Page 94 of His Greatest Treasure

“No, Glimmer was building them up, wasn’t he?”

“That’s right. And Glimmer’s protections are strong.”

I got the impression that Alfie wanted to do something, but wasn’t sure what. I huddled closer to him and spoke quietly.

“What do your instincts say, my darling?”

“I don’t know. I don’t want to leave this place because I can’t leave that hole in our border. I want to send you all back to the castle where you’ll be safe, but I also don’t want you out of my sight.”

George, the middle-aged man, stepped forward.

“I’m afraid we can only defend the borders for a short time. It will depend how strong the attacking army is. Last time—” His voice cracked. “We lost too many dragons last time.”

Alfie began to look around him with an air of desperation.

“Can anyone show me how to use my magic? Do I even have magic?”

George was the one to answer. “Yes, you have magic. I’m afraid it will take a while to teach you, and none of us have the skills to defend the borders with magic. The Somervilles who could do that are the ones who were killed fetching Alexander’s body back.” He looked around at the little cluster of them left. “We were the last line of defence. All we really have is our dragon form and a few tricks.”

My brave mate drew himself up and tried to make the best of that sorry little group.

“Well we can start now. Maybe I can cover this hole again by the time the hag gets back.”

We all turned to face the hole in the boundary. It was a strange sight, since the boundaries were invisible, except as a thick layer of magic. Only those with a sense for magic would be able to see them like I could, as a wall of spells criss-crossing and layered up.

Only now there was a hole. A big, ragged gap that splintered the edges of the protection spells. An army could pour through that gap, if given the chance.

And it was while we were all looking at that hole that we saw it.

Behind us, the young dragon, Matilda, suddenly pointed and cried out, “Look!”

In the distance, where they were just a small mass of ant-like bodies, were the hag and her army.

Chapter 38

Blaze

There were so many of them. At least a hundred people, all charging towards us. There was the hag, with slimy green tendrils dripping down her forehead and over her shoulders, there was a dragon shifter flying over the charging army with its wings casting a huge shadow over them, and there was an ogre in there, too, half as tall again as any of the others and ugly as sin.

We all stood for at least a minute, just watching them approach and trying to think what to do.

At last, I said, “Maybe we should go back to the castle? Is that better defended?”

Alfie shook his head. “No. My dragon doesn’t want to move. It doesn’t want these people inside our territory.”

Regina had already shifted. She was standing in her silver dragon form, towering over her son protectively, and she looked magnificent. There was something in the line of her neck and the tilt of her wings that was proud and vicious, something that I hadn’t seen in her before. I would need to think about it later, but I wondered whether being freed from her mate had given her more strength.

George looked to Alfie.

“What would you like us to do?”

“Um, yes, I suppose I’ll have to decide? Would it be best to…? No, my dragon doesn’t like the idea of you being near the gap. I’ll go there. In the gap. You stay behind me and pick off any that get through.”

Matilda was white with fear but she nodded and shifted, obeying Alfie. Her mother, Isabella, said something in Italian and Alfie replied, “Thank you, Aunt Isabella, that would be helpful.”

“What did she say?” I whispered.

“Oh, she said she can grow some weeds outside. It might make it harder for them to run at us.”

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