The Dragon Sea

Chapter 6. Draigmorr

ONE WEEK AFTER THE ATTACK



Growing up in a wolf pack, I was not new to funerals. In truth, they have become a regular occurrence in my life.

Still, I never thought I'd be attending Danica's burial so early in our short lives, let alone my own.

Twenty-four graves for students who perished in the dragon attack were lined up in the gorgeous royal cemetery. Mourning families and friends brought so many flowers that they couldn't fit, making it seem like a sea of petals and jarred candles had erupted in the middle of this otherwise grey landscape.

For the first time, Danica was not singled out; everyone brought offerings for her as well. Ironically, they accepted my friend only after she gave her life for others by saving all those first-year pups. Now they called her a hero but somehow struggled to remember stories about her where they did not treat her like the scum of the earth.

My grave was right beside hers, but I tried not to look at how my mother wept in Dad's arms. I had to repeat to myself that this was for the best. I had to stay hidden for my plan to work. When this was over, I would go back and stand on my knees for as long as it took to receive their forgiveness… Or maybe, if they were happy by then, I would let them be and not care about the shame of having a fox daughter.

Amber was crying louder than everyone else, which annoyed the hell out of me. Not only did she not try to find Rafael, her boyfriend, in all that chaos, but she was one of the few who ran for their lives and hid at the obstacle course until help arrived, instead of going to the Sanctuary.

How I wished Danica had thought of doing that too…

I spotted Raf on a nearby bench, observing the scene with his hands folded over his chest. He looked so strange wearing all black. His face seemed thinner now, his complexion greyish, his eyes so tired that I was afraid he would have a seizure right here and now.

"Don't worry—" It was as if he read my thoughts. "I've been treated, and I will not begin convulsing here, making it all about me." His humour wasn't usually this dry, but who could blame him considering the circumstances?

"You will not, but Amber might." I countered, taking a seat beside him. Luomei's spell had already been engraved underneath the bench and so, thanks to that, no one here would pay any attention or notice anything strange, even if they stared directly at us. I could feel the witches' veil as I entered it, a foggy, invisible substance that lightly tickled my skin.

"Amber is just a very sensitive person," Rafael replied, but for the first time ever, I didn't hear the usual adoration in his voice. I guess that spell had been broken too.

"Sure she is," I shrugged. We both knew that we wouldn't be discussing Amber a week after the events that changed us forever. I hated her once but now she was insignificant, irrelevant even.

Rafael was the one who insisted to meet here today. He wanted me to attend the funeral before I began my revenge quest.

I thought it was sweet that he tried to change my mind, but my decision was already set in stone. The more I thought about that night, the more I was sure this was the only way. I should have been the one to die, not all these other kids. And definitely not Danica. I couldn’t move on with my life without settling those debts with the dragons. In a way, it was a twisted but poetic justice.

"Is Luomei coming anytime soon?" I asked, eager to be done with all this quickly and be on my way. A part of me wanted to approach Mum and Dad, but I knew that if I did, they would never let me do what I wanted, no, needed to do!

The crowd dispersed, and I saw Luomei with a young man at her side. She wore a short, black tweed dress with a black overcoat, her hair straightened to perfection, as always. Her fringe covered the top part of her face, while big dark sunglasses shielded the rest. Beneath those glasses, I caught a glimpse of the scars that now marred her once flawless skin. Although the amulet she activated during the attack saved her life, it wasn't enough to save her face or her eyesight.

Only when Raf told me about her eyes, did I realise why she supported my revenge plan. There were rumours that she wouldn't be coming back to the school. There was also talk that she had been formally removed as the future High Witch, a role she had been prepared for since birth. Someone else would now be assuming that position, and I couldn't begin to fathom how that must have felt.

Luomei navigated cautiously, her steps guided by her assistant's soft grip on her elbow and a cane in her other hand that she used to check the path ahead. It was clear she lacked sufficient practice as she tripped over a rock. Luckily, the guy next to her helped her to regain her balance.

She whispered something into his ear when he leaned closer, and he looked around, his gaze settling on me, to my surprise. Now that I thought about it, he was probably the one to cast the spell that was hiding the bench.

Slowly, he brought her over to us, both Rafael and I straightening our backs as if she could still see us. After all, we owed her our lives.

"Long time no see." The corner of her lips tilted up slightly. It was neither a smile nor a smirk. Luomei had always been hard to read, but now, without looking into her eyes, it was next to impossible. "Excuse me. I am still testing that thing they call humour. Somehow, no one ever laughs at my blind jokes."

Well, that was new. In the years I had known her, she hadn’t cracked a single joke.

"They probably just don't see the punchline," I grinned and rose to my feet, grasping her hand without asking for permission. I noticed Luo flinching at my touch. "Let me help," I muttered in a friendly tone. "Here."

"Not bad." She allowed me to guide her and adjusted her skirt to ensure it covered her mid-thighs, pressing her knees firmly together and setting her walking stick beside her.

Perfect as always.

"I am so—" I began, but she raised her hand to stop me.

"Don't you dare say you are sorry," she warned me. "I am tired of hearing it. Everyone is sorry, but it doesn't change a thing does it."

"Sor—" I bit my lip before saying that cursed word again. I'd been observing the spectacle in front of us for fifteen minutes, but I was already tired of listening to how sorry people were about Danica. Especially when I knew they didn't really care.

"How are you?" I asked instead.

"I have been better," she admitted. "But it could have been worse, I guess."

I couldn't look at her, knowing my role in all of this.

Yet I heard myself blurting, "It's all my fault."

Luomei froze, and Raf became paler than before. The whole world seemed to stop at my confession, but I did not regret it; I couldn't stand keeping it inside any longer.

"Leave!" Luo gestured to her assistant, and the guy stepped away without hesitation, disappearing into the crowd.

The witch pursed her lips, angrily drawing a symbol on her palm with her fingers. The glowing sign disappeared into the air, causing a soft breeze around us as she sat back down.

"What the hell did you just say?" She seethed. "Speak. I've placed an extra veil of silence around us."

"Dany, that's not even remotely funny!" Rafael tensed.

"It's—" I was already regretting opening my mouth, but on the other hand, I needed to let it out. "I was patrolling outside that day and met a rogue— We fought, and I ran away from him."

"Good for you," Luomei sighed. "I don't see how—"

"I dove into the river under the waterfall and used the cave entrance to the academy," I confessed it all as fast as I could before someone interrupted me. "Later that evening, someone disabled our security system. That someone must have entered the academy undetected, and I think—"

"That this rogue did it?" Rafael ran his fingers through his hair. "Dany, that's a bit far-fetched."

"Agreed." Luomei leaned against the back of the bench. "How can you be sure it wasn't an insider, perhaps a spy?"

"Was this "rogue" one of the trio we saw?" Raf gave me the benefit of the doubt.

"No." I shook my head. "But I am quite certain this is how they got inside. It's just too much of a coincidence."

"Even so," Luomei folded her hands over her chest as the wind whipped at her hair, "You didn't do it on purpose. They made a choice to kill a bunch of kids, they are the only ones we should blame. If this is your reasoning to fake your death, I beg you to reconsider."

"I wish it was that easy." I covered my face with my hands, feeling the tears forming in my eyes. I thought I had already run out of those… "I can't stop thinking of you, Luo, and of how they murdered Danica—"

"At least you know that you did everything possible to save her." Raf looked up, avoiding my gaze. "I had to be the one to actually make the choice of not helping her and hold you so that you couldn't—"

"Raf—" I placed my hand on his shoulder, giving it a light squeeze.

"You did what you had to do," Luomei said firmly. "We all did the best we could. We won't be blaming ourselves for what those monsters did to us and our friends!"

I noticed how her lips trembled. The entire witches' class was dead; most died defending their peers.

"So, what's next?" Rafael let out a heavy sigh of defeat, giving up arguing his point of view.

Luomei stretched her hand, and her assistant appeared out of nowhere, offering a thin folder.

She handed it to me, missing my arms and hitting me in the eye. I decided to pretend that it didn’t happen.

"We did not find much," she admitted, with a hint of annoyance in her voice. "There aren't that many dragons in the world, but it helped to know that we are dealing with a royal family. All the bits and pieces of their conversations were also very useful. My theory is— well I think we’re dealing with the royal family of Draigmorr."

"Never heard of them—" I flipped open the folder, and my mouth dropped in surprise. I stared straight into Danica's amber eyes. The young man in the picture had the same fiery locks and that tilt of his lips that I had seen so many times before.

"Their family name is Leviathan," Luomei said and before I could process the news, she added. "The Leviathan family lost their little princess sixteen years ago and her name was… Danica."

***

FIVE YEARS LATER

A guard grabbed me and spread his wings, launching us into the air. For an instant, I feared he might release me and let me plummet all the way down as punishment for my insolence, but the trajectory of our flight suggested otherwise.

The Cloud Palace glimmered in the sun, exactly as it had been described in the books, though even the most vivid descriptions failed to capture its true magnificence. I had devoured all available information about this location, yet nothing I read could truly convey the way the pearl glass mosaics captured the light, radiating rainbow-like illusions all around, or how the dome at the centre opened like a flower blooming, to let us inside.

"Word of advice," the guard who held me muttered. "Be careful what you say when you are there. And how you say it—"

"I bet she already regrets ever ringing that bell," his partner chuckled.

He was not wrong; I could feel every one of my limbs trembling with fear and anticipation. Today, I would either extract revenge or join Danica in the underworld.

We landed in the centre of the mosaic floor, which depicted a long dragon coiled in a circle biting its own tail. A crowd of people clad in opulent, elegant clothing were already gathering around us, all the while maintaining a respectful distance. They all observed me, some with curiosity and some with unmasked disdain, while I focussed on steadying my breathing.

This was it, it was all or nothing.

Lisa, help me with the scent, I whispered to the fox living in my mind.

On it, she replied without delay, eager to help.

I glanced around, taking in the throne room of Draigmorr. The walls of the vast hall were made of a white stone that shimmered like mother-of-pearl and glowed softly under the tall, arched windows. The dome above was already closing; the sunlight streaming through the glass created tiny rainbows within.

At the head of the room stood a large dais with wide, elegant stairs leading up to the throne. An enormous golden dragon, at least three stories high, curled protectively around the seat at the apex. The dragon's wings were spread wide as if they held the weight of the walls upon them. Its large ruby eyes seeming to follow my every move, glittering with a lifelike intensity that sent shivers down my spine.

Red and gold flags, the colours of the Leviathan royal family, adorned the walls, complemented by sheer curtains in the same shades. They swayed gently, adding a sense of movement to the otherwise still space. Each flag bore the intricate crest of the Leviathan dynasty, depicting a dragon in mid-flight against a backdrop of flames.

I had expected to see Danica's father seated on the throne, but to my surprise, it was empty. My heart momentarily sank; all my plans depended on this meeting.

Around me the crowd whispered amongst themselves, their eyes never leaving me. Their expressions still ranging from curious to hostile, others with disdain and resentful jealousy, but I forced myself to remain calm and composed.

Stay focused, Lisa urged from within me. We didn't come all this way for nothing.

I took a deep breath and straightened my back, meeting the gazes of those around me with confidence.

Suddenly, a door opened behind me and I heard confident footsteps stride in my direction, bracing myself, I prepared for the next act.

He stormed past me without giving me so much as a glance, but I recognised him instantly, even from behind. The only one whose identity remained elusive to me from that day. His silver hair was a little longer now, his outfit all black, consisted of tall boots over high waisted pants that hugged every inch of his strong muscular body and a long quilted leather vest, a little dusty as if he had been combat training. There was no mistaking his high-quality clothes for rags. His scent of leather and embers lingered around me as he ascended the dais and took a seat on the throne, placing his muddy boot on his knee and resting his head on his fist.

My heart skipped a beat. He couldn't really be the Dragon King, could he?

"So," he relaxed into the throne, his eyes grazing over me briefly, "who was dumb enough to ring that thing?"

I heard a few chuckles here and there.

A guard shoved me from behind, nearly causing me to stumble.

"I did." I declared trying to sound confident, but my voice betrayed me a little.

"Your Highness," both guards knelt at my sides. We only brought her here because she assured us she knows Princess Danica's whereabouts."

"Is that so?" the silver-haired man c****d his head and scrutinised me curiously for the first time. My heart was about to jump out of my chest at the thought of him recognising me after these past five years, but not so much as a muscle twitched on his face. He was seemingly, completely clueless about my identity, and although I needed exactly that for my plan, a tinge of pain flashed somewhere deep inside me. He changed my whole life, but for him I wasn’t even worth remembering.

"So, our best detectives and greatest spies couldn't figure this out, but you, girl, know what happened to the Dragon Crown's jewel?" He sounded as if he was teasing me.

"I—" My throat was suddenly incredibly dry. "I think I do."

Murmurs erupted around us.

"Enlighten me, please." His lips curled into a sinister smile. "If I find it unsatisfactory, you will be thrown into the sea from the highest cliff in Draigmorr."

I swallowed, taking a step forward and removing my hood. My red hair cascaded down over my shoulders to my waist. "I think— I think I am Danica Leviathan."