Breath of Dragons (A Pandoran Novel) (29 page)

And now that we'd moved to the other side of the pool, I could see the rest. A cloud of dragons flew over a great sea, and once they reached land, they set everything in their path aflame. People tried to escape, but they were not fast enough. There was a man seated on the foremost dragon, and he carried a golden shield, and as his horde of dragons reached a great castle, an army gathered on foot in challenge. One man stepped forward, covered in black armor, and he thrust a beam of light toward the air. This light hit the golden shield, and the shield shone brighter and brighter until in one final explosion of white, there was nothing. No army, no castle, no dragons. Wiped out as though none of them had ever existed.

"You see," the high priest continued, "the Draconi served the rulers of their day, but these particular descendents had an insatiable appetite for power. They betrayed Galahad, who ruled at the time. They stole his great shield of power and unleashed that power with the fury of the dragons upon the world. With so much power in their hands, little hope remained for the people. But Galahad fought back, and because it was Galahad whom Gaia had originally tied to the unity stone, embedded in the shield of power, the strain of Galahad's magic against the shield was too much and the shield exploded. Such an explosion wiped out everyone near, including both Galahad and the Draconi. The shield itself was destroyed, broken into seven pieces. That day was also the last of the dragons."

I frowned. "I thought the shield of power had corrupted Galahad, and that Gaia had destroyed the shield because of that fact, which in turn destroyed Galahad."

Ven Orelius eyed me carefully. "That is one version." His eyes traveled to Alex, and his intrigue piqued. "Ah, I see your Aegis does not know this version of the story, either?"

Alex's face was chiseled, looking as if this story had sat ill with him. "I can't say that I've ever heard that version before."

Ven Orelius rubbed his hands together. "You see, that is the problem with history. There are always many versions, many of which have been forgotten through time, and there is no one left to testify. So how do we decide which is truth…?" The question was left open and lingering.

"Truth or not, why would you build a temple in honor of someone who, you say, betrayed Gaia?" I asked.

Ven Orelius raised a finger. "But we are not honoring the betrayer, your highness. We are honoring the lineage—the first Draconi—and though the path of Ephram Draconi's descendents turned somewhat oblique, his origination remains sacred. To have the blood of the dragons is one of the greatest honors Gaia has ever bestowed." His eyes settled on mine.

It made me a little uncomfortable. "You were on your way taking us to…?"

"Yes, your grace," Ven Orelius bowed his head. "This way, please."

Ven Orelius led us past a table drenched in gold and jewels—offerings, the high priest said, for the spirits. I wondered what a spirit could possibly want with gold and jewels, but I kept this to myself. He led us down a stone staircase that led into the ground like the steps to a cellar, and at the end stood a wooden door. This he pushed in and ushered us inside. There was a short, narrow hallway, lit by torches and interrupted by a handful of wooden doors with one large wooden door at the very end. Probably living quarters.

He led us through one of the smaller doors and into a simple room with a small bed and desk. A hearth in one corner boasted a small fire, and beside it were two large bookshelves overstuffed with thick volumes of books, like the
Spirits of the Arborenne
and
The Third Era
. A book entitled
Augurs of Karth
caught my attention. Karth was the capital of Pendel, and it was the city Tran had told us to go to.

"Have you found something that interests you, your grace?" Ven Orelius asked.

Yes, there were plenty of things that interested me lately, but that's not why I had come here. I turned back to face him. "I would like to know why you are offering to help us."

Ven Orelius clasped his hands before him. He looked older then. Weak and frail as one who has held truth at bay for so long that he was being crushed beneath the weight of it. "Because I believe in the powers of old. Because I believe in the prophets. Because I believe the time has come for the true king to rise, and it starts with relics of the past. There are those yet remaining who have not forgotten the past, your grace, and the darkness rises—the likeness of which this world has not seen in centuries. And I believe you, daughter of the Pandors, possess the key to stopping this."

If I'd had an ego, he was not trying to inflate it. There was no deception in those clear eyes of his. He spoke from his heart; his voice trembled with hope. But I really wished people would stop making comments like I was some kind of savior. I was just a girl trying to find a way to help her brother destroy their evil uncle. There was nothing unusual about that. However, if Ven Orelius truly believed this and was using it as his reasoning for helping us, then I wasn't going to sit here and convince him otherwise.

Instead, I said, "I'm assuming this is allowable because of the circumstances at dinner? I will not defy Mercedes."

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Alex looking at me like he was thoroughly surprised by this last proclamation.

Ven Orelius shook his head. "Of course not, your grace. I would never have asked you if it would openly defy her. It is within the code of the
venita
that in matters of great stress and urgency, we may circumvent the usual processes to evaluate the state of our portal for security purposes. And since the other
venita
and I have agreed that your actions in saving her ladyship's life are tantamount to a citizen of Gesh, it is within our rights to honor you passage
with us
."

"And what of my Aegis?" I asked. "I will not travel without him." This wasn't entirely true. I
really
didn't want to travel without Alex, and the very idea scared the life out of me, but circumstances what they were—even if the
venita
said no—I knew that I'd still have to consider this option.

Ven Orelius closed his eyes. "He will take my place."

This time, Alex's face opened in surprise and he parted his lips to speak but caught himself.

"How can Al—Aegis Del Conte take your place?" I asked. "The other
venita
will allow this?"

"The other
venita
will not know." Ven Orelius sighed and rested his weary gaze on Alex as if it were causing him great effort to even breathe. "He will wear my ceremonial robes and mask. The build between us isn't so different that it would be easily noticed." He was right. Ven Orelius wasn't much shorter than Alex, though his build was withered comparatively, but that shouldn't be a problem hidden beneath a robe.

There was still one little problem. "As high priest, wouldn't it be your responsibility to, ah, guide the portal to Pendel?" I asked. "How could Aegis Del Conte do that without giving himself away? And what about the Pendel side? Will it even be open?"

Ven Orelius hesitated. "I have taken care of that already."

Alex frowned, and this time he couldn't hold back his words. "You've manipulated the fields of magic."

Ven Orelius nodded, albeit reluctantly.

I looked between them. Whatever it meant, Alex did not look pleased. "What do you mean, manipulated fields of magic?" I asked.

Alex let Ven Orelius answer this, as if he was more than willing to leave Ven Orelius alone to dig his own grave.

"Your highness." Ven Orelius bowed his head. "There are various fields of magic surrounding the portals. It is during the ceremony that we use one such field in communication with a sister portal—in your case, Pendel—to request passage. It is, ah, not
strictly
legal to open their end without permission."

I saw where this was going, and why Alex was not happy about it. "How will this
not
strictly legal action affect communications between Pendel and Gesh in the future?" I asked.

"It is a risk, I know." He looked up at me, his gaze almost apologetic. "I am sorry, your grace, and I wouldn't have suggested it if not for the circumstances, but I see no other way and I fear for the people. This is a risk I am willing to take. However, if you find this unsatisfactory, I understand and will not take any more of your time."

Why did I always seem to be choosing between evils? Every choice came with a great and unidentifiable risk. If I didn't use the portal, the shadowguard would most likely attack Valdon before I even reached Pendel. If I did use the portal, who knew what the consequences would be for Mercedes, or the entire realm, for that matter. As if my brother needed to deal with that, too.

"I'd like a moment to speak with my Aegis alone, please," I said, careful not to show any of my feelings.

Ven Orelius bowed. "Of course, your grace." And he stepped out of his room, leaving us alone.

Once the door clicked shut, I looked back at Alex. He was still staring at the door Ven Orelius had exited, and feeling my gaze, his eyes slid to mine. "Well?" he asked.

"I want to know what the repercussions could be for manipulating the portals like this," I said.

Alex looked pleased that I was concerned about this. "I don't know," he said quietly, gazing at the door as if he were checking to make sure Ven Orelius wasn't still standing there. "What he's done is illegal, Daria. It would reflect very poorly upon Gesh, and he would be punished severely, as well as all those involved, as an example to blot out any doubt that may arise where Mercedes' allegiance is concerned. However." His gaze slid back to mine. "Circumstances what they are, it
could
also be explained away, though I have no idea how Pendel will react to being forced upon like this."

What he was really saying was that he had absolutely no idea what would happen. "Does your gut tell you anything?" I asked.

He studied me a moment, his expression inscrutable as he said, "I'm not so certain I trust my gut anymore."

I chose
not
to take that personally.

I sighed, staring at the fire. No matter the risk, the problem was the same: My decisions were enslaved to time. "We have to go," I whispered. I gazed back up at him, and he looked as though he'd expected this. "I don't see any other way, Alex. There's risk on both sides, but I can deal with Pendel. I can't deal with losing Stefan."

"Do you want me to get the high priest, then?" he asked almost mechanically.

"Yes. Please."

Alex fetched Ven Orelius, and when the high priest reappeared, his eyes flickered between Alex and me, anxious. I nodded once, and Ven Orelius's shoulders practically sagged with relief.

Alex was concealed beneath ceremonial attire in no time. The robes were made of black velvet, trimmed in silver threads with little jewels along the bells of the sleeves and rim of the hood. The very same symbol of the large diamond with the line through the middle was embossed on the back in silver threads. The mask was black, too—a face carved from wood with narrow slits at the eyes and a small hole at the nose for breathing. Ven Orelius hadn't lied: Alex was perfectly concealed, and I began to feel more hopeful. A bit.

"Now, listen closely—both of you." Ven Orelius' gaze was very serious. "Do not speak once you leave this room. You will walk with the other two
venita
along this corridor"—he waved his hand at the door—"all the way to the end, where you will find another door. Enter through and walk down the stair until you enter a stone chamber. Once inside, you will see a small table with a goblet filled with a sort of cleansing potion. Each
venita
will take a draft from the goblet; it is our ritual. You, your grace, are not required to drink from this."

I nodded.

"In the center of this chamber you will see a sphere of glyphs and symbols upon the floor," he continued, "and at the heart of the sphere will be a basin upon a pedestal. This basin is where you must each add a drop of your blood. You may use my knife so as not to raise curiosity." He handed Alex the hilt of a straight knife that looked like a long needle. "Does her highness have a blade?"

"Yes," I said.

Ven Orelius continued, "The four of you will join hands in a circle around the basin. As High Priest, you will be expected to go last. Now, this is important: How are you with spells of conjuration…specifically of an, ah, amalgamate nature?" he asked Alex.

Alex hesitated, as if he didn't want to answer the question. "Proficient."

"Good," Ven Orelius continued, satisfied. "You will need to summon a hexflame." Ven Orelius looked at Alex expectantly.

Alex nodded stiffly, looking very uncomfortable.

"What's a hexflame?" I asked.

Neither of them looked in my direction.

"You will do this once you assume your place in the center of the sphere," Ven Orelius continued as if I hadn't spoken. "The hexflame will do the rest."

"But what—"

"Your grace." Ven Orelius grabbed my hand. His palms were cold and rough like sandpaper. "You must go. The other
venita
are waiting, and they know that they are to deliver you to Pendel. However, they do not know your Aegis will be standing in my stead." He looked at Alex. "Wait until they prepare to return to Gesh's portal before sneaking away, and I will be waiting for them on our glyph, dressed as you are, and they will see me standing here and will not know that you have stayed behind." Ven Orelius's dark eyes shimmered like obsidian. "May the blessings of the spirits forever fall upon you, your highness."

Chapter 15

The Portal

T
he other two
venita
were waiting for us in the hall, just like the high priest had said. We followed them behind the doors at the end of the corridor, where a wide-brimmed goblet sat upon a squat stem, filled with a clear liquid. The cleansing liquid. Each of the
venita
took a long draft in turn. Alex took his last and set the goblet back upon the table before we continued through the small atrium and into the main chamber, but I wasn't prepared for what I saw there.