The House of Cards

Shadowsong

Shadowsong

Ariven repeats a Wonderlandish curse as she stares up at the dragon, at the clockwork parts the make up its long, dragon body, metal wings somehow forcing its body up higher. A flame dances in its eyes and in its mouth, showing between long, razor sharp teeth.

It roars with a fury, titling its head back towards the endless black of the sky.

Both guards and Arcana alike scatter like ants, surging towards the wide open gate. The clockwork dragon exhales with a mighty gasp, fire streaming past its metal jaws, roasting some of the escapees.

Ariven curses again, shoving her hands beneath Mahakama's unconscious body, grasping his shoulders. She drags him forward, her legs trembling, his weight clearly too much for her.

"Maeve!" she shrieks. "Help me! We need to get him out of here!"

I tear my gaze away from the dragon causing chaos, and scramble towards Ariven. Mahakama is out cold, sweat pouring off his face from the effort he had put in to get us out of here. Now it is time for Ariven and me to rescue him.

I grab his arm, helping take some of his weight from Ariven, whose shoulder creaks and groans under Mahakama's mass. My arms feel like jelly.

"Maeve!" Daniel shouts. I whip my head around to find him charging for us, a gun in hand, face streaked with sweat and smears of blood. My mouth falls open and my stomach leaps at the sight of his familiar face. My father races by his side, a sword drawn, prepared to fight. "Maeve! Let me get him. Get out of here!"

I lock eyes with Ariven, who nods. We set Mahakama gently on the ground, and Daniel kneels before him, hoisting the Lord Judgement across his broad shoulders with a grunt. My father places a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

"I thought you were still trapped in the Demon Keep!" I shout over the noise of fleeing people and dragon fire.

"We were," the King of Swords grunts, staggering to his feet. I loop my arm through his to help him stand. "Elizabeth came and got us out. Put up a hell of a fight doing it."

"And Solomon and Marius?" I ask.

"Here too. Marius is with Aliss. Went to her as soon as Lord Judgement brought her out."

My father grabs my hand, eyeing the dragon. "We need to go."

I glance back at Daniel, who nods his agreement. "Go without me. I can handle this."

"Are you sure?" I ask.

He gives me a small smile. "Don't worry, Lady; I just got you back, and I am not eager to lose you again so quickly."

I am not reassured by this, but my father is impatient. I nod, and then grab Ariven's arm, taking off after my father, who leads the way, slicing down the Neither Prison guards in our path. We dart between the guards and Elizabeth's soldiers, never looking back.

My father moves ahead, clearing the way for us to pass.

We approach the gate, the crowd growing denser as we move forward. Behind us, the dragon roars, releasing another turret of fire, toasting the people in front of us.

Right where my father happens to be standing.

"Dad!" I shriek, lunging forward. But Ariven catches the back of my shirt, yanking me back.

"Don't, Maeve!" she says, "or you die too."

I struggle against her grip on me, desperate to lunge through the flames, to drag him out, and make sure he is alive. "Dad!"