Firedrake - By Bianca D'Arc Page 0,96

had your brother abducted in order to train him with his army of fair folk.”

“What you’re telling me sounds like a fairy tale,” Roland said with disbelief clear in his voice as he gazed at Wil.

Mace nodded. “I know, my liege. But every word is true. And there’s more, but I think it should wait ’til we are more private.” Mace shifted his eyes to the attentive audience all around and Roland sobered.

“Good idea.” Roland stepped forward to face the tall young man clad in scarred black leather. “Wil? Is it really you?”

William nodded, clearly choked up. “It’s really me, Rol.”

Roland reached out to his little brother, cupping the side of his head. A flare of power from each of them met and held as they recognized each other. Roland knew the flavor of his brother’s magic and knew in that moment—somehow—his brother had grown up.

“I’ve missed you so much,” Wil said, breaking the silence.

“Stars!” Roland whispered his amazement as he drew his youngest brother into a crushing embrace. “It is you!”

Drake followed everyone into a private chamber big enough for Nellin, Jenet, Kelvan and Rohtina to join them and give their version of events. Roland, Lana, Nico and Riki listened to every detail of the chase and discovery of William on Gryphon Isle.

“I spent five years there, training with the fair folk” Wil picked up the story where they’d left off, “and learning the legacy of our line. Rol, there’s a lot we didn’t know—a lot the dragons were charged to remember for us—and Gryffid thinks the time is coming when we’ll have to settle the ancient feuds once and for all. That’s why he took me.”

Drake saw Roland’s eyes narrow in anger. “He could have asked. He didn’t have to kidnap you and grievously injure two of our best fighting pairs in the process.”

“He did apologize for that,” Drake put in with a raised eyebrow. “Apparently, the mercs he hired to do the job got a little overzealous. Still, I agree, he should have just asked. Then again, would any of us really have believed one of the wizards still lived?”

“Good point.” Roland nodded in Drake’s direction. “So what’s the dire news from your new wizard friend?”

“There’s a place in the far North. It’s called the Citadel.” The dragons perked up as Wil spoke.

“I’ve heard of it. Recently, in fact. Salomar was giving King Lucan of Skithdron safe passage through the Northern wasteland for his search parties in exchange for diamond blades to take down our dragons. They were looking for the Citadel.”

Wil’s expression grew dark at his brother’s words. “So Gryffid feared.” Wil seemed to take a moment to gather his thoughts. “When the wizards left this realm, some stayed behind. A few, like Gryffid, voluntarily exiled themselves. Some were exiled by force—imprisoned in the ice at the top of the world—in the Citadel. It’s likely that our neighbor, King Lucan, is looking to free the worst of the worst of our enemies from the ice. Probably hoping they’ll reward him for his efforts. Roland—” his voice dropped low with deadly seriousness, “—the wizard Skir was imprisoned up there after he created the skiths.”

Silence reigned for a long moment while everyone digested this awful news.

“And the dragons knew this?” Roland looked to the dragons gathered behind the human party. Four large heads nodded.

“So we were taught,” Jenet responded. “It is our place to remember where our human friends do not. It is our task to be ever vigilant and ready to defend the lands should any of the entombed wizards seek to escape their punishment. Ours, and the Guardian’s.”

“What Guardian?” Roland demanded.

“We know not,” Jenet said sadly. “We only know there is a Guardian in the North. A being of great power, born to watch over the Citadel.”

“A hereditary Guardian, then. A human?” the king insisted, echoing the concern Drake saw in everyone’s expression.

“Perhaps a human born of wizard blood,” Nellin mused. “Like you, my liege. It would make sense.”

“That’s only a theory,” Jenet groused.

“But a good one, I’ve always thought,” Nellin countered.

“You two bicker like a married couple.” Nico’s voice was laced with suspicion.

“That’s because we are,” Jenet answered, sticking her tongue out at the Prince of Spies, much like a human child would.

Drake was a little appalled the dragons would choose that particular moment to reveal the truth of their mating…and all the implications for their humans that entailed. If it had been up to him, he would have chosen a less tense moment for