Dragon Eyre Blackrose: An Epic Fantasy Adventure (The Magelands Eternal Siege Book 12) by Christopher Mitchell

Author:Christopher Mitchell [Mitchell, Christopher]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781912879748
Publisher: Brigdomin Books Ltd
Published: 2022-05-19T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 17

FEARFUL ALLIES

North of Throscala, Eastern Rim – 10th Arginch 5255 (18th Gylean Year 6)

The sky to the east was so red that it reminded Maddie of the City. The small clouds that had gathered above the horizon were pink, reflecting the light of the sun that had yet to appear, and if she squinted her eyes, and ignored the beach in front of her, she imagined that she could almost be back in the Bulwark.

Behind her, the birds in the forest that spread from the beach up into high cliffs were chattering and singing, preparing themselves for the dawn. The sixty dragons that Blackrose had brought to the small island from Ulna were quiet, resting after the long flight through the hours of darkness. They, too, were preparing themselves for dawn, for the attack on Throscala Town. All they needed was Sable to appear, but so far there had been no sign of the Holdfast witch.

‘She has betrayed us again,’ said Ahi’edo.

Maddie glanced at him. The two riders were sitting together on the beach, with no one else close by. Ahi’edo had wanted to sit with the other riders, but Shadowblaze had insisted that he keep Maddie company, and so he had been following her like a shadow since they had arrived on the tiny island.

‘She hasn’t betrayed us a first time,’ Maddie said, ‘so I don’t know what your “again” is supposed to mean. I’m going to say something to you, Ahi’edo; and you’re probably not going to like it, but you need to stop obsessing about Sable. You act as if you have this big rivalry with her, but she couldn’t give a damn about you, which means that the only person you’re hurting with all this is yourself.’

Ahi’edo frowned. ‘I’m not obsessed with her.’

‘Oh, come on.’

‘No. Listen to me, Maddie – Sable has bewitched you; and not just you. She has cast her spell on Queen Blackrose too, and on my master Shadowblaze. I’m the only one who can see through her tricks, because I’m the only one who has been affected by them and has then recovered. I still have nightmares about what she did to me; sometimes I awake in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, shaking and weeping like a child. Don’t roll your eyes at me, Maddie. I know it’s been two years, but the fear she implanted into my head has never completely gone. She used me, then discarded me; and now she’s using all of you.’

Maddie turned back to gaze at the eastern horizon. At any moment, the sun would appear, and Sable would be officially late. Ahi’edo had got it the wrong way round. As far as Maddie was concerned, it was Blackrose who was using Sable; taking advantage of the opportunities brought about by the Holdfast woman’s rage, and her overwhelming grief for Badblood. It left a sour taste in Maddie’s mouth, and she felt sorry for Sable.

‘How long should we wait for her, do you think?’ said Ahi’edo.

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