Page 21 of The Dragon King

“Queen Eldinar?—”

“I will not change my mind, Calista. He would be the first to set this tree ablaze.”

“He’s not the villain you think he is?—”

She turned to me, her expression furious. “Calista, I just said goodbye to my husband for probably the last time. Do you think I give a damn about your underworld lover right now? My only concern is protecting the afterlife for all those whom I love. Because once Alaric gets inside, we’ll all be damned.”

“He would protect this tree, Queen Eldinar.”

“You know nothing, child.”

“The tree may mean nothing to him, but if it means something to me, then he’ll do whatever it takes to protect it,” I said. “You’re making the wrong decision.”

She looked ahead again. “This conversation has concluded. Do not speak to me again.”

I wanted to fire up and unleash a line of insults, but I knew nothing I said would change her mind. Instead, I stared into the clearing lit by fireflies and hoped Uncle Ezra and his soldiers were enough to stop the enemy from entering the forest.

“They’re here.” Queen Eldinar hadn’t moved from her position, standing with a straight spine and staring hard into the night.

I noticed the music had stopped, and I feared what that meant.

“Riviana is afraid.” She seemed to say it to herself rather than the men who flanked the tree. And she seemed to have forgotten I was there because she didn’t look at me once.

Then I heard it…the sound of battle.

The sound of steel on steel. The screams of victory and the screams of anguish that indicated defeat. Blood spilled into the dirt and poisoned the roots of the trees. The fires from the torches had taken hold of trees in the distance, and I watched them light up into the sky.

The battle had only begun—and it was too much.

I’d experienced battle two times in my life, but both events had been brief. I’d either run for my life, or someone had come to my rescue. But in this instance, I was cornered, unable to run to Talon because one of the twenty-four guards would apprehend me.

I was unable to run to the one person I needed.

The cries of battle grew louder, and I was scared that my uncle’s voice was among them.

The fires continued, torching the trees, and those flames inched closer and closer.

Queen Eldinar remained unintimidated.

I wasn’t afraid to admit it—I was fucking terrified.

The music had died, but now the tree began to scream. A wail of anguish, a petrified chorus that repeated endlessly.

“They’re in the forest,” Queen Eldinar said. “Prepare yourself.”

“Fuck.”

My uncle’s commands echoed into the forest and the clearing. “Move to the north. The others block the enemies coming from the south.”

That did not sound good.

Eleven soldiers appeared in the clearing, making a new line to protect the tree from the enemies who were able to flood into the clearing.

My knife remained in my scabbard because I was afraid to draw it. As soon as I did…this would be real.

Once Uncle Ezra had the elves in their lines, he ran straight for us and stopped in front of the queen. “Alaric has other allies. We’re outnumbered. They’ll break the perimeter in the next minute.” He spoke without being out of breath, either because of his fitness or because of the adrenaline.

Queen Eldinar remained calm, and she seemed to be the only one. “Who are the allies?”

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