Eon: Dragoneye Reborn

Did the new energy come from my bond with her as well? Our true union. I smiled — even just thinking about the red dragon started a rise of jubilation, a yearning to call her name. Our name. I wrenched the grate out of its niche and eased it to the ground.

'This is for my hand,' Ryko said.

It was the tone more than the words that spun me around. The islander was standing in front of Ido with the heavy sword hilt aimed at the Dragoneye's bowed head.

'I understand,' Ido said. He closed his eyes.

With a savage jerk, Ryko slammed the hilt end into Ido's face, the force of his own blow making him stagger. Ido collapsed to the ground in a curl of agony, his hands pressed to his forehead. He made no sound, just rocked into the pain as blood ran between his knuckles.

I stood, appalled. 'Ryko! Stop!'

The islander let out a deep breath. 'Now we can go.' He dropped the sword.

Lady Dela crossed to me, a pile of emerald silk draped over her uninjured arm.

'Leave it,' she said, blocking me with her body 'He's trying to follow your orders. Trying not to kill him.'

I caught the warning in her voice and nodded. 'Do you still have the red folio?' I asked.

She patted the armour over her chest. 'It's safe.' Her eyes flicked over my nakedness and she held out the Story Robe. 'Here, put this on.'

Gratefully, I slid my arms into the wide sleeves. I brushed my hand over the plaques pushed into the breast-band — they were still secure — then tied the inner binding. The robe was loose but at least it covered me. I glanced across at Ido. He was slowly pulling himself up into a sitting position. The old Ido would never have sat still for a beating. How long would this change last? I did not trust it.

Ryko limped up to us. 'I have one of your swords. The other is over there,' he said, indicating a nearby crate. He leaned a hand on the wall and sucked in air through clenched teeth. Was he going to make it to the river?

'You go first,' I said to Lady Dela. 'Help Ryko through.'

I expected a protest from the islander, but he just nodded. As Lady Dela eased her way into the hole, I ran across to the crate and picked up my sword. The familiar jolt of rage added its own strength to the glorious renewal in my body. I returned to the grate just as Ryko awkwardly crawled through the small opening. For a moment, I saw Lady Dela's strained face as she steered him down the first of the steps, then I stepped a foot into the opening and pulled the grate up towards the wall. It was not worth wasting the time to fit it back in place. I dropped it.

'I am sorry' Ido said across the few lengths between us. 'It is not enough, but I am sorry'

He was watching me out of one eye, the Other already swollen shut, and his breathing was ragged — every inhalation edged with pain.

I drew the Story Robe tighter across my body. 'I know you are.' I had felt it in the meld of Hua.

'My ambitions have made us the last two Dragoneyes. Sethon won't rest until he has our power harnessed to his war machine.' The harsh arrogance in his face had been stripped away.

'There's Dillon too,' I said stubbornly.

He pressed the palm of his hand against his mouth, wiping away blood. 'We both know I have ruined him.' I le shook his head, the movement making him wince. 'Sethon knows about the String of Pearls. He knows about the black folio. Do you have it? Did you take both folios?'

I shook my head, thinking of Dillon wrenching the black folio from my arm. But I was not going to share that with Ido.

Shouts of command beyond the alley made me withdraw into the hole. I turned on the small top step and looked out. Ido had lunged for the sword abandoned by Ryko. He dragged the hilt onto his lap, the effort making him pant.

He looked across at me with some of his old authority 'Find the black folio. It has ways to bind dragon power and force its use. Make sure Sethon never gets it or we will be his slaves.'

It did not make sense. 'How could Sethon bind us?' I demanded. 'He is not a Dragoneye.'

'No, but he is royal. He has the dragon blood. Anyone with the blood can bind us with the power of the black folio.'

'I thought the dragon blood was a story'

Ido lifted his shoulder in a tiny shrug. 'I thought you were a story' He raised the sword hilt, the blade point barely lifting from the ground. 'Go, I'll keep them away from the grate as long as I can.'

'You can hardly hold the sword.'

'You forced this new generosity on me, so don't waste it,' he said harshly 'Get out of here.'

He was right. I should go — let him make his grand gesture of atonement — and get myself and my friends to safety. I owed him nothing. But even as I backed further into the hole, something stopped me from taking the first step of my escape. I could not leave him to face Sethon. My power had ripped his strength away; I had made him vulnerable. I doubted he even had enough stamina left to connect with his dragon.

I leaned out of the hole again.

'You could come with us.'

Even as I said the words I knew they were a mistake. I did not want him near me; I could already feel the slow building rage that was forcing its way through the soft reach of compassion. A sharp, deadly female rage that was not forgiving or pitying or merciful.

He angled his battered face to see me more clearly. 'No.' He gave a lopsided smile that made him look younger. 'I think my chances of survival are better with Sethon than with your islander friend.'

I did not smile back; the image of Sethon aiming his sword at the infant Prince, Lady Jila's anguished screams and the child's sudden silence were too huge in my mind. The High Lord was not only ruthless, he was vicious.

'Sethon will know you killed all the other Dragoneyes by now,' I said. 'He'll make you pay for your treachery'

Ido's smile tightened into a thin line. 'I know. But he has to take me first.'

Could he hold off Sethon? Perhaps — he did have an Ascendant dragon. Still, a Dragoneye had to be conscious to use his magic, and Ido was barely strong enough to stand.

'He won't kill me,' he added. 'Not until he has you.'

We both heard the jangle of armour and weaponry.

'Go,'he said. 'Or else he will have both of us.'

I ducked back into the grate hole and fell for the second step with my foot.

'Find the black folio,' he called, 'Before Sethon does.'

I scrabbled down the sleep staircase, Kinra's sword clinking as I found handholds in the darkness, The black folio was with Dillon. Or it had been a lew hours ago.

Keeping my eyes on the faint glow emanating from the passageway, I brushed my palm along the wall and followed it around the two corners. The lamplit corridor stretched before me in all its blue and gold grandeur. Up ahead, Lady Dela was struggling to keep Ryko upright. I ran along the soft carpet, the sound of my new, even footfalls swinging both of them around into tense readiness. Lady Dela stepped in front of Ryko, Kinra's sword raised.

'It's you,' she said, her shoulders slumping. She lowered the blade.

'Ido is holding them off,' I said. 'He won't last long. Come on.'

Ryko gave me a hard look. 'When did he become our ally?'

I bent under his arm and pulled it around my shoulder. 'I would not call him an ally' I said.

I did not know what to call him.

Although I took some of Ryko's weight and carried both swords, our progress was heartstoppingly slow. The three of us lurched along the soft walkway, our heavy breathing obscuring any possible sound from behind. I constantly looked back, expecting to see Sethon's men pounding towards us, but there was no one. Ido was keeping his word.

Finally, we reached the entrance that Ryko and I had used, the glow of the wall lamps abruptly ending. I peered beyond the soft light of the last lamp into the darkness beyond.