Seraphina(106)

“Imlann!” I cried, jumping and waving my arms like a fool. “Take me with you!”

The monster cocked his head and screamed, “You’re not a dragon; we resolved that in the laundry. What in blazes are you?”

This was it. I had to be interesting enough that he wouldn’t kill me out of hand, and there was only one piece of information that could work: “I’m your granddaughter!”

“Not possible.”

“Yes, possible! Linn married the human, Clau—”

“Do not speak his name. I want to die never having heard it uttered. He is a nameless thing, antithetical to ard.”

“Well, your nameless daughter bore a child to her nameless thing husband.”

“Orma told us—”

“Orma lied.”

“I should kill you.”

“You’d do better to take me with you. I could be of use in the coming conflict.” I spread my arms, posing dramatically, my crimson gown like a gaping wound in the snowy hillside. “Being a half-breed has given me formidable abilities that neither dragons nor humans possess. I can contact other half-breeds with my mind; I can direct them at a distance with a thought. I have visions and maternal memories. How do you imagine I knew who you were?”

Imlann’s nostrils flared, though I could not discern whether he was skeptical or intrigued. Down in the cave, Kiggs stirred, moving himself slowly and silently into position to attack.

“I know all about your cabal,” I said, feeling the urgency of keeping my mouth moving. “I know the coup back home is going forward as we speak.”

Imlann raised his spines as if alarmed that I could know that. Had I guessed right? Despair washed over me, but I kept going: “You’ve killed the Ardmagar and half the royal family; war is coming. But Goredd is not sufficiently weak that you will be able to walk right in. You’re going to need my help.”

Imlann snorted, smoke curling from his nostrils. “Liar. I know you bluffed me before. You should not have been so quick to brag. Even if I believed in your powers, your loyalty lies with the princeling in the cave. Which of your ‘formidable abilities’ will you use when I lean down and roast him? I’ve worked up quite a good flame now.”

I opened my mouth, and there was a sound like the world ending.

It wasn’t me, although I was ridiculously slow to comprehend that. Lars, who’d sneaked up on the left, had started up his great war pipes, brawling and caterwauling and screaming musical obscenities at the dawn. Imlann jerked his head toward the sound and a shadowy figure leaped at him from the other side, vaulted up the dragon’s neck, and clamped arms and legs around his still-soft throat. Imlann thrashed his neck around, but Abdo held tight—tight enough to prevent Imlann from spitting fire.

“Kiggs! Now!” I cried, but he was already there, stabbing at the foot that held Glisselda. Imlann uttered a gurgle and withdrew his foot reflexively. I reached Kiggs at just that moment; together we rolled Glisselda to one side. I helped the sobbing princess down the rocks toward the cave entrance while Kiggs, unwilling to leave well enough alone, took a stab at the dragon’s other foot. Imlann lashed at Kiggs, knocking the prince down to our level. He landed on his back, all the air slammed out of him. Glisselda ran to his side.

There was a hot, sulfuric wind, and I looked up to see Imlann launching himself off the hillside, Abdo still clinging to his neck. I cried out, but there was nothing I could do. Abdo couldn’t let go while he was in the air; the fall would kill him. Imlann circled lazily back toward us. If he was hardened enough to fly, he was too hard for Abdo to keep squeezing him flameless. He was coming back to torch us into cinders.

“Get back!” I cried to Glisselda and Kiggs, shoving them toward the cave. “As far as you can!”

“Y-your lying saved us!” gasped Kiggs, still dazed from his fall.

My lying. Yes. “Hurry! Run!” I urged him.

Something huge screamed through the sky just above us. I looked up to see Orma hurtling toward Imlann, and I wept with relief.





Imlann turned tail and fled, or appeared to. He let Orma nearly catch him before reeling around in the sky and grappling him. They pinned each other’s wings and plummeted toward the earth but managed to escape each other’s grasp before they hit the trees. They spiraled upward again, each looking for an opening. Imlann flamed; Orma, noticeably, did not.

He’d spotted Abdo and did not wish to harm him. The humanity of it took my breath away; the colossal stupidity of it filled me with despair.

Abdo, clamped onto Imlann’s neck, would deprive Orma not only of the use of fire but also of the ability to bite Imlann’s head off easily. Orma’s only hope would be to successfully drop his father out of the sky, but his father was longer by a quarter. It was not going to be easy, and Abdo might still die.

From the city, something else huge and dark rose into the sky and approached the fighting pair at speed. It was another dragon, but I couldn’t tell who. He circled the snarling pair at a safe distance, not engaging either of them, but watching and waiting.

Behind me, Kiggs spoke quietly to Glisselda. “Are you hurt?”

“I believe I may have a cracked rib, Lucian. But—is the Ardmagar really dead?”

“It was all a bluff. I’ve seen her do it before. It’s her particular talent.”