Stroke the Flame

3

“We never get Dragons this far from Soulspire. Why now?” the first man asked.

The second man downed his drink with a sour look. “The Black Dragon is demanding more tribute than ever before. Her Dragons are there to make sure we obey. Or else.”

Cold fear gripped my throat. If the Dragons were nearby, that meant it was time for me to leave Stoneham. And soon.

I’d seen two Dragons in my life and never wanted to see one again. The screams and smell of burning flesh still haunted my dreams, but Stoneham had been safe so far. I’d been here since I was seventeen, living in the back of the inn that Tash’s family owned while keeping my head down and staying out of trouble. This town was at the very edge of the Earth Realm, far enough away from Soulspire that the Black Dragon and her mates never flew out this far.

Until now.

Tash set down a steaming bowl of rabbit stew and a tankard of mead, along with a small cake she’d decorated with white frosting. “Here you are!”

“What’s this?” I asked, arching an eyebrow at the cake.

“It’s for your birthday, of course. You didn’t really expect me to forget, did you?” She flashed me a warm smile.

“Thank you, Tash.” I hadn’t wanted her to make a big deal about my birthday, but I appreciated that she remembered it. She was the closest thing I had to family, after all.

She bent down and gave me a quick hug. “Happy birthday.”

I hugged her back. “Hey, did you see an older woman come through here with white hair? I stumbled upon her in the forest, but then I lost her.”

“No, but I’ve been in the kitchen all night. Father probably took her up to a room already.”

“I hope so. I don’t like the idea of her being out there alone.” Something about the encounter tugged at my gut with a sense of wrongness, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.

Tash squeezed my shoulder. “If you didn’t see her out there, then she must be safe inside somewhere. Maybe she’s staying with family in town.”

“I’m sure you’re right,” I said, trying to banish my unease as I took a bite of my cake. “Mm. This is delicious.”

“Of course it is.” She winked, but then was called away to another table. I watched her go and sadness clenched my heart tight. I didn’t want to leave Stoneham. Tash was my best friend, and more than that, she needed me. If I was gone, who would protect her from her father?

Perhaps she would come with me if I left. But no, she would never leave her mother behind. Maybe it was only a coincidence the Dragons had been spotted nearby. Maybe they would never come to Stoneham.

Maybe I didn’t have to run. At least, not yet.

A commotion and a shout at the bar drew my attention. Two of the soldiers hauled the man in the green cloak off his stool and shoved him to the ground, while the woman cried out, “We were just talking! We didn’t mean anything by it!”

I watched with dread, my stomach twisting at the knowledge of what would happen next. I’d seen it before, and no matter how much I wanted to help those people or stop the soldiers, there was nothing I could do. I knew how to defend myself a little, but not against two armored soldiers with swords as long as my arm. The only reason I’d made it this long was by keeping my head down and staying out of trouble. But that didn’t stop me from wishing there was something I could do to stop this.

One of the soldiers grabbed the wonan’s wrist and dragged her off the stool too. “Sounds to me like you’re part of the Resistance. Don’t you agree, Ment?”

The other soldier nodded, while a cruel smile touched his lips. “That it does. And we all know how we deal with Resistance scum.”

The cloaked man shook his head vehemently. “We’re not Resistance! We’re loyal to the Black Dragon, I swear it!”

“Tell that to the Spirit Goddess when you see her,” Ment said, as he hauled the man to his feet.

Roark glared at them from behind the bar and rubbed his hands on a towel, but said nothing. The soldiers gave him a nod as they led the two struggling people out of the inn. The door shut, and the entire room froze as a howling scream tore through the sound of the rain, before it was cut short. With grim faces, the other people in the tavern returned to their meals and their conversation, including the other man who’d been talking with the doomed travelers. Maybe we were all cowards, but it was the only way to survive.

I dropped my head as shame and despair battled inside me, along with the keen realization that there was no point in running. No matter where I went, there was no escaping the Dragons or their soldiers.

3

Kira

I

had the first dream that night.

A roguishly handsome man with hair the color of autumn leaves drew a large sword, then lunged at an opponent. Both of them wore the black-scaled armor of the Onyx Army with the red shoulder markings of the Fire Realm division. A small crowd had gathered around them as they sparred, but the auburn-haired man was the only one I could see clearly. Even though I hated the Black Dragon’s soldiers, I found I couldn’t tear my eyes away from him, nor banish the unexpected desire he stirred inside me. As I watched, he dodged, parried, and swiftly disarmed his opponent, winning the training match without breaking a sweat. He bowed to his opponent, and when he rose up, I caught a flash of flame in his brown eyes.