Read Online A Time of Darkness (The Circle of Talia) by Dionne Lister - Free Book Online Page B

situation.”
    “Excuse me. I hate to interrupt, but that doesn’t sound like much of a plan.” King Valdorryn looked from his master of war to his captain and back again.
    “Have you got a better one, Sire?”
    “Hmm, no. It’s been an extremely long time since we’ve had to deal with war. I’m a bit rusty: we all are.”
    Agmunsten spoke. “I’m going to send for one of the teachers and four students from The Academy. I think it’s time you shared your Talian natural magic secrets with more realmists. We’ll need the advantage when it comes time to fight the gormons. Have you got anyone here who can teach them?”
    Arcese looked at her mother and smiled. “My mother is quite good, actually.”
    “Well, I don’t like to brag, but I can hold my own with my talented daughter. I’d be only too happy to share some of our secrets with them.”
    Agmunsten stifled a cough when he saw the queen flutter her eyelashes. He hadn’t even realized dragons had eyelashes—and just when he thought he’d seen everything. “Good; it’s settled. So, I think it’s time to get to bed. We have an early start tomorrow.”
    King Valdorryn listened, all the while tapping his claws on the table. When he spoke, his voice had taken on the edge of menace Agmunsten heard after Symbothial had been murdered. And he looked straight at the head realmist. “If it comes to war, you keep my daughter out of it. Do you understand? I won’t have any of our female dragons fighting, and certainly not my daughter.” A tendril of smoke escaped his nostrils and drifted towards the ceiling.
    Agmunsten combed thick fingers through his beard. “I wasn’t planning on sending her to war, Valdorryn, but we may have to before this gormon thing is finished.”
    Valdorryn leaned forward and pointed a clawed finger at the realmist. “If I hear my daughter has been used to kill anyone, or has been put in the way of danger, I will be forced to take action.”
    “I am inclined to agree with the king. No wife of mine is going to war. It’s my job to protect her—not the other way around.” Warrimonious looked at the realmist, then at Arcese, who stared back at him with a look that would have sent a lesser dragon scurrying out of sight.
    Agmunsten didn’t want to provoke the king, but in the current situation, they needed all the man and dragon power they could get. The head realmist stood, but was, of course, still shorter than the seated dragon king. “I will promise to do my best to keep her out of it, but I will never say never, and neither should either of you if you want to see the gormons sent back to the Third Realm. This war isn’t about choices; it’s about have-to’s. I will do what I have to, and if you don’t like it, you can kill me later. Good night.”
    He strode out of the room without waiting to be dismissed. Silence followed him.
     
    ***
     
    Sunrise came late to the valley—the sun had to clear the mountains, and today there were clouds to contend with. When Agmunsten roused Arie, a light sheen of rain coated the window. The boy was surprised to be woken. In his excitement, he vowed he wouldn’t sleep, but sleep he had. He padded over to the washbasin and shocked his face to alertness with a splash of cold water.
    “Put your shoes on, have breakfast, and relieve yourself, then carry your bag up six flights from here, to the level with black arrows—the launching level. I’ll see you there.”
    “Gee, thanks for reminding me to go to the toilet. I never would have thought to do that all by myself.” Arie put his thumb in his mouth and sucked.
    “No need to get smart. There’s no good telling me you need to go when we’re 2,000 feet off the ground.”
    “Can’t we just be like the birds and do it on unsuspecting ground dwellers?” Arie chuckled.
    “You might find it’s a bit cold and precarious perched on a dragon flying at speed. That’s the last place I’d be pulling my pants down.”
    “Too much information.