Cursed (3 page)

“Oh for- would ye tell me when ye people want ta meet? I just had me doorway replaced last
 harvest
!”

Markus looked up to the full, ruddy face of the woman he assumed was the innkeeper. “Uh… Sorry. They told me-”

“I dun care what they told ye! If’n they told ye ta jump from Fledgling Peak for a meet, would ye? Ach. Nevermind. Ye prolly would if’n it meant seein’ one o’ them bats up close. Idiot outsiders. Here. Git inside afore ye deface anymore o’ mine property, eh? We already have a fledge doin’ ‘nough o’ that a’ready.”

The innkeeper yanked Markus into the building and sat him down at a table. “I’d rather have the corner…”

“Oh ye would, would ye? Tough luck, love. Ye either deface mine property or git the table ye want. Can’t have it both ways. Sit down an’ tell me what yer wantin’ whilst ye wait. Shouldn’t be too long afore them robes git here.”

Markus frowned. “You mentioned a fledge? You have an adolescent dragon in the flock?”

The innkeeper sighed, looking around her dining area as if wishing there were
anyone
 else to talk to. “Yes. An adolescent dragon. Yes, it’s been burnin’ th’ place ta charcoal. No, it don’t happen very off’n, but it ain’t unheard of in these parts. No, I dunno why they like it here s’much. The Drake
 Cult
’ll hann’le ever’thin’. We ain’t worried a mite.”

“Thank you, Agniss. We’ll take it from here.”

Markus blinked as the innkeeper huffed at the hooded figure behind her and marched away from the conversation. By the way the newcomer had every inch of his body covered, his face obscured by a hood, he knew he spoke to a member of the dragon cult. The robes were more ornate than he recalled, however. Perhaps this one had a higher ranking in thei
r
 
hierarchy
?

Markus held out a hand. “I’m-”

“I know.”

“I’m here to-”

“I know.”

“How-”

“Follow me.”

Markus frowned, but stood and followed the cultist through the inn and out a back door. The sun no longer held any power over the sky and the stars danced in celebration of their liberty. Crickets sang in the tall, dry grass and the smell of dust and horses permeated the cool breeze that wafted through.

“I do not think it good that you are here, King Markus, but I understand why you came. This fledge has done great damage. Her power scares even some of our most experienced Drakes.”

“It killed my wife. We didn’t even have a body to bury.”

The figure paused, the inky blackness within his hood facing Markus. “... I see. So it isn’t only pest control that brings you here.”

“I’m not seeking revenge.”

“But you do have questions. If this were any other case, I’d send you back. But we need you, Markus. She needs you.”

“She? The fl-”

A black mass hurtled through the sky, so close that the updraft sent Markus staggering forward. The cultist watched him, unaffected, and shook his head.

“Any other case.”

They continued into the bare, spidery trees,
toward
 what Markus assumed was the fledgling dragon. Steeling himself, he forced his hand away from his sword and stepped into a clearing of broken trees and flattened shrubbery. The dragon flailed about, roaring and snapping at the forest around
it
, clawing at the earth.

The robed cultist stepped forward, his voice exasperated. “Again. You must let go, my dear. Don’t fight it or it will hurt all the more.”

The dragon turned to
its
 would-be instructor and snarled, folding and unfurling
its
 wings as if in indecision before
its
 entire body shuddered.
Its
 scales seemed to fold into themselves one-by-one and
it
 shrunk, wings gluing against
its
 back, claws softening in shape and color. Chocolate hair replaced horns and crest and the dragon’s muzzle
curved into nose and lips
.

Markus froze as the dragon stood in the clearing, naked as
its
 day of birth, covered in raw, spiralling scars, and ran to
it
 as
it
 knelt in exhaustion.

“Adrienne!”

His hand drew back as he touched a large gash
 on her shoulder,
 a scar not as graceful or flowing as the rest, and he choked.

His wife looked up at him
 and she withdrew, glaring at the cultist
. “Y-you weren’t supposed to show him, Claudius. I wanted to do this on my own terms.”

“It was necessary or I wouldn’t have.” The cultist unveiled himself, a well-kept man with similar scars strewn across his face. “You needed someone to ground you. I failed and you scared off everyone else.”

Adrienne blushed. Markus remembered to breathe at last and sucked in as much air as he could, stroking his wife’s hair to reassure himself. “I-I’m not dreaming, am I?”

She smiled, wrapping her arms around herself and shaking her head as she stood. “No. I-I’m sorry about the castle and… and the guards. How are their families? Did you-?”

Markus cut her off with a kiss, wrapping her in his arms with such force that she squeaked. Claudius stepped away. “I’ll leave you two for
now
. But remember, we still have much to talk about.”

Adrienne tried to respond, but Markus wouldn’t let her. He had to touch every part of her, smell her, taste her. The past week felt like a nightmare and just now was he waking up.

His wife pulled away, catching her breath. “Well… That’s a different response from a week ago. You know you almost got me through the heart? Two more inches and-”

“Don’t.” Markus scowled. “I thought th
at
 dragon had eaten you. How did you expect me to react?”

Adrienne took a shuddering breath and held him closer. “I don’t know. I was still in shock. Claudius said instinct took over. He was amazed I had the presence of mind to fly away instead of killing you and everyone else in th
e palace
.”

They stood there for a moment, Markus trying not to dwell on horrifying possibilities. “So… now what? Eivonne doesn’t want the throne and Havard wants it too much. Do you think we’ll go home or… ?”

She sighed, snuggling into his chest. “Let’s not decide right now. I’m just glad you’re here and… not utterly horrified at what I am.”

Markus grinned. “What you are? You’re my wife first, foremost, and always, Adrienne. The dragon part…
wi
ll take some getting used to, I won’t lie, but it’ll certainly spice things up.”

Adrienne smirked and snorted, dainty puffs of smoke blowing from her nostrils. Markus tried not to wince.

“You have no idea.”

Agniss, the innkeeper, smiled at Adrienne as she set a plate of hot porridge in front of her.

Adrienne smiled back under her hood, grateful for her friend’s kindness in spite of everything she’d put the town through. “I’m sorry, again, about Yustis, Aggie.”

Agniss shrugged. “He was only me backup pig, child. I be used to it, anyhow. Claudius ate me cousin’s entire flock o’ sheep in one night when he first transfig
g’
red. Luckily, er’ry time a new fledge comes, we git a whole heap o’ new visitors and I was able ta s’port him through the win’er.”

Adrienne glanced at Markus while Agniss talked and smiled, trying to hide her expression under her hood as she was still not quite able to meet his eyes without blushing.

Agniss still caught the exchange, however, and humphed in satisfaction. “And he’d better keep satisfyin’ ye, sweetheart. Dragon or no, yer still all woman.”

Adrienne almost choked on her porridge, spilling some on her robe while Markus smirked from the other side of the table. Her husband glanced at Agniss as she walked away to tend her other guests and leaned in. “We have an entire week to ourselves on our way back, too. Eivonne is going to be so relieved to see you, and we can-”

“I can’t.” Adrienne stared at her food, which no
w failed to rouse any kind of appetite
.

Markus scoffed. “I beg to differ, or was I only dreaming last night?”

She felt her ears burn and hoped no one had caught that remark. “I mean, I can’t go home.”

He reached to lift her hood, but she stopped him. He sighed. “You want to stay here?”

“Well… Not exactly.”

“Then don’t. You always have a choice, Adrienne.”

“But my choices affect
everyone
, Markus. It isn’t just me or us I have to worry about, it’s the
entire kingdom
. I transform at random and
when I do it’s… It isn’t me
. If I can’t keep a rein on myself, I can’t keep a reign on the people.”

His expression softened. “Your mother said that. I remember. So… How long is it going to take for you to train yourself? Only transform when you want and all that?” He raised a brow. “I don’t look like a better breakfast than that porridge, do I?”

Adrienne rolled her eyes. “Of course not.”

“You haven’t killed me in either form. I’d say that was a good amount of self-control.”

“But look at everything I
did
 kill, Markus. Agniss’s pig? The guards? Who knows what or who else on my flight here? Claudius certainly wouldn’t tell me.” She swallowed, trying to blink away tears.

Markus moved to sit next to her, bringing her close and laying her head on his chest. “Look, I know you’re scared. To be honest, so am I. I never dreamed anything like this would ever happen, and supposedly I know dragons a lot better than most. Does everyone know about your… you know, or…?”

“Just Agniss. She’s kind of our gatekeeper. Why do you think I’m wearing this thing in this weather?”

“Well that makes me feel better. The point is: I might not know everything, but I know you. I know you really wanted sugar on your porridge, but knew it was scarce here, that Agniss would give it to you rather than charge you for it, and you didn’t want to be a burden so you didn’t ask. I know you want to heal the rift between classes and that you can’t do that sitting here in the outskirts of the kingdom with Eivonne under Havard’s watch.”

Adrienne felt her stomach churn. “Havard’s there?”

“Of course he’s there. He smells opportunity two miles away. What happened that night, anyway?”

“He… Ignited me.”

Her husband’s face darkened. “Please tell me that’s not-”

“No! No. There’s a fire chamber that lays dormant in dragons until-”

“A message for Master Markus Giles!”

Agniss directed the courier to their table and he laid a note before them. Adrienne blinked as he ran off, uncertain she was reading the lettering right.

“It that…?”

“A wedding invitation. Looks like Havard intends to join the family.”

Adrienne felt her skin crawl. “Doesn’t she know…?”

“I doubt it. We weren’t able to get any evidence against his assault, so to her I’m just a grieving husband looking for someone to blame. He must have asked her not too long after I left, judging by the time it takes for news to get this far.”

The still new warmth in her chest burned and Adrienne caught herself growling. Markus took her hand and she took a breath. “It looks like they don’t want you there, either. Look at the date.”

“Tomorrow? He certainly moves fast. I wonder how he convinced her?”

“We have to warn her.”

Markus nodded. “Of course, but how? To ride that fast would kill several horses…”

Adrienne pursed her lips. Her husband’s eyes widened.

“You’re actually considering it? How much of a threat
is
 this man?”

“He’s threatened my family. My people would be miserable under his elitist thumb.
Nothing has ever been this urgent
.”

“You have wings, why not fly there?”

Adrienne snorted. “I can’t just-”

“Why not? No one would ev
er
have to know it was you. Swoop in, bite his smug little face off, and fly away. After you return, everyone will think it was a sign from the gods that you were meant to rule. The Council would have to back off and you could move forward in making the kingdom a better place for everyone.”

She laughed
, though her throat constricted with the dangerous levels of worry that rose within her.

Markus squeezed her s
houlders
. “I’m serious. You could make a whole new Council with both peasant and noble members. What better way to bring the classes together than to let them both have a say in how the kingdom is ruled?”

“I still can’t control myself.”

“Not if you keep telling yourself that. Why don’t you try? Come on. We’re going out to the clearing right now to figure this out.”