Page 47 of Vathia
I bolt up, wide awake. “What do you mean she’s been attacked?” Without realizing what I’m doing, I’m rushing to get dressed and leaving my room in search of the others.
His anger pulses through our bond as he informs me of what Evisdor and Tisur have passed along since Aemon and Jesper found the attacker in her room. How could they have left her unprotected?
“Like you’re much better?” he snaps. “Since we’ve arrived here you’ve treated your mate like gryphon shit wedged under your talon. You’re supposed to treasure her like a precious, shiny gemstone.”
My boots stomp on the carpeted hall as my strides quicken. “You know why. She won’t want me after what happened. I couldn’t protect myself. In what realm would I be able to protect her?” I barge into her room and find it empty—the bed is in disarray with the window open, blowing the curtain ominously. “Where in the void is she?”
Zaddro is silent for a moment, probably communicating with his wing. “They’ve taken the little queen to Jesper’s room while the others are heading to the caves with the attacker.”
Ravina’s safe. Jesper wouldn’t have hidden himself away with her if she wasn’t. A part of me wants to find her and take her away from here, into the Gratandi Mountains, but that thought makes me sick with unease. So I exit the room and head down under the castle to where the Zorns keep their prisoners. The caves below open up to the ocean. Deadly rocks sit below the hundred-foot drop, and during high tide, the caves flood. Even if anyone could escape, they would have to make it through the treacherous ocean where creatures with a taste for blood will find them before they make it to shore.
As I enter into the fire-lit cavern tunnel, I hear the sound of fist meeting flesh and follow it.
“Who sent you?” I hear Killian grumble, his voice hard and devoid of every emotion but unrelenting anger.
The unfamiliar male laughs. “Like I’ll tell you.”
I halt at the cave entrance and see the male chained in the iron bands that are drilled deep into the cave wall. The wind blows and the salty air tickles my nose, but my eyes are glued to the iron that’s wrapped tightly around the male’s limbs and neck.
My body betrays me as my heart rate quickens, with flashes of my own wrists encased with iron. “Was no one going to wake me?” I growl.
Aemon turns towards me, his face devoid of any emotion. “I didn’t think you’d be interested.”
“She’s my mate too,” I snap.
“This isn’t the time for this conversation,” Killian grumbles as he throws a fist into the male’s gut, making him sputter as he tries to catch his breath.
The male chuckles darkly. “Trouble in paradise?”
Killian doesn’t answer verbally but throws a solid hit to his face, making his eyes roll back into his head.
I fold my arms across my chest, trying to keep my anger in check. “What happened? I thought you three were protecting her.”
Aemon scoffs. “He shouldn’t have been able to get in here. By the looks of his leathers he’s a part of the assassin’s guild. Someone sent him to kill her, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it was one of our fathers. Aren’t you going to ask how she is?”
“She’s fine, otherwise you’d have Jesper down here too.” I take that minute to examine the male’s leathers. His clothing is as black as you can get it, and covering every inch seems to be holsters and sheaths that are bare of weapons. A quick gazearound the room shows me that these two must have disarmed him before he was brought down.
With a step closer, I notice a sigil embossed into the side of his neck, like it was burned onto him. Assassin indeed.
Zaddro growls as he reads into my thoughts about the description of the male. “I ate one of his kind during the first year’s first trial. He was also after the little Queen. I had you picking him out of my teeth for days,” he mutters angrily with disgust.
I blink in shock, cocking my head as he informs me of this. “She was attacked at Phixmery? Why didn’t you say something!”
He mentally shakes out his wings. “It was taken care of, there was no need to tell you. Beings die every day and your female was safe.”
“You should have told us,” I snap. “Zaddro says he isn’t the first to go after Ravina.” I relay what my traitorous dragon told me. “Who would send someone after her? Our fathers didn’t know she existed at that time.”
Aemon and Killian’s eyes darken with rage.
My fists tighten as I try to contain the rage I don’t deserve to have. “Killian, go watch Ravina and send Jesper down. He’ll be able to get into his head quicker. Once we have the information, kill him and toss him in the ocean for the fish to have.”
I spin out of the cave, rubbing my wrists where the iron scarring lies and try to control my breathing. As mad as I am at Zaddro for keeping secrets, I need to fly, and there’s nothing better than getting some air and going to the local tavern after. Maybe there’ll be some unlucky bastard to fight. I’m not needed here, even now that we know she isn’t safe even within these walls. I’m sure those three won’t let her out of their sight.
THE COOL NIGHT wind on my face helped to clear some of my thoughts. Zaddro needed this flight just as badly as I did. Fates, all the dragons were wound up after the attack tonight but the rest didn’t want to go far from their riders. I know Zaddro feels remorse for keeping that information away from me, not thinking anything of it, but he also didn’t promise not to keep any more secrets.
These ferocious creatures are a mysterious bunch, and as much as we are bound together, they’re their own sentient beings with their own way of life. They say the fates chose them to guard the secrets of the world, and maybe I’m a selfish bastard but they shouldn’t be able to keep things like this from their riders. This affects our realm. If she was killed tonight…
My fingers tighten on the mug of ale I’m nursing.
