Page 70 of House of Embers
Kerrigan balked at that.Allof Herasi was behind her. She hadn’t even known what house Zina came from, nor her father, Trulian. But this was a massive allegiance if they could harness it. That meant they had Bryonica and Herasi behind them. They were still negotiating with many of the other houses who had allies within their ranks. If they could show they had another force behind them, it might shift everything—the way more dragons would.
“That’s great news. Scales.”
“But we must get through our current challenge before they can provide troops to your cause.”
For the first time, Kerrigan thought she was seeing the fearsome legend of the Great War. The dragon who had led the charge and leveled the playing field. He was terrifying.
“What am I supposed to do about Tieran? I can’t talk to him. I can’t help him. This is his own fight.”
“And you are one who has never exploited a loophole?”
Kerrigan laughed. “Well, I suppose I was put into the dragon tournament despite my age.”
“The rules of men do not govern us. Isn’t that right?”
“You figured it out?” she asked.
He nodded his giant head once.“You are not part human at all.”
“No, I’m a demi-Doma, of the gods.”
Gelryn sniffed at that.“You should be our mortal enemy. You cast us from our world to the Holy Mountain. And yet you do not have the stink of them. You are something else.”
“I have met their kind and do not wish to rule as they did. I just want a place for everyone to live in peace.”
“Looking for peace in times of war is like asking for fresh blooms in the dead of winter.”
Kerrigan bowed her head. “Despite the horrors, I persist.”
“That is why we follow you.”
And to her shock, Gelryn bowed his enormous head in deference to her.
She put a hand to her chest. “Thank you, Gelryn.”
“Now for the matter of Tieran. Do exactly what I tell you, and perhaps we can save many lives today.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
The Body
Tieran had already been announced when she returned to her body.
Audria shot her a worried look at her blank expression. Kerrigan clasped her hand and squeezed. That did nothing to ease Audria’s worry. The plan was risky—there was no denying that—but at least they had a plan.
“You look relieved,” Audria said.
“We’re going to win this,” Kerrigan told her.
“You seem more certain than a moment ago.”
Kerrigan’s eyes cut to Cathia. The attendant was speaking with Thiery. If she had any knowledge that Kerrigan had just been in conversation with Gelryn, she didn’t show it. But she was a spy regardless, and Kerrigan couldn’t let her know what she had planned.
So instead, she just smiled. “Tieran can do this. I have faith in him and us.”
“Okay,” Audria said, her eyes flickering to the attendant. “Good. I do wish I could speak to Evien about all this though.”
“Same,” Kerrigan said.
