Alison Goodman - Eon - Dragoneye Reborn

Ryko had stiffened under my words as though I had cut him with a whip. As you say, my duty is to serve you. But it is also to protect you. I will not lead you into certain death.'

I met his stubborn glare. 'You will not be leading me into death. You will be following.' I saw the rise of argument in his eyes. 'Who else is there, Ryko? You said yourself that I was the hope of the Resistance.'

'That was when you were Lord Eon, the Mirror Dragoneye.'

'I am still the Mirror Dragoneye.'

Lady Dela stepped between us. 'Enough of this pissing contest. We have no other choice. We must save Ladyjila and the Prince.'

I nodded. 'Give me a knife.'

Ryko stood looking at my outstretched hand.

'For Shola's sake, stop fighting the inevitable and give her a knife,' Lady Dela said. She leaned against a bale, sucking in pained breaths. 'Do it.'

He unsheathed a blade and slapped the leather-wrapped grip into my palm. I forced my fingers under the tight ties of my sash and began to saw through the silk.

Lady Dela's head snapped up. 'What are you doing?'

'Two soldiers dragging a captured maid to the square.'

The sash fell away I shrugged my way out of the heavy Story Robe and let it drop to the ground. The moonlight flared across the dark depths of the black pearls and silvered my pale arms. I looked up and saw Ryko staring at my body, now only clad in three thin undertunics and emerald trousers. Under his gaze, I was suddenly aware of my shape beneath the fine silk and I

wrapped my arms across my chest. He cleared his throat, quickly moving around me to station himself at the edge of the bales.

Lady Dela's eyes followed his retreat. 'It is a good plan,' she said shortly, 'but you will have to take off the shoes and the trousers too. They are wrong.'

I removed the scuffed muddy shoes, then crouched down and worked my hand under the tunics, finally finding the trouser tie. I tugged them down and stepped out of them.

'And your hair,' Lady Dela said.

I closed my hand over the two Dragoneye braids looped and tied at the top of my head. With her injury, Lady Dela would not be able to loosen them. 'Ryko, you'll have to cut it free.' I offered him the knife and turned my back.

'This is madness,' he growled.

His fingers pulled on the base of the loop, bringing tears to my eyes. As he flicked the knife through Rilla's expert bindings, I carefully unwound the pearls from around my forearm and the folio. There was no resistance from the gems, only a slight quivering that could have been my own trembling hands.

'Lady Dela.' She crossed the few paces to me, holding her injured arm against her side. I poured the pearls into her good hand and placed the folio on top. 'Find her name.'

'If it is in there, I will find it,' she promised.

'Ryko, you take my swords. I don't want them left behind.'

I felt my braids release and fall stiffly against my head.

'There, it is loose,' Ryko said gruffly

I pulled a braid to the front and dug my fingertips into it, working the hair free. He walked around and eyed my clumsy return to womanhood. I faced up to the new look in his eye, lifting my chin. Did he now think even less of me?

'If you can throw off your years as a boy, we should pass scrutiny' he said.

He was echoing my own doubts. 'I will be just another

frightened maid,' I said and gave hima quick, wry smile. 'I will not need to act it.'

He grunted. 'You have the coutage of a wan mi '

1 watched him turn away and gather the clothes from the ground. He thought me courageous?

But 1 was terrified always terrified.

'No,' I saicj flatly. 'I don't.'

He paused from stuffing the invaluable robe between two bales. Are you frightened now?'

I nodded, shame flushing my skin.

'Is it going to stop you?'

'No.'

'That is the courage of a warrior.' He picked up my swords, sheathing them in the scabbards on each of his hips.

'It is also the courage of a cornered animal,' Lady Dela said caustically. She angled the open folio to the moonlight and squinted at the letters.

'Anything?' I prompted, my fingers busy unweaving the second braid into waves.

Lady Dela clicked her tongue in frustration. 'It is very faint,' she said. 'I need more light.' She frowned and shifted the book. 'These are the writings of a woman named Kinra. The last Mirror Dragoneye.'

I dropped my hands from my hair. 'Kinra?'

Lady Dela raised her eyes to me. 'What? You know the name?'

I dug my fingers under the wrap of my breast-band and ripped out the two death plaques.

'Look.' I held up the Kinra plaque. 'She is my ancestor.'

They both studied the worn lacquered memorial. Ryko pursed his lips in a soundless whistle.

'I did not think Dragoneye powers could be inherited,' he said.

'Perhaps it is just the Mirror Dragoneye,' Lady Dela said slowly. 'The female Dragoneye.'

I touched the stiff parchment. Kinra had once touched it too. My ancestor. Pride and awe held me still; I was from a line of Dragoneyes.

An abrupt image flashed into my mind — the first time in Ido's library, when I had reached for the red folio and the pearls had wound around my arm, I had felt the same rage in them that I had felt in the ceremonial swords. My swords must have once belonged to Kinra too.

'I've just remembered —'

A huge roar from deep within the harem rolled over the women's screaming wails, booming into the alley I flinched. Beside me, Lady Dela gripped the rough hessian bale. Ryko was back at the edge of the stack, knives raised. The terrible pounding cheers separated into the rhythm of a chant: Sethon, Sethon, Sethon. It was the sound of victory And threat.

Ryko suddenly pulled back, his face twisted with self-disgust. 'Too slow.'

'Oy who's down there?' a man's voice demanded.

Ryko grabbed my arm, dragging me across his body

'Get ready' he murmured.

I shoved the death plaques back into my breast-band and sent a quick, fervent prayer to Kinra.

Protect us.

'Identify yourself,' the voice ordered.

Ryko's grip on my arm tightened.

'Swordsman Jian,' he yelled, beckoning to Lady Dela.

She looked wildly at him then yelled, And Groundsman Perron.'

Hastily shoving the folio under her armour, she stepped into place beside me, taking the knife that Ryko held out. For one silent moment, we met the fear in each other's eyes then Ryko shoved me forwards, twisting my arm halfway up my back. It was a pitiless hold and my breath caught as I was forced into a stumbling walk between them. Instinctively, I struggled against the tight restraint, Ryko's strength truly frightening. His face was hard, holding no acknowledgement of me. He jerked my arm higher until my shoulder was a straining curve of pain that hunched me into obedience. As I staggered, all I could see were the bools and legs of two soldiers standing at the mouth of the alley.

'What you got there, swordsman?' one of the soldiers asked. Even though I could not look up, I heard the leer on his face. The chanting from the next square suddenly stopped.

'Found her hiding in the stacks,' Ryko said.

'What are you doing sweeps for? That's not your job.'

'I wasn't,' Ryko said. 'Just found her when I was having a piss. Where do I take her?'

'All of the women are in the garden. 'The soldier paused. 'Give me a look.'