Dragon Empress

Chapter 10

“Yes. Fascinating gentlemen,” Belbreeze replied sweetly.

Belbreeze and Ohef continued their chat, piling florid compliments on each other. Keriya’s mind drifted away from the conversation, which seemed to be going in aimless circles.

“Begging your pardon, Dragon Speaker.”

She jumped at a tap on her shoulder and turned to find a pair of stunningly beautiful women. Sapphire hair floated around their slim faces. Their smooth blue flesh had an iridescent shine.

“I am Pelie, and this is Paora,” said one of the women, her large, aqua eyes boring into Keriya. “We are the siren ambassadors from Merkrait.”

“Keriya Soulstar,” Keriya said tactlessly, holding out her hand. “But you knew that, I suppose.”

The sirens both grasped her hand with webbed fingers and trilled musical laughs. The sound twined around Keriya, suffusing her with a wonderful, calming warmth. Tension drained from her body, and she beamed at her new friends.

“Our people are powerful watermagic wielders,” said Pelie, tightening her hold on Keriya’s hand. Her voice was a song, and her eyes sparkled with a constellation of reflected light.

“Amazing,” Keriya said dreamily.

“We are glad you think so,” purred Paora. “We have been seeking to ally with other powerful wielders. Perhaps you can help. We heard a rumor that you had become the host of Pure Watermagic.”

A sluggish sense of alarm rose in Keriya, breaking the tantalizing pull of Paora’s tone. “Who told you that?”

Pelie’s grip tightened on Keriya’s hand. “So it’s true?”

“I didn’t say—”

“You killed Kraken,” said Paora, snaking an arm around Keriya’s shoulders. “His godly magic transferred to you upon his death.”

The hypnotic spell of their voices was wearing off. Horror crept in to replace Keriya’s dreamlike calm. “You . . . you can’t possibly know that. No one knows that.”

Each of the twelve magics had a pure source, a wellspring from which its energy originated. She was the host of Pure Watermagic—but how had the sirens found out? Only Keriya’s closest friends knew what had really happened at the end of the Coastal Battle, and none of them would have revealed this dangerous truth.

“My sister and I are of marrying age,” Paora was whispering. Her breath, scented like wildflowers and sea wind, made Keriya’s head spin. “An alliance with the dragons and the guardian of Watermagic would help our people greatly.”

“I can’t make commitments on behalf of the Empire of Allentria,” Keriya heard herself say in a wooden voice. Belbreeze’s rules came swarming back, clearing her head of the sirens’ call. “If you’ll excuse me, I need a drink.”

She extricated herself from Paora’s grasp and darted into the crowd. Unfortunately, she was the opposite of inconspicuous. She’d hardly gone ten paces before another creature barred her way.

“Lady Soulstar.” It was the wereserpent, one of the guests who’d visited the Eminarchs.

“Oh, hello . . .” She faltered. She’d forgotten his name—that was terrible etiquette.

“May I escort you to the banquet tables?” he asked, offering his arm.

“Sure,” she said, politely linking her arm through his.

The labyrinthine hedge maze had been pruned back in places to make space for long serving tables. Strings of multicolored fairy lights bedecked the topiaries, illuminating a buffet of international delicacies.

“Tortava is one of the few remaining places in the world where my people live,” said the wereserpent, plucking up two crystal goblets of wine.

“We have a werebeast in Allentria,” she replied, accepting her goblet and taking a swig. She was parched, but the wine did nothing to help. “Uhs, the werelion-healer. I met him once.”

Though the gardens had been enchanted to ward off the imminent chill of winter, she shuddered. In a misguided effort to suppress the memories Uhs’s mention unearthed, she took another large gulp of the tangy-sweet wine.

“Impressive. But I’d expect nothing less from a person of your caliber. We have heard of your impressive resume and royal pedigree overseas.”

Keriya snorted into her goblet, sending wine flecks flying.

“The werebeasts are a dying breed,” he continued. “The necrocrelai are a huge threat to us, and I fear renewed violence is approaching. An alliance with the dragons could change that.”

“Oh, right. The war.” She shouldn’t have chugged the wine. Now she was fighting its influence. “All alliance negotiations go through Representative Belbreeze.”

“I am not interested in speaking to Belbreeze anymore.” The wereserpent oozed closer, taking her free hand. His flesh was cool to the touch. “I find you to be more open and honest. And far more beautiful, besides.”

He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. An embarrassing giggle escaped Keriya’s mouth. She sipped more wine to silence herself, sure her cheeks had turned crimson.

“Um,” she said, when it became apparent the wereserpent was waiting for a response. “I have to use the bathroom. Please excuse me.”

What was it about these people? Keriya knew what she was and wasn’t—a powerful wielder she might be, but she’d never been a beauty. Not like Roxanne, whose effortless grace was enviable. Where was Roxanne, anyway? Keriya yearned to return to her friends.

It was not to be. Guests blocked her path at every twist and turn, showering her with praise, dumping problems in her lap, inquiring after the dragons, hinting at the desire for alliances.

“We definitely need more alliances,” she admitted to Ambassador Tethryn Indrossae as she finished her third glass of wine.

“Syrion also seeks an alliance,” said Tethryn, smoothly removing the empty goblet and offering Keriya a fresh, full cup. “Long has my country been isolated—much like Allentria, in that regard—but we wish to expand. We can provide assistance in the Shadow War.”

“That would be wonderful!” Keriya gushed. This party wasn’t so bad, after all. Everyone was being nice, Tethryn in particular. They’d shifted into the form of a handsome white-haired elf today, and their stunning black-and-cyan eyes held no hint of malice.

Tethryn smiled, revealing sparkling fangs. “Syrion has engineered submarines that can take any ship by surprise, including Moorfainian destroyers. We have tangled with the Black Temple in the past, and emerged victorious.”

“Good,” said Keriya. “I hate those guys.”

Tethryn chuckled. “As does most of the world. When I heard of the crushing defeat you dealt to their armada, I knew I had to meet you for myself.”

She waved a hand. “Kraken did most of the work, honestly. And the Jidaelni fleet helped. You should talk to them about being allies, too. We can all be allies together!”

“I have also tangled with Jidaeln in the past,” they said in a cryptic tone. “Dynast Rucion is a powerful man, but his navy cannot compare to mine. I have the most magically advanced fleet on Selaras.”

“He might be interested in trading with you,” Keriya said around another mouthful of wine. “We have a treaty with Jidaeln. Oh—and you can talk to Belbreeze about trade treaties.”

“My country is rich and thriving. I did not come for trade treaties. I am here to claim another prize.”

When had Tethryn gotten so close? The two of them were almost nose to nose, the shapeshifter’s pearly scales glowing in the lanternlight. Keriya leaned back, and the world spun. She’d drunk too much wine and not enough water. Some host of Watermagic she was.

“May I ask,” Tethryn whispered, “how you plan to end the Shadow War?”

Keriya’s brain stalled. After a year-and-a-half, still she had no plan, no appropriate endgame. The impossible tasks of her To Do list echoed in her skull.

Find the Dragon Empress. Master valemagic. Free the dragons from their Spider. Defeat Necrovar.

How?

“There you are, Dragon Speaker.” Never had Keriya been so relieved to hear the crisp voice of Alisa Belbreeze. A firm hand clamped on her wrist.

“You slipped away earlier, and—ah, Ambassador Indrossae,” said Belbreeze. “I was looking for you, as well. I was hoping to speak about your submarines. Fascinating inventions. I’d love to understand how they work.”

“A magician never reveals their secrets.” Tethryn’s gaze shifted back to Keriya. “But Keriya and I were discussing the possibility of an alliance. Perhaps we can discuss the matter of submarines in a more formal negotiation.”

“I’ll arrange a meeting to discuss how we might work together in the final phases of the Shadow War. Coastal trade is thriving—”

“I am not interested in trade,” Tethryn interrupted.

“Understood.” Belbreeze exchanged a covert nod with the shapeshifter before politely excusing herself, dragging Keriya with her.

“You are not to speak to anyone else without my supervision,” Belbreeze said through the side of her mouth as she ushered Keriya through the throng.

“Why?”

“Why is a dangerous word when it comes to politics.”

This sounded like nonsense, but there was no time for questions. Belbreeze hitched a shimmery smile into place, her pink lips puffing out in an alluring way Keriya’s lips could never hope to.

“Ambassadors, so wonderful to see you,” she said, addressing two fur-covered hominids. “May I introduce Lady Keriya Soulstar, Dragon Speaker and Master of Valemagic.”

Keriya offered her hand for a shake. “I’m not—”

Belbreeze’s grip on her arm became painful.

“I—I’m not familiar with your country,” Keriya recovered herself. “Please, tell me about it.”

So it went, Belbreeze whisking her from one dignitary to the next. Her head thudded from the wine; her ears rang with frightening praise.

She crashed back to reality when a middle-aged human took her chin in his hand and tilted her head to get a good look at her eyes. “The color is impressive, yes, but it’s hard to imagine this is the mage who defeated Necrovar. She’s a little girl, no more than a child.”

Keriya jerked her chin from his grasp. “I’m the woman who’s changed the world more times than you’ve changed your socks in the past week, I bet.”

The man barked a laugh. “She has spirit, I’ll give her that! Still, she’s awfully young. And too thin, no good for child-bearing. Are you quite certain she’s of marrying age?”

He was talking over her head as if she wasn’t there. It took a few moments for his words to sink into Keriya’s brain, but when they did, it was her turn to laugh.

“I’m not marrying anyone,” she said loudly.

An unnatural hush fell over the guests within earshot.

“The Dragon Speaker is fatigued,” Belbreeze announced. “We’ll be back in a trice.”

This time Belbreeze whisked Keriya away from the crowd. They passed the banquet tables and entered the hedge labyrinth. Here, beyond the warmth enchantment, a chilly wind touched them. The sounds of the party faded. Light snow began to fall, frosting the leaves and fairy lights.

“You cannot speak out like that,” Belbreeze said in a soft voice.

“Why?”

The Erastatian rounded on her. “You are projecting a dangerous image if people think they can’t control you.”

“They can’t control me.”

Something alien flickered across Belbreeze’s face, and it gave Keriya pause.

Is she afraid of me?

“But I’ll play nice,” she added hastily. “I want to win the Shadow War. I’ll do whatever it takes.”

Belbreeze sighed. “I pray to the four guardians that’s true, Keriya, because this drawn-out dance of yours will not impress any of the nations who’ve come seeking alliances. They want action, and results. It is long past time for you to take responsibility.”

“I’m being responsible,” said Keriya, struggling to keep her voice calm. “I’m trying to find a safe way to end the war. If I can find the Dragon Empress and master valemagic—”

“You’ve been trying for a year-and-a-half. Now we must consider other strategies—ones that will require sacrifice on your part, and self-control.”

Keriya bit back a blistering retort. She’d been ready to make the ultimate sacrifice during the Final Battle.

Control, though . . . that was a different story.

“Drink this and sober up.” Belbreeze thrust a cup of water at Keriya. “Return to me by the banquet tables when you’re done.”