Jahr’ad’s eyes lit up. “What’s the wager?”
“If we win, you tell us the meaning of the stone’s symbol.”
“And if you lose?”
“If we lose, then you keep the stone.”
Jahr’ad frowned. “Not good enough. If you lose, then we keep the stone, plus, the merchant stays with us. Forever.”
Kull clenched his fists. “I will never agree to that.”
“Then I will never tell you what’s written on that stone. Besides, you have no say. Did I fail to warn you? When you’re here, you play by my rules.”
“Your Majesty,” Maveryck said, “perhaps you should first evaluate what challenge is being considered?”
“I don’t care,” Kull answered. “Whatever it is, I do not accept the terms.”
“No?” Jahr’ad said. “Would you rather be tied up again? Would you accept those terms?” He laughed. “You should at least hear us out before refusing the wager. With your reputation, I am surprised you are not at least a little interested. We’ve all heard the rumors about you, of course. Remind me again what you’re rumored to have accomplished? Wrestling a jagamoor while tied up? Perhaps we ought to tie you up again and see what happens when you challenge one of my dragons.”
“Dragons?” I asked.
“Yes, love. My dragons against one of you. That’s how this game works. Would you like to volunteer?”
Laughter echoed through the room.
“She won’t be involved in this,” Kull said.
“No? That’s a shame. What’s it about that woman anyway that makes you want to protect her? Is she a lover of yours? Is she a good lay?”
Kull stood abruptly, making his bench fall with a loud clatter to the ground. “Leave her out of this.”
“Ah, so she does mean something to you. Even better. This just got ever so interesting. There’s nothing more rewarding than taking another man’s woman while he watches. What do you say, Wult? Care to be tied up and watch as I bed your woman?”
Kull lunged across the table and punched Jahr’ad in the face with a loud smack that could have split the man’s skull. Jahr’ad let out a high-pitched screech as he fell back with his hands clamped over his mouth.
Jahr’ad’s men surrounded Kull, while others ran to their leader and helped him sit up. When the commotion settled down, Jahr’ad got to his feet as he held a bloody handkerchief to his mouth.
“Wult bastard.” He spat a mouthful of blood at Kull’s feet. “I should have killed you when you first arrived. Tie him up,” he shouted at his men. “If he fights, throw him to the dragons.”
Overhead, the dragons beat their wings as they waited on their perches. I glanced up to find them chained to posts. The metal loops clanked as the dragons wrestled with their restraints, looking on us with hungry gazes.
Jahr’ad rounded on Maveryck. “You should have known better than to bring this man here. What were you thinking?”
Maveryck threaded his fingers together. His calm aloofness bothered me. “If you do not wish to continue with the bargaining, we will leave.”
Maveryck took the lotus cube and placed it in his pocket. He stood and turned to leave when Jahr’ad stopped him.
“Wait,” Jahr’ad said. “I’m not finished with you yet, thief. Stay and fight if that’s what you wish, but I have few demands.”
Maveryck turned around to face Jahr’ad. “You are in no position to make demands. I am here to negotiate. That is what I do, and that is what I have always done. Do not cross me, Jahr’ad, or my trading with you will come to an end.”
Jahr’ad fisted his hands. “Fine,” he said after a pause. “We’ll do it your way. My dragon against your man. If I win, I take the box and the girl. If you win, I get the box, and you get information.”
“And,” Maveryck added, “we are all free to leave in peace?”
“If your man wins, you shall all leave in peace. If not,” Jahr’ad’s lust-filled gaze flicked to me, “then one of you will not.”
He had the audacity to smile at me. Gag me with a spoon. The idiot had no idea what a huge mistake he was making. Magic gathered in my chest, pulsing with a rapid heat that begged to be released. I restrained it for now, but if the man so much as touched me, he’d get what was coming to him.
“Now,” Jahr’ad said, “it’s time for us to choose which dragon will fight the Wult king. This is the fun part. Have you ever witnessed a dragon fight, merchant?”
“No, I can’t say that I have, considering it’s illegal.”
“Illegal? Says who? The sky king? That beast is no ruler of ours.” He spat. “In my house, we treat the dragons the way they ought to be handled—as animals. Am I right?”
He raised his arms, and cheers erupted. The dragons flapped their wings, making the candlelight sputter.
“Who’s ready for a fight?” he shouted. The cheers grew louder as some of the men moved the tables to the corners of the room.
Above us, the dragons grew increasingly agitated as their shrieks mingled with the cheers. The noise grew to a fever pitch as Zariah walked to the center of the room. Dust clouds billowed around her, and the thousands of candles seemed to focus on her, like a spotlight on a stage, as she raised her arms.
Crimson magic gathered around her, spiraling and twisting. It reeked of blood and violence, repulsing me until I felt I would vomit. The dragons grew frantic, their roars turning to a frenzy.
Zariah’s tattoos glowed as her magic ignited. A rhythmic pulse, like a heartbeat, came from her powers as the magic swirled upward and enveloped the dragons.
“What is she doing?” Heidel asked Jahr’ad.
“She’s goading them so they’ll fight. It took us some time to control the dragons. We learned that if the magic was removed from the creatures, they eventually lost their speech and their flight. Without magic, the dragons are just primitive reptiles.”
“Then how are these dragons able to fly?” Heidel asked.
“Trial and error
