Page 73 of The Dragon Queen

“This was one of the dragon towns?”

You’ve seen that?His eyes searched my body, as if for evidence of how I came across that information.Then you know. You humans came here as refugees, and under Tanis’ rule, we let you in. For what felt like an endless amount of time, we lived together in peace. Humans followed their hearts, dragons theirs, and we created something wondrous together. But human hearts…

He shook his head, his wings rattling at his back.

The legends of my kind are of creatures that lurk in the bowels of the earth, hiding their vast treasuries away, but I’ve come to understand that this is just a projection of human desires upon us.He snorted.It’s what you’d do if youhad our power, our strength. There is no amount of gold or precious gems that will replace the feeling of the wind in my face, the air in my wings. No feeling that is better than diving down, claws outstretched, right before I sink them into a deer.My fangs in his neck, his blood in my throat as I rend his still warm flesh from his bones. My kind have ruled the skies for ever more and we’re done hiding behind the terms of the Treaty of Two Queens.

“So what then?” I asked, but it was obvious. Just as I had seen the destruction of a dragon town, I could see the very beginnings of the creation of a new one.

The hole in the earth, it would lead down to a cave complex I was willing to bet. Sands rich with ground dragonstone would be deposited in the warmest spots, the places where the lava that burned inside the planet rose closest to the surface. They were building a home for the young dragons and their riders, but more than that.

They were preparing for a time when a queen would claim this territory and the dragons within it, and before now, they’d assumed that would be Glimmer. Now they were what? Planning to install another queen here? There was a reason why Queen Inara eradicated other dragon queens like they were rats in a granary.

A queen does not tolerate another queen in her territory, and Inara had decided all of Nevermere was hers.

“You seek to create a town of old, complete with a queen dragon and her mates to protect it.” My eyes narrowed. “And what is it that you’re carrying? Soil to help excavate the caves.”

The boys all spluttered, making clear my guess was correct.

No.Hadrian pulled out something from the leather satchel and the shine of that white stone made clear what it was. Dragonstone, yes, but more than that, because somehow I could remember every detail of Tanis’ nest, kept preserved for generations within Dragon Home.Our history. My mate requires it, and so all of the dragons of Dragon Home work to bring her Tanis’ stones.

I needed to get back. Every muscle quivered because I felt overly full of information that I had to share with my men. This was treason, a declaration of war, and a deliberate eroding of Draven’s power base all at once, so my mind quested out, trying toconnect with Glimmer’s, Darkspire’s, any of our dragons to pass it on.

“You know I’ll play no role in…” I thrust my hand outwards. “Whatever you’re building here. Neither will Glimmer.” My hand slid to my belt knife, and Lance frowned, taking a step closer. “So what does that mean for me?’

“Keeping the shutters down was as much for your safety as it was Dragon’s Rest.” Marcus sounded so very tired now, all of his usual hectic energy gone. “Jump back in the carriage, ride back to your palace and put on that ill fitting wig, little queen. None of us will stop you.”

I did just that, the space between my shoulder blades itching the entire time, expecting to get hit, but I didn’t. Lance, the boys, the townsfolk and their children, they all stopped to watch me pass, but other than pulling their children closer, no one made comment. The carriage driver looked up and then spat out a wad of tobacco as I drew closer.

“Back to the capital then, Highness?” he asked, making clear that he knew exactly what he was doing.

“Yes, please.”

The ride back was uneventful.I tried to raise the shutters and the futility of that made clear my attempts before would’ve been in vain. I rocked side by side in time with the horses’ hooves, all the way until the door was wrenched open.

“Where the hell have you been?” Draven appeared in the doorway, then climbed in when I didn’t answer fast enough, his hands going to my head, my face. I was inspected more thoroughly than a healer might until he was satisfied I was unharmed. “Roland said you caught a carriage to the keep, but you never made it. Glimmer didn’t know where you were. None of the dragons did.”

One did, but I wasn’t about to tell tales on Hadrian.

“Marcus,” I ground out and that had him going still. “He intercepted me. I was coming to show you the gimbal…”

It was only now I remembered my initial purpose and I looked around the carriage for the piece of equipment.

To find the carriage suspiciously bare.

“He must’ve bloody taken it.”

“Keep the damn thing.”

I was swept up into his arms and carried from the carriage as Draven barked orders at his guards to arrest the driver. The man appeared to have used our distracted state to make a quick getaway, but the guards spread out to search. I was whisked up the stairs and into Draven’s chamber, only to find them all waiting for me.

“She’s here?” Soren looked milk pale, his eyes burning as he spun on his heel and then strode over. “Pippin, are you well? Did he hurt you? You can tell me.”

“I’m fine.”

I wriggled out of Draven’s arms, dropping down to my feet, but I wasn’t going anywhere. Each of my men clustered closer, needing to inspect me for themselves.

All but Flynn.

---