Page 63 of Song of the Dragon Rider
“How do I know when it’s complete?” I asked with a wince.
“Trust me, my lady, you’ll know,” he said cryptically. As he stood, Garrick looked down at me and sighed. “You honestly get yourself into so much trouble, my lady. But… why didn’t Klaus come to your aid?”
I frowned. He was right. Klaus should have rescued me before I was even struck. I understood that it took him a little while to reach me at the palace because he was fighting to get past Dragon Valley’s wards, but there was no such issue here at the Ryder residence.
“I don’t know,” I mumbled. “That’s a good question. He should have been here.”
“That means he’s broken your deal,” Garrick said. “It should be null and void now.”
My eyes widened. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. On one hand, I was relieved. If the emperor ever found out I freed Klaus from Faelight Forest, the consequences would be more than I could possibly handle. But on the other hand, Klaus was my protector. Without him, I felt vulnerable.
Garrick nodded. “This is probably for the best, my lady.”
“Right,” I muttered, lost in thought. “It seems like I oweyou, now.”
With a chuckle, he perched at the edge of the bed and leaned on his knees. “I guess so.”
I grimaced as I felt my skin begin to knit together, piece by piece. “Garrick, can I ask you a question?”
He shrugged. “I feel like you’re going to ask it regardless, so go ahead,” he smirked.
I laughed and immediately winced from the pain. “Jacob called you ‘Garrick the Betrayer’, and it’s not the first time I’ve heard someone call you that. What’s the story behind it?”
Garrick sighed and ran a hand through his greasy hair. “You’ve already heard that the emperor took my eye, right?” I nodded. “He also gave me that name.”
I frowned. “How come? I can’t imagine you betraying anyone.”
He nodded. “I didn’t. I just didn’t want to do what the emperor requested of me. It was against my morals. But my refusal to do his bidding angered the emperor.” Garrick paused, his eye reflecting a pain deeper than the physical scars he bore. “Years ago, I was among the most revered warlocks in Elaria, sought after by many for my powers and wisdom. Emperor Valenor... saw potential in me, potential to serve his darker ambitions.”
He shifted uncomfortably, the memories clearly tormenting him. “At first I was honored by his esteem, but then Valenor tasked me with a mission that went against every fiber of my being. He wanted me to create a curse that would bind the will of those he deemed to be a threat to his reign. I was to use my magic to strip them of their free will, making them puppets under his control.”
The bitterness in his voice grew more pronounced as he continued. “I refused. I couldn’t stomach the thought of my abilities being used to enslave minds. So I defied him, openly and boldly. That didn’t sit well with him, not at all. And not just any witch or warlock could create this curse. It was something of which only I am capable.”
Garrick's hand instinctively moved to cover his missing eye. “In his wrath, Valenor accused me of betrayal against the crown. As punishment, and a warning to others, he took my eye, proclaiming it the ‘eye of a betrayer,’ a symbol of whathappens to those who oppose him. From that day, I was no longer the revered warlock butGarrick the Betrayer, a title meant to diminish my influence and remind others of the cost of defiance.”
His voice lowered, filled with a mixture of regret and rebellion. “Stripped of my status, shunned by those I once called friends and allies, I lost everything. My home, my place in society, even my sense of purpose. With nowhere to turn, I fell into gambling, a pathetic attempt to fill the void that my old life left behind. It became a vice, one that led me further down a path of ruin.”
A deep sadness settled over me as I listened. His was a story of courage and consequence, about a man who stood by his principles only to be crushed by the power he dared to defy.
“But you still have the home the emperor gave to you in the Northern District, right? At least that’s what I heard.”
Garrick nodded. “Many people assume Valenor gave me that home, and I let people believe it to be the truth. But in reality, the one who gave me that land was not the emperor, but the empress when she was alive. That is why he cannot take it from me. If it wasn’t for that reason, he would have, like he’s taken everything else.”
“I’m sorry, Garrick,” I finally said, the depth of his loss resonating with me more than I expected. “That’s... that’s a lot to bear.”
He gave a hollow laugh, the sound more pained than amused. “It is what it is, my lady. We all have our burdens; mine just happens to be more visible.” His gaze met mine, resignation and resolve flickering within. “But know this—I may be down, but I'm not out. Not yet. And as long as I have magic in my veins, I still have a role to play.”
His words, though ominous, carried a sliver of hope, a reminder that even in the darkest times, the spirit of resistance could endure.
My brows shot up. “But I thought you didn’t want anything to do with magic or the emperor or anything of the sort!” I blurted.
“I didn’t,” he said. “But helping you has convinced me that idly sitting by may not be the smartest move. Not unless I want to spend the rest of my life in the gambling dens wasting all my money until I don’t have a coin to my name.”
“Are you sure, Garrick? The path I’m on is a tricky one. You don’t know everything—”
“Song of the Dragon Rider,” he said plainly. “It’s about you, isn’t it?”
My eyes widened in shock. “What? How?”
