With damp hair from a bath and in only his undergarments, Thane stood on a raised sand-colored platform with his arms out to his sides. One male attendant held up a measuring stick, the wood point poked into Thane’s armpit, another held up different scraps of fabric of various colors, contemplating each one carefully then tossing them aside. He’d been fitted like this before, but this attendant was much more particular than those he had at home. There was a pile of color scraps on the floor now. Not a single one sufficed?
Ronan lounged in a scarlet velvet high-backed chair, pulling bits of raw, red meat and tossing it to a silky black panther. The giant cat snatched the food out of the air and licked its wide jaws. Thane couldn’t help but keep an eye on the predator. He’d never seen a panther before and couldn’t believe how large it was, bigger than any dog, even wolf he’d encountered.
One of Ronan’s legs hung lazily over the arm of the chair. “So why are you here, Prince Thane? Are you finally desperate enough to ask for help against the cursed elves? What do you call them?”
“Pale ones.”
The cat growled and swiped at his foot. “Be nice, Lyndora,” he chided and tossed her more.
The attendant in front of Thane grinned. The smoky black cloth in his hand paired with an emerald green appeared to be a match. Although the colors looked like a dozen others he’d tossed aside.
Thane lifted a shoulder. “Is that something you’d consider?” It wasn’t why he came but even if a handful of the dragons joined their cause, they’d have a better chance of defeating Tenebris and getting his throne back. His five hundred Ravens alone couldn’t do it. Not even with Thane and Layala’s magical power.
“My father? Never.” He popped a piece of the raw meat into his own mouth. Thane wouldn’t normally stare but then Ronan licked the blood running down his wrist. This certainly wasn’t Palenor. “King Drake is in constant skirmishes with the other dragon tribes.”
“Other tribes?” Thane was embarrassed to admit he knew almost nothing about the Dragon Kingdom. If he’d had more time, he would have gone to the mage’s tower and studied the dragons.
Ronan practically purred; delight filled his features. “Well, this is a surprise. It’s not often I get to teach someone about dragon courts. My father may call himself King of the Dragons but there are four major tribes. Ours is the largest. The other three can’t agree on anything, so they don’t band together, thankfully or they’d overthrow us.” He paused and stared out the window thoughtfully. “However.” He hopped to his feet and set his meat on a small round corner table. The panther stood on her hind legs, took the leftovers into her mouth, and sauntered off. Ronan tucked his arms behind his back and squared his shoulders. “I might consider joining your cause.”
As much as Thane wanted to believe this good news, there must be a catch. He’d barely met Ronan and he’d consider going to war? A war they’d always stayed out of. No one did anything for free, especially royals. So, what would he want in return? But there was a small chance, perhaps a small mercy of the Maker; Ronan wanted to make a name for himself, and fight for the elves. Or maybe he wanted to upset his parents. He was difficult to read.
It felt like everything was against him and Layala, even fate at this point.
The attendants stepped away with shallow bows to him and Ronan and disappeared into another room. Thane let his arms rest at his sides and stepped down from the dais. “As you know, my father and I are not on good terms. In fact, you could say we have become enemies. He has an agreement of sorts with Mathekis, the pale one general.”
Ronan’s light eyebrows shot up, wrinkling his otherwise smooth forehead. “Now that must be a fascinating tale. I wondered what happened between you two. We only heard you became king when your father died in battle and then miraculously Tenebris returned. Though we haven’t heard much after.”
“It’s fairly simple,” Thane said, trying to keep his bitter feelings from showing in his tone. He looked out the window at the late afternoon sunlight streaming in on the miniature potted bonsai tree, picturing his father standing at the top of the hill with his army. A part of Thane was still angry he ran. “I tried to kill him so now I’m seen as the usurper king. It all comes down to him wanting more power. He wishes to be a mage and he’ll bring back our enemy to do it. No one knows or believes that’s what he wants. For most it’s unfathomable that he’d want to bring back the Black Mage when he’s spent his whole life in war against the pale ones.”
“And he needs your girl to accomplish that,” Ronan stated. He grew a slow smile, very pleased with himself. “I know who she is.”
How could Ronan possibly know that Mathekis could use Layala to bring back the Black Mage? Thane only knew that because he’d spied on his father. It wasn’t common knowledge. To everyone else she was the savior of Palenor, destroyer of the Void. Other than the fanatics who believed she was evil due to the sign at her birth. “What makes you think that?”
“General deductions. Your father has an obsession with this girl, enough to magically bind you to her as a child, and tear apart his kingdom to find her, and now he’s formed an alliance with Mathekis. Obviously, she has some part to play.” Ronan’s boots tapped heavily on the stone floor as he walked toward a sandstone shelf filled with books. “But you love her. She’s not just your betrothed. You will protect her even against your own father. You have your Ravens, an elite force of elven warriors, but that’s not enough to fight Tenebris and the pale ones. And you came to ask for our aide. Am I right so far?”
Ronan was smart and cunning, and seemingly had others fooled into thinking he was the fool. “In part,” Thane lied. It never occurred to him to ask for their aid, simply because he worried they were another enemy, not a potential ally. Ronan, and the dragon court in general, was much different than he’d anticipated.
“If your father wanted magic, he could have come to us. We could have taught him nature’s magic.” He paused for a moment. “I understand what you do is an innate power within you, the same as my gift to shift into a dragon. But we learn simple enchantments and spells. Without it we’d all be walking about naked after shifting.”
Thane chuckled. “I’ve seen little bits of the magic. How?”
“By using the energy of nature around us. It takes many years of practice but what is time to an elf?”
That might have been true in the past but not in Thane’s life. “In Palenor, any moment could be your last. The once peaceful nature of elves is sullied by the horrors of war.”
“It’s a good thing you’re not too peaceful or you’d be eaten alive here in dragon territory. You don’t want to look like prey to the predator.”
Thane licked his dry lips and rubbed his arm absently. “I wasn’t alive at the time, but many said you abandoned the elves when the pale ones arose. You’ve refused contact with us.”
“I was young then, but we’ve always remained neutral. We didn’t want to involve ourselves in the curse you brought upon Palenor. We feared losing ourselves to our beast forms as punishment.” He tugged a blue, leatherbound book from the shelf. The gold lettering was in a language Thane didn’t recognize. “Make no mistake, that’s what it is. A punishment for upsetting the symmetry of nature. The high elves took and took, seeking to grow more powerful, the same as your father is now. Those who weren’t mages sought to become mages. They asked for things not given to them. The Maker decides who is a magic bearer and who is not. It wasn’t just the Black Mage’s fault the curse came. He was but the conduit for your greed. The All Mother, the overseer of balance in all things, is not pleased with the elves.”
Another chill ran down Thane’s back. He’d never heard it described quite like that. He knew that the Maker took the elves’ magic, but he always thought it was because of the Black Mage and the pale ones. He didn’t like to think that the true villain of the elves might be themselves.
He’d never heard the term All Mother. Thane only dabbled in religious beliefs. He believed in a creator, the Maker most referred to, but that was the extent of his thoughts on the matter. He supposed the zealots who built shrines in the name of his mate turned him away from it all. They praised her like a divine being, as they would him if they knew what he was capable of.
Ronan held out the book to Thane. “You might find this interesting.”
The heaviness of it settled into his palm. It was at least a thousand pages and must weigh ten pounds. Thane flipped open the heavy cover. The title was unreadable to him. He flipped through the pages stopping at a drawing. Now that he could understand. Riders rode on the backs of dragons, clashing with one another among the clouds. Wings tore, wicked teeth sunk into dragon scales. The warriors on the backs of the dragons wore winged helmets much like his Ravens. He flipped through more pages, more drawings. Was this the history of Adalon? The sketches beheld great battles, kings’ and queens’ portraits, one name and face he recognized: his great-grandfather, High King Dramus. The crown on his head was the very same his father wore, gold and rubies and with etches of ivy. He ruled for a thousand years before stepping down to allow his son High King Scarvan to rule. Both ended up dying in battle against the Black Mage before Tenebris took the throne.
“Did dragons fight in the last war? I thought…”
“No,” Ronan said. He walked over to the open window, leaned down to a silver-petaled rose, and inhaled. “Those depictions are of the battles between the gods, long before the Black Mage. They were gods and goddesses from the Runevale realm. That war spilled over into this realm, Adalon.” He paused, giving Thane a thoughtful look. “You’re a descendant of one of the gods from Runevale. I can smell it in your magic, in your very blood.”
Thane nodded, but it bothered him that he could smell it, and why was he so interested in his lineage? And the way he treated Layala, telling the others to smell her… he thought it might be because of her magic but what if there was more. “So I’ve been told. But if you can smell it, that would mean you’ve met one of these gods before.” And if they no longer walked this realm, how was that possible?
“I have once, but that’s a story for another time.”
“You met an actual god and that’s a story for another time?”
He chuckled. “He was a descendant, or so we thought.”
How many realms were there? Thane flipped through the pages to find the one with the dragons in battle. “You’ll have to forgive my ignorance. I don’t know this language and our records of the past were destroyed or lost during the great elven war, and as you know, many died during the war, so we don’t have a host of old elves who remember. The old gods are nothing but tales to my people now and I’ve never heard of other realms. I assume that means a place not of Adalon?”
“From what I’ve read, the realms align but don’t immediately connect and there are those who can travel between them. Some of the gates were opened at one time. Dragon shifters came from Ryvengaard along with the faeries. Elves and humans have always lived in Adalon. Other creatures were brought over during the gods’ battles or sometime long ago.”
Thane’s mind drifted to the unnamed forest with giants and wicked creatures that came out at night. Someone had trapped them for as long as anyone could remember. “Why did the gods and goddesses leave?”
He shrugged. “We believe they were called home.”
Thane licked the tips of his fingers and turned the page and stilled. Drawn in color was an ornate, golden scepter with a rough-cut stone, like the sketch from the journal they took from Brunard. Maker above, if he could only read the text. He took a risk, tilting the book so that Ronan could see the page. “What is that?” He needed to make sure he was correct.
“The Scepter of Knowing.” That’s also what the journal said.
“What does it do?”
Ronan narrowed his eyes and stepped away from the window. “It’s a powerful tool. The two pieces were separated, and it’s forbidden to join them.” His suspicion shifted to a smile. “We should see if your suit is ready for the ball.”
If his words weren’t clear enough, his demeanor was. The Scepter of Knowing paired with the All Seeing Stone just as Brunard said. Thane shut the book with a snap and set it on the nearest table. Now he had to figure out how he was going to convince them to give him a scepter that was forbidden to join with the All Seeing Stone.
Light string music played from the corner of the grand hall. The ceiling was at least a hundred feet tall and painted with stunning depictions of dragons flying among white puffy clouds in a blue sky. Golden vases lined the pearl-colored walls and overflowed with shiny gold coins and precious jewels, even spilling onto the white marble floor at the base. It was so vast and airy here. Huge open windows with ornate crown moldings let in a breeze. This hall made the one in Castle Dredwich look small. There was room for at least ten full-sized dragons to shift and fly in here.
The people walked around and stood in groups around food and drink tables. The females dripped jewelry from their necks, ears, wrists, and ankles. Huge, even obscene gold and silver pieces that must be heavy. Displays of wealth no one here lacked and not even Thane had ever seen. Thane’s black suit was simple, tailored perfectly to his muscular form and the green undervest shimmered in silk. The only jewelry he wore was gold cufflinks with an emerald at the center.
He tapped his shoe on the floor by the grand hall’s entrance, waiting for Layala and Piper to be brought as promised. How long had it been? The ladies typically took more time to get ready, but he didn’t like to be separated from them in a foreign place, no matter how cordial the people seemed so far.
Fennan stood beside him, arms folded, eyes roaming the place for danger. He wore gold hoops near the tips of his ears, something he only did for special occasions, and the ivory suit he wore made his black skin appear even richer. Their hosts graciously gave his three Ravens party attire as well, and Leif combed his hair for once. The tattoos on his forehead and temples made him stand out all the more. Siegfried looked utterly out of place in his black suit and shiny shoes. Thane suspected he wore his long dark-blond hair down to cover his ears and shield his face. He preferred armor over dress attire and the shadows over attention. And they were on display tonight.
A pair of ladies in white flowing gowns that brushed the glossy floor, with gold trim and white-blonde hair stopped in the entryway beside him. Their tan skin and violet eyes glimmered like jewels themselves. Identical faces tilted toward him. “Greetings,” they said at once and strode forward with their hips swinging. “Have a wonderful time.”
“Those must be the twin blues that brought us in,” Leif said. “Cousins of the royals. I recognize their voices.”
Siegfried nodded his agreement.
Many others passed by them, gawking and glaring. Some whispered about their pointed ears and shorter stature. Although each of the elves was over six foot three, the dragons pushed seven feet or more, even the females were as tall or taller than Thane. Others talked about their beauty, for each elf was handsome in their own right. Thick braids along the sides of Thane’s head swept the hair away from his face into a tie at the base of his skull where the majority of his locks flowed freely to his upper back putting his pointed ears on display. He had no reason to hide who he was. “Keep your guard up, no matter how friendly they seem. And don’t drink more than a few sips of wine. We need our heads clear.”
“Yes, sire,” Leif said, watching the crowd with caution.
Lightly clearing his throat, Fennan leaned closer to Thane’s side. “Should we scout the castle for the you-know-what while everyone is distracted?”
Ronan left a single guard, the mute, Dax, while he “attended to some business”. The guard might not be able to talk but his eyes and ears were fine. He stood on the other side of the wide archway opening. At least he didn’t hover. With a quick glance his way, Thane whispered, “Siegfried, go do what you do best.” If anyone could find the secret hiding place of the scepter, it was him. As silent as the night sky, the Wraith vanished. “You two,” Thane said to Leif and Fennan. “Mingle. Find out what you can about this place. Find a way out that doesn’t require flying.”
Leif stepped into the party without hesitation and snagged a glass of wine off a table as he went by. It wasn’t long before a pair of females approached him. Leif was a good talker, and an even better flirt.
Leaning forward, Fennan peeked inside the massive hall once again. The four colossal golden thrones sat empty. Even with his own rules, the two adjacent, four-tiered fountains trickling what appeared to be maroon wine called to his parched throat. He really needed to stick with water. “What’s wrong, Fennan?” He hadn’t moved yet.
He brushed his hand over his short black curls. “I—wanted to wait for Layala and Piper.”
Thane rubbed his chin. Perhaps this was a good time to talk to Fen. Was he ready to give up all others for Piper? If not, Thane wouldn’t approve. He couldn’t dictate what they did but he’d make his opinion known. “She’s Prince Ronan’s date tonight.”
He shoved his hands into his pockets and shifted his weight. “I know. I just want to make sure the girls are alright. Don’t you think it’s odd they’re taking so long? I mean, my future queen could be in danger.”
Trying to cover his worry for Piper with Layala? Why didn’t he feel he could talk to Thane about this? They’d been friends forever, talked about everything. Thane knew of almost every romantic relationship he had, and it was Fennan who gave him advice with Layala. “She’s proven she can handle her own. And you know it takes them longer to get ready.”
“True.” He averted his rich, red-brown eyes. He still didn’t go anywhere.
“Are you and Piper…”
“No,” he said quickly. “No, she’s too good for me. And it would be odd, right? I’ve known her for years and I haven’t exactly forgone other ladies.”
“So, what if she dated Leif then?”
“Bloody hell, no. He’s not good enough for her either.”
“Maybe you should let her decide who is good enough.” Thane nodded at a pair of ladies passing by. “I expect you to be on your best behavior while she’s with Ronan. She’s a big girl. She can do what she wants. That includes allowing Leif or Ronan or anyone else to flirt with her.” There absolutely could not be another standoff like on the island here or it would risk their mission.
Fennan pressed his lips together, then he waved a hand and chuckled. “That was nothing. Don’t worry. I’m always smooth at these types of things. I’ll find our way out of here.” He put on a smile, although it didn’t appear genuine, and he faded into the crowded room.
A strange itch at the back of his head made him look over his shoulder, and he smiled. Layala glided alongside Piper, grinning back at him. Maker above, he didn’t think he’d ever get used to how stunning she was. Everyone else seemed to fade away. Her silver-blue gown cinched at the waist, thin straps over her shoulders and a V-neck revealed the perfect amount of cleavage and collarbone. His stomach fluttered a little and he held out his hand to her. Her touch sent a heat pulse through him. “Hello, my dear.”
“This is some place, isn’t it?” Her blue eyes slid down his form. “I almost forgot how wonderful you look in a suit. You’ve been my dirty warrior for weeks.”
He chuckled and kissed her jaw, right next to her ear. “I’d love to get dirty with you later.” A slight blush pinked her cheeks. He loved that he had that effect on her.
Ronan cleared his throat. “Well, aren’t you two precious.” His arm was looped with Piper’s, and the mischievous smirk he wore unsettled Thane’s gut. Ronan wore a seven-peaked gold crown with round diamonds inlaid in each. “The king and queen shall arrive soon. But it would be rude to approach them. You’ll need to dance, drink, eat, be merry, and perhaps after, they’ll call an audience with you.”
“Perfect,” Thane said. “I’m starving.”
“Luckily, we have more food than you could ever want. Dragons have a salacious appetite and beastly tempers. Beware.” He brought Piper’s hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckles. Surprisingly, Piper stared up at him almost mesmerized, eyes glittering in the sunlight cascading in from the windows. Thane arched an eyebrow. He had a feeling this prince had a salacious appetite for pretty maidens, and Piper was something new and unconquered.
“Oh, there’s my brother. Shall we?” Ronan swept an arm to the right where tables filled with meats, fruits and bread waited, and a tall male with a rose-gold crown stood with a group of seven surrounding him. Prince Yoren differed from Ronan in almost every aspect. His skin was dark brown, and his short black hair reminded Thane of strands of silk. He was taller than Ronan by at least three inches and lean whereas his brother was bulky and broad. Where Ronan appeared relaxed, Prince Yoren was stiff, and held a stern expression.
Thane held out his arm to Layala and she wrapped her hands around it. She leaned in close to his side and lowered her voice, “What do you think? Do we have a chance of getting the scepter?”
“The dragons have forbidden joining it with the stone so… we may have to steal it. We just need to find it and by the size of this city, that could take a while.”
“How do you know this?” She smiled as they passed a group of five shifters that observed them with a little too much lip licking for Thane’s liking. His jaw tightened. He didn’t like to be looked at like a meal.
“I saw it in a book upstairs and asked Ronan about it. He doesn’t know we want it, and I’ve not told him we have the stone.”
“I don’t know if it’s wise to steal something from the people we want help from. Ronan told me you asked for his help to fight Tenebris.”
Thane stopped and tilted his head. “I didn’t ask. He assumed that’s why we’re here which is to our benefit. And we need the scepter more than him.” He didn’t like being a thief either but desperate times shoved people into the shadows of transgression.
