Page 124 of Wrath of the Dragons
“I don’t actually know.”
He tugs one of my curls, and I bat his hand away as we turn back to the others.
Zale could’ve sailed with any vessel within his fleet, but he opted to travel with us, as did Zarius. It makes it easier to plan for battles as a unit, but Zale and I have also been meditating every morning at sunrise to help me locate the well of power within me.
“What if Elowen just did her thing and flew ahead and burned all the ships?” Ryder asks.
“She can’t fly into battle entirely by herself when we don’t know their numbers,” Finnian shoots out.
“The soldiers who swore allegiance to Zarius informed us that their boats are charmed against earthly fire, and dragonfire is unpredictable. It burns hotter and takes longer to dissipate. Even with the help of the water mages to increase our speed, it’ll add days onto our journey if we alter our course and we can’t risk sailing the fleet through a firestorm,” I say.
“It will be a battle of blades, not dragons,” Cayden adds. As much as I love flying, I’ve missed fighting on the ground…well, if you can consider a ship to be ground.
“You may not be able to use the dragons, but I believe I have a way to aid our efforts,” Zarius says, clasping his hands behind his back.
“Do you even know how to wield a sword?” Ryder asks, his tone dripping in condescension, but to his credit, Zarius doesn’t rise to the jab.
“Quite well,” he answers evenly. “However, I’m not speaking of blades. I’m speaking of magic.” My brows furrow and I cross my arms. I wasn’t aware he possessed any magic.
But my curiosity gives way to shock…because Zariusdisappears.
There’s nothing but an empty space where he was standing.
“All hells,” Saskia mutters before abruptly screaming when Zarius reappears several paces from where he stood, holding a sword to Ryder’s neck.
“As I said, I’m very proficient,” he says while sheathing his blade,earning a murderous glare from both Saskia and Ryder, but I’m intrigued.
“You’re an illusionist,” Cayden says.
Zarius nods. “I’m able to manipulate the perception of those around me.”
“Then why didn’t you do that the night we met?” Saskia demands.
“He did,” Cayden cuts in. “When I first saw him, his hair was blond, but it changed soon after he left the gambling den.”
“I was piss drunk,” Zarius flatly states while looking at Saskia. “I need to fully concentrate for the illusion to be believable. One wrong detail and everything could fail. It’s extremely taxing, and I won’t be able to wield a blade as I work.”
“So that’s how you stayed hidden in Galakin.” I drum my fingers against the barrel. “You’d alter your features so nobody would know who to look for, even if they had an idea of where you were.”
Zarius nods. “I chose Galakin because it would be the hardest kingdom for my father to send assassins to, but I was still an enemy prince no matter my standing with my father.”
“Were you born with that ability?” I ask.
“It developed over time,” he answers. “My people worship the God of Illusion, the Mind, and Memory. It’s believed that my ancestors on my mother’s side were gifted a drop of his blood, giving us our red eyes and, occasionally, magical abilities.”
“Are you sure you’ll be able to mask the entirety of the fleet?”
“If given the proper space to prepare, yes.”
“Worst-case scenario, you fail and we die.” Cayden shrugs, leaning back between my thighs. “It’ll spare you from living with the shame unless your father ordered you to be captured alive.”
“What a lovely vote of confidence, Cayden. I’m so glad you joined this conversation.”
“Anytime, my love.” He pats my leg.
“You’ll still need to be prepared to fight once the illusion is unmasked. If we’re to put you on the throne, then prove you’ll survive thebattle,” Ryder says, bringing the conversation back to where we started. “You didn’t fight when we first captured you.”
“As I stated, I was piss drunk,” Zarius reiterates. “And who’s to say you’re the best soldier I’ll face?”
