Page 91 of Of Kings and Thieves

I’m okay, I said, knowing he’d be worried. Where are you?

They’re taking me to my tower.

Just like they’ve brought me back to mine.

Samara, look out the window.

A thin sliver of afternoon sunlight sliced through the dust suspended in the air. Driven by equal parts foreboding and curiosity, I approached the opening and peered out at the impossible sight unfolding below.

My eyes widened in disbelief. Giant shadowy beasts soared through the smoke-filled sky above the castle, their massive, undulating forms casting rippling shadows over the ground far below. Their scales shimmered in iridescent hues that shifted with each powerful sweep of their vast wings. Majesty, grace and terror mingled in equal measure.

My hands shook, knuckles white as I clutched the sill and took in the creatures straight out of legend and myth, made flesh before my eyes. Dragons. Ancient, deadly, and beautiful.

Dragons. There are dragons in the skies over Iron Deep! Do you see them?

But only silence answered me. Col didn’t respond, his presence abruptly muted. Before panic could set in, a burst of warmth bloomed in the air of my bedchamber, followed by a sharp crack that split the silence like thunder.

My attention snapped to the door. Where before the sturdy door had been locked tight, now it stood ajar, swinging slowly outward. The lingering tingle of powerful magic danced across my skin.

“Wha—” I began, but my question was cut off as Killian, Melion, Kolvar, and Silvius pushed inside the room.

CHAPTER THIRTY

My heart leapt at the sight of their familiar faces. But my relief was short-lived as the memory of what I’d just witnessed overrode everything else.

“Dragons!” I exclaimed, my voice hoarse. “There are dragons outside!”

Killian shook his head, the snarling mask doing little to hide the exhaustion etched into his stance. “Just an illusion. I overloaded the wards, then used the power they unleashed to create the deception.”

Behind him, servants and soldiers raced through the halls in a panic, their shrieks and cries echoing in the distance. The illusion had the desired effect, plunging the castle into chaos and diverting attention away from our escape.

My knees nearly buckled in relief at the news the dragons weren’t real. I leaned against the wall, dragging in deep breaths to slow my racing heart. “Thank the go—stars. I thought...” I trailed off, unable to give voice to the grim images that had flashed through my mind.

Killian’s expression softened behind the mask, a glimmer of understanding in his gaze. “I apologize for scaring you. It was necessary.”

Necessary. A single word to justify the terror they’d just put me through. “Did you mean to tear down the castle as well?”

“No, that was a side effect.”

“A side effect.” I shook my head, eyeing him with renewed appreciation. “Overloading the wards and conjuring dragons. Impressive.”

Killian swayed on his feet, and I moved to steady him. “And costly,” he said. “The wards were ancient, requiring more strength than anticipated.”

“Are you all right?”

“I’ll recover.” Killian straightened, shrugging off mine and Kolvar’s support, though the effort seemed to drain what little color remained in his face. “We must hurry.”

“Are we going to get Col?”

“He’s imprisoned in the eastern tower,” Melion growled, his scar making his scowl even more menacing.

“I know,” I said, following the others out the door. “But he hasn’t said anything for a while. I’m worried.”

Kolvar took the lead. “Let’s find him and finish this mess once and for all.”

We navigated rubble and panicking servants as we made our way through the castle. The surroundings were nearly unrecognizable, the quakes having wrought immense destruction in a short time. Tapestries were torn from walls, statues lay smashed, and entire sections of the ceiling had collapsed, blocking certain corridors.

Col… I called out, with still no response. I didn’t dare imagine what that meant, what would keep him from answering me.

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