The Dragon's Rogue

Chapter 18

I looked away and couldn't look back. Not if I wanted to stem the waves of nauseous terror that washed over me. My teeth ached from how hard I was clenching them together.

The guards cursed, Gayriel gasped, and I still couldn't look at what drew their horror. I was busy noticing a small stem sticking out from between two of the flagging stones that made the street and trying not to throw up.

"I don't think that is Grim any longer," Cillumn's voice announced from behind me, from the medic hall. He must have been looking for me. "Are you alright?" he murmured approaching my side.

"No." I didn't feel alright, not at all.

"What in the six realms has happened to him?" Gayriel whispered.

"Looks like the same thing that is happening to our shifter friends," I sensed Cillumn shake his head. "And those fools thought this was not our problem."

"What is powerful enough to do that to a dragon?" one of the guards asked. It didn't sound as though he was particularly expecting an answer, but Gayriel twitched as if coming to an important realization.

"The master," she muttered. "Cillumn, I need to find Dynarys...and Illaise."

"Dynarys is in the battle, I seen him take off after the first attack."

"Fine, Illaise then."

Cillumn hesitated. Above us an angry screech peeled out, followed by the meaty sound of flesh hitting flesh. Suddenly I found myself wanting to dodge back into the medic wing, before debris...or a dragon could fall upon me.

"Are you certain?" he asked when the noise subsided slightly. "She is not happy with you. When I left she was threatening bodily harm."

Gayriel grunted. "I'm sure she was, but yes, I am certain. It was her son who had a hand in all of this. According to her own logic she should be responsible for this aftermath."

"I don't think Illaise's logic is for herself," Cillumn grumbled. It was a strange thing to listen to, such irreverent talk about an Alpha who was undoubtedly strong. Of course neither of them was a Shifter, so that accounted for some of it. But even the two guards seemed unconcerned. Maybe it was a common attitude in the Amber Aerie, maybe that was why Cillumn had seemed so unsurprised at my position within my own pack. My old pack, I reminded myself.

"Come," he called, tugging at my arm when I didn't respond. "Maybe you should walk ahead of me. You are doing really well Lis, just keep focused on the ground, I'll watch your back."

With that we moved left along the street. Skirting around rows of potted tangerines and lemons that grew around pillars and chiseled stone masterpieces. Odd that I had not noticed the little details of the aerie before now. It was so different from that of the Onyx Aerie, but I was focused on other matters. Now I latched onto the way the fruit on the branches swayed in the dimming light, and the beautiful slopes and smooth curls of the stone carvings.

We ran past two alleys, myself, guided by Cillumn, followed by Gayriel and the guards, before turning onto a wider street and proceeding toward a tall building that I recognized. It was where Cillumn had lead me for the meeting with the Archon to begin with.

I recognized Illaise immediately, though she had changed to wolf form and paced, with the rest of her pack in front of the building. Gray eyes turned upward, watching the skies pensively. Her silver fur was long and it ruffled as she moved. A beautiful sight if not for the overwhelming desire to lower myself to the ground and display my submission. Such a move was not logical now, but it did not stop my instincts from attempting to guide my behavior.