The Dragon Realm (Dark World The Dragon Twins #2) - Michelle Madow Page 0,29
I was never going to be able to keep track.
“I know someone who can help,” I said. “I can’t say any more than that, but I need you to trust me.” I glanced at Mira, then at Ethan. “To trust us.”
Hypatia watched me curiously. “Who’s this ‘someone?’” she asked.
“Someone who has answers—to everything.”
“Hm.” She pursed her lips, studying me. “When will you be able to get these answers?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “But I’ll do my best to get them as soon as I can.”
“You do that,” she said. “Once you do, you know where to find us.”
We all watched each other warily.
The Elders were losing their belief in us.
“We will help the enslaved dragons,” Ethan said confidently. “You have my word, as your king. But unfortunately, we can’t stay here for long.”
“You brought the twins here safely,” Darius said. “You returned to the kingdom you’re destined to rule. Where else do you need to be?”
“We need to return to Earth.”
“Now?”
“As soon as possible. As you know, demons threaten their realm. The supernaturals there are fighting, but they’re losing.”
“What does this have to do with us?” he asked.
“There’s something here we’ve come to get—something we believe can turn the war in our favor,” Ethan said.
“Our favor?” Hypatia raised an eyebrow. “You speak as if you’re one of them, and not one of us.”
“Our interests align with the supernaturals on Earth,” he said, unfazed by Hypatia’s doubt. “Like I said, there’s something here we’ve come to retrieve. This object could be the key in beating the demons. But more than that—if freed, the dragons can help the supernaturals on Earth defeat the demons. We’re stronger than any of their species. If we join them, their army will be nearly unstoppable. So it’s in their interest to help us free our people—if we agree to help them in return.”
“You’re proposing an alliance with the supernaturals on Earth,” Darius said.
“Precisely. And they’ll be more likely to hear us out if we bring this object back to them.”
“And what object is that?”
Ethan braced himself, held his gaze with Darius’s, and said, “We’re here for the Holy Crown.”
19
Gemma
“I’m afraid I can only halfway help you,” Darius said.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Come with me and I’ll show you.” He glanced at Torrence and Reed. “The mages will stay here.”
“The mages will come with us,” Ethan said.
“You don’t trust us with them?” Hypatia asked, and from her tone, it was clear that we shouldn’t trust her with the mages.
She’d probably bring them to a torture cell, like the ones in the Ward.
“Quite frankly, no,” Ethan said. “And I don’t blame you for that. But I promised them that I’d do everything I could to get them back to Earth, and I intend to stand by that promise. So, they stay with us, wherever we go.”
“As you wish.” She sighed. “You are, after all, our king.”
She didn’t sound happy about it.
Darius led us to a lift that reminded me of the ones in Utopia and took it to the lowest possible floor—the basement.
We stepped out into a small room with stone walls, a sand floor, and a single steel door.
Darius removed a skeleton key from his robes and used it to open the door.
It swung open, revealing a huge room full of gold, gems, crystals, and more, in piles up to the ceiling and spilling out everywhere possible. It was like stepping into the Cave of Wonders.
“Are these all magical objects?” I asked, looking around in amazement.
“Mostly, no,” Darius said. “They’re treasures, but they’re not magical. You see, dragons love beautiful objects. We keep them here and gift them to citizens who earn them. A reward system, per se. It gives everyone something to focus on—something bright and shiny to look forward to in such dark times.”
“You’re hoarding worthless treasure in your basement,” Torrence said, like it was the most ridiculous thing she’d ever heard.
“These treasures are our currency. They ensure that everyone does their best to contribute to the kingdom. But not all of the objects here are non-magical.” He spun around and led the way through the vault, meandering around the piles of treasure overflowing onto the path.
We followed him, and I definitely spotted Torrence eying up some of the bracelets. Mira, too.
Then I spotted a gold pen inlaid with rubies, and slowed down to stare at it. I’d love to write in my journal with that pen…
“Dragons,” Reed muttered from behind us, and I quickened my pace.