The Dragon and the Stone by The Dragon & the Stone (retail) (epub)

Author:The Dragon & the Stone (retail) (epub)
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: JUV033040/REL091000/JUV033110
Publisher: Crossway
Published: 2022-05-10T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

The Council

The elevator opened onto a long hallway with a scarlet carpet leading to a gilt door.

“Cedric,” Lily whispered. “What’s the Council?”

“An assembly of the most important authorities of the Realm, both keepers and dream-born.”

Lily swallowed. Rigel hunched on her shoulder, and Flint, tucked into a pocket of her dad’s shirt, gave her a reassuring pat.

A centaur stood guard before the door and asked them for a password. Toggybiffle whispered in his ear, then with a loud creak, the door, which stretched twenty feet high, swung open.

“We cannot defeat him,” a voice echoed as they crept inside. “The more shrouds there are, the stronger he grows. We cannot subdue him without the guardians!”

An enormous mahogany table stretched across the room, around which sat all manner of people and creatures: humans and fairies, dwarves and talking animals. Lily squinted to discern which of the many individuals spoke, but she couldn’t tell.

“Which once again brings us to the matter we’ve debated all along,” said a gravelly voice. “Where are the guardians?”

“Three more disappeared yesterday,” said a third voice. “The signals from their soothstones just vanished. Our scouts have no way to track them.”

“Ah-choo!”

All heads turned toward the sneeze, and Cedric buried his head in his claws. “Uh, sorry,” Adam stammered, wiping spittle from his chin.

“Rupert?” a commanding voice at the table echoed. “This is most irregular. Why have you brought children?”

“My liege.” Sir Toggybiffle bowed, and his spectacles dropped to the ground. He fumbled for them, then cleared his throat, stirring clouds of dust and a moth from his beard. “Forgive the intrusion, Master Merlin. I wouldn’t dare interrupt if it were not urgent.”

Lily’s eyes widened. Merlin? The wizard?

A growl rippled through the air, followed by the scrape of a chair against marble. A dark figure lumbered from the table, and as it stepped toward them, Lily realized it was a minotaur, monstrous in size, its slack jaw revealing grimy green teeth.

“What is your business here?” he roared, the veins bulging across his chest. “And what are you doing here?” He pointed a meaty finger at Cedric, who shrank back and averted his eyes.

“Barth, please, control yourself,” Merlin said. Lily traced the wizard’s voice to the middle of the table and spied his crooked hat silhouetted against the light.

As she strained to see, Adam leaned over to her. “The minotaur’s name is Barf?” he whispered. “Barf the minotaur?”

“No! Barth!”

“What’s the difference?”

“Old man,” Barth growled, “we were just talking about someone who looks remarkably like this one here.” He glared at Cedric. “He doesn’t belong here! No dragon I’ve ever met can be trusted!”

“May I remind you, Bartholomew, that we’ve been talking about others who resemble you as well,” Merlin said, his voice even and cool.

The minotaur wheeled around to face him. “How dare you! You know this isn’t my original form!”

“Yes, yes, but it’s your current one. So if we’re to accept your situation, let’s extend the same grace to our guest, shall we?”

The minotaur grunted, then huffed back to his seat.

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