Page 2 of Dragon Gods

A human. A Dereyan.

She froze, hands covered in blood, and smiled. She’d finally been found and the true hunt had begun.

CHAPTERTWO

FOX

Fox was on the hunt. When he’d set out that morning with the others, after arguing with Ian for ten minutes about how he was most definitely coming with them, he’d had high hopes. He imagined himself strolling back into the city with the head of the Dragonborn resistance’s leader dangling from his fist. The scene was beginning to feel less tangible as he swatted away another buzzing insect, surrounded by the stench of dying trees.

Ian had sent them all on a wild rabbit chase. He’d probably only seen an old marking from before Suvi even existed and mistaken it for something meaningful. They’d been out in the forest well before sunrise and it was already nearly noon and so far the most dangerous thing Fox had seen was some poison vines. As he nearly tripped over a root, dodging another said vine, he thought about turning around, marching back to Ian and telling him as much. Ian was a rank above him, but they’d known each other long enough that Fox never felt guilty pushing the high sergeant’s buttons.

The fact was, he wasn’t even supposed to be out here. He’d taken High Specialist Luna’s place in the search party when he’d heard what they were after—the resistance’s base. After nearly an entire sun cycle of raiding pathetic excuses for bases within the city that usually comprised a single family whispering about forbidden myths across the dinner table, Fox was ready to make an actual dent in the king-damned rebellion.

So despite wanting to turn around and tell Ian exactly what he thought of his ridiculous plan, he kept moving. And when he finally heard a rustling in the trees ahead of him, too big to be a rabbit or fox, he pulled his bow and prowled forward.

It was impossible to be truly silent in the forest, the dead leaves and plants always happy to make his life more difficult, but with the slight breeze and constant buzz of animals and insects, he could blend in with the cacophony of sounds fine. He kept his distance at first, careful not to startle whatever it was, but as he approached, seeing the flashes of movement between the trees, he bit back his shout of triumph.Itwas ashe, aDragonborncaught outside the city walls.

Being out here was already grounds for arrest and imprisonment, but if she was here on resistance business, she could lead him back to their elusive base.

Ian might have given them the initial intel, but Fox would lead them to the nest and he’d be the one to cut off the viper’s head. He imagined the homecoming, the chief commander welcoming him with open arms, his own father at his side beaming with pride. He’d prove to the man once and for all that he could be a true king’s man and military leader. That he could fill his brother’s shoes.

Why anyone would risk their lives to be out in this treacherous place, he had no idea. The rainforest smelled of rotten wood and moss, and with the worsening droughts, the greenery couldn’t be considered pleasing. It was simply brown dirt, brown mud, and brown death. Even the animals didn’t seem particularly excited to be out here. But Fox had given up cycles ago trying to understand the minds of dragon-filth who insisted his people with their polished stone houses and paved streets were the savage ones.

He almost tripped over a root as he circled toward where he’d seen the woman through the trees. His heart beat heavily in his chest as he crouched and brushed his hair from his face, sticky with sweat. A wild boar sniffed around a small clearing a few yards away, but there wasn’t a woman in sight. His chest tightened, but before he could think to run, the woman dropped from the tree above the boar, landing on it with a short cry and pulling a dagger across its throat. It was a savage display of blood and violence and though he’d never admit it, he was almost impressed.

He had a clear view of the woman when she stood, looking down at her kill. She was covered in dirt and blood, making it nearly impossible to tell her skin apart from the filth, but her hair was a distinct nest of umber curls that appeared nearly black until they caught the light. For a moment, he questioned if she was even from Suvi. He had heard rumors of unregistered Dragonborn roaming beyond the wall. But despite the grime, her clothes were too well-tailored to be from anywhere but the city.

More importantly, she’d just proven she was not only outside the walls, but possessed a set of illegal weapons, hunting the king’s animals. Although not proof of resistance ties, hope swelled inside him. He could arrest her then and there, take her back to the city, and interrogate her. But if he could follow her without being seen?—

Before the thought had even finished, she froze in what she was doing, body going rigid. She looked up. He had barely moved, taking a single silent step backward and yet she was staring directly at him through the branches and vines.

A small leather strap was wrapped across her face, obscuring the top half, but her eyes were still visible and her gaze sharp. Her high cheekbones gave her an air of haughtiness that almost had him stepping back again.

The decision had been made for him.

He moved forward, an arrow already aimed and ready to fire if she ran, but she didn’t. She had turned back to her kill, eyes focused on her hands as they made quick work of the giant pig’s innards. Fox’s stomach turned at the sight.

“Don’t move,” he said, voice clear despite them being the first words he’d spoken since morning. “You’re under arrest, in the name of the king, for illegal hunting, possession of banned weapons, trespassing on royal land, and suspected rebel activity.”

She ignored his command, standing up slowly and turning to look at him.

“You. Of course, it’s you,” she said, a muscle twitching in her jaw. He wasn’t sure what to make of the comment and her face was carefully neutral. He sneered at the blood splattered across her cheeks and mask like freckles, a few drops smudged as if to imitate war paint. Her eyes, nearly too large for her face stood out starkly against her dirt and blood-streaked face, bright and round and the color of moss. She blinked.

“Drop your dagger and get on your knees,” he said, unnerved by the lack of expression. Perhaps she was dull-witted.

She twisted the dagger in her hand around, but didn’t drop it.

“I don’t want to fight,” he said, teeth clenched in frustration.

“Maybe I do,” she said, smiling.

“You’ll only lose.”

“But it might be fun.” She took a step forward and he moved his arrow in threat. “We could dirty up those pretty clothes of yours.”

“Or I could just shoot you and carry you back to the city over my shoulder.”

“Is that supposed to convince me to cooperate?”

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