SpringFire (14 page)

“No! I will not allow … ” Rennirt’s words were cut off.

When we reached the front door, the man set me on my feet. The two of them took my hands and we dashed out and down the stairs.

There on the wide lawn before the door, stood a huge red dragon. For a moment, I thought it was Xyla, until I realized that this one was even bigger than she.

“It is good to see you at last,” said a deep, musical voice inside my head. “I am Kelben.

“I’m honored,” I replied, almost automatically because there were too many things happening too quickly, and I felt overwhelmed. I now saw that there were two more red dragons standing on the lawn, and several more circling overhead. Red-robed figures moved toward me, and, best of all, Breyard rode astride Kelben.

I am surrounded by a kaleidoscope of wood. It encircles me all around, above and below even. Power envelopes me, holding me tight.

I have always loved wood, but the trees from which these branches grew are bitter. I try to escape, but there is no way out. Every direction I turn, I find a maze that dazzles my senses.

I thirst. I burn. I cry out for water, for even just a moment’s release.

And Anazian laughs.

Breyard grinned and waved at me, and I ran to Kelben; indeed, I doubt any magic would’ve been strong enough to stop me.

“Mount up, little one,” Kelben said. “I shall soon fly you far away.”

I scrambled up, needing a hand from Breyard, and was soon seated far above the ground, my brother behind me holding me in a tight hug. I leaned back against him and felt a little of my tension slip away.

“How can this be?” I asked. “Who are these people? And how can you possibly be here?”

Breyard shook his head. “Too much to tell now. I’ll fill you in later, once we’re all safe.”

There was a muffled sound of a distant explosion. I looked back and saw for the first time the place in which I’d been imprisoned.

A castle stood basking in the Spring sunshine, its yellow stones almost gleaming. It might have been pretty to someone like me who wasn’t accustomed to such things, had it not exuded such an air of threat. The evil was palpable, though perhaps it was only my imagination.

I had only moments to take this all in before everything seemed to happen at once. The man who’d stayed behind sped out the front door, his red robe flowing behind him. He ran straight to Kelben, making a leap that must be propelled by magic and landing softly in front of me. The other two mounted the dragons standing nearby as figures began to pour out the front entrance of the castle.

With a rush of wings and wind that blew my hair away from my face, all three dragons were airborne. Looking down, I saw that the buildings were laid out in a labyrinth design that quickly grew indistinct as we flew away.

It was cold aloft, and I wished I had heavier clothes. I shivered, and Breyard held me tighter.

“She’s freezing!” he shouted.

The man in front of me looked back, a frown of concern furrowing his brow. He nodded once, and a moment later the dragon swept around into a new direction.

Below us, the forest began to thin and break up. Ahead, the land flattened out and took on a yellowish color.

Kelben’s voice spoke in my head. “We will go to Delaron. Your young friend Traz is there.”

“Traz! I don’t understand. How can he be in Delaron?” That didn’t make any sense. I began to think I really must be dreaming after all. I shivered again, and Breyard rubbed his hands on my thighs in a vain effort to warm my legs.

“I will let Traz tell you his story,” said the dragon.

The flat, yellow land below us sped by. Here and there were patches of dark green or brown. The air had grown dry, making me thirsty again.

Before long, a cluster of buildings alongside a good-sized lake appeared ahead of us. Breyard pointed and said, “That’s Delaron.”

“How can Traz be there?” I asked, but the dryness in my throat made it come out as little more than a whisper, and the wind stole the words away.

My head felt muddled, as if it were stuffed full of cotton. Traz in Delaron? Breyard here? I couldn’t make sense of it, no matter how hard I tried.

Then we were heading downward toward the sprawling city built next to the lake. Breyard’s arms tightened around me as I leaned back against the angle of descent.

Before we landed, I caught a close-up glimpse of the deep blue water surrounded by strange trees that looked like little more than trunks with a bit of fluffy foliage on top.

Then we were on the ground, and the man leapt off the huge dragon’s back and landed lightly on the ground. Breyard helped me dismount in the more conventional way. The soft, silky sand cushioned my landing but burned the soles of my feet. I let out a yelp of pain. Breyard thudded down next to me and lifted me into his arms.

Someone shouted my name, and I thought I recognized Traz’s voice. I swiveled my head around to see, but as if that movement took up my final reserves, my equilibrium failed. For a brief moment, everything swirled around me, and then I passed out.

My eyes fluttered open. At first, I feared I was back in my cell, but there was too much light. Then I thought I must be in Rennirt’s sitting room, until my brother’s face floated into view, his hazel eyes dark with concern.

“Breyard?” I asked in a whisper. “Is it really you? It wasn’t a dream?”

He smiled in relief. I heard a sound of dripping water, and next thing I knew he was placing a cool, damp cloth on my forehead. “No, it wasn’t a dream at all. How are you feeling?”

“A little woozy and confused. And hot.”

“Typical. She complains of being hot in the coolest place around.” Traz’s voice from nearby startled me into trying to sit up, but dizziness forced me to lie back again.

“Careful,” Breyard said. “Halla said you need to take it easy ’til your system gets over the shock. Lie still while I get you something to drink.”

I started to reach for his hand, not wanting him to leave my side—not yet, anyway—but he was too fast and I was too sluggish. Then Traz was there, giving me one of his grins. I lifted my hand to touch his face.

“It’s really you,” I said, smiling when he blushed. “But how?”

He looked around, then leaned down close to me. “I’ll tell you the whole story later, when you’re feeling better, but the gist of it is this. Shandry had gone outside the hut to check on Dyster. She heard those people coming, so she hid from them. That evil guy, that was Rennirt, you know.”

I nodded. “Believe me, I know.”

“Well, Shandry rescued me in the morning after they took you away, and we made double-time here. As soon as Botellin heard what happened to you, he and a few others blasted out of here like lightning. Shandry took some others to Xyla. And—”

But he cut himself off and sat straight up, a look of innocence on his face that would’ve made anyone who knew him well suspicious. A moment later, Breyard came to the other side of my bed with a mug. He slid an arm under my shoulders and lifted me gently, just enough so I could drink the clear, cold water.

“Sip it slowly,” he said. “Halla said that gulping it down will give you a stomachache.”

I thought a stomachache would be a small cost to relieve my thirst, but Breyard let me have only tiny drinks. I resolved to get him back one day.

A tiny woman with short, curly hair and green eyes walked up and put a wrinkled hand on Breyard’s shoulder.

“I’ll take over now, lad. If you don’t mind.”

He stepped back, letting her take his place near my shoulder, then hovered next to her as if not wanting to let me out of his sight. For a change, I didn’t resent his protectiveness; indeed, I actually appreciated it. Not that I’d ever admit it to him, though.

“I’m Halla, my dear,” the old woman said, picking up my hand as gently as if I were made of fine crystal and taking my pulse. “These two have told me your name is Donavah.” Her voice was soothing and her eyes jolly, but her words carried the weight of a master. She must be the healer.

“Yes, ma’am,” I said, licking my lips as my voice came out as a croak.

“You may have more to drink in a few minutes.” She set my hand down, patted it, and felt first my right cheek and then my left, frowning but saying nothing about the mark there. “You have had a bit of a shock, and I want you to stay here a few more days to regain your strength. I trust you will have two attentive caregivers.” She smiled at Traz and Breyard. “You may talk here quietly until she sleeps again.”

Breyard and Traz nodded in agreement, and Halla left, saying something about a light but nutritious meal.

Breyard helped me to drink some more water, and this time when he lifted me, I didn’t get dizzy, so I asked him to help me sit up properly.

That felt much better. The cloth Breyard had put on my forehead only a few minutes before slipped to my lap, and when I picked it up, I found it was practically dry.

Traz took it and set it next to a large bowl on the bedside table. Breyard sat on a chair, just looking at me without saying a word. For a moment, I stared back. Finally, I couldn’t stand it any longer.

“What are you doing here?”

“Well, that’s an interesting story,” he said, then didn’t say any more. His eyes took on an unfocused look.

“Maybe you could tell me sometime today? Before I burst from wondering about it?”

He focused back on me. “Oh, sorry. Got distracted for a moment there.”

I looked at the wall behind me, but that’s all it was, a plain wall without even any pictures on it. The windows were on the other side of the room, though from where I was, the only thing I could see out of them was the bright blue sky.

Breyard continued. “You know about the fight in the dragon pit. Traz told me all about the part you and he played in it.” I nodded. “Well, all I knew at the time was that a dragon was going to kill me. Just before they shoved me out there, they shaved my head, stripped off my clothes, and doused me with some foul-smelling liquid they called ‘dragon bait.’

“I’d been in the dark so long that when I entered the pit, the sun blinded me. But I could hear the noise of the crowd rising up all around me. And then, when my sight cleared, all I could see was this huge red dragon.”

He stopped speaking, and his eyes tightened as if the memory of that day still brought him pain.

“Xyla,” I said softly, trying to bring his attention back to his story.

“Yes, Xyla. When she grabbed me up in her mouth, I figured it was all over, but she didn’t hurt me at all. Everything went sparkly, and hot and cold, and my ears were filled with strange noises like musical explosions. But that sounds stupid. Maybe it was all a dream. I can’t remember it very clearly. Xyla landed, had me mount her properly—”

Traz’s giggle interrupted Breyard. “Bet that was comfy, you being naked and all.”

“Traz!” I exclaimed as Breyard blushed.

“Well, it’s true,” Traz said, not even trying to hide his mirth.

“But you don’t have to say it.”

“It’s all right,” Breyard said. “He’s right, anyway. That whole journey was something I’d rather forget, but it was better than the alternative. And Xyla brought me here, to Delaron.”

A million questions rushed into my head, leaving me unable to articulate any of them. Why hadn’t Xyla simply returned right away with Breyard? Why wait here so long? Now I remembered him saying that he’d stayed here more than a year. Why? Then another clear thought rang through all the questions.

“There are two of Xyla here!” I exclaimed.

Breyard shook his head. “No, three.”

He was right, of course. She’d come here to Stychs as a baby to grow. Then she’d brought Breyard. And now Traz, Grey, and me. The idea of it took my breath away and made my head hurt.