Crown of Serpents (Book 1 of the Serpent Bloodline Trilogy)

Chapter 8

By the time the sun breaks the horizon, I'm already out flying on Az's back. I couldn't sleep very well and woke up in the middle of the night. I shouldn't be bothered, but I got this weird crippling feeling that I was being watched. Hunted, even. The cold wind brushes my face and the clouds are clear tonight. Az is going at a slow pace, gliding through the sky. I can see the castle from here, yet it looks much smaller. The world looks much smaller. Goosebumps crawl up my skin and I curse myself for not changing out of my nightgown before flying. I didn't feel like it, and it's rare for people to be flying late at night—most of the time, the dragons are lazy— It's winter here, and I don't understand my irrationality. I sigh, shake my head and softly turn around and lie down, closing my eyes.

"Do you ever wonder," I ask Az, even though I know he can't understand me. "Why the world is so evil?" The thought has clawed through my mind for years. "Wars have happened, cold-blooded murder. Assassinations, kidnappings. What's with it all? Are all of us savages? Or, is the world too kind and we are too evil to see that?"

I wonder, I wonder. It's terrible, in my opinion. Why would anyone want to kill for power? If anyone and everyone were together in harmony, wouldn't it be better? For everyone to get along.

But the Gods don't work that way. They created us elves with powers, mundane and not. We were made for destruction. And it's horrible being born into it. Born into a kingdom where pain is all they know.

And it's horrible to be taught never to feel emotion and not guilt when a life is ended.

And it's horrible, that I will never be able to erase those teachings.

Blowing out a breath, I turn my head to the side and watch the trees and villages fly past us. I wish I had been able to bring Majestica's Adventures around Ivarea with me, it's truly a wonderful story. However, I can also say that there has never been a story where something horrific happened.

Just like this one.

I sit up, about to fly back to the castle so I don't get caught, when I spot a bright light in the forest, flickering along the trees.

I blink, straightening.

What the...

I steer us down towards the light, gliding us downwards, looking for a spot far enough away with a clear spot for landing. My gaze swipes over the forest before I spot a large clearing.

There.

We shoot downwards, and I hold on tightly before he lands, shaking me. I'm happy I put on some decent shoes and brought one of my daggers with me.

Az lowers himself to the ground, and I slide down his leg before I hear the frozen grass crunching beneath my feet. It's freezing, but it was even worse up there.

I can hardly see the light from where I am, but I tell Az to stay as I go to investigate it. I grip my dagger harder as I get closer.

I see people huddling next to a large bonfire, chanting words I can't understand and raising their fists shaking glasses of wine.

It could just be a group of soldiers sent by the king. If I get caught, I'll likely be sent back home and my father will be furious.

I hid behind a tree once I got closer and peeked out behind it. I can see their faces now and what I see will haunt my nightmares forever.

My veins turn to ice, and that's not from the cold.

They're covered in rusting armor, and their faces are sunken. Their skulls peek out from their faces, and their eyes are cloudy.

They look...dead.

They are laughing, but it's hoarse and sounds like someone has been deprived of water for centuries.