“Commander Leopold!” Grald exclaimed in satisfaction. “You have news, I see.” His hulking body hunched over that of the soldier, who—though he was tall for a human—was head and shoulders shorter than Grald. “Have you found him?”

“I have, Lord,” the soldier replied. “He is in the palace.” Leopold paused to let this information sink in, then added, “He is with the Children.”

Grald sucked in a breath through his teeth and let it hiss out in a name. “Draconas. The Walker found a way inside.”

“Despite our best efforts, Lord, I am afraid he did. As I told you, I am certain it was Draconas who tried to talk his way past me on the bridge that night. Although then he was disguised as a monk. My shield-mate was the one who saw Ven inside the palace, and she told me that he was accompanied by a child—a little girl.”

“Of course. How very clever,” Grald muttered. “What idiots we have been! Searching for the man, Draconas, when, naturally, he would take on another form. What is Ven doing? Is he still there? What did he tell the Children?”

“I do not know, Lord,” Leopold was forced to admit. “My shield-mate feared to come too near the Children. They do not react well to humans spying on them. You recall what they did the last time.”

Grald smiled, proud of his children’s ferocity. They had not actually slain the man, who had mistakenly wandered into their part of the cave. Their attack had, however, left him a gibbering idiot, and a one-armed idiot at that.

Thinking of the children brought to mind the yearly ritual when he would invite another group of young women, chosen because they were strong in the magic, into his “palace.” Grald rubbed his hands in anticipation! This year would be momentous. He planned to impregnate the women using Ven’s body. He hoped that the seed of that half-dragon body, mingled with the magic of himself, the dragon, would produce far better children—more dragon and less human.

It is fitting, Grald thought, that Ven should be the one to take over this task. He proved that I was right in my theory that we could breed more like him. All I require are women like his mother, who are strong in the magic.

“What else did Ven see inside the palace?” Grald asked.

“The army,” replied the commander.

Grald ground his teeth in ire. “He will alert the humans, if he can. Warn his brother.”

“What does it matter?” asked Leopold imperturbably. “I’ve seen human armies. There’s nothing they can do against us. Whatever Ven tells them of us will only plant terror in their hearts. Fear is a fast-growing tree that bears noxious fruit.”

“That may be true, but I don’t trust the Walker. He must not leave Dragonkeep. I want him dead.”