“What do you have in mind? If we can’t get past the dragon, how will we stop the bloodthorn?”
Thin trails of steam rose from his nostrils as he pondered the question. “Silvestra has not been in her right mind for many years. She lost something long ago, and the last time I spoke with her, she tried to kill me. Still, perhaps she has forgotten her grief and will be more easily dealt with.
“But first, we must make haste to the mountain. We will not be able to accomplish anything until we have arrived. I will gather the dragons. The elves also have a vested interest in restoring the fairies, for their two races have lived in harmony for many years, and they have been in contact with the fairies and looking for a way to help. I shall return within the hour. Gather the others near the light-rails, and we will begin our journey.”
Without another word, he flapped his wings twice, then leapt into the air. I watched as he flew away, my heart heavy.
A dragon guarding something was never a good thing. There was a reason why dragons made the best guards in all of Faythander—because they were impossible to evade. If this dragon had the task of guarding the cave, she would defend it to the death if need be. I had no idea how Fan’twar expected to get past her.
I headed back to the keep and quickly rallied the others, although there wasn’t much to do. Heidel and Brodnik had already prepared armor, axes, swords, and bags of provisions. The fairy prince and princess had little to pack, and they stood waiting to leave. The princess especially seemed relieved at the opportunity to get away from the castle. I rushed upstairs and grabbed my own things, including my knife, and made my way back to the main floor.
Rolf appeared, dark circles under his eyes, his hair mussed, and wished us a brief good luck before retreating to the throne room.
“Rolf is still acting as king, I see,” Heidel said as we walked toward the main doors.
“Aye,” Brodnik answered. “And what a bloody mess it is. I cannot fathom what Kull was thinking in naming the boy as king.”
I walked with the two warriors to the castle steps, and as we exited the castle, we walked away from the gates and down a winding forest path that would lead us to the light-rails.
Up ahead, Kull walked toward us, wearing his usual somber attire of black shirt and pants. He wore Bloodbane in a scabbard on his back, and his leather-studded vest, also black, only seemed to mirror the dark look on his face.
The man I’d shared my time with yesterday was gone.
He walked with heavy footsteps, and as he approached, he didn’t make eye contact with me. Instead, he stopped near his sister.
“Is Rolf in the castle?” he asked.
She nodded, so he brushed past us without another word and disappeared inside. We waited for several minutes. When he finally returned, he stopped in front of us, his face resolute.
“It’s done,” he said. “Rolf will continue to act as king regent, but when we return, I will take back the mantle and return to my full duties as king.”
Heidel and Brodnik both breathed a sigh of relief.
“Smart man,” Brodnik said. “The poor lad was beside himself with worry, offending one race after the other. He hasn’t a clue how to rule a kingdom. You’re right to take it back, and I am certain your father would agree.”
“My father is not here,” Kull said. As he turned away, Brodnik rested his hand on Kull’s shoulder, stopping him.
“He is here still, for it was only his body that we laid to rest. His spirit lives on with you. He sees you even now, and I am sure he does not doubt your abilities as you doubt yourself.”
Kull stood without speaking, but then turned away. “I thank you for your kind words, but I ask that you not speak of my father again, Brodnik.”
He walked down the path without another word. We followed in silence.
The path broadened as we exited the forest, and ahead in the distance, the light-rails came into view. The bright ribbon of energy rose and fell with the lay of the land, cutting over mountains, descending, rising, a mechanical marvel that connected the entire continent.
We descended a grassy slope and stopped when we reached the tracks. Once a carriage was alerted to our presence, it would speed toward us and wait for us to board.
“My stepfather is coming,” I said, “and he’s bringing help—the elves and a few other dragons should arrive soon.”
“Elves?” Prince Terminus asked.
“Yes.”
“This is happy news indeed,” the fairy princess said. “With the help of the dragons and elves, perhaps we will once and for all be able to stop the monster who stole our stone.”
“It won’t be quite as easy as we might hope,” I said. “The mountain is guarded by a dragon.”
I filled in the others with what Fan’twar had told me, careful not to give them false hope. If we dealt with a dragon on the mountain, they knew as well as I how bleak our situation had become.
I hated seeing the look in the princess’s eyes once I told her of the dragon. She’d had reason to hope, and now I’d crushed it. But it was better for her to be prepared now than to have to face reality once we arrived at the mountain.
“There is a pass connecting the foothills to Dragon Spine Mountain,” Brodnik said as he pulled a map from his pack and inspected it. “I’ll bet that’s where the dragon’s domain begins.”
Overhead, a whooshing of wings filled the
