The Dragon Games

Negotations

Night fell over the manor, painting the grounds in bluish tones, the stars glittering against the dark. As Leon and I walked side by side to the road, my hands stayed in my pocket, and his never left the hilt of his sword. 

At the back of my mind, I wondered if he had spoken to his son yet and discovered my lies, but the thought was fleeting and gone in moments. All I could think was Sammy. Really, I couldn't think at all, could barely hear Leon over the pounding of my heart.

"Did you find him?" I said, the questions tumbling from my mouth at a mile a minute. "Is he hurt? Was he attacked? Has he–"

"Answer my questions first," Leon cut in. "A rescue mission was sent to the wood and discovered that every pledge had the same cause of death – the wyvern – except for the pledge last seen with you. Tobias Smalls."

"Rick attacked Tobias, not me. I didn't lay a hand on the girl."

"Rick, as in Tobias' closest ally? The other Windsors said they were like brothers."

"They weren't loyal to each other. They were loyal to power and had no problem discarding their 'bother' when he got in their way."

"So where is Rick? We must bring him forth to verify your claim."

I did not reply. If Leon knew what happened to Tobias, then he knew what happened to Rick.

Leon's mouth curled. "So I take it you didn't kill Rick, either. Interesting that everyone that could verify your claims is either dead or too injured to speak... You have a way with the truth, don't you, Miss Black?"

A warm flush crept up my face. "So you spoke to your son?"

"I spoke to my son," Leon confirmed. "He came to me, pleading for leniency on your sentencing, telling wild stories of how Samuel Crenshaw killed your friends and cut off your finger. Which was strange, considering every raider I spoke to had a much different account."

Everything I told Elio was more or less true, with a few swapped names and missing details. That night on the beach, Drax had given me two options. 

One, feed Rauuk. That was difficult, considering that I had no meat or livestock on hand, and Drax had confiscated all my weapons. 

Or two, renounce Sammy as captain. I chose the less painful option. The disgust plain on his face, Leon eyed my teeth – the teeth I had used to carry out Drax's orders.

"Samuel Crenshaw didn't kill Georgie," I said.

Leon's stare shot up to meet mine. I didn't want either of them as my enemy – Leon or Elio – but we were all too far gone at this point.

"I told many lies, but that wasn't one of them. Don't let your prejudice to Sammy keep you from finding Georgie's real killer."

Leon stepped closer, his face darkening. "Get my son's name out of your mouth."

While his volume stayed level, almost quiet, there was a sharp edge to it, as if he was one misstep away from striking. But the slow terror wrapping around my throat, choking me, had nothing to do with Leon. 

Over his shoulder, a flash of movement caught my eye. A shadow flickered between the trees, facing me. With the far distance and poor lighting, I could barely tell whether that shadow was a man, animal, or just some trick of the light, but my thoughts instantly turned to one person:

One more time. Disappoint me one more time, and I will kill you. I don't care how far you run. I don't care how long it takes. I will hunt you to the ends of the earth if it is the last thing I do.

Just as the shadow stepped forward, a carriage arrived. The next time I looked back into the thick of the trees, I saw nothing but starlight and smoke.

"Get in," Leon said. "You'll find the answers to your questions soon."

The interior was so dark, I had to feel my way to a seat. I sank into the cushion and closed my eyes, trying to catch my breath. Drax was coming for me. Even if that shadow had not been him, I'd be a fool to lower my guard. Drax may be many things, but liar, he is not.

"One should never relax in Court," a voice murmured from the darkness. "You never know what lurks about the corner."

I shot up right, my heart hammering against my chest. A man sat across from me. As my eyes adjusted to the dark, I could make out the man's thin face, and shoulder length, pale blond hair. I had never seen him before, but I knew his name instantly. 

Duke Balthasar was the spitting image of his son, albeit several decades older.

"Duke Balthasar," I said in a calm, level voice. If my time with Drax taught me anything, it was how to hide my fear. "A pleasure."

"Likewise," he said, in a tone that implied anything but.

"I heard you had news of Samuel Crenshaw."

His eyes flixed on me, the pale blue glowing faintly in the dark. "You've had quite the mixed bag of fortunes, haven't you?"

My jaw tightened. I was sick of the questions answered with questions. If he actually knew something about Sammy; I wanted to know it. Now.

"From orphan to raider to rider, from bottom of your squad to bonding with the best dragon in the arena. It's a heavy burden to bear... is it a burden you wish to bear?"

I could hear the question behind the question: what gives the lowly Burrow girl the right to strike above her due? I didn't care. "Crenshaw," I said.

"Your pardon?"

"Tell me what you know of Crenshaw, or I walk. If you know anything at all, that is, and this was not just a ploy to get me here."

"You have no need for the parlay any more," Duke Balthasar said, dodging my request once again. "Any House would happily pardon your crimes for the wyvern. On top of your freedom, they will offer you wealth, land, and status beyond your wildest imagination. But that's not my offer. You will not get a square inch of land from me, nor a single copper, nor a lick of honor. I am picking between the lesser of two evils – letting a black heart roam the streets instead of allowing a wyvern into unworthy hands."

I felt around the dark until I clasped the door handle. I was just about to pull it when Duke Balthasar spoke again.

"I am not referring to you. I am referring to Samuel Crenshaw."

My hand paused on the handle, but I did not let it go. I regarded the duke cooly, ready for any tricks.

Duke Balthasar leaned back against his seat, the picture of ease, as if he knew he had me in the palm of his hand. "Should you give my House your wyvern, I will give you and Crenshaw full pardons for your crimes."

Heat poured into my face. "Is that it? So you do not know where his, nor do you have any updates to his whereabouts."

"You act like me offering Crenshaw a pardon is some small thing."

"I doubt it's anything the other three Houses wouldn't offer me."

"You only have one wyvern, Miss Black. You can only strike a deal with one House. The other three are free to exact whatever justice they deem necessary for your crimes, should you or anyone you loved wander into their province."

His stare burned into me, and suddenly I understood. Duke Balthasar's offer was a double edged sword, half reward, half threat. He'd leave Sammy and I alone if we gave him the wyvern but should we deny him, he would not rest until we were dead. 

Perhaps his wroth could have been manageable if Sammy and I could run to the other end of the kingdom. But Sammy had disappeared from the Burrow, land that fell under Balthasar's jurisdiction. Odds are, Sammy was still there now.

The carriage slowed, and I was storming out door before it had even came to a stop. We were at the palace, but I could barely see its splendor in the dark, nor did I feel in the mood to appreciate it. 

A knight stepped in front of my path. "Miss Black, the king awaits–"

I sidestepped him, heading for the gardens. I needed to clear my head. I needed a chance to think.

"That didn't go well," the knight murmured to Duke Balthasar.

"Didn't it?" Duke Balthasar said. I walked faster, not caring to hear their conversion, but the wind carried their words to me. "Say what you will about the raiders. They may be liars, naves, thugs, and scoundrels, but their loyalty to their master remains unparalleled."