Falka to Sharoani and raided the nest, bringing back the recruits’ hatchlings. I was the one who found Leyra’s egg.” She looked across at the dragons basking in the sunlight.
Tauran’s lips parted. “You brought Leyra’s egg to Valreus?”
Catria sighed. She hung her head. “Yeah. I wanted to tell you, I really did. But I couldn’t. When I found her egg, I tried to hide it, but I wasn’t fast enough. When Falka saw it, he couldn’t resist, despite our previous failed attempts at incubating wild eggs. After that, the wild dragons abandoned the site, and Falka has been trying to locate them since. He sent me out here to look for hatchlings three days ago, but it’s really an excuse to keep me away from the city.” When she looked at Tauran again, her expression was pained. “Things are getting bad at home, Tau.”
“What’s going on?” Tauran asked, trying not to focus on the cold tightness forming in his gut.
“Emilian has been arrested.”
“What?” Tauran’s eyes widened. “What happened?”
She swallowed. “He… outed himself as a rebel to the entire guard. He had to. Falka has been blackmailing him for years, forcing him to go along with his plans under threat of prosecution and hanging. Falka wanted him to raise an army and march upon Irades, take their capital in a surprise attack, and lay siege to the entire country. Irades never posed a threat to us, Tauran. They’ve never wanted our dragons. They only became aware of Falka’s plans when I managed to send a messenger across the border last month.” She shook her head. “Emilian refused Falka’s demands for an army. Since he confessed, Falka won’t even hold a trial. He’s having him executed three days from now.” Her bottom lip wobbled, and she turned her head away.
Tauran swallowed against the bile rising in his throat. It was so much to take in, so much for one person to carry on their shoulders. He hadn’t even noticed how well Catria had kept it together this whole time. He thought about the day he’d spotted them together, Catria gently holding Emilian close. The quiet, subdued affection between them. “What about Roric?” he asked, not sure if he wanted to hear the answer to his own question.
Catria’s eyes darkened. “Roric is not with us, Tauran. Not at all. I’m sorry. I know you two were close.”
Tauran rubbed his palms against his eyes. He remembered Andreus’ words. “Skies. Can’t we just return to Valreus, slit Falka’s throat and be done with it?”
“I wish we could, but it’s not that easy,” Catria said. “Falka has half the guard on his side. Even the city council is in the palm of his hand. Those mysterious council member deaths Falka blamed the rebels for? Those are his work, too. He culls the ones not sympathetic to his cause until only those remain who think Falka is an innovative, forward-thinking champion. They’re even willing to ignore his threats to Irades so long as they know Irades won’t have the means to do anything about it. Falka has the power to take what he wants. That inn you stayed at when he found you. There was a fire, wasn’t there? Do you think that was a coincidence?”
“Fuck!” Tauran pressed his knuckles against his forehead. The pile of shit kept growing deeper. Tauran was suddenly glad he hadn’t brought evidence to the council. “There has to be something we can do.”
Catria’s voice was full of sorrow. “I don’t know what that could be. The recruits are already flying. The rebellion isn’t the grand conspiracy to overthrow the guard Falka wants everyone to think it is. It never has been. Andreus saw Falka as he really was years ago and wanted to change directions before the Sky Guard went down a road we wouldn’t be able to come back from.” Her shoulders sagged and her gaze drifted to the dragons playing in the clearing. Arrow and Sorcha regarded each other curiously. Sorcha curled her tail and leaped into the air, making Arrow tilt his head. “There’s no network of rebels and spies. It’s just us, trying to keep people and dragons safe.”
Tauran followed her gaze. Leyra lay on her back, warming her belly in the sun without a care in the world. How nice, to be a dragon and not have to worry about death and treason.
The frustrating truth was, Tauran was stuck here. Even if he knew how to help, returning to Valreus on horseback would take weeks, time