Page 7 of Empire of Death
Hawk nodded. “Where to first?”
“The Northern Isles have already launched an armada to accompany our father across the sea. They must be aware that we’re at war. Aunt Eldinar would have filled them in. I suggest we focus on the Empire Colonies first and then the Brigandine Faction afterward.”
“Pirates?”he asked incredulously. “They’re a lawless faction of criminals.”
“But they’re expert sailors and fighters, and we need every man we can get. If the Barbarians return, given the arrangement of the landmass before it leads to the archipelago in the east, our armada could be easily cornered. Having the Northern Isles and the Brigandine Faction coming from the north, we can attack the Barbarians from both sides. Add in the Empire Colonies, and it’ll be three sides.”
Hawk considered that for a moment before he gave a nod in agreement. “That’s a good move. I just worry how receptive they’ll both be to our plea.”
“We’re allies,” I said. “And if we lose this battle, they’ll be next on the list.”
“Alliances change with kings,” he said. “When they know Dad is incapacitated and will remain so until we find a cure, they may take advantage of our vulnerability.”
My eyes narrowed. “You really believe that?”
“I know Dad used to be a pirate, but all the men he sailed with are either dead or too old to sail anymore. So whatever loyalty was there has passed on. And Father always told me to be wary of King Ithaca and his two sons.”
“But Dad says that about everyone.”
“And he’s usually right.” This was the first time my brother and I had had to work together like this, in a high-stakes situation with real consequences. My father had trained us separately, and Hawk had made a career in the military, so his time was spent away from the castle. Now I got to see my brother’s capabilities firsthand, the way he questioned everything just like my father. “Never give anyone a chance to stab you in the back. Never give your allies a chance to be your enemy. That’s what Dad hasalways said. That peace can only be maintained by the power of an uncorrupt man.”
My mind was already heavy with so much to address, and now something as simple as petitioning our allies had suddenly become dangerous. “Would anyone be stupid enough to provoke a kingdom protected by dragons?”
“It’s been done before,” he said simply. “Why can’t it be done again?”
My heart suddenly gasped for air.
“History always repeats itself.”
4
LILY
It was a two-day journey to the Empire Colonies. Most of the terrain we crossed was our own, the wildlands that the dragons inhabited to live their lives in peace. Even though they were all grateful my father had rescued them from their mental prisons, a portion of them detested human interaction. They chose to live on their own terms away from the castle—and we accepted that was their right.
Hawk and I landed in a clearing at sunset next to a mighty oak tree. The second I looked at it, I thought of the man in my bed…and my heart. We worked together wordlessly as if we’d set up camp before, my brother retrieving firewood while I prepared the stones to build the campfire.
After twenty minutes, we had a fire going, the dragons were hunting in the night, and the two of us were eating the food from our packs. It wasn’t like the indulgent meals we had at the castle, just dried meat with fresh fruit and bread. I was still used to this sort of thing from my six-month journey sailing the seas, but I wasn’t sure if Hawk was.
Though he ate without complaint, leaning against a heavy log that he’d dragged over, his ankles crossed as he stared at the fire. He tugged a piece off his bread with his teeth before he ate it, having no table manners at all out here in the wild.
I’d seen worse, so I didn’t mind.
I stared at the fire as I listened to the flames dance and pop. But then I felt a change in the air, a distinct power that I felt every time my father stepped into the room. A warm chill ran through my body before my eyes shifted to the right.
Wrath had appeared in stealthy silence, standing to the side of the campfire in his uniform and armor, his head tilted back as he looked up at the clear sky. Even more stars were visible out here, away from the lights of the village and castle. He stared at them for several minutes before he turned back to me.
I gazed at him like my brother wasn’t there. But I couldn’t say a word, only look upon such a beautiful man.
Then he approached the campfire, squatted down with his enormous sword sticking out past his shoulders, the hilt the size of my head. Flames danced in his eyes as he remained deep in contemplation. Then he shifted his eyes to me, where they locked in place.
“You think Dad will be okay?” Hawk asked suddenly, interrupting a conversation that wasn’t actually taking place.
It took strength to yank my stare from Wrath and look at my brother. “I know none of us will stop until we heal him, so yes.”
“I don’t know what heals a wound like that.”
“Nor do I. But I assure you, we’ll figure it out.”
