So I Married a Sorcerer (The Embraced #2)(115)

Brigitta froze in terror as both dragons zoomed toward the gorge. The first one shot a stream of fire at the northern ridge, and the second one was heading straight for her and Rupert! “Ca-can you blow it away?”

“I don’t want to get into a fight we might lose.” He grabbed the oilcloth tarp, then pulled her to her feet. “Wrap your legs around me and squeeze me tight.”

“Now?”

“Trust me!” He lifted her up so she could latch on to him. “Whatever happens, don’t let go!”

As the dragon grew closer, fire erupted from its mouth. Rupert clutched the corners of the tarp in his hands, then ran up the path.

Brigitta looked around frantically. There was nowhere to go. The path came to a dead end at the cliff.

The fire shot up the path, flames billowing toward them.

Rupert leaped off the cliff, taking her with him.

With a cry, she squeezed his neck and buried her head in his shoulder. They plummeted a short way, then suddenly, with a snap, their descent slowed.

With a small shock, she realized Rupert was holding the tarp over them and blowing into it to fill it with air.

Above them, the dragon screeched. She tensed, worried it would breathe more fire at them. An eagle circled them. Brody. She kept her gaze focused on him and Rupert, for she didn’t even want to look down.

They continued to descend, and soon she spotted hillsides covered with trees. Rupert managed to blow them toward a meadow in the valley. When his feet hit the ground, they tumbled over each other, then came to rest on the thick, green grass.

He propped himself up on an elbow and touched her face. “Sweetheart, are you all right?”

“I-I think so.” She gazed up at the cliff far above them. “How did you do that?”

He smiled. “I’ve always thought it would be possible to control a fall that way, but I never had the chance to test it before.”

She sat up. “That was a test?”

“We didn’t have a lot of choice at the time.” He jumped to his feet and gave her a hand to help her up.

As she stood, Brody gave a small shriek overhead. She waved at him. “We’re fine!”

Rupert stiffened. “I think he was warning us.”

“About what?” Brigitta gasped when Norveshki warriors dashed from the woods on either side of the valley.

Within seconds the warriors had surrounded her and Rupert and were pointing their spears straight at them.





Chapter Thirty-One

No wonder he hadn’t noticed these buildings from the cliff, Rupert thought. Each of the log cabins had a roof entirely covered with grass. Looking down at them, they would be nearly impossible to spot.

At first, when the soldiers had surrounded Brigitta and him, he’d been tempted to blow them away. But the chances of escaping all the way to the border had seemed slim. Not when he could see more Norveshki warriors in the forest. And there were still two dragons overhead.

Besides, he didn’t want war with the Norveshki. He couldn’t prove himself peaceful if he attacked them. And their behavior was completely understandable, given the fact that he’d invaded their country fully armed.

Brigitta had immediately told them in Norveshki that they came in peace, but there had been no reply. Two soldiers had stepped closer, pointing at his weapons, then extending their hands. He’d easily handed over his spear, bow, and quiver of arrows. After all, his greatest weapon was something they couldn’t take away.

Then they’d pointed their spears eastward. As he and Brigitta had walked with them, he’d carefully scanned the soldiers and the surroundings. Brody had flown away, probably to let Stefan know what had happened. There were more soldiers in the woods, watching their progress.

The soldiers were tall, dressed in brown leather breeches and green woolen shirts, covered with brown leather breastplates. Their heads were covered with green hoods so only their eyes showed. They hadn’t said a word.

Something about the way a few of the soldiers walked caught his eye. They were as tall as men, but he suspected they were women. With their heads and bodies all covered the same way, it was hard to tell.

He estimated that they had traveled less than a mile when they arrived at a forested area. There were wooden platforms built high in the trees, but camouflaged with branches. Sentries peered down at them.

In the middle of the forest, there was a clearing with several dozen log cabins, each one boasting a roof covered with grass. Just like the lookout towers and the soldiers’ uniforms, the cabins were designed to blend in with nature.

One of the soldiers opened a cabin door and motioned for them to enter. As they did, the soldier said something in Norveshki, then shut the door.

Brigitta whirled around, gazing at the door with a surprised look. “That was a woman.”

“Several of the soldiers were female.” Rupert glanced around the one-room cabin. It was simple. A bed. A table with four chairs. A stone hearth with no fire, but then it was much warmer here in the valley than it had been up high in the mountains. “What did the soldier say?”

“She said to wait here for General Dravenko. Have you ever heard of him?”

“No.” Rupert wandered to a window to look outside. A guard glared at him.

Brigitta drew close. “What should I tell the general?”

“Stay as honest as possible.”