A Dragon's Heart (Book Three in the APK Trilogy)

Chapter 3 | (P.1) Something Brewing

"I am sorry ma'am, but no civilians are allowed through the gates between 10pm and 6am. As I have told you already, it is well past midnight. Unless you have special orders from the Queen I am going to have to ask you to leave."

Civilians? My fingers curled into fists. "Do you know who I am?" I asked imperiously, my face growing red with anger. I was not a civilian!

The guard raised an eyebrow. "A civilian? Look sorry ma'am but we don't break rules for anyone unless you have a letter from the Queen. I am going to have to ask you to leave or I will be forced to remove you."

My eyes flickered down into the water but before I could even think about it he cut me off.

"And I wouldn't consider that way either unless you want to come up against a wall like this one," He smacked his hand against the gate behind him. "The Queen decided to change the underwater gate under instruction from a higher up that it might not be Water Sprite proof." His eyebrow rose again and he looked at me as though daring me to do it.

"Fine," I spat out. "But you haven't seen the last of me." I said as I withdrew.

"I am sure I will see you again at 6am when the gates open ma'am," The guard drawled, his face bored. "Enjoy the rest of your night."

I sniffed and twirled around, stomping back across the bridge and into the town. Fortunately for me the bars in town did not apply the same curfew because I needed a drink.

I sat myself down at a barstool and waved the bartender over.

"Vodka," I snarled, pushing over enough money to buy the bottle twice. He paused, shrugged, took the money and handed me the bottle. I took a heavy swig and contemplated what my next move should be.

By the time I got through the gate, it would be too late to track Ambrose. Well I could track him if I wanted to, but what then? No, my best bet was to make my way to that rock far out in the ocean, where that boy was and where the Princess would soon return. I would tell her then what had happened and we would form a new plan.

I snarled and took another swig of vodka. This had better be fucking worth it, I was in this for my own prize and I was not a pawn to be pushed around her silly little table. I deserved some respect and this time I would not be pushed to the side, I would demand to be a part of the action or else- Well. I would figure something out.

I suddenly became aware of a presence beside me and I looked up into the face of a woman for a fleeting moment before turning my gaze away.

"What do you want?"

"Are you Katarina?"

"What's it to you?" I looked back at the woman and found her face strangely familiar. Her blonde hair spilled out from beneath her hood, curling into ringlets. Her lips twisted into a smile.

"My name is Aisling."

"So?"

She leaned forward towards me. "I heard that you were causing quite the fuss down by the gate and I would like to know why."

"I sneered at her. "Why would I tell you anything?"

"Because I already know more about you than you would like, and I think we can help each other."

*

AMBROSE

It had been three days since my departure and Katarina was the last thing on my mind. There was something deeply wrong, I could feel it through the ocean, see it through the eyes of the creatures that had watched from below. The smell of smoke, death and fear floated on the currents and it left me uneasy. I had been right; there was something dangerous out there. My only consolation was that it hadn't been noticed within the Kingdom which meant for now my home was safe.