Page 20 of Dragon Gods

“You’re okay?”

Sofia nodded and Flor led Javi and her to the large bonfire that was burning on the shore. If there had been others sitting there before, they were gone now, leaving the three of them alone. The heat of the flames burned against her numbed skin, but she savored the pain.

“Then what in the gods’ scales were you thinking?” Flor growled out, her teeth chattering with cold. “I can’t believe you made me witness that! You made me an accomplice.”

“Micael won’t?—”

“That’s not the point! You can’t lose yourself like that. My gods, we could have been caught just trying to leave the city with you in that shape.” Flor’s voice was louder and more strained than Sofia had ever heard it before. For all the trouble the two of them had gotten into over the cycles, it had never been the two of them facing off against each other.

“What happened in there?” Javi said, pushing in between them. “Someone explain to me what I just came into.”

Flor spoke first. “Sari is dead. The chief commander practically announced he couldn’t be open to a trade and killed four Dragonborn in the process.”

Javi’s face went pale and Flor seemed to notice her mistake immediately.

“Dia wasn’t there.”

“But she will be if we don’t act,” Sofia said, grinding the words out between clenched teeth. She hated the blanched fear on Javi’s face, but she couldn’t soften the blow. The chief commander would kill every single Dragonborn in the prison whether or not they gave Ocon back.

“We need to tell Micael,” Javi said, voice strained. “We need to release Junior Sergeant Ocon back to them before they execute anyone else.”

“Didn’t you hear me?” Sofia said, her eyes burning in firelight. The flames only made the shadows stretch longer, painting their faces in shades of black and gray. She preferred it that way, the darkness softened the pain in Javi’s eyes. “He’ll kill them no matter what. That Dereyan bastard in there is only an excuse.”

Javi’s body crumpled at her words and Flor moved to hold him up before he fell.

“If we can get into the prison?—”

She didn’t finish the sentence as the click of boots moved around the corner from the area beyond.

“Sofia Maria Suarez,” Micael’s voice was more bark than order. “Unless you have information to prove that man was conceiving a plan to kill us all in our sleep, then you better start begging my forgiveness.”

It wasn’t the voice of a fatherly figure or even a mentor. It was the order of the commander of the resistance movement and Sofia’s superior.

“I—”

“Sir, there were extenuating circumstances. You can’t blame her,” Flor said, moving to stand next to her.

Sofia stepped forward to block her attempt.

“No one else is to blame for my actions in there, sir. I—we—” she couldn’t quite get the words out.

“Sofia, I have no doubt that you are fully responsible for what just happened in there.”

Micael’s voice was never particularly warm. His care was often given with cold consideration and distant approval. But the ice that threaded through his words now was something Sofia hadn’t heard before. There wasn’t even the heat of anger. Just icy cold resolve as he stood, glowering down at her.

“I’m sorry,” she said, taking a second to collect herself when her voice cracked. “Whatever I can do to apologize and fix my mistakes. You know how I feel about—I shouldn’t have acted without permission.”

“Sir, we have news from the city,” Flor said, this time managing to shoulder Sofia out of her way.

“Flor—” Sofia had no idea what she planned to say. She just didn’t want to be here for this.

“Micael,” Flor continued, voice softening. It was that gentleness that had Micael’s eyes snapping from Sofia and meeting Flor’s. He knew what she was about to say before she said it, yet they all held their breaths as if the words might come out differently than they knew they would.

“The king ordered an execution today. Sari was—Sari and three others…”

Micael gave a careful nod, saving Flor from finishing the sentence.

“And Dia?” he said, looking at Javi.

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