Page 12 of The Dragon Queen

“Talking.”

The prince snorted at my reply.

“Oh!” Ged said, then shot me a sly smile. “Ohh… So Draven did look after you right.”

“So well you found another crystal egg.” Flynn drew forward, looking into my eyes for permission before taking it from me. “We really need to find out what these bloody things are.”

“Can you ask Glimmer?” Draven moved towards Brom, obviously wanting to reconnect on that front as well, but my husband pushed past him, coming closer. That was how he missed Draven’s expression shift, the prince’s face closing down, his eyes becoming cool. “Surely she should know?” Brom asked me.

Glimmer?I sent out a gentle nudge, not sure if she was asleep yet, and while I could feel the heavy lassitude in her body, her consciousness brushed against mine.Do you know what the crystal eggs are?

Wisdom, she said.History, power, a gift.

“Well, that’s suitably vague,” Flynn said when I relayed that to the lot of them.

“Perhaps we need to revisit the library at the keep?” I asked, looking at Draven hopefully.

His smile was back as he came closer, pulling me towards him.

“So we’re asking for permission now?” His hands smoothed over my face, as if he was trying to map the shape of it. “How could I say no to you?” But he would, if he had to, that we both knew as hissmile faded. “But I may have a more important job for you. One that takes you out of the palace altogether.” He nodded to the rest of my men. “And your wingmates.”

A kiss was pressed to my forehead and then he pulled away.

“We saw a vision while we were… talking,” Draven said, beginning to pace back and forth across the floor. “Something that would only make sense to my family.”

I frowned, struggling to remember the faces of the royal dragon corp that I saw when I touched the egg. None of them looked familiar, and why would they be? This had to have happened hundreds of years ago.

“Your family?” I pulled away from the others. “Did they…” I swallowed. “Did they order the attack?”

“What attack?” Ged asked. “And what has that to do with your family, Draven?”

I paused then, gripping the back of a chair, my knuckles going white as I told them.

“It appears that the hill on Finder’s Dell was not always a hill,” I told them. “Before, it was a valley.” Soren frowned as this obviously contradicted what he knew of the place. “There was a dragon city there, much like Dragon Home.”

“Like the ruins I found,” Flynn said.

“Exactly like that,” I replied. “A queen dragon rose to mate, her males chasing her. Draven and I…” I dared to look at the prince, the moment somehow feeling too personal to be shared. “Draven and I were suddenly citizens of that city… enjoying the mating frenzy, but not for long.”

“Dragonfire,” Draven said, looking just as unhappy now as he was then. “The dragon corp dropped dragonfire on the city.”

“Dragonfire?” Ged let out an abrupt little laugh. “That’s a myth. Burns through anything. Tears apart the earth like a quake…” His voice trailed away as he looked at the rest of us, waiting for us to laugh along with him.

“My family likes to encourage the belief that reports of dragonfire use are greatly exaggerated, or lies.” Draven looked up slowly. “If no one really knows what it is, what it’s been used for, then theywon’t be motivated to come and look for it, will they?” Soren sucked in a breath, ready to ask a question, but Draven forged on. “What do you know of my family’s rise to power?”

Brom shifted, his arms firmly crossed, making clear none of this was a surprise to him, but the others couldn’t say the same.

“Gloriana was a weak queen,” Soren said with the confidence of a great teacher. “She neglected her consorts, particularly your great, great, great, great grandsire, and was little interested in the workings of government, prioritising her pleasure. Corruption and exploitation grew and grew, as did lawlessness. All attempts to counsel the queen, then demand that she do something about it, fell on deaf ears. All but for the man who would become the first king of Nevermere.”

“We took the throne reluctantly.” The sarcasm was heavy in Draven’s voice. “For the sake of the people.” He shook his head. “Some of that is true. Gloriana was spoiled, overly indulged and no fit heir to Queen Inara, but it wasn’t that which spurred my ancestor to claim the throne for himself.”

He pulled out a chair at the head of the table, sitting down, and I couldn’t help but see it. A golden throne behind him, not a wooden dining chair.

“When it became apparent that Gloriana wasn’t going to be able to hold the throne, all the lords started to scramble, seeing an opportunity. My family was always a cadet branch of the current royal family, my oldest ancestor the brother of one of the first queens. Close enough to be given stewardship of a family secret, an asset rarely deployed, but kept closely guarded. Dragonfire.” Draven sat up straighter so as to meet our gazes head on. “Just as volatile and explosive as all the stories.” He shook his head. “Perhaps more. I hadn’t thought about it until now. The threat of us using it against our enemies has kept the Nithians on the throne for decades.”

His eyes were so very blue as they stared into mine.

“Perhaps it’s time to remind my uncle why his forebears never bothered to cross mine in the past.”

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