Natalie Yacobson - Dragon’s Empire – 3. Countess and Dragon

Squeezing tightly my victim, I rushed away. I felt fear and despair of the countess. Francesca did not even try to escape, she was simply numb, as if was just a lamb on the sacrifice, as if she did not suspect, that the flirting with a stranger was dangerous. I wanted to lose her in a muddy green water, so that she did not tell any secrets to anyone, but then I decided that it would be more humanely to commit a sacrifice on land, in one of the secluded corners located at the borders of my and county possessions. Francesca hung in dragon claws, her dress was wet, lush frills absorbed water and doubled the weight of the fragile woman. Her multilateral inquisitive mind rushed to a dangerous path. She had to dye.

The presence of my predecessor was felt in the cave, signs of long-standing life were noticeable – a chest with opals, emeralds and malachite fragments in a niche, a small brazier, a pillar for the victim and shackles. In the depths of the cave glittered precious ore. I laid an insensible Francesca on the floor and chained one of her wrist towards a high post. The inhabitant of the cave, whoever he was, when he wakes up, will take care of the modest offer of his owner. Without feeling the slightest conscience, because Francesca was intensified into this dark matter herself, I returned to the estate with solid intentions to put Vincent beyond the door. I’m already tired of his dirty tricks. Any patience has a limit.

The house was warm and cozy. Soft carpets covering the floor, drove steps. Embroidered blankets and pads decorated furniture, recently woven tapestries were blocked on the walls. There are many crystal on the tables. The most amazing was that my «best friend», which I was going to drive away, didn’t steal anything. For him, such a long manifestation of honesty was a real wonder.

Vincent slept, curling out straight on the rug at the burning fireplace, and his appearance was absolutely innocent, as if it was not he, who helped Francesca in her whims. I did not decide to approach and wake him up. He resembled a homeless child, who was suddenly put to warm up by the fire, and it caused pity. Let him then take the attic if he likes it so much.

«But one more prank and you will find out on the street, my friend,» I added out loud.

Vincent sleepy asked:

«What?»

«Nothing, sleep further,» I have already gathered to leave, but he called me.

«Edwin!»

«Yes,» I turned around.

«Thanks!» said Vincent. «You turned out to be more hospitable as the countess, she never even invited me to spend the night. If you already help her to return to the castle, then tomorrow we can put a visit to her, have a heart-to-hear talk with her. What would you do not decide, I will accept your side… so, from a sense of duty.»

«The countess!» I repeated tiredly, I threw the curls from the forehead, they were still wet from rain and snow. What did I do with the countess? I left her in some cave, alone with those who settled there before me.

«Edwin, are you not well?» In the voice of Vincent, for the first time, flashed a concern. «But it is impossible? Truth? You are the same as me, eternal and inviolable for death and ailments?»

«Sit here, I’ll come back soon,» I said strictly.

«Where are you going?» Vincent muttered displeased and suspiciously.

«Search misfortunes to my head,» I recalled with a gloomy humor. It was impossible to answer that I was heading to the cave, check whether the countess was still alive or no longer. Already at the very entrance to the cave, I ordered its inhabitant to behave quietly and calmly stepped in the darkness, which was illuminated by radiance of precious stones. Francesca has already woke up and tried in vain to free up her wrist. In vain attempts have not led to anything, except that the countess accidentally noticed the bronze scales of who settled here before me, and was afraid of him.

«You can never wake a sleeping predator, otherwise, when you awaken, his anger will certainly fall on you,» I said. The sounds of my voice hit the walls of the cave, but the echo did not follow them, only the oppressive dead silence.

Francesca turned out so abruptly that the chained wrist jumped involuntarily, and the shackle cut the skin to the blood.

«It is you again!» She just exhaled, either with hatred, or with a contempt, and maybe just with reproach.» I tried to turn away not to see the pale face of Francesca. From the smell of her blood began to torment me. The nails on the hand came up and stretched out, and I hid the hand behind my back. There is no need once again to watch the glitter of gold claws, it is too dazzling even for my own eyes. The flakes on golden claw caused inconvenience, this armor appeared on the wrist only in the case when I don’t avoid killing, but there was no one in the cave except for the countess and a huge reptile. For some incomprehensible reason, I didn’t want longer to kill Francesca, because she was still so young and beautiful.

«If I let you go, do you promise to forget about my existence?»

«Forget?» Francesca stumbled as if the phosphoric light came from my skin blinded her eyes.

«Yes, forget,» I immediately picked up the initiative. «Do not remember more about the picture, about the trip to the castle and even about the estate of Caryatid, I still will not be there soon. I will disappear from someone’s life, as I did it more than once and no longer appear.»

«Of course, you will no longer appear there,» she nodded with an unscrupulous arrogance. «With my silence, you are guaranteed the empty place of the king’s hear.»

It was worth me a lot of work to restrain and not hit her. Francesca sadly laughed.

«Why do you need to sit in the province, near the villages? You would be able to become a pet even by a more powerful king.

«Keep silence!» I ordered strictly.

«Why have I to keep silence? Nobody hears us. There are no royal spies here. And even if there would be someone and conveyed the king about you? It is no use. The monarch wanted to see in you his son and his friend. It would be better if he chose someone from his courtiers to this role, and not a killer and arsonist.»

Without restraining, I threw my hand from behind my back and cut with the claws the shoulder of France. The look of deformed hand shook her before she managed to scream from pain. The necklace was broken, the pearls rolled along the bottom of the cave, the laces were broken, and long red scars from claws stretched on the shoulder. Previously, the executioners branded only fallen women, and I myself, not wanting, stamped the countess. Now these scars will always remind her of what the strength she awakened, touching the portrait.

I cut the chain. Francesca, did not hold on her legs and fell. She tried to push off her palms from the bottom of the cave and climb, but confused in long skirts. The hair fell on her forehead and when she took them into her hand, she saw that I brought a claw for another blow, but this hit did not come over her. The countess screamed and tried to crawl from the a huge ugly snake with fragile dragon wings and a poisonous saliva, fluttered along with blood of dissected throat. Her ankle stuck between the broken and sharp growths of stalagmites, so it could not be released. I had to throw off the shoe and it probably remained forever to lie among the flickering stones and minerals. I did not doubt that now the countess will be go out from the cave and will find the road herself, but still on the way back, knocking at her fortress, I ordered the servants to take the crew and go to meet the countess. Nobody dreamed me to object, my statement was too convinced that her lordship had changed her mind to sail over the see.

Returning home, I found Vincent there. It was clear that he had already found out everything and believed that I behaved me mean, even worse than he himself.