Jaax gave a curt nod and continued. “I visited King Dhuruhn last night, the all-powerful sovereign of not only Nimbronia, but the entirety of Felldreim. He wishes to meet you this evening, at a semi-formal dinner with all the nobles and those important people visiting from afar.”
Jaax made a face, and what remained of the morose mood hanging in the air vanished.
Jahrra sucked in a harsh breath, her eyes growing wide. “Tonight? Wait, what did you talk about? Is he going to lend us aid in our fight against the Crimson King?”
“No,” Jaax replied. “I merely reported to him what occurred on the bridge and what happened in Cahrdyarein. I’m assuming, based on my past experiences with him, he will not make a judgment until he has met you.”
Jaax curled his lip at this, and Jahrra couldn’t blame him. She knew her guardian had been meeting with the Creecemind king for years, trying to convince him she was the human child they had all been waiting for. The king of Felldreim, however, remained a steadfast skeptic.
“I hope I’m convincing,” Jahrra said with a shrug. “According to Dathian, we need all the help we can get, and an army of giant, frost-breathing dragons would definitely be a boon.”
Jaax shot Jahrra a puzzled look. “When did you speak with Dathian?”
Jahrra slapped a hand to her forehead. “Oh, I forgot! The maid brought me some letters this morning. They’re all from friends back in Lidien, but the one from Dathian mentioned something about Kehllor leaving the Coalition to request support from the Nephaari in the east.”
She turned to the table beside the couch and picked up the neatly stacked papers, holding them out to Jaax.
“He also mentioned something about Shiroxx being up to her old tricks.”
Jaax only nodded at Jahrra. “Ah yes, the letters. Sapheramin told me the very same information last night. It was she and Tollorias who brought the letters back from Lidien. It seems they paid the City of Light a visit shortly after we left and spoke with Dathian at length.”
Jahrra furrowed her brow and let the arm holding the letters drop to her side. “Saria, the maid, said the letters had been brought by Sapheramin. Who is she?”
Jaax smiled warmly. “She and Tollorias are the two Korli dragons who accompanied me to the bridge yesterday. They are diplomats based here in Felldreim and active members of the Nimbronian branch of the Coalition. Sapheramin is also Hroombra’s niece.”
Jahrra’s mouth dropped open.
“Really?” she squeaked.
“Yes, really. And you will be meeting her formally at the dinner tonight. In fact, I will request that you have a place next to her.”
This time, Jahrra’s smile reached her eyes, and her tears from earlier threatened to return. Jaax didn’t seem to notice.
“Dinner, however, is still several hours away, so I propose we find something to occupy our time until then,” he continued, his gaze turning toward the view of endless mountain ranges framed by the great opening in the east facing wall.
Jaax crossed the room, stepping up onto the raised balcony floor, then returned his attention to his ward.
“Come here, Jahrra,” he said, a mischievous glint to his silvery-green eyes.
Jahrra remained where she was, eyeing him suspiciously. “Why?”
The dragon cocked his head to the side. “I’m taking you flying.”
She jerked her head up and gave him a hard look. “Why on Ethoes do you want to take me flying?”
Jaax rolled his eyes and let out a short breath, then flared his wings to their full extent. It was an impressive gesture, and had Jahrra not been used to being around dragons her entire life, she may have admitted the image he sketched against the snow-capped vista was nothing short of awe-inspiring.
“Because,” the dragon answered with all the patience in the world, “we could both use the fresh air and a bit of frivolity after what we’ve been through over the past several days. And, I’d like to give you an aerial tour of the city. Nothing in all of Ethoes compares to Nimbronia.”
“I’ve already seen the city,” Jahrra pointed out. “I got a good look at it when we flew in yesterday.”
“That flight didn’t even begin to do it justice. Come now. Why do you keep arguing with me? Are you afraid?”
Jahrra shot him a poisonous glare, then stood up, putting most of her weight on her good leg. Her knee was still stiff and ached if she tried to use it, and the deep laceration on her calf was only partially healed, but she was more determined than ever to prove she had enough courage to tackle any challenge cast her way.
“Fine,” she gritted, hobbling her way across the room. Before stepping up onto the raised terrace, she grabbed her wool-lined jacket from the back of a chair. The maid or Ellyesce must have set it there for her.
“What’s that?” she asked as she slipped on her jacket, nodding her head toward a series of leather belts strapped around Jaax’s torso. She hadn’t noticed them before, probably because she had been too far away to do so earlier.
“A harness designed specifically for dragons. Usually, we use them to attach items to be transported from one place to another. Medical supplies for isolated populations, food rations for stranded armies, personal affects for when we are traveling. Those sorts of things.”
“But today you’re wearing it so I don’t fall off your back, right?” Jahrra asked, grabbing one of the straps and pulling herself up behind Jaax’s neck, wincing a little at the twinge in her knee.
“Exactly. It even has an extra belt to keep you in place in case you lose your grip.”
It was Jahrra’s turn to roll her eyes. “I think I can manage.”
Jaax turned and gave her a stern look. Jahrra swallowed back a rush of sudden nerves. It was much harder to keep her composure when his head was level with hers.
“Strap the belt around your waist and secure it, Jahrra. You have a sprained knee and a bad cut that still need healing.”
She complied without another word of complaint.
“All set,” she said, then grabbed onto what looked like two handle straps protruding from a leather piece looped around Jaax’s neck.
“Good,” the dragon said, turning his body and taking a few steps toward the balcony’s edge.
Jahrra tightened her grip as she grew accustomed to sitting atop a moving dragon.
A quick jolt and Jahrra realized Jaax’s front feet were perched on the edge of the patio, his toes curling around the top of the balustrade. She could feel his muscles tense beneath her as he prepared himself for takeoff.
He turned his head one more time to face her.
“Ready?” he whispered.
There was something different in his eyes now. The confidence, pride and fierce intelligence were there. They always were. But this time Jahrra noticed something more. A subtle request for her trust. That, above all he had said to her in the past hour, meant the most to her, even though it was not spoken.
Swallowing back her nerves and slight anxiety, Jahrra took a deep breath, tightened her grip on the harness, and nodded her head once.
With a great whoosh, Jaax lunged forward and brought his wings down. Only, they didn’t brush the snow-dusted patio. Instead, they beat against the frosty, open air of the mountains. Jahrra let out a breathless gasp as Jaax pointed his nose toward the ground, letting them both drop for several dozen feet or more before opening his wings again and taking them back toward the city.
-Chapter Twenty-Five-
Dining with the King
For nearly an hour, Jaax flew Jahrra between the frozen spires and around the carved crags that made up the City in the Clouds. At first, Jahrra struggled to catch her breath in the thin, frigid air, but when she finally got used to Jaax’s aerial antics, she turned an appreciative eye onto the beautiful cityscape below. Before, when her guardian had been anxious to get her to safety, she’d not had much time to appreciate Nimbronia in all its glory. Even now, as the dragon took his time to soar at a leisurely pace, there was still far too much for her to see.