Page 22 of Lightningborn

“Yes,” Gem replied, secretly breathing a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Captain.”

Sir Cassandra gave her a genuinely affectionate smile only slightly tinged with exasperation and started to lead Tempest away. Gem hesitated a moment, then took a deep breath. If she was looking for information about an ex–sky knight, the sky knight captain might be the perfect person to ask.

“Actually, Sir Cassandra…” Gem stepped forward. “I have a question. Would you be able to help me with something?”

“Of course, Princess.” The captain paused, holding Tempest firmly as the battle dragon growled, sounding impatient. “Whatever you need.”

“I heard a story at the college a few days ago,” Gem went on. “Of a sky knight who fought a band of pirates by himself. Well, with his dragon, of course. But he disappeared one day, and no one knows where he went. His name was Sir Bartello, or something like that. Didn’t he used to live here, at the castle?”

“Ah, Sir Bartello.” The sky knight captain shook her head sadly. “His story is quite well known among the knights of the castle. I was but a girl when Sir Bartello joined the sky knights,” she said. “My grandfather was the acting captain back then. He said that Sir Bartello was one of the bravest young knights he had ever seen. I noticed him because he was also one of the most handsome.” Sir Cassandra blushed slightly as she said this, then shook her head. “When he was presumed dead,” she went on, “we all mourned for him. When he suddenly returned, nearly ten years later, we were all overjoyed. I had become a knight by then, and I was ecstatic at the thought that I would be serving alongside one of the castle legends.”

Sir Cassandra sighed, a pained frown crossing her face. “Unfortunately, that dream would never come to pass. Bartello had returned, but he was changed. And not for the better. I heard they found him floating on an island above the Maelstrom, and that, combined with the long years of isolation, had driven him a bit sky-mad. He was convinced that he had seen True Dragons, that they had spoken to him. Poor Bartello. The Maelstrom can do that to a person, even one like him. A shame, really.”

“So…what happened to him, after he left?” Gem went on, hoping she was not pushing her luck. “Where did he go? Where is he now?”

Sir Cassandra’s lips pursed. For a moment, she hesitated, as if debating whether or not to continue the story. Finally, she sighed.

“Sir Bartello was obsessed with returning to the island,” the captain went on. “Even after being stranded there, he still wanted to go back. I suppose he thought that he would be prepared to deal with what he found. He tried finding a captain and a ship that would take him back to where he thought the island was located. But that part of the sky is extremely dangerous; the storms that rage there constantly would tear a ship apart. No captain would risk the flight—at least, none here in the capital would.

“The last I heard of Bartello,” Sir Cassandra finished, “he was on a ship flying out to the Fringe, to a place called Cutthroat Wedge, which is nothing but a barren rock that is a haven for smugglers and sky pirates.” Her lip curled, and she gave a snort of contempt. “I guess he thought he would have a better chance of finding a captain who would undertake such a risky journey if they were all criminals and lawbreakers anyway.”

The Fringe.Gem shivered, remembering what she and Lighthouse had talked about…had it really been just the day before? The Fringe was the outermost ring of islands farthest from the capital, the final chunks of land before the great nothing beyond. It was a wild, unlawful place where thieves lurked in every shadow and pirates roamed the skies, preying on ships and each other. Merchants avoided the Fringe at all costs, and no honorable, law-abiding citizen went there without a retinue of armed guards. It was definitely not a place a princess should set foot in.

“And so that is the somewhat tragic story of Sir Bartello,” Sir Cassandra finished. “A brave and courageous sky knight who sadly went sky-mad and vanished chasing after an illusion. I wish it had ended differently.” She blinked then and gave Gem a suspicious look. “Why is it that you want to know these things?” she asked.

“Oh, um…” Gem thought quickly. “I’m doing a report on the sky knights of the past, and their heroic efforts to protect the kingdom,” she said. “Sir Bartello’s name was at the top of my list.”

“I see.” Sir Cassandra narrowed her eyes, but at that moment, Tempest gave an irritated snort and raked at the ground. His talons left deep gouges in the hard-packed earth, and the sky knight captain frowned. “Oh, fine, you impatient thing,” she said, glancing at the battle dragon. “I’ve never seen a lizard so eager to get to training. Princess, if you will excuse me. I fear if we stand here much longer, Tempest will be an absolute nightmare to work with.”

“Of course,” Gem said, suddenly grateful for the battle dragon’s impatience. “Don’t let me keep you. And thank you, Sir Cassandra.”

The sky knight captain gave a salute, then turned and led Tempest away. Gem watched them leave, the thick tail of the battle dragon swinging behind him, until they were lost from sight.

Back in the castle, Gem hurried down the hallways to her room, hoping not to run into anyone on her way. Her mind was spinning, and her stomach was doing somersaults at what she had learned. She needed to sit down and think, to plan what she wanted to do next. Unfortunately, she ran into the very last person she wanted to see at that moment. Rounding the final corner to her room at the end of the hall, she stopped as a tall figure turned from her doorway and spotted her.

Her father.

“Gemillia.” His voice was never loud, but it made her jump all the same. “Where were you?” the king demanded, footsteps echoing as he strode down the hall. “I’ve had servants out searching everywhere for you since dawn.”

“I…took Cloud out for a ride,” Gem answered, hoping he would not hear the tiny pause in her voice. The king was an expert in detecting untruths, and Gem was careful never to outright lie to him. Not that she wanted to; her father trusted her, and she hated deceiving him, even now. “I’m sorry, Father. I didn’t mean to worry you. I needed to clear my head after everything that happened yesterday.”

The king’s expression softened. “I know it was a lot,” he said gently. “You handled it well, better than some of the so-called adults in the room. You acted like a true princess; I was proud.”

Gem blushed. For a moment, she wondered if she should reveal where she had really been last night, and the knowledge that she had learned. She was the princess, but her father was the person who made things happen. If she told him about Sir Bartello and his encounter with the Ancients, with the True Dragons, maybe he would see wisdom in going to look for them. Even if he became angry with her for ignoring what he said yesterday, it was worth a try.

“Speaking of the council meeting,” she began, choosing her words carefully. “I did a little research…about the Ancients. I found out what they really are.” The king frowned at that, and she hurried on. “I know you said not to think about them, that we can’t ask for their help, but what if we knew they could help us? What if there was someone who could show us where they were?”

But the king was already shaking his head. “No, Gemillia,” he said firmly. “I know where you’re going with this, and yes, I am aware that the Ancients are True Dragons.” Her eyes rounded with surprise, and the king shook his head again. “I don’t know whereyougot that information, but I know better than to ask questions I don’t want answers to.”

“But, if you knew about the True Dragons, why didn’t you say anything at the meeting?”

“Not many people know the True Dragons still exist,” the king told her. “The general consensus is that they went extinct hundreds of years ago, and that the few sightings today are the ravings of sky-mad pirates. The crown has its reasons to keep this information a secret.”

“But if we know the True Dragons are real, why haven’t we gone to look for them?”

“That is something you will understand when you become queen,” the king explained. “Not before. Also, while it is true that we know the True Dragons exist, we don’t knowwherethey are. Only that they live somewhere out in the Maelstrom.Howthey can live in a place where nothing else can survive is one of the great mysteries of the world. No one has ever seen the home of the Ancients, if one even exists at all.”

“But the kingdom is falling,” Gem argued. “The islands are sinking into the Maelstrom! Millions of people could die if we don’t do something.”

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