"Traporno,whatchoicedowehave?"Ahintofdesperationleaksintomytone,despitemybesteffortstoprojectabsoluteconfidence. "Atleastweknowtobesuspicious."

"Ember."Rhiannonfixesmewithasoftgaze,trustingbutcautious. "Areyousure?"

Mythroattightens. "AssureasIcanbe."Iglancearound,takinginallofthefacesstaringatme.Expectingmetolead--andIcan.Iwill.

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