The Dragon's Banker by Scott Warren

Author:Scott Warren [Warren, Scott]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-09-25T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 23 – The Living Fire

Wake up, Sailor.”

A tall shadow stood over me. Tiny purple pinpricks glowed where the shadow’s eyes should have been, and twin plumes of smoke coiled around its horns to the array of red stalactites that had somehow replaced my bedchamber rafters. Black wings began to spread from the shadow’s back, stretching further and further until the entire world was engulfed.

I woke up.

Instead of a tall shadow, Lady Arkelai stood over me. And instead of a cavern of red stalactites, I could see the summer constellations of southern Varshon. Which was still wrong, since I should have been looking at the rafters of my chambers. But it only took me a few instants to reconcile the difference. I had once again been transported to Bastayne, the King’s Sword. I did not know Arkelai’s method of travel, but I knew well enough the results to refrain from asking her the obvious questions.

“Get up,” said Arkelai.

I climbed to my feet, noticing that I was still in my smallclothes and slippers. This late in summer, even the mountains held the heat of the day, and so it was not a frigid wind that chilled me so. Lady Arkelai’s tone caused the effect.

She was not angry, I thought. At least not with me. But neither was she pleased. Being called back to Alkazarian’s lair was not supposed to happen until nearer the autumn season. I’d hoped to have more to show for my efforts. As it stood, until we had the extra caravans running and the ships coming off the line every few weeks, I was running Dragon’s Daughter at a slight loss.

Even in slippers, the trek down the Jaws of the Mountain seemed to take less time and leave me less winded than the previous incursion. I credited this to the walking I had done across the badlands and continued upon my return to the city. I took advantage of my enhanced wind to query Arkelai.

“Lady, can I at least ask what this summons is about?”

Arkelai’s pace didn’t lessen, though I know she’d heard me. Her answer was a few minutes in coming. “You endangered what is most precious to him.”

A lump began to rise in my throat. “I swear, I had no idea she was aboard.”

Arkelai stopped and cast a glance over her jacket’s tapered shoulder at me. “What are you talking about?”

“What are you talking about?” I returned.

“The platinum,” she hissed. And it was a hiss; it rode her words like the threat of a viper when you stepped too close to its nest. “You lost an entire bar of it!”

Oh. That I had. But how did she find out about it? The only ones who knew were myself, my secretary, and the band of rogues who had absconded with my jacket.

Lady Arkelai continued. “What’s worse, you made no attempt to contact me. I had to find out from my father. And he… you should not have done something so careless.”

Being caught in a state of undress can have a tangible detriment on one’s preparedness to treat with a fire-breathing dragon.

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