Page 98 of Consort's Dragon
“I doubt they tried very hard,” Argent argued.
It had Gustav eyeing the fellow, wondering at his presence and negative demeanor.“You still haven’t told me who these two are.”
“Because it’s going to sound quite impossible.”
“More impossible than a fog that captures minds, water that turns into monsters, actual fucking dragons, and an evil entity that will destroy the world?”Gustav huffed.
A wry smile tugged Avera’s lips.“Very well.You want to know who Argent and Starlight are?While they might appear human right now, they are actually dragons.”
Gustav burst out laughing and might have kept guffawing if Argent didn’t fix him with eyes that slitted and glowed and, in a voice less than human, said, “Tread carefully old man.I’m hungry after my voyage.”
To which Starlight added, “You always did like your meat more seasoned.Me, I like them young and fresh.”
Gulp.
Chapter22
“Well that went better than expected,”Griff stated as he and Avera adjourned for the evening in the master bedroom that both Gustav and Josslyn had insisted they take.
“How do you figure that?”Avera grumbled.“Argent and Starlight threatened to start eating people for being less than awed.Gustav almost died of apoplexy and Josslyn fainted.”
“But no one died.”
“That is a low standard to set,” Avera stated with a sigh.
“What’s really bothering you?”Griff asked as he sat beside her on the bed.
“Hearing what’s happened since I left… It’s worse than expected and I have no clue how to even start fixing it.Without the dragons’ help, I don’t know how we’ll stop Zhos.And even if we do somehow manage a miracle and banish it, there’s still Benoit.”
“It sounds as if you’ll have support to oust him.It’s a wonder the man hasn’t been murdered in his bed already.”
“We should be so lucky,” she muttered.
“Don’t give up yet.If we can convince the dragons to help us?—"
She interrupted with an unqueenly snort.“You should know that will be nigh on impossible.Argent is adamant in his refusal, and Starlight appears just as reluctant.Given their reaction, I can’t see the other dragons being any more amenable, especially since they were collared right after hatching.Without their blood, I don’t see how we can neutralize Zhos.”
“They’re not the only ones with blood that can paralyze.You know I’ll donate some pints if it comes to that.”
Left unsaid, he’d die to save her.
“But how do we even get close enough to use it?And if we do, I doubt our blood will be as potent as the dragons’.”
“The paralyzing effect only needs to last long enough for us to expel Zhos.”
“Expel how?”she exclaimed.“The rift is in the sky.We can’t fly.”
“What if instead of a dragon flying into this fissure between worlds, they dropped Zhos into it?Surely we could convince one of the dragons to do that.”
Her expression turned pensive.“It sounds like it would work in theory, but how do we get one of them to agree?Not to mention we don’t even know where to find Zhos.And before you say anything, it’s not in the spire anymore.”
“How can you know that for sure?”
She didn’t mention the nightmares she’d been having where Zhos taunted her, telling her she’d already failed.How she and everyone she knew would die.She couldn’t even be sure they were real.Most likely her own anxiety and fear of failure manifesting in her dreams.
“Silverlight told me.She took one look at the sky and said, ‘It’s back.’”
“If I were to wager a guess as to where Zhos went, then I’d say Velunda so it can seize the throne from Benoit.”
