Dragon Blade [Book 2]

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Gem Higa © 2012 

Jumping off the prince’s unconscious body, Leiv reached under him and pocketed the powerful vial. She searched Talen for a weapon, but found nothing. He must have left one somewhere; it was unlike the prince to gallivant around without a weapon. Rounding the large desk, she opened each drawer in hopes of finding—her dagger!

 She could hardly believe the knife was in her hand once again; the lightweight gift had almost been lost to her and had practically given up on finding such a small token. Unsheathing it from its case, the metal gleamed against the setting sun as she held the silver hilt in her palms. The weapon her father gave felt at home in her grasps and empowered her to continue as she wrapped its belt around her waist , sheathing the knife.

Talen lay on the large bed completely motionless. Looking at the prince made the corners of her mouth tingle, spreading downwards until it reached her fingertips. The way he held her with such intimacy and gentleness stunned her. She kept repeating that it was only part of the plan, and it was nothing. It shouldn’t have even been considered intimate, for any emotion Talen had would merely be a manifestation of his power craves.   

Now, images of their first kiss resurfaced and chilled her to the bone. His lips brutally captured hers and stolen her first kiss. The energy within her had managed to seep out, entering Talen in large quantities, as he refused to yield, giving her no respite. A trickle of his dark energy had entered her, like drops of rain. Trying hard to not enjoy the power was difficult. How such energy could be held in but a few small drops were a wonder on its own. She had tried not to savor it, tried not to consume the dark matter, but it was too late. The magic had flowed through her and dissipated through her body.

 She shook her head, and laid a hand to it. How could she be thinking of such dark thoughts at a time like this? This was her chance to escape, to free her companions and the barbarians. But something in her refused to relent, and continued to remind how seductive and powerful that trickle of magic was. How much she craved the older prince’s lips back on hers. Her eyes widened, as her head cleared.

What was wrong with her? This was not the time to be thinking of such thoughts. Eyeing the sleeping prince, she knew it would never be the right time to think of such matters, it wasn’t right. Talen was the evil one, and the one that must be stopped along with his father. Clenching her fist, she moved away from the bed, refusing to turn and take a second glance.

She paused at the heavy door, wondering if the wooden barrier was still spelled. Carefully touching its edges she swung the door open and quickly looked outside. There were no guards littered around the hall like in the castle, but instead laid barren and utterly quiet.

It was a bit unsettling.

Moving down the stairs quietly was a bit tricky, but even at the bottom hall no guards were stationed at any points. Odd. Quiet battlegrounds could only mean two things, either the opposition had been slaughtered or something was amiss. In her experience the latter was always more probable.

 The entrance to the façade was made of the same heavy material as all the doors. She opened the barrier and peered out onto the open courtyard, seeing nothing but the barren fort. The dirt path once littered with barbarians now stood silent against the falling sun.

 Something was wrong. It was just too quiet.

 The barbarian homes were all floor level, none ever reaching a second story. Their taller buildings seemed to be saved for important places, the arena being the largest. Though their homes weren’t opulent, they weren’t run-down either. Back in the city they would have been considered middle-class, farther from the castle than the noble families, but closer than those of lower peasants. Everything was about status in the king’s city. With more money, you’d be near the castle and closer to protection. It was a tasteless system, designed to leave the poor in their slums, while the nobles were granted patronage.