Read Online Breath of Dragons (A Pandoran Novel) by Barbara Kloss - Free Book Online
Authors: Barbara Kloss
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still letting the wind twist toward him.
"Of course, of course!"
The wind twisted a second more and then dissolved into thin air.
He didn't bother hiding his relief. He patted his furs, his leathers creaking as he did so. "The horses have to stay."
"The horses will not stay," I said. "They come with us."
Fear flickered in his eyes. "It's not my rule, Mistress—unless you intend to sell them. Even your magic will not be able to protect them below. And besides, they won't fit on this side."
I glanced at Vera. The look in her eyes suggested that this man spoke truth. I clenched my teeth and looked back at the brute, careful to hide my dismay. I couldn't leave Calyx out here. He'd never forgive me! "A moment, please," I said to the man.
He nodded and backed a few eager steps away from me.
I leaned to Calyx's ear. "Do you know the way back?" I whispered.
Calyx whinnied and shook his mane. He didn't like where this was going.
"I know," I continued, "but I can't take you with me. It's too dangerous."
Calyx's front hoof clawed and scraped on the stone.
"I'll be fine, but promise me you'll go straight back to the castle with the others."
Calyx raised his nose in the air like he was pretending he didn't hear me.
"Please." I rested my hand on his mane. "I need you to keep an eye on Stefan."
With a loud and irritated snort, Calyx turned on his heels and started trotting back across the courtyard in the direction we'd come. Alex dismounted Parsec, and Parsec followed Calyx, and then Nimarra trotted after them. I hoped they'd be all right.
The watchman was studying me. "Interesting horses, Mistress."
"I have a proclivity for intelligent animals." I gazed back at him without expression, and he recoiled a little in remembrance of my threat. "Shall we?"
His lips tightened as he waved his hand at the air. Another figure in furs emerged from the shadows and jogged to his side. The brute leaned over and whispered to this new man, who then said, "Follow me."
The three of us followed our guide to the edge of the courtyard and up a broad set of stairs. Vera's silence was dumbfounded, and waves of Alex's amazement pushed through me with more force than the winter wind.
I am with you; I am always with you.
It was the voice again, the light sound carried by the wind. I wanted to say something back, like "who are you?" or "what do you want?" but I didn't dare. Not now—not here. My questions would have to come later.
Our guide led us to the foot of the enormous structure I'd noticed from the base of the hill. The mighty stone ribcage arched overhead, and our guard stopped before a set of enormous iron doors in a wall that was somehow still intact. The doors were bolted and ribbed, and when the guard pushed one in, it cracked open without sound. Or maybe I just couldn't hear it over the wind. He ushered us through, and I stole a glance back. The snowflakes were much larger now, falling over the crumbling remains as if trying to bury the stone fortifications forever, but there was no sign of the watchmen or the horses.
I hoped the horses were running far away from this place.
"Mistress?" The guard waited at the door.
I nodded sharply and stepped inside. The guard led us through what had at one time been a great hall. It was the size of a large warehouse, completely hollowed out and missing windows and big chunks of wall so that you could see white and trees and cliff beyond the room's perimeter. The mighty beams spanned above us, and snow fell through their great gaps and onto the broken and cracked stone floor below, where our feet left fresh prints in the newly fallen snow. There were other prints here, too—others had passed this way, and fairly recently.
At the far end of the room was a hearth so large that all of us could fit inside, standing, and with room to spare. Iron grating covered the base, dusted with ash and burnt wood, and a few iron pokers and a broom hung from hooks on the side. The guard grabbed one of the
"Of course, of course!"
The wind twisted a second more and then dissolved into thin air.
He didn't bother hiding his relief. He patted his furs, his leathers creaking as he did so. "The horses have to stay."
"The horses will not stay," I said. "They come with us."
Fear flickered in his eyes. "It's not my rule, Mistress—unless you intend to sell them. Even your magic will not be able to protect them below. And besides, they won't fit on this side."
I glanced at Vera. The look in her eyes suggested that this man spoke truth. I clenched my teeth and looked back at the brute, careful to hide my dismay. I couldn't leave Calyx out here. He'd never forgive me! "A moment, please," I said to the man.
He nodded and backed a few eager steps away from me.
I leaned to Calyx's ear. "Do you know the way back?" I whispered.
Calyx whinnied and shook his mane. He didn't like where this was going.
"I know," I continued, "but I can't take you with me. It's too dangerous."
Calyx's front hoof clawed and scraped on the stone.
"I'll be fine, but promise me you'll go straight back to the castle with the others."
Calyx raised his nose in the air like he was pretending he didn't hear me.
"Please." I rested my hand on his mane. "I need you to keep an eye on Stefan."
With a loud and irritated snort, Calyx turned on his heels and started trotting back across the courtyard in the direction we'd come. Alex dismounted Parsec, and Parsec followed Calyx, and then Nimarra trotted after them. I hoped they'd be all right.
The watchman was studying me. "Interesting horses, Mistress."
"I have a proclivity for intelligent animals." I gazed back at him without expression, and he recoiled a little in remembrance of my threat. "Shall we?"
His lips tightened as he waved his hand at the air. Another figure in furs emerged from the shadows and jogged to his side. The brute leaned over and whispered to this new man, who then said, "Follow me."
The three of us followed our guide to the edge of the courtyard and up a broad set of stairs. Vera's silence was dumbfounded, and waves of Alex's amazement pushed through me with more force than the winter wind.
I am with you; I am always with you.
It was the voice again, the light sound carried by the wind. I wanted to say something back, like "who are you?" or "what do you want?" but I didn't dare. Not now—not here. My questions would have to come later.
Our guide led us to the foot of the enormous structure I'd noticed from the base of the hill. The mighty stone ribcage arched overhead, and our guard stopped before a set of enormous iron doors in a wall that was somehow still intact. The doors were bolted and ribbed, and when the guard pushed one in, it cracked open without sound. Or maybe I just couldn't hear it over the wind. He ushered us through, and I stole a glance back. The snowflakes were much larger now, falling over the crumbling remains as if trying to bury the stone fortifications forever, but there was no sign of the watchmen or the horses.
I hoped the horses were running far away from this place.
"Mistress?" The guard waited at the door.
I nodded sharply and stepped inside. The guard led us through what had at one time been a great hall. It was the size of a large warehouse, completely hollowed out and missing windows and big chunks of wall so that you could see white and trees and cliff beyond the room's perimeter. The mighty beams spanned above us, and snow fell through their great gaps and onto the broken and cracked stone floor below, where our feet left fresh prints in the newly fallen snow. There were other prints here, too—others had passed this way, and fairly recently.
At the far end of the room was a hearth so large that all of us could fit inside, standing, and with room to spare. Iron grating covered the base, dusted with ash and burnt wood, and a few iron pokers and a broom hung from hooks on the side. The guard grabbed one of the
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