Hans ushered him inside. The entrance tunnel swallowed him and the door thudded shut. Hans showed him into the family’s living area.
Marlies looked up. “Morning, Roberto, how are you feeling?”
“Fine, um, thanks.” How did you thank someone for saving you from murdering their daughter? He was mired in dragon dung.
“Hey, Roberto, good to see you on your feet.” Tomaaz gave him a bear hug.
Roberto hadn’t expected that. He hugged him back. “Thanks for getting Erob home.”
Tomaaz shook his head, green eyes blazing—so similar to his twin sister. “I’m sorry I couldn’t get you out.”
Roberto shrugged, then cleared his throat.
Tomaaz winked. “Come on, Taliesin, let’s go and look at Lovina’s latest painting.”
“Sure,” the slave boy grinned, trailing Tomaaz out the door.
“So, he’s talking now?”
Hans chuckled. “And so are you. Please sit down, Roberto.” He gestured to a sofa.
Roberto sat. He may as well get straight to it. “I, ah, would like permission to, um, be hand-fasted to your daughter, Ezaara.”
“I assume you’ve asked her if she’s keen?” Hans asked, emerald eyes gauging him.
He nodded.
Marlies leaned forward. “Roberto, I gave Ezaara my blessing to go to Death Valley and find you.”
He sucked in his breath. “You did? Why?”
She counted her reasons off on her fingers. “Firstly, I wanted to prevent your needless death. Secondly, she loves you, so why would I hold her back? Thirdly, Tonio had made it clear the council weren’t going to rescue you because he had a vendetta against Amato. That wasn’t fair. No one should pay with their life for their parents’ mistakes.”
It always came back to his father. Every foul rotten thing came down to his father. No. His father had been turned by Zens, maybe even with one of those yellow crystals.
Zens was the one to blame for every disaster in his life.
“Son,” said Hans, grasping his hand across the low table. “As long as the council is happy with you being hand-fasted to the Queen’s Rider, we welcome you and Adelina to our family.”
A family? Roberto swallowed. It had been so long.
§
That afternoon, Tonio cornered Ezaara in the tunnels. “My Queen’s Rider, Marlies told me about the crystal. I suspected Roberto may have been turned.”
Anger burned in Ezaara’s belly. “We’ve extracted the crystal, and he’s in perfect control of himself.” She glared at Tonio. “Don’t ever accuse him of being a traitor again. Having his gut slit in the Robandi desert and being held in Death Valley was punishment enough for his father’s crimes.”
“Roberto doesn’t need to be punished for his father’s crimes. Zens is to blame. I see that now.” Tonio shook his head. “I’ve been talking to Master Giddi, your parents and Kierion. We must work with mages to wipe Zens and his armies out.”
Gods, where had that come from?
Tonio grasped her hand, shaking it. “And I’ve heard the news, Ezaara. Congratulations. I’m glad for you both.”
Ezaara stood open-mouthed as he walked away.
Dire News
Not all of the masters were gathered at this private meeting, only those who knew what was going on: Ezaara, Lars, Tonio, Marlies and Hans. And, of course, Roberto had to be present—there was no one to accuse without him. Erob, Zaarusha and Antonika were sitting near the back wall—the only dragons allowed.
Roberto stretched his legs under the table, circling his ankles. “Ah, Erob, it’s good to move without a shackle dragging on my leg.”
“Next time chose a lighter piece of jewelry, perhaps an earring?” Erob teased.
Lars rapped his gavel. “Today we have a few issues to address: Sofia’s punishment; Master Roberto loving Ezaara, his trainee, before she was qualified; the nature of these yellow crystals; and Zens’ new creatures. First, we will deal with Sofia, then Roberto.”
A blue guard opened the door and led Sofia in. Roberto was shocked at her appearance. She’d lost weight and her eyes had the look of a creature being hunted. Is that what those crystals did to people? His gut roiled. Shards, he’d been lucky.
Sofia slumped into a chair, staring at the floor.
Lars read out the charges against her. “Inciting rebellion against the rightful Queen’s Rider. Attacking the Queen’s Rider. Abusing girls at Dragons’ Hold. Subverting public opinion. Sedition against Dragons’ Realm.”
Sofia looked up, shame smeared across her face.
She’d spurned the Queen’s Rider and made Ezaara’s life difficult. She needed to be cast out from Dragons’ Hold.
“These crimes were, in large, against me,” Ezaara said. “May I conduct the proceedings?” She got up, her boots creating soft echoes as she moved around the granite table to face Sofia.
“What are you doing?” Roberto mind-melded.
“Trust me.”
“Sofia.” Ezaara waited until Sofia met her gaze before she continued. “I forgive you. You were under Zens’ influence. I’m guessing you’d do anything to right this wrong.”
Sofia nodded. “I feel awful. Horrible black shadows kept whispering at me, goading me to be mean and making me violent. Now they’re gone, I feel so rotten about what I’ve done.”
Anger burned, slow and deep in Roberto’s belly. “How could you forgive her? They said she tried to kill you.”
“Roberto.” Only one word, full of love and kindness.
Roberto’s chest grew tight. He’d done the same. With that knife at her throat.
Lars’ voice was low. “Ezaara, this is not in your hands.”
“I know, it’s Zaarusha’s decision.”
She’d put Lars right in his place. It was Ezaara and Zaarusha who led the council now.
The queen nudged Lars with her snout. His expression softened as he listened to her, a hand on her head. “Sofia, Zaarusha is giving you a chance.”
Sofia’s eyes grew round. “Anything. I’ll do it. Please.”
“She’s ordering you to muck out dragonet dens for a month.”
Roberto melded with Ezaara. “Did you put Zaarusha up to that?”
Ezaara clasped Sofia’s hand. “I
