Page 107 of Consort's Dragon
Rather than reply, Griff hunched.He’d not told Avera or Argent, or anyone for that matter about his mother’s words long ago.How the little tiara would stab him.Knowing her as he did, he had to believe if it did happen she’d have a damned good reason, and because of his love for her, he’d allow it.
They flew for hours, stopping for the night on the shore of the Lake of Tears, a place Avera warned was toxic to flesh.
To people maybe, but the dragons happily dove into the calm waters, floating and splashing each other.The rest of them huddled around a campfire, Avera quiet as Monty regaled them with his excitement over flying.His over-exuberance hid his trepidation.They all understood the danger of their mission.
The plan, which wasn’t much of a plan, consisted of the dragons dropping them on the highest spire just before dawn when they wouldn’t likely be seen.Avera and Griff would mark their companions with blood to avoid them being caught in a Zhos spell and would smear some on weapons as well.Then they would track down Zhos and… That was where things became unclear.
Argent spoke suddenly,Starlight and I are hungry and scent nothing nearby.We’ll be back before morning.
The dragons took off, immediately invisible in the dark sky.
The party settled down for the night, Griff spooning Avera, not fully asleep, hence he heard when the dragons returned with the distinct whip of their wings.
Only it wasn’t Argent’s voice he heard saying,There she is.Snatch her before the others wake.
What?
“We are attacked!”Griff yelled as he sprang to his feet just as a deep darkness descended.The murk concealed all to the point Griff couldn’t see his hand in front of his face.
“Avera?”he called, but she didn’t reply.It made no sense.She should have been right there.“Avera, answer me.”
“What’s happening?”Gustav roared.“Where’s the queen?”
To which a woman called out, “We have the queen.Do not try and follow.All is happening as foretold.”
Say what?
The unnatural gloom disappeared as fast as it arrived, leaving Griff standing on the shores of the lake, impotent with rage, cold with fear, and filled with anguish because Avera was gone.
Chapter25
Avera didn’t fightthe claws that grabbed and lifted.Couldn’t.Once more she’d been bespelled and she knew by who: the guardians.
They’d come for her and now carried her off across the lake, away from Griff and her friends, towards a destiny that terrified.
Dawn broached the sky as they were still crossing the deadly waters and Avera hung limply in Gunther’s grip.What else could she do?The guardians obviously had some plan that involved her.
And Zhos.
She caught sight of the mountain of stone atop which rested the castle she’d once called home.Rather than fly to one of the towers or the courtyard, the dragons—all three of them, each carrying a guardian—landed in a cave on the far side of the mount she’d not known existed.Avera was released and she stood there, shaking with rage—and fear—as the guardians disembarked, wearing the veils that hid their lying faces.
“Why did you kidnap me?”Avera shouted.
“Because it’s almost time for you to fulfill your part.”
“I was already planning to try and end Zhos, but now because of your meddling I have no one to help me.”
“They are not needed.Just you, as you will be the one to destroy that foul creature.”Kachezi raised her veil and gazed at her with eyes that had turned milky white.“And so shall the little tiara, with no thought to her own life, save the world.”
A chilling premonition.
“Why should I believe a word you say?You’ve lied about everything,” she cried out, her voice cracking with emotion.
“We had no choice.Explaining our reasoning, even telling you what we saw, would have changed outcomes.And we can’t allow that to happen.We have only this single chance to get it right.”
“And so you justify using me.”She shouldn’t have been surprised.
“For a good cause.Your sacrifice today will save thousands.”
