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Back Master of Dragons
Chapters (46)
  1. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  2. PROLOGUE
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
  43. 41
  44. 42
  45. 43
  46. EPILOGUE

Ven opened his mind wide and showed it to her.

A world that smelled of green things and blue sky and sharp, bright sunlight.

The sunlight would blind them, the Children of the Dragon, until they grew accustomed to it.

Yet, in that world, there would be room to fly. “I’m coming,” said Sorrow.

29

A DOOR SLAMMED, CAUSING MARCUS TO WAKE SUDDENLY, WITH THE panicked feeling that the dragon was chasing him. His heart racing, he stared, baffled, at his surroundings. He had no idea where he was. Sunlight flooded in through an oilskin-covered hole in the wall. Outside, birds twittered and chatted. He looked around at unfamiliar walls and up at an unfamiliar ceiling. His racing heartbeat slowed, and he closed his eyes and sighed deeply.

The dragon was gone. All the dragons were gone. Memories remained. Terrifying and amazing, they wound and curled and twined about him. He might have thought he’d dreamed it all, but he could still see and feel everything with frightening clarity. Ven lying on the floor, the dragon looming over him. The golden gleam of the locket. The strangely beautiful dragon-woman, her silver scales shining in the light of his mind.

“Your brother is safe,” said Draconas. “At least, for the moment.”

The man stood inside the little room as Marcus had seen him before, holding his staff, his boots covered with the dust of the many roads he had he traveled.

“Where is Ven?” Marcus asked.

“He walks his own road and I have no idea where that will lead him,” Draconas replied. “But he is not your concern, Marcus. Your road lies dead ahead, and I do mean ‘dead.’ Return home as swiftly as you can. Ride as though demons were pursuing you, for they are. Grald may be destroyed, but his plans for the conquest of humans are not. You’ve seen the legions of Dragonkeep. They are being readied for war as we speak. Your kingdom will be the first to come under assault.

“I have just left your father. I tried to warn the King,” Draconas added. “But Edward does not trust me, and he would not believe me. You must convince him, tell him what you have seen, add the weight of your words to mine. You don’t have much time. In fact, we may already be too late.”

“Where will you be?”

“Where I need to be,” Draconas replied curtly.

The little room burst like a soap bubble and disappeared, along with Draconas.

Marcus sat up in bed. He knew where he was now. The fishing village. He would have to ride hard to reach his home, and he felt rotten—the after-effects of a night’s carousing. His mouth tasted like the insides of a well-worn boot; his head was three times the size it should be, and his stomach kept trying to climb up into his throat.