Resistance: The Umbra Chronicles Book 3 Page 11

  ‘Peaceful?’ he spat. ‘The Draceni are bloodthirsty traitors. It’s because of them that the Camiri were enslaved by the Empress in the first place. They were exiled and with good reason!’

  ‘But, what if-’

  ‘No, Emer! Now, come on. I’ve got to keep you safe.’

  I was getting scared. I remembered that night back in the Halls of Youth when Darragh’s son attacked. I’d been surprised that the youth were able to mount such an organised defence, under Caradoc’s leadership. Around me now were adults, not children, and they were all fully trained warriors. In what seemed like moments, we were surrounded by men and women in armour, ready in formation, their weapons in their hands.

  Aine appeared at my side, pale faced. Her hand trembled as it grasped mine.

  ‘Emer, I’m so frightened. Dragons haven’t been seen in Camaria for three hundred years, what are we going to do?!’

  I was ready to raise my voice and make a scene, just as Aoife had always hated, to insist that the Draceni were not necessarily a threat, but I stopped. The dragon was circling, coming ever closer to the ground. As it came nearer, I saw the saddle mounted on its back and a Rider in place. The people were right to prepare. This wasn’t an innocent Draceni. This was one of Aoife’s Dragon Guards — the first.

  My response was quieter than planned. ‘We’re going to defend ourselves, Aine.’ I looked around. Andras was right behind me, the three other guards completing a ring around us. Beyond them were Rhydda warriors. The city wasn’t designed for defence against a dragon’s attack, but we were as protected as it was possible to be. Beyond the wall of warriors surrounding us, magi were moving into formation with their hands on each other’s shoulders, until they stood in the shape of a star. In this position, they could channel their magic so the person in the centre could use the combined magic of all of them.

  These were trained warriors, but this was a new kind of warfare and I was one of the very few who had even experienced it before. Dragons were formidable foes. The magi in the star could only hope to slow the dragons down. I’d seen them try in the Halls of Youth. I’d seen every mage in Rheged, including the Librarians from Cairnagorn, try to defeat Darragh when he attacked the city. I’d seen Aine’s troops in battle, in the future when she was the Dark Queen and her troops had twenty years’ experience facing the dragons… and they’d still lost the battle.

  The only thing that had been really effective in facing a dragon… was another dragon. Changing shape took a lot of power and very few magi could do it. In fact, Aine was the only person I’d ever seen able to do it, except for me and Sparrow.

  I’d promised the King I wouldn’t use magic. I’d promised. But seriously, who could have seen this coming?

  The thought came unbidden. The King could have seen this coming if he’d listened to me. And then another answer, just as bitter, supplied itself.

  Who could have seen this coming? Saoirse, who knew that both Aine and I would be here today. She must have seen an opportunity to get rid of both of us. This would be the first engagement of the new war. Aoife’s dragon was going to flatten Am Dien.

  Aine was still holding my hand. ‘Give me your magic,’ I said.

  ‘What?’

  ‘Your magic, give it to me.’

  ‘But you promised Father…’

  ‘I know what I promised and I know what I need to do.’

  Andras’s hand fell heavily on my shoulder. ‘No,’ he said, like he had any power to forbid me to do anything.

  I turned. ‘Sorry, Andras. I have to.’

  A nerve pulsed in his jaw. ‘I only want you to be safe.’

  ‘The only way I can be safe is if I move now. Aine, give me your magic.’

  I shoved the dagger into my belt, just in case I needed it later. I wasn’t even sure if this would work. I’d only done it once and I’d had the magic of every mage in Rheged flowing through me. Aine squeezed my hand and opened her magic to me.

  She was more powerful than I’d realised. I should have known. Like me, she was Umbra’s heir. I saw the flash of light on the soldier’s armour around me and knew that Umbra was shining in my brow. Aine’s eyes widened as the golden flare of magic flowed from her to me.

  It was an incredible feeling. I was pulsing with magic. I left my friends behind and shoved my way through the crowd to the magi.

  ‘I need your magic!’ I cried. ‘You all know what I did for you in Rheged. Give me your magic today and I’ll do it again.’

  The first hand that reached out to me was marked with a phoenix. The girl couldn’t have been more than fifteen. The others followed suit. Soon I was so full of magic I felt like I was floating even before I changed shape.

  The dragon circling the camp lowered, ready to make its first pass. It barrelled towards us, mouth open as it drew in, ready to flame. A wind as strong as a tornado whipped around me, ripping at me as I began to turn into a dragon. I leaped into the whirling air, already changing. My skin thickened, my body lengthened and massive wings sprouted from my shoulder blades. I was close enough to see the dragon’s eyes widen with horror as I appeared right in front of them.

  The Rider turned the dragon’s head at the last moment to avoid the impact. The dragon’s head slewed sideways and the Rider had to stand up in the stirrups, pulling tight on the reins to keep his balance. I recognised the reins, twisted out of human hair. I recognised the Rider, too.

  Kiaran.

  He’d been one of Aoife’s Dragon Guards, trained to ride the enormous beasts, skilled in both the subjugation of his mount and aggressive magic. He’d taught me some magic — enough for me to know that if I didn’t act quickly, I was going to be so much burned toast in a minute.

  I followed them, clamping my jaws, not on the dragon’s neck, but on the harness. The dragon was not trained in war and probably wanted to get away as much as I wanted him to leave. If I could dismount the Rider, the dragon might just leave. I pulled at the harness as the dragon bellowed in fear.

  We plummeted towards the ground, each of us just barely managing to stay airborne before we fell onto the halls, where we might easily be impaled by a sharp timber. The dragon’s soft underbelly is no old wives’ tale and I was not keen for my own soft underbelly to be breached.

  Kiaran turned the dragon’s head again, back to the group of warriors. Their magi sent a burst of flame towards Kiaran but it didn’t hurt the dragon, with his protective hide, nor Kiaran in his dragonscale armour. The next burst was ice. It would have done damage if it landed, but Kiaran deftly manoeuvred his dragon out of the way. He pulled the reins and drew the massive head up, the mouth open.

  Just before the dragon could flame, I caught up with them and clamped my jaws on the dragon’s tail. I used the leverage to swing the dragon away from me, up into the air and away from the warriors who didn’t stand a chance against dragonflame.

  But the dragon wasn’t Aoife’s only method of attack. Soldiers came out of the woods and threw themselves on the Rhydda warriors. The Rhydda slaughtered most of them on the first wave. I turned my focus back to Kiaran and his mount.

  I squealed, even in my other form. They were right above me, coming towards me in a dive. I lumbered out of the way just in time but they were already turning to come back for another attack. Kiaran had already found a weakness. I wasn’t as agile as his dragon since I wasn’t as accustomed to this shape. I barely got out of the way in time. I breathed fire towards him, a gesture of automatic, impotent vengeance.

  The next time, I wasn’t ready. I tried spinning out of the path of the dragon as it approached me with his hands raised, but I wasn’t fast enough and he raked his claws down my back. I turned, just in time for the dragon to grip my shoulders until we were belly to belly and sank his teeth deep into my neck.

  I thought I heard Andras scream. The sound, even if I’d only imagined it, gave me strength to rip my head back until I was out of reach. I raked my back claws down the other dragon’s belly and it fell away from me.

/>   I darted around, trying not to let the massive wound in my shoulder slow me down. I was dripping torrents of blood onto the ground below and my flesh was mangled. It hurt so much it was like I felt the pain in every part of me. My vision began to fade. The next time they came for me, I wasn’t going to escape.

  A blue blur swept between us, jaws bright even in my fading vision, snapping and snarling. Another golden shape dove towards Kiaran and his mount. They collided in a blur of green and gold.

  I wasn’t able to stay aloft. My wings folded and I began to fall. The other dragons caught me, guiding me down to the earth on the broad back of the gold dragon.

  The last thing I did before falling unconscious was to change back to my own shape.

  It wasn’t long before I awoke to find Andras and Aine leaning over me. Andras’s trembling hands were pressed to the wound in my neck. I could feel the healing warmth of his magic seep into me. I’d forgotten that he was an able healer.

  I brought my hand up to pat his and he made a sound between a gasp and a cry. Aine grasped my other hand and held it tightly. ‘Thank goodness you’re all right, Emer! We thought you were dead!’

  I groaned and sat up. Andras tried to protest, but he knew it was futile. He moved to sit behind me, so I could rest by back against his bent knee and he put his arm around my shoulders. I leaned into him gratefully.

  ‘I had to do it,’ I said. ‘She would have wiped you out, otherwise.’ I tried to smile, but it was wonky. ‘I’ve got my new family to look after.’

  ‘She? But the Rider is a male.’

  I looked around for the speaker. Oisin was standing behind Aine. He must have been the golden dragon. Bridget, close by him, still in her leather armour, must have been the blue. There was a chain clamped around Oisin’s neck, worn with arrogant insouciance since only the hair of his true love could hold him. I passed my hand over my face to try and gather my thoughts.

  ‘What happened to him?’

  ‘He got away. He is being tracked.’

  I nodded and regretted it. I still hurt. I closed my eyes against the pain as Andras curved his hand around my shoulder and offered me his healing again.

  ‘I warned you that the White Queen would enslave your people,’ I told Oisin. ‘This was only the first.’ I looked past Oisin and Bridget. There was a man on the ground, still groaning and bleeding from the wounds I’d inflicted. I hadn’t had a choice. Gripped tight in his hands was the “rope” that had been used to restrain him. He’d had even less choice than I had.

  Kiaran himself had told me how they’d controlled the dragons. They used a rope, twisted of the hair of their true love. My gaze drifted back to Oisin. I’d just remembered where I’d heard the name Niamh before. She was a woman who made a mark on people. Caradoc’s sister. Queen of the Wild Ones. And beloved of the King of the Draceni.

  When Oisin was enslaved by Aoife, he’d been Kiaran’s dragon, bound by the hair of his true love… Niamh. I struggled to my feet.

  We weren’t exactly face to face. Oisin was at least a foot taller than I was — but I had determination to match his. ‘You asked what I could offer in return for your assistance? You’ve seen proof that the White Queen plans to turn your people into beasts of burden, mere creatures she can use to fight her wars. And I can offer you more, Oisin. If you will fight with me and not against me, then I tell you I will do everything in my power to rescue Niamh.’

  His head went back, his eyes wide with shock. He recovered quickly. A moment later, he sank to one knee and bowed his head. The ghost of a smile played over his mobile lips. Bridget followed suit and knelt beside him.

  Oisin looked up to meet my eyes. ‘At your service, Bach Chwaer.’

  First, I had to convince the Camiri that the Draceni weren’t our enemies. They hadn’t known that the Draceni also had human forms — that much had been lost in three hundred years. Much of the history of the Draceni had been deliberately blotted out. Their betrayal of the Camiri to the Empress — to Lynnevet — had cost much. The Camiri had become slaves, the Draceni had become exiles and later joined the Camiri as slaves in Meistria when the White Queen took the throne. The knowledge that the Draceni were native shapeshifters didn’t help the Camiri to trust them.

  The fact that Oisin had bowed to me went a long way towards allaying their suspicions. The Rhydda were a little in awe of me now. I’d changed into a dragon not once but twice, something that no magi they’d ever known could do. I’d risked my life to save theirs and they valued courage and honour above nearly everything else.

  They were torn. They’d hated the Draceni for three hundred years. No amount of charisma was going to change that overnight. But their loyalty to me, though new, was strong. They’d trusted Caradoc and their loyalty to him ran deep. Even though I convinced them that Oisin’s head should remain connected to his body, they still wanted to see what he would look like without it. But he’d rescued me. He’d saved all of them, in fact, when I’d fallen. So, there was a cautious cessation of hostilities that wasn’t going to last longer than one misplaced word.

  The careful entente lasted the short while Oisin remained in the camp with Aine and me. Right now, that was enough. We left the camp and went back to the palace, Andras and the other guards riding outside the carriage.

  By now it was twilight, that time when the shadows creep in the gutters and under the eaves, when it’s hard to tell if something is moving or if it’s just a trick of the shifting light. The carriage bounced over the cobblestones. Aine leaned her head against the side of the carriage, trying to rest. I wished I could do the same. It had been a big day. It was all I could do not to roll my eyes and turn my head away at the ridiculous thought.

  A big day. Beginning with that hellish breakfast, working hard with the kitchen helpers, making a new family. Good grief. I had a new name. How do you process something like that? I’d never belonged to a family in my life. Technically, the woman sitting beside me, her temple bouncing against the wall of the carriage, was my mother. I had relatives, but the only family I’d ever really had was Sparrow and when I thought about the way she’d spoken to me last night I had to admit that it wasn’t the first time she’d spoken to me like that.

  I had a family now. A new name. I was Emer of the family Ganainn. I had to close my eyes on a long blink, because the thought was too precious to even think about with my eyes open.

  When I opened my eyes, I realised that Oisin was looking at me. He grinned, rocking from side to side with the movement of the carriage. He was a cocky bastard. I tried not to think of how much that reminded me of Caradoc, because learning that Caradoc had used me in his quest to free Niamh was more than I was ready to think about. It would take a lot more than a blink to process that particular thought.

  And Oisin was Niamh’s lover. Husband? I wondered. Not that it mattered. Except, if he was my lover, it would matter to me. I thought of Andras, even now clinging to the outside of the carriage. I thought of Caradoc. I’d wanted to marry Caradoc. Even now, when I wanted to spit in his face, I still wanted to have been married to him. I’d never even thought about marrying Andras. Maybe that said something.

  The carriage jerked to a stop.

  Aine made a warm sound and lifted her head from the carriage wall. ‘Are we there? I didn’t hear the sentry.’

  Oisin’s grin vanished. He swung around to look out the window in the carriage door.

  It opened right in front of him. A hand grasped his shirt and pulled him through. Men all around us began to shout. There was the clash of weapons, cries and grunts of intense fighting.

  Aine screamed. I wanted to hit her as much as I wanted to attack whoever was attacking us. I slapped at her hand, as much to release the tension as to reprimand her. ‘Shut up!’ I hissed. ‘Don’t draw attention to — oh, shit.’

  The door beside me opened further. A face appeared. I tried to squeeze back against Aine in the corner of the carriage, but there wasn’t much room. The man reached out and grabbed my arm. I
fought, kicking out. I connected with his face, cracking his nose and spraying blood onto the walls of the carriage.

  Behind me, Aine screamed and grabbed my shoulders, trying to hold me back. The door behind her opened. She half fell into the man who opened it. He hooked his arms around her shoulders and dragged her backwards. She kicked my leg, hard, as she tried to escape him. I was distracted by the unexpected pain and the man with the freshly broken nose took advantage of it. He grabbed my ankle and dragged me from the carriage.

  It was chaos outside. There must have been a dozen men around the carriage, fighting viciously in the tricky, twilight gloom. I caught a glimpse of Andras, blades flashing, and I felt absolutely no fear for him. I’d seen him as an older man in my own time, when he’d become the fearsome Black Knight. I’d almost forgotten, watching him consume himself with loathing after the way Gwydion treated him today, that he was a formidable warrior. His face was contorted into a snarl as the man before him fell like a puppet whose strings were cut.

  Aine was screaming on the other side of the carriage, short, sharp screams that drew me like a tide to the shore. It might as well have been Sparrow screaming. I had to get to her.

  I couldn’t free myself physically, but it wasn’t like my muscles were the strongest part of me. No, the strongest part of me ran deep within my bones and blood. I’d spent a lot of my magic changing into a dragon, but I’d had the power the Rhydda shared with me and I’d spent half the night under the full moon. I had more to give.

  And these guys were going to get it.

  I let my magic sizzle through me and it was almost intoxicating to let it rise to the surface. It dazzled through my skin and through every hair on my body. My hair flew free of its confinement, flying in the magic wind. The fine hairs on my arms rose and electricity crackled through them.

  The man trying to hold me screamed even louder than Aine. The hand around my ankle constricted painfully tight, but he wasn’t in control any more. His body contorted and he fell, his whole body still locked in an arc. I sat up, my hair still flying in the wind my magic had caused and used more magic to open the fingers the dead man had clamped around my ankle.