Read Online Lord Dragon's Conquest by Sharon Ashwood - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sharon Ashwood
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insolence.”
Keltie caught her breath. Nadiana was young and lovely, her skin a fair, creamy tone that went with her tumble of fiery hair. Keltie caught the lift of Larkan’s eyebrows, and she suddenly wanted to slug the she-dragon right in her perfect nose. “Then bring it on.”
The queen’s lips pursed as she glanced down at where Larkan’s fingers wrapped around Keltie’s. Then Nadiana whirled to face the rest of the amphitheater. “Rand, Falroth, Barnto, Kaythran!”
Three more warriors jumped forward from where they stood on the sidelines, running to obey the queen while the dragon crouched in readiness beside her. Nadiana pointed to Larkan, giving a curt command. Larkan’s fingers tightened on Keltie’s hand, almost crushing her. Keltie didn’t need a translator to figure out that the warriors were coming for Larkan. Nadiana was separating them. It’s me she wants to hurt , not him. Not yet , at least. Not while I have her attention. Keltie pulled her hand out of Larkan’s, falling back as he reached to grab her again.
“No! It’s my turn to fight,” she said, ignoring the flash of his eyes. “She’s not going to let us go until she and I have a chat.”
Just to be sure the chat stayed polite, Keltie took a firmer grip on the ax.
“My queen, please don’t do this,” he said in a low voice, shoving aside his captors. “This is an impossible battle.”
“Don’t argue, lord of dragons,” Nadiana said in a cool voice. “There is nothing you can do. As your human says, we must settle this.”
Larkan bellowed a protest but four against one was too many. A second guardsman turned to dragon form, towering over Larkan in a spread of midnight wings.
Keltie’s courage deserted her and suddenly she couldn’t breathe. “They’ll burn him!” she cried to the queen.
“We don’t use fire in the trials. It makes the fights too short.”
Keltie stared at the queen. “Is this a sport to you people?”
“We are not like you.” Nadiana turned to Keltie, her bright green eyes mere hostile slits.
Dragons are predators. Surely the most dangerous anywhere on the planet , and yet they remain invisible. Keltie was frozen in fear, but a small part of her ached to understand. She’d studied enough ancient cultures to realize something didn’t add up. “Why do you keep your people down here in the dark?”
Nadiana gave a smile worthy of a reptile. “I hear humans are endlessly curious, but clearly they are no more clever than dragons.”
“Is this a guessing game? Are dragons like sphinxes, addicted to riddles?” Keltie lifted her ax. The queen’s smile was a warning.
“Not a riddle, but a truth handed down from the time when the Old Ones flew into the rift. It is easier to wear the crown beneath the mountain than to cast a net over the entire sky.”
And Keltie understood. As long as the dragons were trapped, the queen could control them. They were here because the royalty wanted to keep their power. All at once she wasn’t afraid—she was furious. “You ugly lizard!”
Nadiana’s eyes flashed. “Watch your tongue, human!”
“No,” Keltie shot back. “My odds against you might be bad, but I won’t be silent.”
Suddenly the queen was a giant green dragon, fanged jaws swooping down on Keltie. But she was ready. She swung the ax, aiming for the queen’s sinuous throat. The blade struck, and Keltie felt it bite into flesh. The queen recoiled with an earsplitting shriek, rising up on her hind legs. Blood splashed to the ground, thick, hot drops barely missing Keltie. It was no more than a scratch—the ax was too small and Keltie too weak to do real damage—but it had stung the queen.
Rand bellowed. The crowd roared and screamed, but they didn’t interfere. These battles were part of their rites.
The smell of the blood, coppery and raw, invaded Keltie’s brain. A surge of fire ran through her. She’d made the queen feel her defiance.
Nadiana hissed, her long, forked tongue
Keltie caught her breath. Nadiana was young and lovely, her skin a fair, creamy tone that went with her tumble of fiery hair. Keltie caught the lift of Larkan’s eyebrows, and she suddenly wanted to slug the she-dragon right in her perfect nose. “Then bring it on.”
The queen’s lips pursed as she glanced down at where Larkan’s fingers wrapped around Keltie’s. Then Nadiana whirled to face the rest of the amphitheater. “Rand, Falroth, Barnto, Kaythran!”
Three more warriors jumped forward from where they stood on the sidelines, running to obey the queen while the dragon crouched in readiness beside her. Nadiana pointed to Larkan, giving a curt command. Larkan’s fingers tightened on Keltie’s hand, almost crushing her. Keltie didn’t need a translator to figure out that the warriors were coming for Larkan. Nadiana was separating them. It’s me she wants to hurt , not him. Not yet , at least. Not while I have her attention. Keltie pulled her hand out of Larkan’s, falling back as he reached to grab her again.
“No! It’s my turn to fight,” she said, ignoring the flash of his eyes. “She’s not going to let us go until she and I have a chat.”
Just to be sure the chat stayed polite, Keltie took a firmer grip on the ax.
“My queen, please don’t do this,” he said in a low voice, shoving aside his captors. “This is an impossible battle.”
“Don’t argue, lord of dragons,” Nadiana said in a cool voice. “There is nothing you can do. As your human says, we must settle this.”
Larkan bellowed a protest but four against one was too many. A second guardsman turned to dragon form, towering over Larkan in a spread of midnight wings.
Keltie’s courage deserted her and suddenly she couldn’t breathe. “They’ll burn him!” she cried to the queen.
“We don’t use fire in the trials. It makes the fights too short.”
Keltie stared at the queen. “Is this a sport to you people?”
“We are not like you.” Nadiana turned to Keltie, her bright green eyes mere hostile slits.
Dragons are predators. Surely the most dangerous anywhere on the planet , and yet they remain invisible. Keltie was frozen in fear, but a small part of her ached to understand. She’d studied enough ancient cultures to realize something didn’t add up. “Why do you keep your people down here in the dark?”
Nadiana gave a smile worthy of a reptile. “I hear humans are endlessly curious, but clearly they are no more clever than dragons.”
“Is this a guessing game? Are dragons like sphinxes, addicted to riddles?” Keltie lifted her ax. The queen’s smile was a warning.
“Not a riddle, but a truth handed down from the time when the Old Ones flew into the rift. It is easier to wear the crown beneath the mountain than to cast a net over the entire sky.”
And Keltie understood. As long as the dragons were trapped, the queen could control them. They were here because the royalty wanted to keep their power. All at once she wasn’t afraid—she was furious. “You ugly lizard!”
Nadiana’s eyes flashed. “Watch your tongue, human!”
“No,” Keltie shot back. “My odds against you might be bad, but I won’t be silent.”
Suddenly the queen was a giant green dragon, fanged jaws swooping down on Keltie. But she was ready. She swung the ax, aiming for the queen’s sinuous throat. The blade struck, and Keltie felt it bite into flesh. The queen recoiled with an earsplitting shriek, rising up on her hind legs. Blood splashed to the ground, thick, hot drops barely missing Keltie. It was no more than a scratch—the ax was too small and Keltie too weak to do real damage—but it had stung the queen.
Rand bellowed. The crowd roared and screamed, but they didn’t interfere. These battles were part of their rites.
The smell of the blood, coppery and raw, invaded Keltie’s brain. A surge of fire ran through her. She’d made the queen feel her defiance.
Nadiana hissed, her long, forked tongue
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