Page 34 of The Shadow Path
“Lady Wynnflad.” Cadell turned to the newcomer and inclined his head. “It is an honor to meet a captain of the Kingsguard. I have heard much about your prowess in battle.” He turned to Carys. “Lady Wynnflad is the king’s cousin and one of the captains of King Harold’s guard. She is also an expert archer.”
“Call me Winnie, please.” Winnie stepped forward and extended her hand up to Carys. “It’s a great pleasure to meet you, Carys of the Brightlands. I knew Seren by reputation only, but it was a good reputation.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you too.” Especially since the arrival of the king’s cousin seemed to have dissipated the tension that had filled the woods only moments before.
“Welcome to London.” Winnie’s eyes lit up. “My cousin Harold is eager to meet the woman from California who can speak to dragons.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
It was the end of their first full day in the Shadowlands, and the welcome banquet for King Harold’s coronation guests was at nightfall.
“I guess when you’ve got guests traveling from all over the world, you don’t waste time.” Carys looked over Laura’s head into the mirror.
Her friend—knowing that she was attending a formal event—had packed the traditional regalia of the Yurok people, an intricately beaded tunic she donned over warm wool leggings and a long leather shirt she’d brought in anticipation of the cool Anglian weather. Her feet were encased in leather boots and laced up to her knees, and she had a braided headpiece made of willow and hazel fibers.
“It’s good.” Laura leaned forward on the dressing table, applying makeup that would mimic the traditional chin tattoos that were commonly worn in Pauwau Aki. “We dance. We eat. This Harold guy is coronated.” She narrowed her eyes. “Is coronated a word? As soon as I said it, it sounded like a medical procedure.”
“I have no idea.” Carys was dressed in one of Seren’s gowns, a draped garment in bright red with emerald-green trim thatweighed nearly as much as she did. She affixed the golden dragon brooch on her shoulder and the green leather vest over her bodice. “This thing looks like dragon skin.”
“No, it doesn’t.” Laura glanced at Carys’s clothes. “Dragon skin is almost see-through. It has that iridescent, pearly quality in the light.”
“Seems like you’ve been looking at Cadell’s skin quite a bit.” Carys tucked a piece of her hair back into her braid. “Like what you see?”
“Stop.” Laura rolled her eyes. “That dragon is impossible.”
“Impossibly attracted to you.” Carys nudged her shoulder. “Just admit that you’re interested.”
“He’s like… five hundred years old or something.”
“And? His horde breeding days are over as far as I know. That means he can make any match he wants to at this point in his life.”
Laura stared into the mirror. “That sounds so sad. Like he’s an old bull put out into pasture.”
“That’s not what it’s like at all. Dragon families don’t work like human ones. He had responsibilities to his horde before, and now he’s more of a free agent.”
“Can we change the subject toyourlove life?” Laura finished her makeup and stood. “How was your breakfast with Lachlan? After the wolf incident, of course.”
“Kind of killed the mood if you know what I mean.” Carys grabbed a purse sitting on the table and slipped her feet into her dancing shoes. “Are you ready?”
“That was a quick change of subject,” Laura said. “Which means you need to tell me more.”
“In the coracle.” Carys nodded toward the door. “We’re gonna be late.”
They flewto Harold’s castle by dragon coracle, a round wooden carriage clutched in the claws of Dafydd’s dragon Mared as Cadell flew ahead of them over the city of London where fires lit the darkness and revels gathered the citizens of the city to squares and parks for coronation week celebrations.
Duncan was sitting to her left and Laura to her right. Dafydd, Anwyn, and Dylan had flown to the castle first, and this was Mared’s second journey.
The surly blacksmith hadn’t said a word to her since they got into the coracle. In fact, he hadn’t said a word to her all day.
Moody much?
Carys peeked through the narrow rectangular window cut into the coracle and saw dragons in the distance, far-off shadows with massive wings, soaring over the river, flying in from the east.
Cadell, who are they?
The dragon answered in Carys’s mind.They are balauri from the east, Nêrys. Emissaries from the dragon kingdom of Valachia. Harold has cultivated them as allies. Wary allies, but the Anglians are making an effort.
Are they friendly with Cymru?
