No. Irdelron didn’t allow much vacation time. His flippant tone and words indicated he was kidding, but memories surfaced through our bond as Tyrrik struggled to block the horrific visions of torture and cruelty from me. His next words were somber. He ruled with fear.
I was all too familiar with what that meant. Fear stole freedom. And yet looking back, I could see that Irdelron had only ruled with fear. That had made him predictable. Draedyn ruled with fear first, according to his words. If fear was first, what else was he capable of?
The choices he made aren’t a reflection on you, I said.
No. But mine are, Tyrrik said. The image of him yelling at me in a dark alley flitted through his mind, and his regret leaked through our bond.
I was only receiving a fraction of what he felt, but there was nothing familiar about the memory.
I don’t remember that, I told him. If you’re going to feel guilty about something, at least reflect on a time when you actually did something wrong.
The memory expanded, and I recognized the first time I’d seen Tyrrik in the courtyard inside Zone Seven when he yelled at me to get out of Verald.
You were trying to save me. How funny. I’d never been upset because he’d yelled at me that night. I had lots of my own regrets and painful memories, but seeing his had only made me want to comfort him.
I’m sorry. I’m not sure if I’ve ever told you. His voice throbbed with sincerity. I’ve owed you an apology for a long time.
I caught a memory of Dyter saying something about love and apologies, only it was Tyrrik’s memory, so Dyter and I sat side-by-side while Tyrrik watched from behind us. I had my own version of this one.
I remember that night. I remembered looking up at our twin moons, hoping they weren’t going to crap on me anymore. Dyter’s advice also opened my eyes to how Tyrrik treated me. And even though you hadn’t said words, your actions showed your sincerity. I’ve forgiven you, Tyrrik. All of it was worth it because I got you.
Tyrrik hummed, a warm purr that made my insides curl, and I thought of other things I could do to make him purr.
Maybe we could take a few minutes, I thought at him, glancing at a copse of trees on the mountainside.
Funny, Ryn. Let’s get safely to Azule and drop off the humans first. He chuckled, but his interest wasn’t any less than mine. Maybe more and only mitigated by the openness of the terrain . . . and the small audience on our backs.
The mountains melted into rolling hills as we approached the border. The foliage changed too. The lower altitude deciduous trees were shorter and fuller than the mountainous pines and cedars. There was no line separating the kingdoms, but after flying for a few hours, I knew we’d arrived in the Azule kingdom.
Buildings dotted the land before us, the rolling hills smoothing into flat grasslands and vibrant fields bursting with a red, yellow, and orange autumn bounty of which I’d never seen. The exclamations of surprise from my back and those echoing in Tyrrik’s mind let me know I wasn’t alone.
In the distance, the structures were far more concentrated, and an unfamiliar tang rolled in the air, tickling my sensitive nostrils. The smell felt wrong, and I wanted to turn back for the clean mountain air.
The people ambled around far below, talking and laughing with each other, in no hurry to find cover. They weren’t even glancing up at the sky for the emperor every five seconds like the Gemondian army.
They aren’t afraid, Tyrrik mused.
Sinking dread pulled at my chest because that could only mean one thing.
They aren’t worried about Draedyn, he said louder.
The twins said he treats Azule different than the rest of the realm, I said. I scanned the ground again, noting the homes weren’t in disrepair like in Verald, not even here in the outskirts of the kingdom, and the people, the Azulis looked different too.
Their hair ranged from gold to orange, red, and brown, like the autumn leaves around them, and their skin ranged from creamy white to rich mahogany. What set them apart, distinctly apart, from the rest of the Draconian Empire were their frames; their healthy, well-fed bodies looked nothing like Verald’s people, even the wealthy Veraldians, and the contrast of the Azulis’ bodies to the Gemondians was far starker than that.
I remembered the three Druman in Dyrell’s tavern and said to Tyrrik, Maybe it’s the fish. They live close to the ocean, so all they have to do . . .
I had no idea what it took to catch fish—not that it mattered. The lush vegetation of the fields contradicted my ridiculous statement. Access to fish wasn’t the only reason Azulis looked different.
The castle is there, Tyrrik said, nodding toward a massive structure on the horizon. Do you think they’ll want to stick to the original plan or reconvene first?
I honestly didn’t know, but unless Dyter was keeping things from us again, I had to imagine everyone else was reeling too. I think we should talk first. I’m not sure ‘join our cause for freedom’ is going to resonate as well with them.
Or resonate at all.
Agreed.
Tyrrik and I circled back out toward the foothills, landing far enough away from civilization that there was no risk of someone stumbling upon us.
“Why are we here?” Tiago asked Tyrrik though he was still Drae. “I thought we were going straight to the castle?”
As soon as the rest of the passengers were off our backs, Tyrrik and I shifted. Dyter’s pinched expression was enough for me to know he hadn’t known about Azule’s prosperity. Neither had Zarad by the look on his face though his features were pinched with rage. Neither Gairome nor Dilowa seemed shocked, only disappointed. And the twins wore matching somber expressions but displayed no surprise whatsoever.
Zarad turned to the assassin twins with a frown twisting his lips. “Did you know? How long has this been happening? Their land isn’t dying. They have access to Phaetyn blood.”
Nielub glanced at his unsmiling brother before speaking. “We tried to tell your father that Draedyn was supplying Azulis with blood. I don't think he believed us. Or believed that Azule wouldn’t send aid if they could afford to.”
I wasn't sure if I would’ve believed them either. The idea seemed so preposterous. And yet Zakai had traveled many times to Zivost to beg for aid. Had he known deep down that the Azulis were not on our side? I would’ve appreciated a heads up if so.
“Azule is the gateway kingdom to the emperor’s personal lands,” Nielub said. “He keeps them as allies, likely so they act as a buffer between him and the other two kingdoms.”
Preposterous but a simple and brilliant tactic.
“Are they as ignorant of the rest of the realm?” Dyter asked, absently rubbing on the stump of his arm. “Perhaps we can still appeal to their sense of justice.”
A cacophony of exclamations exploded in the tall golden grass, the opinions clashing, each mortal expressing their view louder than the person standing next to him or her. We’d brought a whole heap of leaders with us and not enough listeners though I knew what we’d seen had upset everyone. The rantings were pointless. We didn’t have any options.
Go ahead and shift. We’ll have to take our chances. Without waiting, Tyrrik bellowed, “Stop.”
With my shield and veil firmly fixed, I close my eyes and released my Drae.
“Do you know anything else?” Tyrrik asked Dilowa and Gairome then jerked his head at the assassins. “You four are the only ones unsurprised by the state of Azule.”
I rotated, fixing my violet eyes on the mortals as I gnashed my teeth. Nothing like a little fear to loosen the tongue.
Dilowa shook her head. “I’d only heard rumors. I used to patrol one of the border towns. Two decades ago, we had a swarm of Druman entering Gemond. Occasionally, they had a human with them. The emperor’s Druman don't stop to gossip, but mortals do.”
“Azule was always different. Even prior to the Druman swarming in,” Nielub said. “We still have to try and win them to our side.”
“If not, we’ll lose many of our men wading through Azule. Even if their army is abysmal, they’re well fed and will defend their country. Any advantage we might’ve had will disappear.”