Quest Maker (24 page)
Authors: Laurie McKay
Jasan ran his hand through his hair. “But we must stop Rath Dunn here, and Maden there. Too many perished in the last war. And this city and these people would be the first casualties in another.”
Caden looked at him. “Does this mean you'll forgive Father and the others?”
Jasan's eyes flashed. His cheeks turned red. “I'll never forgive them.” He clenched his fist and glared at a locker like he was about to hit it. He breathed in and out for a
moment. Counting, Caden thought, like Rosa did when she was angry. After a moment, he spoke again. “But I don't want the city destroyed or Razzon conquered.” He let out a breath. “I don't want our father and brothers dead.”
Perhaps there was hope for Jasan and the others to reconcile.
Jasan clenched his jaw. “I want them to beg me for forgiveness,” he said, his voice a pitted blade, “and I want to refuse them.”
Perhaps not. Caden looked up at his brother and raised his brow.
“They need to be alive for that,” Jasan said.
At least Jasan would fight, would protect those he loved even if he couldn't forgive them. In this dark time, with Rath Dunn close to his goal, they must unite. They must stop the villains to save both Asheville and the Greater Realm.
With Brynne, Tito, and Jane, they would be formidable. Maybe Ms. Primrose would help them. If Caden said the right thing, offered the right words, she might. If Caden couldn't prove his honor by slaying a dragon, perhaps he could by charming one.
M
y sincerest thanks to my awesome agent, David Dunton, and to my excellent editor, Jocelyn Davies. Thanks to everyone at HarperCollins who helped me make this book happen and to the wonderful cover artist, Eric Deschamps.
I'd like to tell my familyâmy mom, Pat; my brother, Orren; my sister and also critique partner, Sarah; my brother-in-law, Stephen; and my nephew, Edward, and niece, Marieâhow much I appreciate all they do for me.
Also, I appreciate the support from all the Balls, from Quin and Tamera, and from my good friends Janie, Adrienne, and Amy, who are always great company for a Friday dinner; from my writing buddy Kat and fellow writer Dawn Reno Langley; and from my friends
Lorrie, Krista, Laura, and Sam.
I'd especially like to thank my good friend Christine for being the type of friend I can see every day or every decade yet who I always feel like I just spoke to yesterday.
Photo by Sarah Ball
LAURIE M
C
KAY
is also the author of
Villain Keeper
, the first book in the Last Dragon Charmer series. She earned her bachelor's degree in biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her master's degree in biological oceanography from North Carolina State University. She's taught at the Chesapeake Bay Governor's School for Marine and Environmental Science and in the North Carolina community college system. Laurie lives in Durham, North Carolina, with her family and her two dogs. When she's not dodging students and prepping lab activities, she's sitting at a local coffee shop and daydreaming about all things fantastical. Follow her on Twitter @McKayLL and visit her online at
www.lauriemckay.net
.
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THE LAST DRAGON CHARMER BOOK 2: QUEST MAKER
. Copyright © 2016 by Laurie McKay. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
www.harpercollinschildrens.com
Library of Congress Control Number: 2015943569
ISBN 978-0-06-230846-7 (trade bdg.)
EPub Edition © January 2016 ISBN 9780062308481
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FIRST EDITION
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