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Chapter 6KLARA
It was still dark on the wildlands when I stepped beyond the East Gate. Sarkin—or his horde of dragons—were nowhere in sight, and for a brief, dizzying, silly moment of relief, I thought maybe he’d changed his mind.
Da
Last night, he’d come to my chambers. He’d begged me to leave Dothik—he’d even had a group of our father’s darukkars at the ready, to shuffle me across the wildlands and hide me among one of the outer hordes. He would speak with the Karag, he’d promised. He would make Sarkin Dirak’zar change his mind; he would offer another female in my place. He only needed time.
I’d denied my brother. It wasn’t only Sarkin’s threat, that his dragon had my scent now and they would find me anywhere—and likely destroy everything in their wake, including whoever sheltered me.
It was also Zaridan’s song. That pure moment last night and the sense that I was right where I was meant to be.
I had to do this even though I was terrified. Even though I didn’t know if my new life would be atrocious or kind at the hands of my new husband. What life awaited me with the Karag? What would I find across Drukkar’s Sea?
Like Vie
It was all co
Da
What if I could find more heartstones across Drukkar’s Sea? Heartstones had saved us against the red fog. If we had none left, what would save us against the Karag if they came with their dragons? If they unleashed their ethrall on the capital, on the hordes, on the outposts? Nothing would stop them from conquering Dakkar when we didn’t have the power to fight back.
My father and his queen might not’ve wanted me. Alanis might’ve sneered every time I walked passed her in the palace. They might’ve deny my bloodlines…but Da
So, when I stepped out onto the dark wildlands and didn’t see Sarkin or his dragons, I was both selfishly relieved and disappointed.
It was short lived, however. As the first rays of the sun began to lighten the sky to a soft purple, I saw a dark mass flying from Bekkar’s Shield—the mountain range to the west.
The group that was gathered beyond the East Gate was larger than I expected. Da
There were archers along the walls, and I thought their presence was laughable.
“I know you’re angry with me,” I said to Da
Da
“I will find a way to bring you home,” my brother vowed quietly. “Whatever it takes. The Vorakkar are riding in from the wildlands to meet with us. We are forming a plan to—”
My brow furrowed, and I gave him a half smile, reaching forward to grip his shoulder. “Da
“I told you that I would protect you. I promised it to your mother,” Da
My heart squeezed. “What? When?”
“Before she was sent away. She made me promise, Klara. I have broken that vow already.”
A stab of affection mingled with grief made me stand on the tips of my toes and press a kiss to his cheek. I embraced him.
Into his ear, I whispered, “Trust in me, brother. Zaridan gave me this scar. She gave it to me when I first dreamed about her, when I was just fifteen. And I have dreamed about her ever since.”
Da
I pulled back, looking up into his eyes. I grabbed his arms, squeezing tight, though my voice was steady and unyielding. “I am afraid. But I know that this is my purpose. I have been preparing for it nearly my whole life. Let me go with them. Political marriages are made all the time, throughout our history—you know that. Father knows that better than anyone. Let me go as a daughter of Dakkar because maybe it will soften the Karag’s will against us. Maybe we can negotiate as allies and not as enemies. We ca
Da
“I always thought you would make a better ruler than me,” he finally said.
I heard the gust of the dragon wings before I felt the earth’s might tremble when one landed. The other nine remained in the air with their riders, circling overhead. When Da
My eyes caught on Sarkin’s, watched as he ran his palm down her wide neck. He swung his leg over, dismounting expertly with a long jump down in front of her left wing. He landed in a crouch and then rose.
I’ll ride a dragon this morning, came the sudden thought, so unfathomable that it didn’t quite feel real until this very moment.
My chin rose when he approached. Sarkin’s eyes narrowed on my brother, a curl of black hair drifting in front of his left eye when Zaridan gusted her wings. I heard Orak—one of my father’s council members—make a distressed sound. I got the impression Zaridan had done it on purpose.
I watched Sarkin assess the clearing, flickering from me to the group behind us, to the archers on the walls and the locked East Gate. Not that it mattered. He’d been in the market yesterday. He knew another way to get into the city. There were rumors of tu
I wondered how long the Karag had been among us. Since their very first dragons had been spotted? How long had they been gathering information on the Dakkari, waiting for the perfect moment to strike?
And why did that strike happen to begin with me?
“Sleep well, aralye?” he asked, his tone gruff and mocking, raising his brow.
“Perfectly,” I lied. For once, my dreams had been strangely quiet.
Those beautiful eyes dropped to the trunk at my feet. “Where do you think you’re going to put that?”
My hand tightened on the strap of my brown leather satchel. “It’s my clothing.”
Sarkin made a sound in the back of his throat. “It stays. Let’s go.”
Da
Sarkin looked behind me, directly at my father, assessing the distance he’d put between them. I could almost hear his thoughts. He didn’t think highly of the Dothikkar.
“At least you, heir, can look me in the eyes,” Sarkin said, voice rising as he looked at my brother. “Tell your father we will be in contact soon.”
“What is it that you’ll be in contact about?” Da
“Our terms” was all Sarkin said, and I could feel my brother’s frustration.
“Fuck your terms. If you hurt her,” Da
The slow spread of Sarkin’s grin made me hold my breath. I felt my brother’s temper snap. Zaridan’s wings gusted again, and I wondered if she could feel the palpable tension in the small clearing.
“Enough,” I said quietly, stepping forward in front of my brother before a brawl began. Sarkin’s eyes fastened on my own when I looked up at him. “I’m ready. Let’s go.”
Did I catch a hint of surprise? I couldn’t be certain as nerves began to rush, making my limbs shaky at the realization of what I was about to do. I hadn’t cried once since last night, and I refused to now…but all I wanted was to curl into a little ball on the wildlands and sob. I was leaving my home, where I’d been with my mother, where she was buried. Leaving Da
Sarkin took my chin in his grip, turning my cheek to peer down at my scar. I swallowed loudly, discomfort swirling. I’d pi
Now? I wanted my father to see it, who’d once loved my mother but couldn’t stand to look at me. My stepmother, who’d only ever hated me because I threatened everything she’d built. The Laseta Kalliri, the high priestess, who I assumed had always known about my abilities and had just been waiting for her own perfect moment to take me away to the North Lands. Now I had a strong suspicion Da
Sarkin’s thumb brushed the bottom edge of it, the marking that Zaridan had left on me. He recognized it. And I wasn’t a fool—I knew it had something to do with my being taken away.
The mark throbbed under his touch, making me flinch.
His lips pressed, and for a moment, he looked furious. He grabbed my waist, pushing me toward Zaridan, and I nearly stumbled into her. Standing next to her front clawed legs, as thick as tree trunks in the Ancient Grove, I craned my head to look at the dragon, my mouth bone dry in my fear and awe.