Page 54 of Earth Dragon
“You?” Ewan raised his eyebrows. “They’ll kill you on sight.”
“I’ll go to Malcolm first. He knows me, he’ll listen. Once he’s on board we can go together to speak with the rest.”
“But this is your plan,” Ewan said. “What are we supposed to do? Twiddle our thumbs?”
Sir Patrick and Petrus had both gotten to their feet, Petrus with his hand resting heavily on his sword.
“Tell your man to take it easy, eh?” Sir Patrick said with a smile at Petrus. “We’re all on the same side here.” Petrus grunted. “It will take a few days, no more than that. We will hurry back,” Sir Patrick said.
“No, you will not,” Lady Marigold said firmly. “Because it will take no days, mere hours. Let’s make it quick and take those seeking to do harm by surprise.”
The lady closed her eyes, then opened them again. “Step through the door over there,” she instructed. “Any door in king Malcolm’s castle will bring you through a door in king Greer’s and so on. The final door brings you back here. If all goes to plan.”
“That doesn’t sound reliable,” Shannon remarked, watching as Sir Patrick led the way to the indicated door. “What if all does not go to plan?”
“We’ll get back here within the day,” Sir Patrick said. “No matter what. I promise you that. Look after her for me,” he added with a nod to the crystal still in Lady Marigold’s hand, then he opened the door.
Ewan could glimpse Malcolm’s castle beyond it. The dark blue stone that should be oppressive but wasn’t. He nearly looked at Shannon to catch her expression. She had called that castle home for a large chunk of her lifetime. Did she miss it?
He should not care about whether she did or not.
He got to his feet as the door closed behind Sir Patrick and Petrus.
“I’m going to get some air,” he said, walking to the front door and through it without a backwards glance.
The night air offered a brisk wind against his heated cheeks, thoughts swirling with memories of those days he had spent in Fawha. They had been some of the happiest he had ever known, and it had been entirely due to Shannon. Due to the feelings she had stirred whenever she looked pleased to see him.
He closed his eyes, breathing in the chill.
The closed door opened behind him, and he took a step forward to give the person room to exit. Of course, it was Shannon.
“They’re right,” she said. “If you’re kept out of the equation, then that buys us time.”
“Isn’t it foolish getting everyone here? Doesn’t that mean the elemental magics are more readily available for entrapment?” he asked.
She sighed softly. “I understand why you would not trust in it, but—”
“What? In Sir Patrick and his plan? No, I would ask that you give me more than an hour or two before I get that far, thank you,” Ewan interrupted.
“But it was not his plan to bring them all here,” she said. “It was Lady Marigold’s. And besides, what Patrick says carries,” she said. “That means that it only makes sense that you will all be stronger together.”
“Tell me about your father,” Ewan demanded.
He could not help himself. He needed to know that he wasn’t making the biggest mistake of his life. At Shannon’s shocked expression, he almost regretted it. Then the door opened again, Lady Marigold poking her head out.
“Highness,” she said. “A word.”
She didn’t wait for him to move or even reply before she disappeared back inside, the door ajar and waiting for him to follow.
Chapter 14 - Shannon
She looked out across the square to the narrow alley they had arrived through and, though it was decidedly not the right course of action, she could feel her feet tugging for her to run, run away. As far away as she could. She felt her veins light up with dragon fire as the urge intensified. She could see if she couldn’t shift here. She was outside of the castle walls, though still within the outer wall circling the citadel. Perhaps the spell protected the entire populace of the citadel and not just the king and his court in the castle.
Try, that voice within her said.Flee. Be free of all of it.
She took a step forward, raising her gaze to the starlit skies, and then paused.
Because she remembered Ewan speaking of a cottage he would love to have. Of raising cattle and building furniture somewhere quiet and peaceful.
