Chosen: Book 1 in the Dragon Queen series

I wasn’t sure when the forest became a mountain. Trees rose interminably in front of us as the ground led upwards. Finally, we reached the end of the treeline and what lay before us had to be mountain. I glanced at the rock that continued up and up. Surely no one lived that high?

“Look!” Brunna hurried further over the stony ground. I followed, relieved to find a darkened circle. A fire; evidence of people. I glanced around – had we found the fae at last?

All I found was other scorch marks. The one Brunna had spotted could have been from a planned fire, but others were more random. One tree at the edge of the clearing had half its branches burned black. I remembered the wolves in the forest, and the dragons who’d flown overhead.

I gripped Brunna’s arm and tugged her back into the shelter of the trees. I craned up and raked the sky, hoping to see the shape of a dragon. Really, I wanted to see Dragon herself; I’d trust her where I wasn’t sure about the others. “We should be careful. I think the mages might have come here, and the dragons fought them.”

“Mages wouldn’t come here.”

We both jumped at the hard, drawling voice. Brunna clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle her cry of alarm. A man dropped down from the branches of a nearby tree. No, not a man – a fae. He was tall and slender, and the point of his ears showed clearly through his pale hair.

“Mages are too lazy to do their own work,” the fae continued, contempt hardening his tone. “They sent hunters instead. Muirland men, intent on theft and death.” He stalked towards us. My fingers curled in Brunna’s sleeve. “And now they’ve sent little better than children.” The urge to run rose hot inside me as he drew close, but I hadn’t come this far only to run from my future. “Is there a reason why I shouldn’t wring your necks where you stand?”

“The d-dragon queen summoned me.” Despite my determination, my voice shook. The story the dragon-shifter had told me sounded ridiculous when I spoke it aloud to this sneering man.

He threw back his head and laughed.

“The dragon queen chose me as her companion,” I said through gritted teeth. The tale might sound ridiculous, but I wasn’t prepared to be ridiculed by him. “I ask you to take me to her.”

His laughter ended as abruptly as it had started. “Take a Muirland maid to the dragon queen? You must think me a fool.”

Brunna nudged me. I remembered the scale and dug in my pocket to bring it into the light. “I was given this as assurance of safe passage.”

The fae snatched it from me before I could protest. His eyes glittered. “Where did you get this?”

“I was given it. We escaped from the mages’ tower with a fae shifter. He told me I’d be welcomed by the fae if I brought it here.”

His fingers tightened, knuckles whitening. I feared he might snap the scale crushed in his fist.

“What have you done with Gollan?” The anger in his expression became pain. Gollan must be the other fae’s name. And this angry fae was his friend.

“I’m sorry, he was the prisoner of the mages. He escaped, but he was too badly injured to make the journey. He died.” The fae stared, unfocused, at a point behind me. His breaths were slow and laboured, his pain visible.

“You watched him die,” he breathed. “And you stole his scales.”

“No!”

He swung to me, his glare fusing me to the ground. “How could we not have known the extent of Muirland’s depravity until now?”

“I d-didn’t – I’m sorry your friend is dead, but I swear I didn’t harm him, nor steal anything. He said I should come here. He said the new dragon queen had chosen me for her companion so I must come.” I bit my lip. It seemed pointless to mention the cure I needed for Pa. Dragon might help me; I didn’t fool myself that this fae would. His fist tightened around the scale once more. “Please – don’t damage it. Can I have it back?” My heart beat hard at the idea of it being lost to me.

He snarled at me, like a beast. I recoiled, jolting back against the trunk of a tree. “Thief!”

“I didn’t steal it.” I remembered the shifter in his dragon form. “I wouldn’t dare attempt such a thing. It was freely given. He said the token would be accepted.”

“That was before Muirland attacked.”

I swallowed. The fires earlier had suggested a fight – but I hadn’t thought that men could get the better of dragons. Was this fae the only one left?

“The hunters were greedy for a dragon, or a fae shifter.”

My heart dropped to the dusty ground beneath my feet. “Did – did they take anyone?”

“We taught them a lesson,” he said. The wolf. If the fae could take different forms, perhaps it had been a shifter, not a true wolf. And perhaps it had killed all three hunters. I swallowed. It was evil to wish death on anyone, but I couldn’t help but be glad the mages hadn’t gained another dragon to torment.

I faced the fae, trying not to be intimidated by his expression. “The shifter who helped us said I’d been chosen by the queen. He could speak to me inside my head. He said that was why.” Tears pricked in my eyes. I blinked them back and glared at the fae, anger rising once more. “Your dragon queen hatched because of me. I want to speak with her. Kindly take me to her.” Once more I tracked the sky, hoping for dragons, but the cloudless blue was empty.

“You don’t belong here.”

I folded my arms, tucking away my fingers so he wouldn’t see they were shaking. “And if your queen tells me so I will leave.”

He took a step towards me. I didn’t mean to retreat, but I moved back before I could fight the instinct. The shifter had promised I’d be welcomed, but there was no welcome here.

“The dragons have retreated, and the fae with them, thanks to your hunters.”

“They aren’t my hunters.”

“We have nothing to do with the hunters,” Brunna added.

“Turn back, Muirlanders. The next fae you meet might not be as forgiving as me.”

He thought this was forgiving? “I won’t turn back. I need the dragon queen.”

“She retreated into the mountain.” The fae flung a hand towards the rock that loomed over our heads. “But by all means, if you are the true companion, call her to you.”

His expression was sneering and supercilious. I wanted to cry, or scream. Please Dragon. If you want me, I’m here. I shouted the words in my head. There was no reply. I scanned the sky once more, hoping past hope to see her sandy form fly into sight. Or for her heavy claws to land on my shoulder. Nothing happened. My heart slithered down to my boots. We’d been separated a week. If she’d wanted to be with me, there had been plenty of time for her to find me. I’m sorry, I added, even though I didn’t believe she could hear me. I would never have planned to give you to the mages if I’d known what they were like. I’m glad you’re free.

“What’s that?” The fae cupped his ear exaggeratedly. “No reply.” He pulled a face, lips tugging down. “Aw, what a shame. I know Muirlanders hate disappointment.”

I glared at him. I don’t know where my courage came from, but perhaps I had nothing now to lose. “How do I know you aren’t keeping her from me? Let me see her. She can send me away herself.”

He laughed. “The dragon queen doesn’t want to see you. If she’d really chosen you do you think I’d be able to stand in her way? She was easily persuaded to find a more suitable companion from the fae.”

My heart stuck in my throat. “I don’t believe you,” I managed.

I hadn’t fooled him. “She’s choosing a fae companion right now.” He smiled at the distress I couldn’t hide.

I closed my eyes and a picture of Dragon rose in my memory. She’d warned me when danger lay ahead. I thought we were a team.

The fae would say she’d been protecting herself, not me. And she hadn’t warned me when the fae had come to steal her away. I guessed she hadn’t seen that as danger. I swallowed. Perhaps he was right, and Dragon was pleased to be rid of me. If she’d known what I planned, she would have seen me as the danger.

The knowledge that I’d only cared for her because of what I thought I could get for her ate at me. If nothing else, shouldn’t I have the chance to apologise for that? I wanted to tell her I knew how wrong I’d been. I hadn’t understood what giving a dragon to the mages meant or I’d never have intended that fate for her.

I straightened my shoulders. “Then take me to her. If you show me she’s safe and has another companion, then I’ll go and never bother you again.”

His nostrils flared, his tone vibrating fury. “You dare to try and give me orders?”

“I’m giving you a way to be rid of me.”

The fae sniffed as though considering it. My fists curled, anticipation making my skin damp. Would he relent?

“Can’t be done.” His tone was dismissive. “The entrance to the mountains is protected. You can’t get inside unless you’re fae.” He gave a smugly irritating smile. “Take the hint, Besserton maid. You aren’t welcome here.”

“I want to see the queen.” My voice was a thread, tears pricking at my eyes. I was about to lose my very last chance to heal Pa, and I couldn’t bear it.

“Have some self-respect,” the fae spat. “Don’t follow after her like a lovesick child.”

“I’m not—” I fell silent. I guessed that was exactly what I was doing. I swallowed. The fae’s words were harsh, but that didn’t mean they weren’t true. He’d said he couldn’t stand in her way if the queen were determined to see me. If she’d truly wished, she’d never have left. She hadn’t tried to stay with me when the fae had come for her, after all. I blinked hard, forcing back my tears. “Very well. I’ll go.” I started to turn, then froze as an idea occurred to me. “Your friend – Gollan – he said the necklace helped the queen to hatch.” I tapped the pendant and a surge of heat radiated from it. “Do you want that, too?” I wanted rid of it, and perhaps this was my chance.

He laughed. “No fear. You can bear the curse you took on willingly.”

“I didn’t know it was cursed. I wouldn’t have touched it if I’d had any idea.”

“Don’t mess with what you don’t understand,” he told me carelessly. “Bearing it is the price of your greed.”

“I wasn’t greedy,” I protested. I’d simply been foolish, trying on a possession that could never be mine. I couldn’t even say why I’d done it now. A desire to pretend my life was different. And now I’d give anything to have my old life back. “I thought it was pretty, that’s all.”

“Pretty!” he spat. “A dragon’s scale, removed by force, stolen from a beast kept in slavery. How is that pretty?”

“I didn’t understand,” I said softly.

And he didn’t understand my apology. “You deserve to be cursed for keeping the dragon queen captive.”

“I didn’t keep her captive!” I protested. I wouldn’t have been able to stop her if she’d flown away. But guilt at the fate I had intended for her stopped my words before I could protest further.

“We had to rescue her. That sounds like captivity to me.” He spread his hands with an insincere smile. “It’s unfortunate if the enchantment had unpleasant side effects.”

“Will you release her from it?” Brunna asked.

He laughed. “By no means.” His eyes glittered as they faded back to their natural violet shade. “Look on it as penance for interfering with dragon business.”

“I wasn’t interfering with dragon business.” I bit my lip, because Pa had certainly interfered with dragon business. I wondered if he’d known what he was doing. And thinking of Pa reminded me of what I’d really come all this way for. I hated to beg, but begging was all I was left with. “I’ll leave the queen with her fae companion, but please, can I just see her? I need a cure for my father. I think he might be—”

“Dying?” The fae’s tone was gloating. “Probably. You’d better hurry home while he’s still breathing.”

My heart stopped, blood draining from my face, leaving me cold and faint. “Is there no hope?”

He smirked. “The only thing that might help is if you could touch his skin with a dragon scale.”

My jaw dropped and I gathered my scattered senses. “A scale? But you took—” My hands rested at my throat. “Could I use—”

He laughed unkindly once more. “Not that one, not unless you want to finish him off entirely. That’s cursed.” He clicked his tongue impatiently, rubbing Gollan’s scale between finger and thumb. “Hurry home, Muirland maid.”

I opened my mouth, but he vanished before I could speak. My breath caught when I spied a glitter in the air. Gollan’s scale drifted slowly to the ground. I snatched it up.

“Do you think he’s telling the truth?” Brunna asked.

“He seemed too gleeful to be lying.” This fae was the opposite of the dragon shifter who’d helped us. I didn’t doubt he’d lie if he saw an advantage in it, but those words had held the ring of truth. The dragon queen didn’t want to see me, but did that matter if I truly held a cure for Pa in my hands?

“What do we do?”

My chest ached. This was – finally – victory. But it didn’t feel that way. My heart ached with loss. I shouldn’t be sad about Dragon; she’d never truly been mine. She was a dragon, and dragons didn’t belong in Muirland. I should comfort myself with the knowledge that she was safe, and back where she belonged. Which was where I needed to go.

“I have a cure…” I turned to Brunna and found I couldn’t meet her eyes. “So we go home.” I swallowed and forced cheer into my voice. “And bring Pa back to health.”