Page 9 of Fate and Flame
“Ihope I never see you again, little liar.”
“I’ll miss you too, buddy.” I smirked at the enormous dragon as he extended his wings, coiled his legs, and vaulted into the scorching desert sky, leaving a sheet of red sand raining down on us.
“Now, see? That would have been way more appreciated if everyone could have seen it.” Kai pouted as we started the last leg of the journey on foot.
Fen grabbed his shoulders from behind. “Ara’s right, Kai. Dragons are beasts of great honor. He didn’t want to be seen by the others. It was the right thing for us to do.”
“I still don’t understand how you were able to convince him to give us a ride.” Lichen adjusted the pack on his shoulder, his stance was more stooped than it was when we first met. The journey had taken a toll on the old fae.
We were all sore. We had ridden that dragon most of the day, and as the sun trekked through the sky and toward the horizon in the Flame Court, we still had a bit of a walk ahead of us.
“I just asked nicely,” I lied, leaning into Fen as we trudged through the deep desert sands.
I would never share the secret of the dragons. They would become enslaved to a world of fae that murdered each other for sport and spread hate like a disease. Dragons were incredibly beautiful creatures, and while they could change the tide of war, it was not their war to fight. It wouldn’t be right for me, or anyone else, to try to use them as weapons.
“I think he likes you.” Fen nudged me, a playful look on his face.
“Who?” I held my hand up to block the warm glow of the sun.
“The yellow dragon.”
Sweat dripped down my back as I shook my head. “I think we just understand each other.”
“How so?” Greeve asked, removing several layers of clothing until the tattoos on his arms were on display like artwork.
“Neither of us are fond of the idea of pulling dragons into the war for starters.”
“Are we at war, then?” Fen asked.
I shrugged. “You tell me, Prince.”
I needed to tread carefully. I hadn’t shared my fate with anyone. I couldn’t find the words to tell Fen I was charged with killing his father. He’d already lost his mother, and I was intimately familiar with that pain. I was also in denial. But fate was not a question of if, only when. It would happen, whether I wanted it to or not, unless I died first, because that’s how it worked. I knew I needed to tell him. It was a constant rotating truth within my ever-wandering mind.
“There it is,” Wren yelled, jumping up and down as we crested a hill.
I looked down to see a great city of twinkling lights with droves of people wandering the crowded streets as the sun sank below the horizon, leaving a chill in the air. Before I knew what was happening, everyone was running. Even Lichen, though he trailed behind.
Fen held my hand, looking back at me with a boyish grin, as we reached the road that would take us inside the lively city. “Welcome to Halemi.”
Greeve turned and looked far into the distance. He must have been feeling the call of the draconians. The city was probably a place of a thousand nestled memories for the others, but for us, it wasn’t quite home. Maybe that was why I felt so close to Greeve. Not because he looked at me like a sibling, but because we’d always understood each other. In our darkest moments, when no one else seemed to notice the world around us, he and I always did.
One step at a time, we walked into Fen’s city. At first, a few scattered fae gasped, calling his name, and then more and more until we were met in the center of the city by a crowd of lesser and high fae intertwined like they didn’t mind standing next to each other. They called his name and the names of the others, cheering and celebrating as they welcomed their prince home.
Kai ate it up. Bowing, waving, handing out hugs and a few winks as he walked beside Greeve, who stood taller than I had seen him in days, with a fierce, emotionless face. He was playing the crowd as well, just not in the same way Kai was. A tall female with her hair wrapped in fabric ran from the crowd, gathered Wren into a hug, and held her for several moments.
“That’s Sabra.” Fen pointed.
The sisters were nearly identical, apart from their wardrobe. Wren’s traveling clothes were a far cry from Sabra’s beautifully printed cloth.
As they laughed and hugged, we shared smiles until we were approached by an older high fae with a stern face and watchful eyes. His gruff voice was hidden behind his beard. “The king will see you immediately.” He spoke directly to Fen, not bothering to look at the rest of us.
“Let us get settled in first, Inok,” Fen answered.
“There’s no time for that. Something has happened.” His dire tone pushed Fen into motion.
I felt the panic and worry for his father as we ran through the rest of the busy city, up the worn road to the castle, through the gates, and into the large front doors. I expected the messenger, Inok, to have stayed behind or have struggled to keep up, but he was right on our toes as we moved.
“Meet us in the kitchens when you’re done.” Kai disappeared into the castle in the opposite direction. He was right at home.
