Page 134 of Haunted

“You’ll not flee so easily,” I hiss.

I rip my arm back, snapping the invisible tether. Seren jerks and falls into the courtyard below.

Aneirin and Ahnalyn escape. He won’t risk her security to come back for the dragon, at least not until the babe is delivered.

I’m soured by the loss, but I won’t give up so easily. There’s a day and time to win the war.

At least I have Seren.

I have a dragon.

91

I enter the courtyard, where my men bind Seren with thick cords. I don’t have the heart to tell them she could break her confines once she rouses.

Seren’s head is as large as a man. She’s a dragon with a wingspan three or four times my height, but with her wings folded, she’ll be manageable. A massive cart, used to move catapults for battle, is rolled into the courtyard. I fold my light around Seren and use it to lift her onto the cart. A team of twenty horses will drag Seren to her prison, a cave to the south of the citadel.

I travel with my men. Seren is much too heavy to move from the cart with brute strength. The journey takes a week, and I trespass in her mind to keep her unconscious, but soon enough, she’s hidden.

While I’m in her mind, I take the time to probe and learn the name of her companion dragon, the dark red one. Cephias.

Just wait, Cephias. You will be mine too.

Seren will be the bait.

I’m frustrated that once again I must resort to practically begging to secure what I want. Ahnalyn will return for Seren. It’s only a matter of time.

Some days I curse its slow plod.

92

I rally when my recruiter returns from across the wilderness. He spent months in Morvith, the empress’s realm, petitioning and gathering men—broken men, traitors, murderers, men who’ve lost allegiance to their province. I promised them a place in exchange for their service. Men who once scraped for a living, scavenging for food and work, are coming.

Crossing the great wilderness is tantamount to suicide. But with pulled resources, the men survive the harsh desert climate.

Gethen begins assembling the masses as they cross the border into Rolant. I hope the empress is furious. I’ve put up with her taunting for centuries. I will take resources from her if I want. Broken human men are more of a nuisance to her anyway. I’ve done her a favor.

I wish I could have her dragon riders, but her riders and dragons are bound to the empress by the dark power. I will not risk her interference.

How I loathe her.

If she can build a dragon army from one dragon hatchling, then I can do the same.

But a pair of dragons, now that will speed things up. Ahnalyn’s dragon and Aneirin’s dragon—a beautiful, dark red dragon who matches Aneirin’s dragon stone.

I ache with jealousy all over.

Be patient.

I scan the horizon from my citadel’s tower. Thousands have agreed to fight to restore their honor.

They fight for me, and I fight for revenge.

Even though my bond with Kenrik has been severed, his family is in Talfryn, the realm to the south of mine.

I look forward to slaughtering his father—King Sieffre—and Kenrik’s brother, Prince Kelyn.

Then I will have control of the three western realms, realms separate from the empress and her twisted world.

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