Page 40 of Empire of Death
We paid the tab then headed to the beach, where Zehemoth and Movack waited for us. We secured our packs to their saddles before we climbed up their mighty flanks and took to the skies. It was a cloudless day, so the sun made their scales warm to the touch. We flew over the different tropical islands below, and I looked at every single one and wondered if one of them was the private island Callum and I had shared. He never told me where it was, and I didn’t ask either, maybe because not knowing made it more special.
It was a shorter flight to the Northern Kingdoms than the Southern Isles, but it still took all day and night to arrive over the landmass. I knew we were close when the temperature droppedexponentially, going from tolerable to downright cold. There was a bite to the frigidness too, making my nose sting every time a gust came through.
I’ve spoken with Macabre. Queen Eldinar knows of your arrival.
Thanks, Zehemoth.
She said she’ll meet us at the castle.
We can go to Riviana Star afterward.
She said she wanted to save time.
She tried to confront me about the powers bestowed upon me during the battle, but because of the circumstances with my father and the sheer number of dead in the forest, her interrogation had been mild. But I suspected she would now pry into me like a lockpick.
It was dark when Zehemoth made his descent, and the lower we flew, the more the snow started to hit us in the face. Torches from the kingdom were visible down below, and Zehemoth found the enormous courtyard atop the castle where the two dragons could fit when they dropped us off.
The wind howled, and the snow whipped me in the face as I climbed down from the saddle and landed. This castle had been home to my father long before I was born, before he’d even met my mother. It was hard to believe because I couldn’t picture him in this ice-cold climate when he was more suited to the long summers of the Southern Isles.
Will you be okay?
My dragon scales are harder than stone and warmer than a fire.Zehemoth dipped his head to look at me as the wind threw my hair about.Don’t worry about me. I’ll let you know when Macabre approaches. They’re about an hour flight away.
Alright.
Go inside before your lungs get infected. Mine are constantly warmed by the fire in my belly.
Hawk and I headed for the double doors that led to the inside of the castle, and the guards posted there opened them wide to allow us entry. The second we stepped inside, the chaos outside was muted and I could feel the warmth surround me like a glove.
“Bad time to fly, huh?” Hawk said as he brushed the snow off his shoulders.
A group was soldiers was there, and they detained us for a moment before the commander arrived, his dark uniform different from the others because of the gold embellishments to his armor. “Queen Lily Rothschild, we weren’t expecting you. Do you have news?”
“I need to speak with Steward Eliam.”
“It’s past midnight,” he said. “Is this urgent?”
“Do you think we’d come at midnight if it weren’t urgent?” Hawk asked.
The commander straightened his spine as his hands moved behind his back. “Your journey must have been long. I wasn’t sure if you’d like to retire for the evening and speak in the morning.”
“We’ll speak now then retire afterward,” I said. “Queen Eldinar will arrive shortly.”
He conceded with a nod. “Follow me.” Commander Azai escorted us through the castle to the large study that had a wide fireplace and a seating area behind a massive desk with an enormous window behind it, the frost visible in all the corners. We sat in the armchairs, and then a butler arrived to start the fire and provide refreshments along with a wooden board with slices of cheeses and cured meats.
I sank into the armchair, all my muscles tired from holding my spine straight for the last twelve hours. And I was dead tired, so tired I could fall asleep right in this damn chair. I closed my eyes for a bit, and when I felt that heavy presence infect my entire chest, I opened them again.
Callum stood by the window, an invisible shadow to the world but everything to me. He watched me with a hard gaze, providing comfort even when he didn’t say a word or make a gesture.
“Don’t fall asleep on me,” Hawk said.
My eyes were forced to shift away from Callum. “I can’t wait to get this over with.”
“I can’t wait to be home.”
“But remember, the next time you’re home, you might be at war.”
We sat there for at least thirty minutes before Steward Eliam graced us with his presence. A younger man than most for the position, he’d become the steward by a free election because of his involvement in the community of Shadowstone. He served inthe military and volunteered to help the less fortunate during the harshest winters. He didn’t seem like an ambitious man, which was why my father approved of the appointment.
