Page 6 of Empire of Death
That was something my father had said—and I wondered if Wrath was repeating that intentionally.
“They know of your dragons because they were chased out to sea by them. If they attack the Southern Isles, they’ll be prepared. You, in turn, need to be prepared for that, to guess your enemy’s actions before he makes them.”
I nodded in agreement. “Then I’ll leave at first light.”
“Take your brother with you. He’s the person you can trust most right now.”
“You called him an unfit child a few hours ago.”
“And he became a man once he was humbled by a woman,” he said. “I trust his love for you.”
“I do too.”
“It’s been so long since I was a young man that I can’t even remember what it was like. I believe that’s why I have limited empathy and patience.”
“How old were you when…when you became immortal?”
“Thirty-two.”
“So you’re older than me in either regard.”
“It doesn’t feel that way to me,” he said as he looked at me. “You feel like my equal in every way. From the grit in your eyes to the toughness in your heart…and the kindness in your smile.”
I turned into him and pressed a kiss to his shoulder, feeling the warm skin against my cold lips. “I’m not in a place to make love tonight, but I don’t want you to go either.”
He slid his hand into my hair, and he cradled my face so my eyes looked up at him. “You think that’s the only reason I’m here?” His eyes weren’t strained in anger like they’d been in the past when I’d said something he didn’t like. Just intense and contemplative and deep. “I’m here because your heart is the place I call home.”
My father’s men—or, I should say, my men—packed my supplies in Zehemoth’s saddle for my departure. Movack, Zehemoth’s sister, was also prepared for the journey. She had taken a liking to Hawk from the moment he was born. I was young when Zehemoth hatched, but old enough to remember the way his dark scales had broken through the shell and emerged. Movack had the reverse experience with my brother, meeting him at his birth. They’d been close over the years, and it seemed like that relationship deepened once Hawk became an adult. They’d agreed to fuse whenever my father decided Hawk was old enough to pause his age in time.
I stepped into the courtyard and saw Zehemoth there, waiting for me to mount him to begin our journey across the sea. In my battle armor, I felt my black cape pull against the breeze when it gusted through the bright morning. Winter had reached its end, and spring crested the horizon, a new dawn ahead.
Zehemoth lowered his head so our eyes could meet.I like your cape.
I smirked.Gonna take some getting used to. The ruler of the Southern Isles was designated not by a crown, but a cape, a symbol of power. It was ordinary, black like Zehemoth’s scales, but when it caught in the wind at just the right moment, it was majestic. It was also a testament to the skill set of the wearer—because fighting with a cape was much harder than without one. It got caught on things, flapped at the wrong time, and could easily be stepped on by friend or foe. It was a purposeful disadvantage—because a ruler needed to be strong enough to win regardless.
His dark eyes drank me in.You look like your father.
I chuckled.Thanks?
In a good way. A feminine way.
I hope so. Have you spoken to your father?
Nothing has interrupted the ship’s passage across the sea. They’ve made it a third of the way.
Good. They need to make it back before the Barbarians return.
We killed many and destroyed a significant number of their ships. If there are any left, it’ll take them time to regroup.
If they’d been killed off, Wrath would have shared that with me. So they were still out there. Perhaps they only sent a portion of their fleet to take the forest, underestimating the residents of Riviana Star. I hoped so.
Hawk finally emerged from the castle in similar armor, our family crest in the center with Khazmuda in the skies above. But it was different from mine, with less ornamentation, denoting his status as inferior to me. But he was still protected by hard dragon scales, impervious to fire and arrows.
He drew close before he greeted Zehemoth in a silent conversation I couldn’t hear, but I knew it was happening based on the way their eyes locked together for a time. Then Hawk placed his palm on Zehemoth’s snout.
In the battle in Riviana Star, I’d rarely been struck, because my opponents were twice my size and I knew my armor spared me from serious injury. But that was a double-edged sword, because a simple scratch on the nose from their blades could slice open your cheek. My father had trained us to be mindful by having us eat dinner wearing all our armor, to always be conscious of the weapons on our bodies, even when we weren’t in battle.
Wrath was nowhere to be seen, but I also knew he was there, watching from his shroud of invisibility. I’d started to grow more accustomed to his presence, aware of his kingly power. It was similar to the way I felt when my father stepped into the room. I knew he was there before I actually saw him. “Ready?”
