League of Improbable Riders

11

Shaska stood next to Taz and Kanah, facing her brother and his dragon.

Jareck sat in a wooden chair, Fury beside him; dark eyes boring into the boy with a strange intensity that made him squirm.

"A Commoner," Jareck said finally, his voice laced with disgust and hatred. "A Commoner."

Kanah swallowed and glared back, but made no reply, probably sensing that Jareck just wanted an excuse to kill him.

Fury glared at the two humans and the dragon; top lip curled in a snarl though she made no noise.

Shaska shifted uncomfortably, Jareck and Fury in a mood was bad enough; Jareck and Fury in a mood for no reason was infinitely worse.

Her movement attracted Jareck's attention. "You..." he growled.

Something inside Shaska snapped suddenly. She didn't mind being yelled at when she had erred, but this was for absolutely no reason whatsoever.

"Oh, snap out of it, Jareck, you're being ridiculous," she exclaimed. "So Kanah's part of the prophecy? So he's a Commoner? Who cares! What's the big deal?

"The prophecy didn't make him a hero; so don't be made at that—which I know you already are—all the prophecy did was tell us that he already is!

"And it's not my fault I happened to find him. It could've been anyone! It's just that Taz was the one who attacked him!" she ended defensively.

Jareck's face turned white with fury. "He killed Alisha," he stated brokenly, forcing the words out between clenched teeth.

"He did not," Shaska scoffed. She was rattled to see that her brother meant what he'd said.

"He did. And he will pay—"

Shaska couldn't stand it anymore, she had tried to be respectful, but Jareck was being a total idiot and not listening. "No, he didn't! He's never killed anything!" she yelled angrily. "But you just slaughtered his whole family! All his friends! Destroyed his home! And now you're whining at him?

"What a two-year-old," she finished in a mutter.

Jareck rose, his eyes alight with rage. "Shaska—"

She knew what was coming: an undeserved lecture, and stubbornly blocked her ears, but Kanah interrupted the older man.

"Forget it," he said, "I'm not helping you. At all."

Shaska glanced at him in admiration and surprise: his jaw was set in a way that made her think nothing in the world would convince him otherwise.

Taz bumped her shoulder: Jareck was speechless with surprise and rage. "We need to leave," he said, eyeing Fury's lashing tail nervously. "Now."

Shaska nodded and climbed nimbly up onto his back, hoisting Kanah up behind her.

"I'm sick of that grumpy old man," she said in a loud voice, making sure Jareck could hear.

Fury roared, unable to stand their insolence anymore, and leapt forward, but Taz was already gone and she thumped her snout on the closing door.

She drew back, growling thunderously as she rubbed her nose, and looked questioningly at her rider. Why was he just standing there?

He caught her gaze and smiled unpleasantly. "It's alright, Fury, your time will come," he promised as she turned and clawed toward him. "They. Will. Pay."

Fury chuckled deep in her throat; the fact that Shaska was her rider's sister didn't bother her, there was more than one way to hurt a person.

And that Taz had no connection to them whatsoever; she had often wanted to hurt him, but Jareck had soothed her anger. Now he, too, hated the Jewel-flame.

That Jareck would want her to kill Taz she wasn't sure, but she would definitely try.