Page 49 of Empire of Death
“The dragons are so loyal to our father. Many of them would do it just because I asked. But I wouldn’t feel right about it. Maybe if King Ithaca were someone I liked…or somewhat respected…it would be different. But I fear he would force them to breed and then have an army of dragons for himself. Might not be an issue now, but in a decade, it could turn into a serious problem.”
“I didn’t even consider that.”
“But I do respect his perspective, because he’s right. It does feel wrong that only a handful of us are blessed with eternal life while no one else is.”
“You earned that blessing.” Callum appeared on another log to my left, sitting by the campfire like he was a member of our party. “Your grandfather ruled the Southern Isles and peacefully coexisted with the dragons that shared their border. Never tried to use them for their own gain. And then your father reclaimed the throne and returned their freedom to them. If any one person has proven their altruism and commitment to world peace, it’s your father. He’s earned those gifts because he earned the unconditional love of his dragon. They’ve blended their families together despite the fact that you aren’t even the same species. If King Ithaca had been in the same position, he would have used whatever power necessary to coerce that fuse. He does not deserve it.”
Hawk stared at the fire, unaware of everything that Callum had just shared with me. “I’ve known Movack since I was born. If she told me she didn’t want to fuse with me, our relationship wouldn’t change. If she said she wanted to fuse with someone else, I wouldn’t be angry with her. The love we feel for those dragons has nothing to do with what they offer us.”
“I know.”
“And King Ithaca doesn’t understand that. All he sees is power.”
“But the ability to live forever, that’s something everyone wants.”
Callum turned his head to look at me. “Not everyone.”
My eyes flicked to his briefly before I looked straight ahead once more, doing my best to pretend he wasn’t there.
“What are you saying?” Hawk asked. “That we should do it?”
“No. But I understand why he’s obsessed with it.”
“You think he’s bluffing? That he’ll withdraw his alliance if we don’t comply?” Hawk stared at me over the campfire, cast in the bright glow, his armor reflecting the color of the flames.
“I’m not sure. If we’re conquered, then he knows he’ll be next.”
“And if we prevail, he’ll be next,” Hawk said. “So either way, he loses.”
“I guess.”
“So it does sound like an empty threat to me.”
“There’s a third option,” Callum said from between us.
My instinct was to look at him. It made me wish he were there in the flesh, that he was a part of this circle as much as he was a part of me.
“The Barbarians become his new ally—and you’re the enemy.”
I felt my heart drop like a stone into the pit of my stomach. Felt a flush of terror move over my arms and form bumps everywhere.“What if King Ithaca becomes allies with the Barbarians? In exchange for their help, he claims some of the dragons for himself.”
Hawk stiffened when he heard the suggestion, his ungloved fingers stitching together tighter at the prospect. “From what you described of the Barbarians, they don’t seem like the type of men to have alliances. And even if that endeavor were successful, you thoroughly explained how you can’t force a fuse with a dragon, so that would be pointless. If he wants to fuse with a dragon, there’s only one way to accomplish that—and that’s through you.”
“Or force and torture and other unspeakable things.”
“I still think that would be far too risky on King Ithaca’s part. Plus, he would have to find the Barbarians, and who knows where they are. He’d have to comb the seas for golden ships, and before he could even board one, he’d be sunk to the bottom of the sea. That’s not an outcome I fear.”
I wondered if it was something that Callum feared, but I couldn’t ask. “Then I have no choice but to say no. And if he revokes his aid, there will be consequences for that. I will remove him from power and select one of Father’s most trusted men to rule the Empire Colonies to ensure an ironclad alliance in the future.”
“And what about King Ithaca?”
“I’ll kill him,” I said simply.
Hawk stared at me over the fire.
“You don’t demand dragons like cattle and threaten the Southern Isles and get away with it.”
“Seems a little harsh.”
