A Conspiracy of Dragons by Sebastian Cornet

Author:Sebastian Cornet
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: war, epic fantasy

They got far enough from the camp before Valmir told Bully to stop. Sloping shafts of moonlight illuminated the grove. Armies of crickets chirped for the whole world to hear. The air weighed heavy as lead, and mud squished under their boots.

“What’s gonna happen to Tinker?” Randor asked. His cheeks flushed red, and his lips met in a straight line. Perspiration layered his cheeks, giving off a stale odor.

“He asked the same about you,” Valmir said. “The rook is fond of you. You oughtta know he didn’t give you up. I already knew what you had planned for me. I heard you and Perenios chatting today.”

“You heard us?”

“You thought I wouldn’t be able to crack your lingo?”

Quiet rage tightened Randor’s face. Valmir understood his frustration. Randor had used a coastland dialect that only select tradesmen and fishermen knew. By rights, a foreigner like Valmir shouldn’t have a clue of how to speak it.

“So why go after Tinker?”

“To put the fear of the Keepers in him, and to let him know I have more brains than he does.”

Randor’s nostrils jolted. “Bloodeye gonna bump him off?”

“No, I just wanted him away from you,” Valmir said. “By the by, your voice is somewhat gruff. And what’s wrong with your nose?”

Randor refused to answer, even after his nostrils pulsed again. Valmir strode up to him and ripped a pouch off his belt. He hefted it before giving the contents a sniff. “When’s the last time you snorted?”

“Yesterday,” Randor said. “About this time.”

With the glazed eyes and squirmy nose in evidence, Valmir believed him. “Why?”

“I wanted to be clear-headed tonight.” Randor’s entire face puckered into an aching grimace.

“Not the brightest star in the sky,” Valmir said, tossing him the pouch. Randor stretched out his arm too far, so the purse glanced off his elbow. When it hit the grass, a stream of bone-white powder spilled out.

Randor crouched down on all fours and tried to sweep some of the snowy dust back in. He teetered back to his feet, hugging the pouch to his chest. By the time Randor tore his eyes away from the purse, Valmir had already drawn his longbow and was aiming an arrow at him. Bully stood three paces to the left, sword in hand.

“Showing me my place, sir?” Randor asked. “Where’d that be? The grave?”

“Your place is on a cross. But we don’t have time to make one.”

“We don’t have time for digging a grave neither,” Bully said.

Valmir took a step forward. “You should’ve done me in when you had the chance.”

Randor froze to the spot, eyes shut. Faint breathing rasped from his mouth. His nose joggled out of control, and his lips wriggled like worms.

Valmir breathed out, pulling his arrow from the bowstring. “You really think I’d kill you, don’t you?”

Randor’s eyes opened to a crack.

“You told Perenios I was leading us to our deaths.” It surprised Valmir how accusatory he’d come over, but it pleased him, as well. “I have to say, you made a pretty good case…like you really believed it.

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