“The occasion of your arrival, of course,” the Dragon said. “We have all longed for you for years now. Have we not, my children?”
The dragons murmured and growled. There wasn’t a trace of longing in their voices. One dragon somewhere in the crowd said, “That light! Rid us of that evil light! It hurts my eyes!”
The Dragon’s lips drew back sharply, and Rose Red glimpsed black fangs where a moment before had been even white teeth. “Enough! Do not frighten the princess who will soon be your sister.”
“Father.” The voice that spoke was deep enough to belong to a man, but it came from the great red-clad dragon. She was tall and strong, but Rose Red had never seen a more heartbreaking face. Vengeance and fire had swallowed up all trace of womanliness. The rubies were like sparks and embers in the darkness of her hair. “Is this not one of the Veiled Folk? Is she not Vahe’s lost one?”
“Indeed,” the Dragon purred.
“Does he know you have her?”
“Do you think he would have tried nothing by now if he knew?”
The ruby-clothed woman laughed. There was fire in her mouth. “He hasn’t long until the Night of Moonblood. He must be anxious.”
“When have we known Vahe to be anything else?” The Dragon laughed as well. “He still has hope, after all these years. All these centuries. Hope is so beautiful, such a delicate flower! One must take a certain delight in watching how he nourishes it.” He gazed at Rose Red’s lantern as he spoke, and yet again, the light diminished.
“Is she the one, then?” the ruby-clothed woman continued. When she asked this question, a hush ran through the masses of dragons as they leaned in to hear what the Dragon might say. “Is she the one you seek?”
The Dragon’s gaze did not leave the silver lantern. “That remains to be seen.”
“She does not look as though she would have the fire in her.”
“The fire has burned in stranger places.”
The ruby-clothed woman was dissatisfied with this, and she stepped closer, inspecting Rose Red, making strange snuffling noises as though she were a hound sniffing out quarry. “What makes you think she is your Enemy’s Beloved? She is so puny.”
“Have you not noticed,” said the Dragon, “the protections surrounding her? She reeks of him. See the Asha Lantern he gave her? And he set one of his knights to guard her.”
“A Knight of Farthestshore?” The woman drew back from Rose Red. “Here?” She gnashed her teeth. “Where? I’ll tear the flesh from his bones!”
“No, she is not here, my child,” said the Dragon, his voice low and dark. “I would not let her through the gate. She’ll not come this way again if I have anything to say about it.”
Rose Red glared from the Dragon to the woman in rubies, not understanding a word that passed between them. Suddenly she stamped her foot.
“Here now! Don’t you talk about me like I’m a hunk of meat or somethin’! I’m here with a purpose, and I mean to see it through. I ain’t goin’ to put up with any more of this nonsense.”
The Dragon smiled down on her again. The black fangs were gone, and his face was remarkably handsome. Beautiful, even. “What makes you think you have a choice, my love?”
She quailed inside but forced herself to keep speaking, though her voice trembled. “I’ve come for m’lady. I know you have her down here. She doesn’t belong to you, and I mean to fetch her back.”
“She came of her own will,” said the Dragon.
“Only ’cause you poisoned her!” Rose Red cried. Her fury at the Dragon rose, disguising some of her fear for the moment. “Only ’cause you tricked her. She ain’t yours . . . she ain’t dead yet, and I ain’t goin’ to let you keep her down here.”
“But, darling, this isn’t the Land of the Dead.” The Dragon’s voice was as smooth as the silken clothes he wore. “This is but one stopping place on that long road. Lady Daylily may remain here as long as she pleases and not die.”
“She don’t please to stay.”
“That’s what you think.”
“Let me see her!” Rose Red cried. “Let me see her and talk to her! She’ll want to come back with me, and you’ve got to let her go if she does.” She held up the lantern, and the gathered dragons drew back, hissing like a pit of vipers.
But the Dragon stood firm. “I’ll make you a deal, my sweet.”
“No deals.”
“If, after you speak to her, Lady Daylily wants to return with you to the World Above, I will let you both go. Otherwise, you both must stay. And I will kiss you.”
“No deals!” Rose Red repeated. “I know better than to bargain with the likes of you.”