Page 28 of Kingdom of Locks

“And if we’re almost at the edge of the tree line, we’ve left the protective perimeter,” Furn pointed out, his voice slightly uneasy.

“True,” Amell acknowledged. “I don’t know how we covered that ground so quickly.”

“I think we’d better be getting back,” Furn said.

“Lead on, Furn, and I’ll follow,” said Tora amicably.

For some reason, at these polite words, a strange look flitted across Furn’s face. But he did as he was bid, and led the group back to their mounts. Within the hour they had emerged back into the clearing where the prison was situated.

After mounting his horse, Amell had pulled a small knife from his belt. As they passed through the woods, he scored a series of marks on the trees. He made no mention of these marks to his companions, and Furn didn’t seem to notice. When they exited the forest, Amell took note of their location. Twisting in the saddle to check the tree line, he nodded in satisfaction. He was fairly confident he’d be able to find that clump again if he chose.

“Everything all right, Your Highness?”

Amell turned back around to see Furn waiting for him with a questioning lift to his eyebrows.

“Yes, of course,” he said lightly, once again keeping the path he’d marked to himself.

He felt a prickle of guilt as he drew his horse alongside Furn’s. It wasn’t his usual style to hide things from his guard. But Furn hadn’t quite been himself since their return from Entolia, and if Amell did decide to go back to the strangely thick clump of trees, he didn’t want to be hampered by his friend’s sudden increase in caution. The very fact that Furn was distracted enough for Amell to get away with any kind of subterfuge showed just how unsettled the guard was.

As soon as they rounded the corner of the prison, however, any misgivings were driven away by the sight of two enormous dragons crouching calmly before the ruined building.

Chapter Seven

“Of course something exciting happened the moment we leave,” Amell muttered, his eyes dwelling in disgruntlement on the dragons.

Furn threw him an amused glance, but Tora ignored him altogether. Amell didn’t blame her. The two imposing reptilian figures were enough to hold anyone’s attention. The three riders pulled their horses to a stop, examining the beasts from a sufficient distance to take in their entire forms.

“What would dragons be doing here?” Tora asked, sounding a little awed.

It was Furn who replied. “It’s not altogether surprising, is it? As magical creatures, surely they’d have an interest in the escape of a group of criminal magic-users into the continent at large.”

“Maybe,” said Tora skeptically. “If by interest, you mean pure curiosity. They wouldn’t have any personal stake in it.”

“She’s right,” Amell agreed. “Dragons are far too powerful to be concerned about the magic of a measly twenty-five human enchanters.”

“Maybe they’ve come to help round up the fugitives,” Furn suggested.

Amell shook his head. “No, they won’t offer to help. And Father won’t ask. Surely you remember the rules, Furn. It’s the most basic principle of dragon-human interaction. They don’t use magic on us, either to help or hinder, and we don’t use magic on them.”

“Yes, I remember,” said Furn. “Although it still doesn’t entirely make sense to me. Wouldn’t they be able to track down the escapees with ease compared to us?”

“That’s not the point,” Tora informed him. As a royal, she, like Amell, was well trained in matters of dragon lore. “We gain more than we lose by the agreement. We’re better off going without their help if it means we’re safe from their magic being used against us. They could annihilate the entire human population if they chose.”

“And according to rumor, some wanted to when they first arrived,” Amell chimed in, his eyes traveling over the sharp triangular plates that ran down the back of the nearest dragon, all the way to the tip of its tail. “They were sick of humans constantly asking for their help, and they thought it would be simpler to just wipe us out. But fortunately the ones who thought that weren’t the ones in charge, and instead we formed the agreement.”

“And as you can hear,” Tora grinned, “even Amell isn’t foolhardy enough to disrespect the agreement.”

“You’re one to talk,” sniped Amell. “I thought you were supposed to be the responsible sibling, but from what I can see, all you’ve done today is look for danger.”

“And tragically found none,” said Tora lightly. “Iamthe responsible one, little brother. It’s all relative. At least I never hunt out danger for no reason.”

“What’s your reason, then?” Amell asked skeptically.

His sister ignored the question. “It’s a while since I’ve seen a dragon up this close,” she said instead. “Is it just me, or are these ones huge?”

“It’s not just you,” Amell assured her. “The ones at Basil’s wedding were much smaller and brighter. These must be very old, judging by their size. And look how dark their scales are. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re elders.”

“I thought the elders hardly ever left the colony,” Furn interjected.

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