Page 49 of Ava's Legacy of the Dragons
Ava's face fell. "All of them?" She had heard that there were no more guardians, but not how they had died.
Marcus nodded gravely. "The evil sorcerer who betrayed the dragons knew about their important role. That's why he tracked each one down and had them killed."
A shiver ran up Ava's arms.
Marcus stroked her arm. "I didn't mean to frighten you."
Although he was friendly, she moved away from him and squared her shoulders. He shouldn't think she scared easily.
"You didn't. However, I must admit that I'm glad this evil sorcerer is no longer alive. What was his name?"
Marcus took a deep breath, as if he needed to brace himself to utter the name. "Thalgor, the Dark." He shuddered. "Don't think I'm soft, but if you knew about all the atrocities he committed, you would understand me."
"He's supposed to have betrayed the dragons, right? How did he manage that?"
"Many people still wonder about that today. The fact is, he was a simple sorcerer. Although the word 'simple' doesn't really fit, because he was a prince."
Surprised, Ava lowered the cup from which she had been about to drink. "He would have become king?"
Marcus shook his head. "He was the second-born. His brother became king, and in his eyes, that wasn't the only humiliation he had to endure. He was ambitious and unscrupulous and couldn't accept standing behind his brother. That was why he had this burning desire to become a dragon mage."
"Because the dragon mages stood above the king." Ava had already heard that from Lilly.
"In a way. The king was the supreme head of our world, but the dragon mages had great influence. Not only on him but also on the people and the dragons, which is why they were never ignored in decisions. The power structure wasn't as absolute as it is today."
"But no dragon chose him, right?"
He nodded. "That was another humiliation he couldn't tolerate. How he ultimately managed to deceive the dragons, nobody knows, and that's a good thing. In the wrong hands, this knowledge would only cause unnecessary mischief. But it must have been the darkest magic you can imagine."
"And with this magic, he also destroyed the guardians."
He nodded. "That's why your return is a miracle. The first egg, the first guardian after such a long time." He took the coffee cup from her hand, set it on the ground, and grasped her hands.
"Wait, I was still going to drink that."
"You can have it in a moment." He looked at her solemnly, with a look of admiration in his eyes that went beyond her role as a dragon guardian. "I'm glad you've come home."
All her alarm bells went off, causing her to pull away from him and bend down for her lifeline— the coffee cup. "Thank you for your kind words and hospitality, but I don't think I'm from this world. Either way, I want to check on Lilly and the egg."
"Of course. I hope I haven't kept you apart for too long. I'll get a hearty breakfast ready in the meantime."
Although she cautioned herself to be wary—both of his admiring glances and his conviction that she belonged to his people—she had to admit that the prospect of a big meal sounded extremely tempting.
Chapter 19
Ava enjoyed sitting at a proper table in a kitchen, lavishly set, without having to look out for potential dangers. And Marcus delivered on his promise. There was freshly baked bread, its aroma wafting through all the rooms of the house, as well as homemade butter, goat cheese, fruits, boiled eggs, ham, and herbs—all food items made or harvested by the residents themselves.
She could easily see all the delicious food despite the lack of windows, because although no daylight entered the earth house, Marcus had countless lamps and string lights with tea candles.
The scent was heavenly, and the bread, butter, and even the goat cheese tasted better than anything she had ever eaten. And she doubted it was just because she was so hungry. Lilly felt the same way. The food was delicious and so plentiful that even she grew full. And that was saying something. With her hand on her stomach, she leaned back and groaned. "That was good! Where did you get the fresh eggs from?"
"Thom has chickens. He lives on the other side of the valley."
"Great! I'll go check it out right away." She jumped up and was about to take off, but Ava held her back. After years of self-reliance, Lilly wasn't about to start asking for permission. But she wanted to stay close to the little one in case they had to flee hastily.
"I'll come with you. I want to see the town too."
Marcus cleared the dishes into the sink. "I'll accompany you. I need to show you the cave where you can place the egg so it will hatch soon anyway."
