Page 63 of Ava's Legacy of the Dragons
On silent feet, Kilian led them to the intersection, and they reached the main street they had come from. With a glance to the sides, he made sure no one was in sight and waved them straight ahead. They crossed the cobblestone street, where a faint light could be seen in the distance. The night watchman making his rounds. But he was walking in the other direction and didn't look over his shoulder, so they ran unnoticed into the opposite street and crept forward, pressed close to the house walls.
Through a system of inconspicuous alleys, paths between buildings, and abandoned houses, Kilian ledthem to the other end of the city without encountering a single soul. Ava would have liked to ask him how much further it was. From the outside, the city hadn't seemed so huge. But she didn't dare to speak, for someone could have been standing at any corner, eavesdropping on their words.
They crossed a side alley where no one was to be seen and plunged into the shadows of the houses. Just as they were about to turn, with Kilian in the lead, a guard stepped out in front of him, holding a lamp that he shone in his face.
"Who's there?"
Kilian waved behind his back for them to stay in the shadows. At the same time, he stretched his body, towering over the guard by several inches. "Since when do I have to identify myself?" His voice sounded arrogant and harsh, completely different from when he spoke to them.
"Forgive me." The night watchman bowed, looking at his boots. "I didn't recognize you, Dragon Leader. Can I be of assistance?"
"Patrol the city walls so the mages don't infiltrate the city!"
"Of course." Without looking up, he backed away into the alley he had come from. Ava watched him go, puzzled. He behaved as if Kilian were the king himself and not just the leader of the royal forces.
When he had disappeared, Kilian waved them in the other direction, where after a few steps he led them into a wooden shed. They went down a staircase into a cellar, then up another into the interior of an abandoned house, and from there they went through a back door into a courtyard. A narrow path led to the nextalley, where they once again plunged into the shadows and silently hurried south.
Though their only light came from the stars above, Ava still thought she could see the city wall looming at the end of the street. Hopefully, that meant they were almost there. The dragon egg in her bag was getting heavier and heavier, not because of its weight, but rather her worry that someone might discover it.
This worry vanished when they reached a wide, wrought-iron gate erected between two tall stone columns. Kilian picked the lock faster than even Lilly could have and led them across a spacious courtyard. The light of the stars illuminated a grandstand consisting of two wings, large enough to provide seating for all the city's inhabitants. Leaves had collected on the tiers over the course of many years, but the aisles were swept clean so their steps didn't rustle.
They crept along between the rows of seats and reached the forecourt. Behind that was a stage, and next to that a staircase leading down.
Kilian signaled for them to go ahead. He was the last to enter the underground chambers. It was too dark to see anything, but Kilian and Marcus simultaneously found a torch, which they lit using flints.
With long strides, Kilian guided them through the labyrinth of chambers and corridors until they reached a spacious room. There were no furnishings apart from a table and several chairs, a dresser on the side, and two discarded upholstered pieces of furniture.
"Not as comfortable as your last domicile, but no one will find you here."
Ava looked around, glancing at door they had come through. "Are you sure?" It was an oppressive feeling to be underground. She immediately missed the sky overher head. Moreover, they would be at the mercy of anyone who might discover them.
He nodded. "Since the mages have been causing trouble in the area, no performances have taken place here. Besides, the theater is far enough from the residential houses that no one will hear you. You can talk undisturbed." He looked at Ava as if he had something specific in mind.
"And if someone discovers us anyway?" Marcus chimed in.
"There's a second exit. I'll show it to you later." While answering him, he didn't take his eyes off Ava for a moment. She looked at him, furrowing her brow.
"Later?"
He just nodded without averting his gaze. Although there was a gleam in his eyes, her heart clenched tightly.
"I'll have a look around." Lilly disappeared and inspected the neighboring rooms, even though she must have been dog-tired. Marcus, on the other hand, stepped up to them, unwilling to give them the privacy Kilian had implicitly requested.
"How do we know the guard we met won't talk?"
"I'll take care of him later."
Ava looked at him questioningly. "Don't tell me you're going to..." she made air quotes, "... 'silence' him."
A smile played across his lips. "Don't worry, most of them obey my orders." He threw Marcus an unmistakable look, but he raised his hands defensively.
"I'm neither in a chain of command under you nor do I see the point in it. But I'll give you some advice." He pinned Kilian with his eyes and pointed at his chest. "Tell her about your plans for the future! Otherwise, I will!"
Kilian stiffened while Ava frowned. "What are you constantly hinting at, Marcus?"
He snorted and watched Kilian as if he distrusted him. "The oh-so-popular dragon fighter can tell you that himself." With those words, he went out and left them with the desired privacy—only Ava wasn't sure if she even wanted it anymore.
Chapter 24
