Natalie Yacobson: Dragon’s Empire – 4. Rose for dragon

«If you experienced some kind of warm feelings to the so-called family, you’d long have already dealt with the prince.»

«It is easier to say than to do. He is still strong. Do not forget that he taught me, and not I him. And who gave you the right to speak so disrespectful about my relatives.»

«Dead relatives,» Vincent corrected sullenly. «You looked among them clearly more than one-only elf in the castle of full people. Your relatives were afraid of you, because they knew about who you would.»

«And they hid it from me,» I thought out loud.

«But from the very beginning I admitted to you honestly,» immediately said Vincent, forgetting to mention that it happened after two unsuccessful attempts to deprive me of life.

«Yes, of course, it is the jackal’s method to pass over to the side of a stronger one,» he laughed, guessing my thoughts. «But, remember, even rats run from a sinking ship, and I stayed in Lara. This means that your chances of success are still more than by anyone else. If you win all your enemies, then for me it is a loss, but the princess will get to you.»

«Is it a loss?» I asked.

«Well, of course I don’t want her to contact you,» Vincent left a direct response. «You’re not even a man, you are a werewolf, an animal, but it seems she doesn’t care about it. Each makes his choice.»

Who am I for her? I am a shadow with candlelight, a voice in emptiness, an invisible and dangerous guest. It is well even if her duenna still did not call the priests to expel me. I had her ribbon only, but turning this pink slice of satin in my hands, maybe I could find out what she thought about.

It was a failure, the ribbon was pretty, but I could not know anything. Vincent urged me to engage in politics, settle things with the father of Henri, he did not leave the hope that the king would give me the throne.

The month high in the dark sky shone brighter, and it seemed to me that a red color was added to the silver shade of halo.

I was drawn into the sky, closer to the month, because the ill-fated amethyst was on someone’s hand. I cursed the prince. As not on time. The skin burned, and the most important thing I guessed, who this time had a terrible lot. Vincent prudently picked off a couple of books and ran to hide in the attic. Upstairs clicked, closing, a junk, a candle flashed. The whole house was granted to me, like the whole city, but this time it would be not enough to burn Lara. I decided to experience the fate. The first victim was the wagon, lonely dragging around the country road. It immediately found itself in the dragon’s claws, the beer barrels rolled back from it in different directions. But the pair of mules and the driver could not replace the one that was chosen for me for this night. She became engaged to death. I have to fly through the whole world, but find her. However, it is not necessary to look for a long time, one purple thread was visible for me, it stretched straight, and the location of the ring as a magnet pulled to itself. I could always unmistakably determine the direction.

Instead of a girl, I could sacrifice the carriage near the city gate, but already knew that it would be a vain sacrifice.

I would be free only when the prince himself became the victim. It’s time to get rid of him and find a weapon against him. Weapon, which, I did not doubt, was hidden in manuscripts. Magic is against magic. Evil is against evil. Deceit will determine the strongest.

I saw a girl in a room for meetings of the council, or in a ballroom. There was no time to look. I was attracted by a golden color, a single bright spot in the dark space. I broke the glass with claws and not even feeling pain from sharp fragments, chained in a dragon skin, I penetrate inside. The overwhelming size of the hall was quite spacious even for me.

The void in the stomach filled the annoying hunger. Following it, the feeling of malice to the whole living has increased. This feeling was not mine. The bright golden point attracted me. I myself did not understand how something trembled and fragile, similar to a small animal, was found in the claws. So it froze from fear in the claws of the predator a squirrel or a marten. And after all, I did not feel the fur in my claws. Brocade! From the first attempt I defined. It was the golden brocade. There was in my memory like a sharp glass shard, a name. Francesca! I didn’t want that with a beautiful creature in my claws was going to take place a misfortune as with Francesca. It was better to sacrifice someone else. It means I need to choose a dozen, hundreds of peasants. Fortunately, there was a smell of smoke, meat, firewood. There was a village. I rushed forward, without even thinking about what I was going to harm. The village, indeed, was there, and the fire did not pass it.

The branches of the fir-trees clung to the clothes, scratched the face when I went past them.

I tried to not pay attention to scratches, they still would heal soon. All forest livestock and birds and animals realized that it was better not to disturb me. Even the hungry wolves were embarrassed, because they understood: a more terrible predator appeared even hungry than they. The wolves themselves could overnight become food for him.

For me, the difficulty was familiar. The most difficult thing was to protect the girl from wounds. The golden dress has burned my fingers. It was necessary to be careful, because if some kind of dry branch scratched the skin of the girl, which I carried in my hands through the whole forest, then I myself would have to treat it. Somewhere nearby there was a hut of forester, but it was not easy to reach it. I went on feet to the very boarder of my empire, and here it always was a strong frost. The cargo, which almost nothing weighed, began to pull my hands.

That’s hut. I almost with joy rushed there, and did not immediately feel someone’s gaze. I turned around. Behind us was only the snowfall. Not a single wolf attracted by the smell of blood would risk getting closer to me than a few meters.

«If you are unable to accomplish justice, then I will do it,» said a familiar voice at my shoulder. «Give me a girl.»

«Go away,» I almost hissed. «You will not cross the border at all wishes. Your justice is deaf and blind, but even if it was different, the prey belongs only to me.»

«So it will be the war? Do you want to fight?» The powerless rage caused the prince to increase the voice.

«As soon as you want,» I explained with cold courtesy. It did not even give me a pleasure that he trampled at the most borders and was unable to cross them. I left him behind the threshold, and I myself bowed my head in order not to knock on the threshold and disappeared in the doorway. The door itself slammed with noise, as if it separated two worlds.

The hut of huntsman was long empty.

One pure bed immediately became a bed for Rose.

Some creature appeared outside the door. It creaked and opened. Someone sniffed to the air and, apparently, having revealed me, rushed away. So, the new tenant will not be disturbed. Well, it’s even good.

Rosa managed to frozen much, but I knew that I could save her. My blood can return to her vital warmth. I looked around the sides in search of a knife and not finding it, without a ceremony bit the veins at my wrist and put a bleeding brush to her mischievous lips.

«Just do not die,» I mentally asked. «Who, besides you, will be able to divide my dark addiction to ancient magic with me. Maybe if you are near, I will understand all the ancient manuscripts.»

In the hut was even colder than in the forest. It seemed to be an icy wind in all the cracks. I could tell the fire to burn, but instead of it for some reason I began to look for firewood. Empty hero did not give hopes. Nor fire, nor firewood was found. I broke down a couple of unnecessary chairs, quickly clicked my fingers, carving a few sparks, and hastily turned on Rose, hoping that she had not woke up yet. And if she woke up, it would be strange to appear in front of it – the magician made the flame from nothing and broke off the chair with such ease, as if it was a thin twist. Nails from broken furniture fell on the floor. Their chime could wake up and dead, but Rose did not wake up for a very long time.