The Dragon Liberator: Escapee

-26-

POV: Fendrel

A grove of trees in the shape of a crescent moon surrounded the city of Sharpdagger on all sides except for the entrance. The trees were thick, their branches intertwined, and bushes hid their roots. Fendrel and the others hid in the grove, observing the palace.

Cassius held a scrap of paper and a charcoal pen in his shaking hands. He paced in front of the others. "How am I going to do this? What do I even say?"

"You don't think they'll welcome you back?" Fendrel watched the prince.

"I just left. How do I get them to forgive me for that? I was supposed to get married and I abandoned them." Cassius stood still and pressed his palms to his forehead. "What if Zoricus decides not to work with Sadon anymore and kills me?"

Fendrel snorted. "If Zoricus is as smart as he seems to be, he won't go behind Sadon's back. That's a death sentence. If anything, he'll keep you alive until Sadon...accomplishes whatever he's been planning, which we can't let him do."

Cassius resumed his pacing.

"Maybe you can bring them a gift to regain their trust." Fendrel shrugged.

The prince bit his lip. "I don't think that would work..."

"Well, we don't know how much time we have before Sadon infiltrates." Fendrel gestured at the palace. "It could be any minute. As far as I can tell, we either go in with a note explaining you're here to reconcile, or we rush in without a plan."

Cassius took a step back. "How would you even sneak in without being noticed? You ripped off that dragon hunter's scarf as soon as we flew away from the Stronghold."

Fendrel patted his bag. "I probably have something in here that could help with that."

"But you'll have to show up in front of my father at some point and they'll ask who you are. You'll have to reveal your face, and you have wanted posters all over the city." Cassius stepped toward Fendrel, his voice rising in volume.

"And you still need me there when you tell your father about Zoricus. I have to go with you in order for this to work."

Cassius sighed. "Fine." He placed the paper against a tree trunk and began to write.

Venom nudged Fendrel's shoulder. "Good. Now we need to focus on what to do once you get inside."

Fendrel nodded. "I have to get the death threat before we see the king. I think I can sneak in unnoticed. What will you do once I'm in?" He gestured at Cassius.

The prince tapped his foot. "I can..." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "I can announce to my father that the dragon hunters are up to something, and that they might be in the palace. I'm sure the knights will be on guard once they know an enemy is in the throne room, even if they're only pretending to be hostile. They'll answer to my father, I hope."

"Okay, and I'll give the note to the guards so they'll be too distracted with your arrival to notice me sneaking in." Fendrel leaned against a tree trunk. "Then I'll meet you in the throne room after I get the note."

"What if you get caught?" Venom looked down at Fendrel.

Fendrel drummed his fingers on his bag. "Yeah, would your father even let me speak?"

Cassius nodded. "If you tell him you have connections to me, he'll listen. His health is failing but he still loves drama and strives to bargain, even with criminals. He wouldn't miss this trial for the world."

"Do you have an escape plan?" Thea eyed the walls that surrounded the city of Sharpdagger.

Venom's wings lifted slightly as he shrugged. "We fly away as soon as we can and continue to look for Mist."