“Kill them before they become strong,” Con said, disgust lacing his words.
Brandr shook his head. “We can no’ interfere. Everything Eurwen and I have put into place will be wiped away.”
“I can go in this form. No one has to know I’m a Dragon King,” Cullen suggested.
Vaughn nodded. “I’ll go with him.”
“And when you’re attacked? What then?” Brandr demanded. “You’ll use magic to fight them off?”
Cullen shrugged. “If it comes to that.”
“No. You should have never crossed the shield to help.” Brandr slashed his hand through the air. “All you’re to do is look for our adversary.”
Cullen stared at him for a moment. “And when all the humans with magic are killed? Who do you think the mortals will target next?”
“You really think they could take us on?” Brandr asked with a snort.
Con sighed softly. “They were no’ stronger than us on Earth.”
With a hiss of agitation, Brandr leapt off the mountain and shifted to fly back to Cairnkeep.
“Well, that went well,” Cullen said into the silence that followed.
Vaughn shrugged. “It’s bairns we’re talking about. How can we sit back and let this happen?”
“Because this isna our realm,” Con said. He held up a hand for quiet when Cullen tried to speak. “I agree with both of you, but you also need to understand where Brandr is coming from. If Eurwen had been here instead of taking care of other business, she would’ve agreed with her brother. They set up this system because of the failures we had on Earth. We sent our dragons away. Thankfully, they have this place, but I stand with my children when it comes to keeping Zora safe for the dragons.”
Cullen’s gaze moved to the canyon, Tamlyn’s face filling his mind’s eye. She was courageous and strong, but she had nearly been caught this time. How many more times would she succeed before she was caught? The thought left a sour taste in his mouth. He might not be from Zora, but he knew right from wrong. He wouldn’t give up. He’d figure a way to continue on with his mission while also helping her.
Chapter Five
“Have you lost your mind?” Jenefer demanded angrily.
Tamlyn rolled her eyes as she broke a loaf of bread apart to dole it out to the seven children they were caring for. Jenefer had asked that same question the moment Cullen left the ruins. Tamlyn knew it wouldn’t matter how she answered. Jenefer would keep asking because that was just her way.
“She didn’t know who he was,” Sian told Jenefer for the second time.
Jenefer made a sound at the back of her throat as she ladled soup into the children’s bowls. “Well, we do now. We need to move.”
“Really?” Sian asked, her face crestfallen. “I finally have a good lab.”
Tamlyn straightened and smiled at the kids. Her gut churned every time she thought about leaving the ruins. She didn’t want to go. It was a good place. It offered everything they needed with plenty of room to grow.
“Eat up.” She motioned for her friends to follow her out of the room. “I don’t want to talk about this in front of them.”
“Why not?” Jenefer demanded. “They know the harsh truths of the world.”
Tamlyn fought against a surge of anger. “That doesn’t mean they need it thrown in their faces again and again. They’re children. Let them have some portion of the lives they were supposed to.”
“I agree,” Sian said.
Jenefer rolled her eyes. “You always agree with Tam.”
“Not true. I’ve sided with you on occasion,” Sian said, her chin lifting.
Tamlyn sighed. “I believed Cullen. I think he wants to help. He was appalled by what I told him.”
“He’s a Dragon King,” Jenefer replied as if that said it all.
A small smile pulled at Sian’s lips. “He was cute. I loved his hair. Did you see the markings on his arm? I wonder what it was.”
That only made Jenefer roll her eyes again.
Tamlyn tried not to think of just how handsome Cullen was—in a wild, intense way that she never expected to find appealing. But it certainly looked good on him. Very, very good.
Sian interrupted her thoughts when she said, “He was right. We haven’t seen any Dragon Kings harm anyone. We’ve been told to fear them.”
“With good reason. Don’t be such a dolt. Dragons have more magic and power than any other being on this realm. I can’t imagine what a Dragon King has,” Jenefer said.
Tamlyn leaned back against one of the stone walls. “Neither of you saw the fog. It came out of nowhere. I believe he is who he says he is.”
“All the more reason to get out of here now,” Jenefer said.
Tamlyn looked at her. “Why? Because he might come back to help? He won’t go to any humans.”
“You would put those children’s and Sian’s life in danger because you want to trust a Dragon King?” Jenefer asked, pointing at Sian.
Sian shoved Jenefer’s arm out of the way. “Hey. Don’t put me in the middle,” she said before hurrying away, a hurt expression on her face.
Jenefer winced, her lips parting as she rushed after her. “Sian. Shite. I’m sorry.”
Tamlyn left them to it. No doubt Jenefer would be apologizing for quite some time. She loved her friends, but sometimes Jenefer couldn’t see around the past. It defined her, as it had with all of them. Jenefer had saved her life. Tamlyn knew she wouldn’t be alive now if it weren’t for Jenefer.
And Sian… Tamlyn couldn’t help but smile. Despite Sian’s rough life, she still found things to smile about, still found ways to laugh. It was only because of her vivacity that Jenefer smiled at all. Sian was the one who kept their trio together.
Tamlyn turned the corner and watched the children eat. They weren’t loud or boisterous as kids usually were. They were traumatized and distrustful of everything. Tamlyn had once been like that. So had Jenefer and Sian. They had pulled through it, though, and so would these youngsters. It was either that or go down a dark path.
Not that she would blame any of them if they did. For some, they had been taken from the only family they knew and readied to be sacrificed so those without magic didn’t have to live in fear.
But others were abused in ways Tamlyn didn’t want to even think about. It made her soul scream at the injustice of it all. These were defenseless children, who counted on others for help. Those people betrayed them in the worst ways possible.
Tamlyn’s head turned in the direction of the corridor Jenefer had disappeared down. She knew her friend had been physically abused. Jenefer hated to be touched in any way—or she used to. All that had changed when they found Sian. Something about the Alchemist softened Jenefer’s rough edges. Tamlyn had never thought anything would temper the Amazon, but Sian had done it with a single smile.
There were times Tamlyn envied the love the two had found with each other. Her jealousy never lasted long, though. Her friends deserved happiness. They all deserved to live somewhere they weren’t hunted, imprisoned, or killed. It wasn’t as if it were their fault they had magic. None of them had a choice in any of it.