on his back enough time to turn and take out both their wings as well.
When the man turned, Emane finally saw his face. “Dralazar!” Emane looked over to Drem, whose mouth was hanging wide open, his ears pressing themselves flat against his head.
Dralazar’s voice came booming out, magically amplified over the valley. “You are looking for some threads that appeared in your land a short time ago. I believe I can help.”
Emane looked frantically at Drem. “What is he saying?”
Drem’s eyes were still fixed on the dragon.
Emane stepped in front of him, grabbing his shirt. “Drem! What is he saying? Can he help them?”
Drem blinked before looking at him. “Does he know your names?”
Emane nodded.
“Then yes, that is all he would need to allow them to scrye for you. It will show them anywhere you have been where you were not concealed.”
Emane’s mouth went dry, and his hands slipped from Drem’s shirt. He remembered one very important time when he stepped out of the boundary. He remembered Alcander snarling, He might as well have drawn evil a map.
“Lower your hands,” Dralazar commanded the stunned crowd of Taveans below them.
One Tavean stepped forward. His hair was jet black, his eyes so red Emane could see them from the hill. He yelled back, “If your information is not worthwhile, we will kill you.”
Dralazar must have felt confident in his information, because as soon as the group lowered their hands Soolan began circling to land.
“No!” Emane shouted. Turning, he shoved Drem out of the way, grabbed his dagger and sword, and ran out of the enclosure.
A cry went up from the camp the second his thread emerged from Drem’s house. Soolan banked a moment later, turning his course. Emane skidded to a stop as magical volleys were launched his direction. He hadn’t thought past stopping Dralazar from revealing their names. Kneeling, he raised his sword, blocking the nearest two shots in danger of connecting with him. The others landed harmlessly in the grass next to him. He saw Soolan bearing down on him as another group of volleys went up. But the magic went high and to the right. Confused, Emane turned his head to see Drem running down the hill in the opposite direction.
“No!” Emane yelled. He had seen how fast Drem could move when he wanted to. Drem was not trying to run to safety—he was drawing fire.
Drem turned his head just long enough to mouth, “Run,” before two shots of green magic caught him in the chest. The old man’s thin arms flayed in the air as he spun backwards. One more volley of magic connected with his back, and he crumpled lifelessly to the ground.
“Drem!” Emane ran towards him. He hadn’t taken more than two steps when he felt dragon talons wrap around his waist.
He twisted with a yell to see Dralazar standing on Soolan’s back, throwing a shield to protect them from the fire of camp. He saw Soolan’s other foot coming up a second before it slammed into the side of his head.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Save Him
KIORA TRIED TO WALK normally as they headed down the hill. But after another day of training, everything hurt. Alcander had insisted she be healed before tomorrow, and she hadn’t argued. They found Lomay outside his house pulling weeds. Alcander sighed audibly. The old man straightened with a groan. Kiora looked curiously between the two.
“Alcander finds it silly that I weed my garden by hand,” Lomay grunted, stretching backwards. Alcander raised his hand before Lomay scolded him. “Gah! Leave them alone. It’s how I stay young. One needs to work.”
Alcander rolled his eyes and strode into the house.
“He gets rather huffy, doesn’t he?” Kiora asked.
“Noticed that already?” Lomay asked, grinning. “You look to be injured again. Come along.” He waved her inside.
She hopped up the stairs and dropped onto the couch.
“Just the ankle?”
She glanced towards the kitchen where Alcander was rummaging for something to eat. “And my back, elbow, neck, and finger,” she whispered, holding up her right hand. Her little finger was swollen to nearly double its size.
“Goodness,” he said, taking her hand in his. “He really is merciless, isn’t he?”
She sighed with relief as the healing began. “He says it is for my own good. I would argue with him if he wasn’t right.”
Alcander returned with a hunk of bread in one hand and an apple in the other. He raised his eyebrows as Lomay moved his hands to the back of Kiora’s neck and then her elbow. “You said it