Page 126 of Conspirators' Kingdom

Mereruka swore under his breath. No wonder the dragons were so fierce in these parts. Dragon graveyards drew feral and civil dragons alike. That damned canal Betrest was so keen on would never be built. Travelling further into the desert would get everyone killed. Mereruka ordered one of his soldiers over to call a halt to the day’s march. He leaned over to Taisiya and whispered in her ear.

“Say nothing of the hearts to anyone. How many do you hear? How close?”

She shook her head.

“There are too many songs for me to count, but we’re close, probably on top of a few right now.”

His next words were cut off as Radjedef, atop his summoned horse of teal and violet, raced towards him with a scowl on his face.

“What are you doing, calling a halt? Is the heat too much for your fragile wife?” Radjedef sneered.

“I’m certain we can find dragon’s scales right here,” Mereruka replied.

A dragon’s graveyard all but guaranteed that the scales, which were nearly impervious to rot, would be found in abundance where they stood. Radjedef was unconvinced.

“Are you a coward, too afraid of venturing deeper into the desert?” he goaded.

“Are you a fool, with no sense of responsibility for the lives of your soldiers?” Taisiya shot back, her voice carrying far.

If Radjedef could flush noticeably, he might have done so at that moment.

“Tell your wife to watch her tongue! I am the overseer of the royal guard, and am here as a courtesy extended to you by King Khety!”

“Then as a courtesy, halt the march. When the heat of midday has gone, we can search the area for scales,” Mereruka replied, sounding as reasonable as possible.

This was a game he did so enjoy playing. Winding up the predictable Radjedef and then taking advantage of his outburst to appear the wise and cool-headed younger brother was always a treat. In all his centuries, Radjedef had never succeeded in mastering his own temper or reflecting on his shortcomings.

Radjedef’s scowl deepened as he took in the trepidation of his soldiers. They were well-trained and battle-hardened, but they were not ignorant of the dangers of venturing further. While respected for his strength and battle prowess, it would dent his reputation among them if Radjedef ordered them to be more reckless than this, king’s orders or not.

“Halt!” he called out as he raced back towards the front of the convoy.

“Well, that was easier than I thought it would be.” Taisiya smirked.

“Expect some petty retaliation in the least.”

“Such an immature man. One would think that a few centuries would give him time to grow up.”

Mereruka laughed.

“I think you will find it greatly disappointing to learn that age and wisdom only rarely go hand-in-hand. Be it a century or a decade, a lost cause will always be a lost cause.”

Taisiya’s smile was forced and stiff. Her eyes wandered over the landscape, glazing over. Was she as drawn to the hearts of dragons as other dragons were? He placed a hand on hers.

“Don’t answer their call, Taisiya.”

“I know… it’s just… difficult.”

The yearning in her eyes chilled him. He was greatly regretting telling Bas to sit this mission out. With his most trusted allies scattered, he would have to rely on his soldiers to keep his wife from harm in the event of a confrontation.

A plaintive, discordant hum rang out across the desert, tormenting Taisiya alone. While the resonance of her family graveyard had been soothing to the marrow, this place was enchanting yet wrong, leaving her heart aching. She could barely remember to eat the food placed before her, so distracted she’d become. No matter how hard she tried to focus, reminding herself of the dangers present, those melodies drew her to drink them in, to simply close her eyes and lie down beside them in a fitful sleep.

The soldiers were by now busy digging in the sands and thankfully finding dragon scales regularly. Radjedef had set his own camp in the distance, his soldiers no more than hazy smudges against the hard-packed sand and rock. Khety’s schemes would be thwarted soon enough, she hoped, her soul freed from both the bonds of his magic and the music of this place. It would be best not to be caught out here again.

“Taisiya!”

She jumped. Mereruka’s citrine eyes held only concern. He reached out his hand and brushed her cheek.

“You haven’t heard anything I’ve said.”

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