Page 23 of Queen of Legends and Lies
Knowing the dragons have that situation under control, I refocus on the chaos around me.
Alannah gives me an approving nod but keeps her attention on her work.
“Your Highness!” A burly guard pivots toward me, his face smeared with soot. “We need?—”
I see a small figure weaving through the ruckus, blond hair trailing behind her and blue eyes wide with terror.
Little Rose. Agnar’s niece.
What the hells is she doing here?
A brave spitfire on any normal day, Rose is reduced to tears and trembling limbs. She stumbles out of the smoke-filled woods. She’s only six years old, so her wings have not yet formed.
All she can do is run.
“Rose!” Reacting to my fear and need to protect, Kaida shifts his focus to match mine. With two jumps, he’s able to reach her, his claws outstretched.
She looks up, sees him, and without a hint of hesitation, raises her tiny arms.
Taking the utmost care with the small child, Kaida wraps his talons around her and lifts her to safety. Three more hops, and he holds her out to me.
I grab her around the waist while conveying my gratitude to Kaida through our connection.
He chuffs, and I know he understands.
She wraps her tiny body around mine, holding tight while staying out of the way of my wings like all Tirenese children know how to do. Her heart hammers against my chest, her sobs muffled in the fabric of my tunic.
“Shh, it’s okay.” I stroke her hair as her grip tautens around my neck. “You’re safe with me.” A lump forms in my throat.
What was Rose doing out here?
How many people didn’t make it to safety?
And is it merely a coincidence that those woods house Nyc’s temple?
Chapter Nine
Ash and embers cling to my skin, itching and burning as I stand amid the ruins. Smoldering piles of destroyed houses claw at the hazy sky like skeletal fingers. Pillars of smoke reach up as if to beseech the gods for relief.
Or maybe just answers.
What in the name of all the gods happened here?
A small weight on my leg reminds me I’m not alone in this devastation. Rose, her little hands gripping the fabric of my breeches, is the picture of innocence against a backdrop of mayhem. Her blue eyes, wide and teary, search mine for some kind of reassurance.
Parting my lips to ask if she’s okay, I instead start coughing as my tongue sticks to the roof of my dry mouth.
“Hey there, little warrior.” Agnar hops through the dying fires, leaving clods of earth to smother them as he passes. He scoops his niece up into his arms before tossing her into the air a few times. “I heard a good one earlier. What do dragons eat for snacks?”
Rose sniffles and shakes her head, her messy blond curls bouncing.
Agnar tosses her up again, holds her against his chest, and gives me a conspiratorial wink. “Firecrackers!”
She hiccups, her face twisting in confusion for a moment before laughter replaces her sobs. “That’s silly, Uncle Ag.”
“Well, so are little girls with ash all in their hair.” Agnar flips her over, and she squeals with excitement as he twists her back and forth to shake the gray flakes loose. “Someone get me a mop bucket so I can get her cleaned up.”
Holding her by her legging-clad ankles, he makes dunking motions, complete with sound effects.
