The Dragonslayer's Curse: The Dragon Seed Series: Book Three of Four by Resa Nelson

Author:Resa Nelson [Nelson, Resa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-01-08T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 15

Skallagrim focused on Frandulane while still holding his hand out to Pingzi, desperate for her to return his weapon. “Madam Po. I beg you.”

When she slapped the grip of his dragonslayer sword in his hand, Skallagrim regained his confidence. Glancing sideways, he saw that Madam Po pointed his dagger at the brigands, ready to defend herself. After the way she had bested him—a trained dragonslayer—he had no doubt she could handle these thugs.

Skallagrim locked his gaze on Frandulane but spoke to the leader of the brigands. “What do you want?”

“First,” the leader said, “information about who our mutual friend is to you. And why he wants to kill you.”

“Perri!” Frandulane said with shock in his voice. Slack-jawed, he turned toward the leader.

The brigands behind Frandulane wrestled away his short sword and held his arms behind his back.

“Perri, no!” Frandulane shouted. “We have a deal!”

“There are always better deals to be made.” Perri’s smile widened. To Skallagrim, he said, “Tell me what I want to know.”

A welcome sense of opportunity gave Skallagrim hope. “He’s my brother, but not by blood. He wants to kill me before I can kill him.”

Perri’s face tensed in puzzlement. “And why would you want to do that?”

“Because he murdered my wife and my father.” Skallagrim nodded toward Madam Po. “And her husband.”

“It wasn’t me!” Frandulane protested. “It was our cousins that did the killing. I murdered no one! All I did was slay a dragon. I kept it from killing you. I saved your life!”

Skallagrim tightened his grip on his sword. “That dragon was my wife. She was a shapeshifter. She was a sister of a dragon goddess.”

“Of the Far East?” Perri piped up. He pointed at Madam Po. “And this one says she’s a demon queller? I’ve heard stories about demon quellers working with the dragon gods. Is it true?”

“Don’t listen to them,” Frandulane shouted. “None of it’s true. They’re lying!”

Keeping his sword pointed at Frandulane, Skallagrim lunged forward.

“Stop!” Perri shouted.

Despite Skallagrim’s lunge, the point of his sword remained far from Frandulane’s chest.

Taking slow steps, Perri walked toward Skallagrim’s extended sword. The brigand leader placed a gentle hand on the flat of the blade and eased it to one side. “I thank you for the information I requested,” Perri said to Skallagrim. “Now, I offer a proposal.”

Skallagrim felt the pressure of Perri’s hand against the blade through its grip. The dragonslayer kept a firm hold on his weapon’s grip, ready to deliver a blow if provoked. “What type of proposal?”

Perri ran an admiring fingertip along the blade, releasing the pressure he’d been holding against it. “Give me this sword in exchange for Frandulane.”

Frandulane struggled to get free, but too many brigands held him in place. “Perri, no! He’ll kill me!”

Skallagrim considered the offer.

He studied Frandulane’s face and manner. His Scalding brother had never been a convincing liar.

Enjoy your last breaths, Brother. It’s time for you and your wicked ways to come to an end. But why do you have to look so much like our father Sven? When I look at you, I see his face and hear his voice in yours.

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