‘Now that Deathfang has bestowed his blessing upon Ashfall,’ she said, ‘we are one step closer to leaving. Before our departure, I wish to inform you of a few things regarding Dragon Eyre. More than twenty years have passed since my realm was conquered, and I have no doubt that many things will have changed, but some constants remain. Firstly, the vast majority of my world is covered in oceans; there are no landmasses anywhere near as large as Khatanax. The humans travel between islands by ship, while we fly. Some archipelagos are hundreds of miles apart, and it is easy to get lost. For this reason, you must not fly off alone, not until you know where the main island chains lie. We will be going to my realm first, which consists of over a dozen inhabited islands. Restrict yourself to that region, and resist the temptation to explore. The stars will be unfamiliar to you, and you may not be able to find your way back.
‘Secondly, you will address me as “your Majesty” from the moment we arrive in Dragon Eyre. I am a rightful queen and monarch, a legitimate sovereign, and no decree from the occupying forces can overturn that fact. The strategy of the invading gods was simple – they conquered the largest archipelago, then spread out, taking island chain after island chain. They devastated every island except for the ones they took in the first wave; those, they have fortified and protected.’
Sable raised a hand.
‘Yes?’ said Blackrose.
‘Why did they invade? What do they want from your world?’
‘They hate dragons,’ Blackrose said. ‘They wish to exterminate us.’
Sable frowned. ‘That doesn’t make sense. The invasion must have cost Implacatus dearly and, from what I’ve heard, they’re still having to pay Banner forces to police their new territories. There must be more to it than just an attempt to wipe out dragons. Lostwell traded in salve; that’s why they’re here, and they’re searching for Maddie’s world for the same reason. What has Dragon Eyre got? Resources? Gold?’
‘My world is comparatively poor in resources,’ said Blackrose. ‘Some islands have oil that bubbles up from the ground, but there is a dearth of metals. The Ascendants are not interested in plundering Dragon Eyre for its mineral riches.’
Sable snapped her fingers. ‘A lack of metals? That gives me an idea.’
‘I’m sure it can wait,’ said Blackrose. ‘Now is not the time for a debate on the motives of the gods. What we need to do is prepare. I cannot give you a plan, since none of us knows what awaits us, but you must follow my orders without question once we arrive. All that remains is to collect the gold.’ Her eyes went back to Sable. ‘Where is it?’
‘Hidden,’ she said. ‘Give me the Quadrant and I’ll fetch it.’
‘Out of the question, witch. I have not come this far only to hand you the means to destroy my hopes.’
‘Then how am I supposed to get it?’
‘Tell us where it is, and we shall all go.’
‘I… don’t think so. If we’re all going to go, then I shall go on Sanguino, and everyone else can follow us. It’s about three or four hours away, I think.’
‘Can I guess where it is?’ said Maddie.
‘You could try,’ said Sable, ‘but I won’t confirm or deny any suggestion. Do you all remember the warning that Belinda gave Maddie? The Ascendants might well know we’re here, although it’s just as likely that Belinda was either panicking or lying. It’s better to be safe, though. I’m not going to tell anyone whose minds could be read by Arete or Leksandr; or even by Belinda, for that matter. Sorry to be difficult, but there it is.’
Blackrose glared at her. ‘Your reasoning is sound. Let’s leave tomorrow at dawn. We shall load our supplies, say our farewells, and follow Sanguino and Sable to the gold, and from there – Dragon Eyre. Does anyone other than Sable have a question?’
Millen raised his hand.
‘Yes?’ said Blackrose.
‘This is a little embarrassing,’ he said.
‘Go on.’
Millen glanced at the dragons. ‘Maddie has Blackrose and Sable has Sanguino. I, um, well… As you know, I made a third harness, more in hope than expectation, but it’s ready. It’s just that, well, which dragon will I be going on?’
Sable glanced at Blackrose. ‘You must have thought of this, yes?’
‘It has crossed my mind,’ said the black dragon. ‘The bond between a dragon and a rider has to develop over time. On Dragon Eyre, the riders were selected in their youth, and trained for years before taking on their roles. With Maddie and Sable, things were different; their bonds developed from mutual trust and affection. One simply cannot thrust a human onto a dragon and hope a bond occurs naturally. This is something we dragons need to discuss in private. Humans, please leave us.’
Sable, Maddie and Millen left the chamber.
Maddie nudged Millen as they sat by the cold hearth. ‘You alright?’
He nodded, his eyes on the ground. ‘Fine.’
‘If you could choose,’ said Maddie, ‘which one would you pick? Ashfall is gorgeous, and strong. Broadwing looks the part as well, though, and you get on with him. Deepblue? Now, maybe she…’
‘Stop it,’ snapped Millen. ‘Right now, Blackrose is presumably trying to persuade one of them to carry me. None of them want to – if they did, they would have made it clear, wouldn’t they? I don’t know. This is humiliating. I’d be happy to take whoever wants me.’
‘You’ll make it work,’ said Sable. ‘Whichever one volunteers, that’s your chance; seize it and don’t look back. We couldn’t have done this without you. You made three harnesses – who else could have done that? Whichever dragon you get will be lucky to have you.’
Millen glanced at her. ‘Thanks.’
Maddie scowled. ‘Now I feel like a right bitch. Sorry. I do like all three of them, that’s what
