Alison Goodman - Eona - The Last Dragoneye

“Haddo,” I yelled. “Get up.”

He raised his head at my call, his eyes suddenly widening. “Behind you! Stop! I order you to stop!”

I turned. One of his men was coming at me. Either he didn’t hear the order or didn’t care because he kept coming, sword swinging at my neck.

With Kinra’s reflexes, I angled my blades into a desperate parry. His steel hit mine, the force sending a cascade of pain through my arms. He lifted his weapon for another strike.

“Stop!” Haddo roared.

The man pulled back, startled.

“The islander. Get the islander,” Haddo ordered. The man ran at Ryko.

Across the courtyard, I saw a soldier heading toward Vida. The girl had caught the emperor’s horse and was doggedly holding on to its bridle, all her attention on the plunging animal. As I opened my mouth to scream a warning, Solly ran out of the laneway and clubbed the man with a yoke.

Haddo turned to me with the beginnings of enlightenment. “Who are you?”

My answer was a punishing set of Tiger cuts aimed at his chest. He blocked reflexively, his face sharpening at my borrowed skill. Ahead, the emperor was holding off two soldiers with rage-fueled savagery. Again, I felt my focus drawn to the base of his throat. To the pearl. With grim determination I turned my attention back to Haddo.

The lieutenant had already recovered from his surprise; he met my next barrage of cuts with efficient blocks. I changed tactics, swinging into the circular upper and lower body attacks of the Goat. Our swords connected in a sudden stop, our faces a finger-length apart.

“Are you resistance?” he gasped.

I could not brace against his weight much longer — he would have me off balance. Kinra whispered: Rabbit feints and kicks . Summoning courage, I relaxed my trembling hold. The sudden lack of opposition made him lurch forward. Throwing all my strength into a downward disengage, I jumped free of our grapple. My landing buckled into a fall; once again, I had forgotten the new strength in my healed leg. I scrambled upright.

A few lengths away, Ryko and Dela were holding off three soldiers who had advanced on the unhorsed emperor. Although I was facing Haddo with swords ready, he seemed transfixed by the islander and the graceful man fighting beside him. Then I saw him make the connection.

“By the gods, you’re them.” He rounded on me. “You’re not a woman. You’re the Dragoneye!” As he took another breath to shout the alarm, I lunged.

My sudden thrust stopped him, but his return was quick and strong. He launched into a volley of savage cuts, his anger driving me backward. Suddenly, a devious flick of his left blade sliced across the back of my hand, close to the folio bound above my wrist. The pearls around it snapped up like a striking snake. I cried out, but it was the show of blood that tempered Haddo’s rage; he had to take me alive, unhurt. He withdrew, allowing both of us a moment to recover. The pearls tightened around my arm, securing the folio and stopping the blood. Was it their mandate to steal the Imperial Pearl, too? I could no longer trust any of Kinra’s treasures. Taking a shaking breath, I readied myself for Haddo’s next attack.

This time his pass was more subdued; a cautious hunt to disarm.

“You must know you will be caught,” he said, disengaging from my low block. “The whole army is looking for you.”

“You serve a traitor,” I said.

“He has the blood, and the right.” He thrust at me, but I turned away the blade, catching his second sword in a lastminute slide.

“Prince Kygo has the true right,” I said, retreating a few steps. “Sethon claims that Kygo is dead. But he is not — there he is, right in front of you.”

Haddo glanced across at the young emperor, who was beating back a soldier with frenzied blows. The Imperial Pearl shone at his throat, a beacon of the truth. Kinra’s ambition flared again. I concentrated through her humming fervor.

Haddo lowered his swords. Cautiously, I matched him. We faced each other, still and watchful, our weapons at the ready in case this strange truce broke.

“Why do you think Sethon wants me alive?” I asked.

“You are a lord.”

“No. He wants to use my dragon power for war.”

Haddo eyed me. “That is forbidden. You’re lying.”

“It is Sethon who is lying.”

Haddo glanced at the emperor again: living proof of Sethon’s lies. Then I saw him focus on something behind me.

“Eona!” It was Dela’s voice.

I risked a glance over my shoulder. Dela was circling the emperor and Ryko. “Eona, stop him! He’ll kill Ryko.”

Kygo’s frenzy had turned on the islander. Although Ryko was valiantly blocking the emperor’s blows, he was not engaging. Neither Ryko nor Dela would raise their swords against their master. Dead and wounded men lay on the ground around them. A quick scan of the courtyard showed only Ryko’s captain and another guard still fighting a handful of soldiers. Almost all of Haddo’s men were down.

“Eona?” Haddo repeated. “You really are a woman? A woman Dragoneye?” I could see the shock in his widened eyes. He touched the blood amulet around his neck.

“Dela, take over here,” I ordered, and backed away from the lieutenant. He stared at me, bewildered, until Dela rushed him, whooping a battle cry.

I spun around and felt Kinra gauge the scene. Ryko was retreating from the emperor with every strike against his swords. At each step, the islander shouted his allegiance, but Kygo kept advancing. The young emperor’s face was dark with rage and effort, his wild swords only finding their mark from years of relentless training. Kinra’s focus dropped to the pearl. He does not deserve it . I ignored her treacherous thought.

“Ryko, get out of the way,” I yelled.

He ducked under the emperor’s slashing blades.

“He does not know who we are,” he gasped. “I cannot rouse him.”

“Your Majesty,” I called. “It is Eona.” The emperor’s gaze traveled across to me. There was no recognition, only the fever of madness. He raised his swords. I was a fool — he had never known my true name.

I tried again. “Your Majesty. I am Lord Eon. Your ally.”

Kinra’s reflexes saved me from the slice at my face and the cunning lower cut. I leaped back, landing on the soft give of a fallen body. It spasmed; the man underfoot was not dead. He shrieked his agony, clawing at my legs. Cold horror propelled me off his bloodied torso. The shock weakened my hold on Kinra. Her purpose surged through me like water smashing through a dam, my terror and pity obliterated by angry ambition.

She swung the swords and I felt them sing Kygo’s death, not his deliverance. Desperately, I tried to wrest back control, but Kinra held true, aiming for the emperor’s chest. The wicked thrusts slammed against Kygo’s blades. Steel slid along steel in screeching protest. I gritted my teeth and wrenched the swords free, fighting Kinra’s desire to drive them into his heart.

Something flickered across Kygo’s glazed eyes. Fear? Or was it recognition?

“Your Majesty!” I groped for something that might bring him back. “Kygo! We have a pact. Mutual survival.” But the humming in my head screamed his destruction.

He lunged, swords circling in a high Goat attack. Kinra’s experience blocked his heavy charge, her sliding parry forcing the emperor off balance. Before I could pull away, she flicked up the grip. The vicious punch caught Kygo in the forehead. He reeled backward and staggered over the legs of a splayed body.

Take the pearl!

The command drove me over the corpses to the emperor. All I could see was the pearl stitched to his throat, only a sword thrust away. Kygo was dazed, swaying on his feet, blood welling from the burst skin above his eye. He would not see me coming. One sharp stab. I raised my blades.