Chosen: Book 1 in the Dragon Queen series

It was hard to distinguish sleep from waking when I opened my eyes into pitch darkness. I tried to raise a hand to rub my sleepy eyes – which was when I discovered I was bound. I wriggled. I was seated with my wrists tied to the arms and my ankles bound to the legs of a chair. I shifted my weight and the chair moved fractionally, a scrape sounding on the hard floor. I sat still and tried to wriggle out of my bonds. The rope burned my skin. My wrists were slim, but not slim enough to slip through the tight bindings.

My breath hitched and my heart sped up as memory returned, filling in the gaps in the darkness. Mother Adlyn had drugged us. And handed us over to the mages. And I wasn’t stupid enough to think that brought me any closer to a cure for Pa. Not now.

“Brun?” I hissed her fake name into the darkness. No reply. Was she even here with me? Even if she was in the room with me, she might still be asleep. I held my breath and listened, hoping for the sound of my friend’s breathing. Nothing. I swallowed. Fear of the mages and what they would do to me was eclipsed by the fear of what might have happened to her.

I jumped when the door crashed open, flooding the room with light. I blinked at the sudden brightness, my eyes watering. By the time I could focus, a robed figure was leaning over me. His hands gripped my arms on the chair, face pressed close so all I could see were dark eyes glaring into mine. “Where is the dragon?”

My mouth dried. I couldn’t think. If I’d been able to, I was sure I’d have come up with something better than, “What dragon?”

The blow snapped my head to the side and numbed the left side of my face. I touched my tongue to the inside of my cheek and tasted blood. Saltwater slid out of my left eye and I blinked to clear my vision.

The mage’s weight settled back on my arms. Those cold eyes regarded me impassively and my heart swooped into my stomach. Fury would have been understandable, but I could see no emotion. Cold gripped my insides. He looked as though his sudden violence were nothing out of the ordinary.

“The dragon that hatched out of the egg you stole,” he told me coldly. His hands left my arms, but only so he could pull the scarf from around my throat. “You wear a dragon-scale necklace. Don’t pretend you’re ignorant about the dragon I mean.” He pressed a finger to the scale and muttered a few words.

I screamed as hot fire poured through me, jerking against my restraints. But the chair and my bindings were unyielding. As was the man before me.

My back arched against the agony and my throat tore on another scream.

Finally, the mage let go. The pain ebbed. My hands twitched and a sob broke from me.

He stood back, arms folded, his expression pitiless. “Now, you understand me. Where is the dragon?”

I gulped a breath, trying to calm my pounding heart that felt like it might explode. “The fae took him.”

This time, both his hands reached for my throat, pressing the necklace into my skin with his thumbs. I screamed and begged and writhed against the pain, my skin splitting against the ropes as I struggled to find an escape. “It’s true,” I gasped when he finally stopped, sobbing the words.

“The fae would not be so unwise as to enter Muirland,” he told me coldly.

“You want the dragon. So did they. They must have thought it worth the risk.”

His hands settled around the necklace.

I closed my eyes, a whimper of distress escaping my lips at the knowledge of the pain to come. There was nothing I could say. Did he even want the truth?

His thumbs pressed the scale. Heat burned through me and I sobbed, praying for unconsciousness to release me from the agony.

Abruptly, he stepped away, leaving the room in a swirl of robes.

The door closed. I wallowed in silence and darkness and the pulse of pain as it ebbed. I slumped in the seat, aftershocks of pain making my muscles jump.

The door flew open again. I bit my lip to hold back a sob when Brunna shuffled into the room. She hadn’t been tied to a chair. Instead, she was shackled at the wrists with iron manacles.

Fear flared in her eyes when she saw me. I wished I could wipe the tear tracks from my face, but all I could offer was a smile that hurt my face.

The mage pushed Brunna further inside. He folded his arms, face hidden behind his hood. “Where is the dragon?” he demanded of Brunna.

Brunna shifted, chains clinking, and glanced at me.

“I already asked her,” the mage snapped. “I want you to tell me.”

I nodded at Brunna. Perhaps the mage would realise it was the truth when we both said the same thing.

“We were attacked on the heath outside the city. Four fae stole him away.”

The mage stalked towards Brunna, pale arms extending from his robes. Brunna backed away until her back met the wall.

“Don’t hurt him. It’s the truth. Please,” I added, because I wasn’t above begging; not if it would spare Brunna the pain I’d experienced.

The mage grabbed Brunna’s manacles. His other hand moved inside his robe. I saw a glint of metal and Brunna cried out. A line of red blood bloomed on her wrist, just above the manacles. “It’s the truth!” It was a different torture to the one he’d used on me, but just as painful. His blade slashed again. “Please!” Brunna cried as tears poured down her face.

The mage didn’t move. “How did you know they were fae?”

“They appeared – from nowhere,” Brunna gasped. She tried to tug away, but his hold was implacable.

“They changed shape!” I called. “They arrived in the form of birds. And when they shifted form they became fae – pale skin, and their ears were pointed.”

“Appearance can be faked,” the mage snapped.

“If they weren’t fae, we don’t know who they were,” I told the mage tiredly.

He glared at me in contempt. “How did a dragon manage to fall into the hands of a pair of stupid girls?” His lip curled as though our sex made the situation especially lamentable. “Anyone else would have brought it to the mages months ago.” He stuck his furious face close to mine. “All dragons in the kingdom are property of the mages. How could you not know that?”

“I was bringing it here. But we got set upon by the fae.” I swallowed, my teeth pushing against the damaged inside of my cheek. It might be stupid to say it, but I said it all the same. “And now I’m glad they did – because you’re unfit to care for a dog, much less a dragon!”

I expected another blow, but the mage didn’t move, his eyes glittering. “You still haven’t convinced me they were fae and not a rogue mage seeking to steal away what the council needs.” He took a pace towards Brunna, who cowered away.

“I know they weren’t mages,” I spat.

He turned in place. “Why?”

“Because they didn’t try to hurt us.” I glared, wishing there was power in my gaze, wishing I could bring him pain like he’d brought me. More proof I didn’t have any magic. “They could have hurt us and they didn’t, they only stole the dragon away.”

A slight smile played around the corners of his mouth. “They’ll regret that.”

He swept from the room once more and slammed the door behind him. Darkness fell.

“Brunna? Are you all right?”

“Are you?” she countered. I heard the clink of her restraints as she shuffled forward. “Keep talking so I can find you.”

“I’m all right,” I told her. “He made the necklace burn me, but the pain’s gone now.” I wanted to reach out, but with ropes fastening my wrists I could do nothing.

“Seems to like pain, this one,” she said. I heard the clink of the manacles and winced.

“How can you joke about it?” In the darkness, when I closed my eyes, I could see again the glint of his knife.

“Would you prefer me to weep and wail? I can’t change what’s already happened – so why not make a joke of it?” she replied. “I’m going to have quite the collection of scars to mark this adventure.” Her voice came closer and at last her fingers brushed my arm, while the chair jolted as she shuffled into one of the legs.

“You say that as though there might be others,” I said. I’d have named Brunna the timid one, but I longed only for the fire at home, while she was getting into her adventurous stride.

“This one isn’t done yet,” Brunna told me lightly. “I’ll wait to see how it finishes before I make a final decision.”

I blurted a laugh; I couldn’t help it.

“And at least we’re together,” she said.

“I know.” It was easier to talk in the darkness. “I was worried about you.”

“I’m tougher than people think.”

“I’m well aware of that.”

Her hands touched my shoulder and slid down to my wrists, accompanied by the clink of chains.

“Don’t hurt yourself,” I told her. The press of the manacles on her wounds must be agony.

“It doesn’t hurt.”

“Then you’re probably numb.”

“I’m not numb. Stop fussing and hold still.”

In the darkness I smiled. “I don’t have a choice about that.”

Her huff of breath hit my cheek and the chains dipped into my lap while her fingers pried at the ropes.

I bit the inside of my cheek when the rope around my wrist twisted, burning skin that was already damaged by the mage’s spells.

“He did a good job,” Brunna muttered. The tugging increased. Tears pricked at my eyes and I bit my lip to hold them back. If Brunna wasn’t making a fuss over her wounds I would bear mine as stoically.

But she must have sensed something. “I’m sorry. It’s hard when I can’t see what I’m doing.”

She slipped again and hot agony climbed through me.

I closed my eyes and tipped my head back to distance myself from the pain. Light danced behind my eyelids.

“That’s better,” Brunna grunted. The rope finally loosened.

Can you hear me? A new voice rang out.

“Who’s there?” I craned around but it was too dark to make out the voice’s owner.

Brunna frowned. “No one’s here, but we need to get out before that mage comes back.”

“No, not the mage. Someone else is speaking.” I frowned. “Didn’t you hear the voice?”

“What voice?”

If you want to escape, you’ll have to come to me.

“There. You must have heard that.”

“There’s nothing to hear.” I heard her tut. “Did the mage addle your wits?”

“No!” I frowned. “I’m not imagining it. Maybe he addled your ears.”

Brunna returned her attention to the ropes with a grunt. “Magic,” she concluded. “This place must be seething with it. And the sooner we get away, the better.” She stepped back, pulling the rope around my left wrist free and casting it into the far corner.

I’m real, I promise you.

“Someone is talking to me.”

“I’ll be quicker now I know the knots.” Brunna ignored my words and reached for the restraints around my right wrist. I saw the hunch of her shoulders, read in her stance her eagerness to be away from this place where magic had leached into the very walls. “We need to get out.”

Come to me and I’ll help you escape.

“Who are you?”

Brunna looked at me as though I’d gone mad. “Alliss—”

I ignored her, because the voice spoke again. I’m your way out of this place. Come. The door isn’t locked.

The ropes fell away from my right wrist. I got up and walked to where the door was faintly outlined by light from outside. I was hearing the voice of a person who wasn’t here. If there was help to be found in this place, he was the only one offering.

I wasn’t stupid, though. I’d learned caution. I leaned against the door first, listening for sounds from outside in case the mage was lurking.

When all that met my ears was silence, I twisted the iron ring of the door handle. Would the mage really have left us unattended, even tied up as we were?

The door swung wide open. I guessed he would.