trial by combat! It is the fair thing to do!"
"Did you allow the unborn babe a chance to defend itself? Did you give Tressa a chance to fight back?" Granna looked back at her great-granddaughter.
Tressa couldn't read the expression on Granna’s face. There was no fear, and yet there did not appear to be any anger either.
"I didn't do anything to her! I swear it. My medicine woman, she did. It was her foul, evil magic that lead to Tressa's unfortunate incident."
"My incident?" Tressa said, finally speaking up. "You killed my baby. You left me to die!"
"Not me! My medicine woman!" Nervous sweat mingled with her makeup as it ran down her face.
"Yes, but by your command," Tressa said through gritted teeth. "I dare you to refute that."
"I—” Jacinda stammered. She looked to her son, but he had stepped away from her, a disgusted look on his face.
Destrian held his hands up in the air. "I knew nothing of this. I swear it to you."
Granna looked at her mage. He nodded, confirming the Yellow prince's statement.
"You know the punishment, Jacinda," Granna said.
Part of Tressa wanted to regret what was about to happen, to make amends with Jacinda before the inevitable, but she couldn't bring herself to care. All Tressa could see was the blood on Jacinda’s hands. The blood of a baby whose mother hadn't even had the chance to save it.
"Death leads to death." Granna raised her sword.
"No!" Jacinda fell to her knees. She crawled on the ground, laying her head on Granna's feet. "Don't do this. Have mercy on me!"
"Did you have mercy on Tressa? I think not." Granna stepped away, leaving Jacinda on the ground, a rumpled, pathetic mess.
Jacinda turned back to Destrian, her hand outstretched. He shook his head, also backing away. Wild, she looked toward Tressa. "I'm sorry. So, so sorry for what I did to you. It was petty jealousy, nothing more. I will give you and Jarrett a palace, a place for you to relax and make love for the rest of your days. You will be supplied with servants for the countless number of children you will have. I swear all this and more will be yours. Just have mercy on me!"
Tressa stepped toward Jacinda. "You destroyed the one thing I wanted in life. You took it away from me because you are a cruel, jealous woman. You had many opportunities to change your mind, but you didn't. You murdered my baby. Face your punishment like a woman." She stepped back, falling into Fi's outstretched arms.
Mestifito's jaw dropped. Heat billowed from between his teeth, followed by a loud spurting noise, drowning out Jacinda's wails and pleas for mercy. Fire flew from his mouth, engulfing Jacinda in flames.
No one turned away. They all watched justice being served upon one who willingly chose the path of anger and jealousy. Tressa was filled with sadness and a sense of relief. The woman who'd killed her unborn baby was dead. Burned alive in a cloud of flames.
In his mercy, Mestifito made it quick. Jacinda was a pile of ashes within a few breaths.
"Take her home," Granna said to Destrian. "Show your people what happens when they use cruelty to rule rather than justice. We will not stand for it, and soon we will show the rest of the Dragonlands what it means to be free."
The young man nodded, his face passive, dusting his mother’s ashes into a rag he carried in his pocket. He tied it up, then turned toward the north.
Granna waved a hand. "You may change back into your dragon now. Fly home."
Within moments Destrian transformed into the golden dragon and flew toward his home without so much as a glance back at the Black horde.
Chapter Fourteen
Jarrett lowered the anchor, mooring the boat not far off shore. Together, Jarrett and Connor cranked the winch, lowering the dinghy to the water. Connor climbed down the rope into the boat. Bastian lowered Elinor to Connor because she wasn’t shy to admit she didn’t have the upper body strength to make her way down the rope without falling. Bastian followed, and then Jarrett.
Jarrett sat at the back of the dinghy, paddling. Bastian threw up over the side while Elinor rubbed his back, and Connor stuck his face into the wind, enjoying the ride. Jarrett hoped Bastian would quickly regain his legs once they hit the shore. They'd need his steel to face whatever traps the Keepers had set. Jarrett only wished he knew more magic. He always