The Dragon (Creasan #2)

Carac offered a piece of food to Peronell as they sat on a pair of crates at the helm of the ship. It was supper time, but Thea didn’t want to take any chances with their safety and had insisted on eating in shifts. This way, there would be eyes constantly on alert. That left Carac and Peronell with some privacy.

As Carac listened to Thea steer the ship, his thoughts strayed to his earlier conversation with the queen. He hadn’t told anyone about what they’d discussed, but now he couldn’t help wondering what was going through his leader’s mind. He ventured, “Thea seems to be doing all right.”

Peronell glanced over his shoulder at her and nodded. “Seems that way.”

“But she can’t actually be all right, can she? Maybe I should go talk to her.”

Peronell frowned. “Why? Whatever she’s doing to press on - let her keep doing it.”

“But she should be - I don’t know, crying or something.”

“Thea Wyvern doesn’t cry. You know that.”

“Yes, but Maerwynn-“

“Carac, what’s going on?” Peronell placed his plate on the floor between his feet and leaned closer, eyes narrowed at Carac.

Carac took another bite and sighed. “I’m just curious if plans have…changed.”

“What do you mean?”

“I was speaking with the queen - or rather, she was speaking to me - and she said that Fendrel might take this opportunity to steer her in his favor.”

“Right, first off,” Peronell said, shaking his head, “why on earth were you talking to the queen? And second, why would you believe anything she says?”

“I thought you no longer hated her.”

“That doesn’t mean I trust her.”

“Perry, she had a point.” Carac angled his body closer to Peronell’s and lowered his voice to make sure no one heard. “Thea never wanted this. The death of her mother will surely have changed -“

“Listen,” Peronell instructed, turning his eyes back to Thea. “Listen for her. What do you hear?”

Carac’s brows furrowed but he did as Peronell advised. He rested his plate on his thighs and focused all his attention on Thea. Her heart beat strongly in her chest, her breaths were carefully measured, her movements relaxed. “She sounds…calm.”

“If she was having second thoughts, do you suppose she’d be so calm?”

Carac grunted in frustrated acknowledgement and placed his plate at his feet. “Why are you so adamant? You weren’t partial to this plan from the beginning. Now all of a sudden, you’re entirely certain.”

Peronell shrugged. “I’m certain of Thea. If anything, you should be worried that Maerwynn will have cemented Thea’s goals, not shaken them.”

Carac relaxed at that. That was true. It was the reason they’d gone in search of Aestus at all; Thea’s pain locked her onto a goal. That was how she coped. Perhaps she had done the same now. It was certainly more in character than falling to manipulation. “I suppose you’re right,” Carac said, picking up his plate again. He decided to change the subject to something less…dire. “How do you like the potatoes? Brom swears this is the fanciest way to eat them, given our capabilities.”

“Hang on.” Peronell reached out his hand and opened his palm up to the ceiling. “Did you feel that?”

Carac frowned. “What are you talking about?”

Peronell grabbed his hand and forced him to mimic his movements, holding his hand out. It took a moment, but then Carac felt it. His brows furrowed. “Is that…snow?”

Peronell stared at the white slowly melting on his skin. “Yeah.”

“It’s snowing? In a cave?”

He didn’t respond, but he didn’t have to. Carac heard his heart begin to thunder in his chest, felt the uncertainty in the grip of his hand, smelled the trepidation spilling out of him. It made Carac’s own fear start to rise.

When he finally did speak, he said, “Something’s wrong.”

Thea gaped at Merek and her hands went slack at the wheel. “Awake?”

He nodded. “But it’s…You should come see her. Now.”

The relief and jubilation that had been expanding through her stalled at once. Thea noticed the faint outline of fingers around his throat and felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. “Where did you get those?”

He averted his eyes, which was an answer in itself. But all he said was, “Now, Thea.”

She nodded quickly. “Janshai, steer.”

Janshai was beside her in an instant. “Of course.”

Then she followed Merek quickly below deck. “What’s happened?” she demanded as they hastened through the halls. “Is she all right?”

“She’s…healthy, but…”

“Merek, out with it. You’re frightening me.”

They came to a stop at Isolde’s open door and Thea saw her for the first time. One of her closest friends was curled into a ball in the corner of the room with her head on her knees. Even from a distance, Thea could see the trembling in her hands. Thea didn’t even need a moment to think before she stepped into the room, intent on hurrying to her friend’s side.

Then Isolde lifted her head.

Thea stopped in her tracks. The green serpent’s eyes that met hers were so unsettling that they sent a shudder through her. Those were not Isolde’s eyes; they were the eyes of the Leitham Serpent.

“Thea?” Isolde’s voice came out so small, little more than a whisper in the wind.

But it shook Thea out of her stupor all the same. She swallowed hard and straightened her shoulders. “How do you feel, Izzy?”

“Okay.”

“That’s good.” Thea glanced back at Merek. His gaze was locked on Isolde, though not with the usual mischief or adoration. There was a subdued gleam in his eye that seemed to match the heaviness of his shoulders.

Isolde’s eyes darted between them and began to well with tears. “I’m so sorry, Thea. I really am -“

Thea hushed her before crossing the rest of the distance and crouching beside her. She rested her hand on her friend’s shoulder. “Do not apologize. We’re just relieved you’re all right.”

Isolde wrapped her arms tighter around her knees and lowered her chin again. “You won’t even look at me,” she whispered.

Thea lifted her gaze from Isolde’s feet. It hadn’t been intentional, but Thea realized it was true. She found it far too strange to look into a serpent’s eyes when they were in Isolde’s head. She steeled herself and plastered on a smile. “That’s Merek’s fault,” Thea said lightly. “He didn’t prepare me. You have to admit it’s…quite a shock.”

“Oi,” Merek exclaimed as he sat down on Isolde’s bed. “I’m still here, you know.”

“I know.”

That made the edge of Isolde’s lips turn up just the slightest. “I suppose you’re right,” she said to Thea.

Thea squeezed her shoulder. “You must be famished. Come on, there’s supper in the kitchen.” She stood and offered her hand to Isolde.

But Isolde just stared at it.

Thea turned to Merek again. His brows were furrowed similarly to Thea’s.

Slowly, Isolde’s smile faded as she realized, “I can’t move.”

Merek stood back up and Thea’s hand dropped. She asked, “What do you mean?”

Isolde seemed to draw even further into herself, coiling up into the corner, and her lips had begun to turn purple. Her teeth chattered as she muttered, “Too cold.”

Merek blinked. “Cold?”

“Get her a blanket,” Thea ordered. But she stilled when she noticed her words came out on a puff of fog. She blew out another breath, and it too fogged in the chilled air around them.

Merek asked, “What is happening?”

“Thea!”

They both turned at Peronell’s breathless entrance. His knuckles turned white as he gripped the door frame. He swallowed hard and said, “We have a problem.”

There was a horrible screech of wood, and they all cried out as they lurched hard, falling over and crashing against the wall.

Fendrel wrapped a coat tightly around his shivering body as he stepped off of the ship.

The water in front of them, which disappeared into the darkness of the cave, had frozen over, and the ship had sailed right into it. They were stuck.

Brom’s boots crunched as he stepped onto the snow beside him. He, too, wore a thick coat, and his breaths puffed out in front of him as he surveyed the land.

Fendrel shook his head as he stared out at the white surface. “How could we have missed a mile of ice?” the prince asked in frustration.

“Because it wasn’t ice until a few moments ago,” Brom answered.

“Brilliant.”

Janshai headed toward them from where he’d been studying the helm. “Not too much damage to the ship,” he stated. “She’ll still sail.”

Fendrel nodded in relief. “Well, thank Aestus for that.”

Thea stepped onto the snow next, her crossbow on her back and a large burlap sack slung over her shoulder. She was followed by Merek, Carac, Peronell, and Ana, all dressed in the warmest clothes they could find.

Thea said, “There are no pickaxes, so we’ll have to make do with these.” She rested the bag on the ground and opened it to reveal a pile of swords. “Everyone take one. If the ice has just frozen, it shouldn’t be too hard to break up.”

“Hopefully,” Merek added as he grabbed a blade and headed off.

They all took a turn, until it was just Thea and Fendrel left. Fendrel watched her face closely as he waited for her to take her turn. She wouldn’t even look at him, keeping her eyes straight ahead. Fendrel searched his mind for something to say, something short but reassuring. Something that would dissipate the confusion and awkwardness he now felt. But he was drawing an absolute blank and her foot had began to tap impatiently. Eventually, she ordered, “Take a bloody sword, Highness.”

He supposed that was short, though not the reassurance he’d been after. Nonetheless, he pulled out the blade and went to join the others.

They plunged their swords into the ice, over and over, until their arms burned and fingers froze. The strategy wasn’t failing, but the going was so slow that it felt as if the hours that ticked by hardly managed to make a dent.

Fendrel straightened, breathing hard. “Did you not say there were canons? Perhaps we could blast the whole fjord into oblivion.”

“Yes, yes, that could work,” Ana answered, pausing in her work as hope filled her.

“I checked. No ammunition,” Thea deadpanned, digging her sword into the ice yet again.

Everyone’s shoulders seemed to droop at the same time.

Merek said, “Your husband was a real genius, Your Majesty.”

Everyone breathed a small laugh but saved most of their energy for the work.

Except Janshai. Something glimmered in his periphery, making the sword stall in his hand. He glanced up to see a small glowing blue orb hovering in front of him. It pulsed softly, delicately, and drifted leisurely over the snow. “Uh, Thea?” Janshai said.

Thea looked up and immediately brandished her sword at the circle of light. “What the bloody hell is that?” she demanded.

Silence was her only response.

She turned to look at her companions, but they were all staring at the light with wonder. “Ana?” she tried. “Any legends about floating light?”

“Not that I know of.” She cocked her head to the side as she studied it. “It is beautiful, though, isn’t it?”

Even Fendrel had to admit it was amazing. In the chill of the cave, the light seemed to emit warmth, even from several yards away. It almost felt like if he kept staring at it, he’d find himself reeled in…

Carac frowned and said, “I hear something up ahead. Running water or…splashing?”

“Everyone stay here,” Thea instructed, grabbing another sword from the bag. “I will investigate.”

That snapped Fendrel out of his daze. Though his mind had been a jumble of confusion that day, he knew enough to step forward and say, “No, I will go.”

Thea rolled her eyes. Under normal circumstances, she would have argued with him, challenged his authority, goaded him into a screaming match. But she simply didn’t have it in her. The orb was already floating further into the cave, so she said, “We’ll both go.” She met Merek’s gaze and pointed firmly. “No one leaves the ship.”

“Aye, aye, captain,” he responded. He wrapped his fingers around the hilt of his sword and got back to work. Everyone followed his lead and continued chipping at the ice, though their eyes remained on the orb.

Thea and Fendrel trudged over the snow, the glowing orb their only source of light. Fendrel glanced at Thea curiously as they went. “Do you not feel that?”

“The warmth of the alien light?” she responded. “I feel it. I don’t trust it.”

He didn’t trust it, either. It had nothing to do with trust. It was cautiousness, it was curiosity, it was intrigue.

The darkness swallowed them entirely, leaving only the pinprick of the orb to see by.

Thea hardly even blinked as she plowed on. And Fendrel tightened his fingers around his sword as he marched forward.

Their absolute focus was their downfall. They could not see the illusion which split the orb in two, each circle of light traveling in opposing directions. Thea followed one, and Fendrel followed the other.

They were split up in the pitch-blackness of the cave.