The Dragonrider Heritage Second Series, page 7
I nearly tripped as I scrambled to a sudden stop in the middle of a four-way intersection where two of the massive hallways met. Giant pots filled with the exotic flowering trees and broad-leafed ferns stood against the walls, and a beautiful alabaster sculpture of a dragon stood in the center. Spinning in a circle, I tried to figure out which way to go. What was the right way? Where could I go to hide? The last thing I wanted to do was dash right into the middle of a crowded ballroom or parlor where the guests could see me.
Think—I had to think.
No, I had to hide!
Charging for the nearest cluster of pots, I scrambled back behind the biggest one and mashed myself as far into the shadows of the corner as I could. My heart pounded in my ears, beating so fast I thought it might fly right out of my chest. Sweat ran down the sides of my face, and my hands shook as I tried to hold perfectly still.
Nothing.
An eerily calm silence filled the area as I fought not to wheeze or pant for breaths out loud. Had I lost them? I couldn’t hear any shouts or footsteps. Maybe I’d lost them at that last turn?
Time to check it out.
Keeping low, I gathered my feet back under me and prepared to carefully and quietly leave my hiding place—just for a quick peek. I steeled my nerves and clenched my teeth, coiling my legs to stand.
Out of nowhere, a big hand smacked over my mouth and an arm wrapped around me, dragging me back into the dark behind the pots before I could even get a good enough breath to scream.
I squirmed but the arm holding me in place was strong. It held fast, pinning my arms at my sides so I couldn’t get free. The large hand clamped over my mouth did, too.
Panic poured over me like someone had filled my veins with icy slush. Every muscle in my body locked up at once. I couldn’t think. Gods—what should I do?! Who was this? What did they want? Was I being abducted? Was this the evil lurking in the shadows my father was talking about?
I didn’t know. And it was as though every self-defense lesson anyone had ever taught me had been completely wiped from my mind. Fear squeezed all the breath from my lungs as tears blurred my vision.
I shut my eyes tightly, breathing frantically through my nose. Focus, Maylea. Get ahold of yourself. Don’t get scared. Think!
I … I could do this. I had been trained for this. All I had to do was side step, gut check with my elbow, and sweep his—
“Shhh. I’m not going to hurt you. Be still, or they’ll find us both,” a young, masculine voice whispered right against my ear.
Huh? Wait a second—who was this guy? He was hiding, too? Why?
Heavy footsteps and the clunking of armor approached down the hall, moving fast and coming closer. Deep voices shouted to one another, giving out orders to search the nearby parlors and storage rooms. Castle guards? Were they looking for me, too?
I froze, holding perfectly still as two large men in golden-toned armor jogged passed the nook where we were tucked up tight into the shadows, using a massive potted fern for cover. The guy behind me held perfectly still, as well, although he lifted his hand ever so slightly away from my mouth.
I had half a mind to bite him just for spite. But I didn’t dare to even blink as the guards ran past, followed not far behind by a group of servants. I recognized one of them right away as the one I had crashed into earlier. His face was flushed bright red and he yelled ahead to the guards, telling them what I’d looked like.
Oops. Not good.
I shrank back father into the shadows, unable to fight the instinct to hide—even if it meant I pressed my back closer into the chest of the guy hiding with me. Whatever. He’d just saved me from getting caught, so he couldn’t be that bad, right?
Uggggh my father was going to kill me.
Seconds dragged and I counted my thudding, frantic heartbeats until, at last, everything became quiet. The noise of the guards and servants faded down the hallway. It seemed clear.
I dared to let out a deep, shaking breath. I felt the guy behind me do the same, his breath puffing against my hair and his chest still pressed against my back. His arm around me relaxed some as he whispered, “That was a little too close for comfort.”
Yeah. Tell me about it. I pulled away and spun, facing him in a crouch. He jerked back at the same instant, throwing his hands up in surrender and staring at me with strange eyes of vivid yellow. Yellow … and with vertical pupils, sort of like a cat’s.
Wait a second—what the heck was this guy?
I hesitated with my fist already cocked back to strike, staring at him in silent awe. I’d never seen anyone with skin that shade of soft emerald green before. Or pointed ears that long—much longer than a regular elf’s. He looked like he might be a little older than me, but not by much. Maybe sixteen at most. Or maybe it was just that his sharp, angular features made him seem that way. His chin was narrow and his nose was long, but not too pointy. He had long black hair wound into a thick braid that hung over his shoulder and all the way to his waist, and I could have sworn I spotted little stubby green horns peeking out of his wispy bangs just above his ears.
“Wh-Who … are you?” I asked before I could stop myself.
He lowered his hands and tilted his head to the side, blinking a few times. “I am called Lukani,” he answered simply, although his voice was tinged with an accent I didn’t recognize. Weird.
“Lukani,” I repeated, trying to get the inflection right.
He grinned broadly and nodded. “Yes! And you are Maylea.”
I frowned. “Wait—how do you know my name?”
His long ears swiveled, seeming to droop somewhat as he looked sheepishly away. “I’m not supposed to be talking to you or anyone else here. I’m sorry. I forgot.”
“Why?” I asked, glancing him over again from head to foot. With his lean frame still crouched in the corner, it was hard to tell much else about him. Well, except that his legs seemed really long and he wasn’t wearing any shoes. “Are you an assassin or something? Is that why you’re sneaking around and hiding from the guards?”
His mouth scrunched like he’d bitten into something bitter as he met my gaze again. “No. But I’m sure that a real assassin wouldn’t just admit to it if someone asked.”
Hmm. Fair point. “What are you doing here, then?”
Lukani didn’t answer except to shake his head and look away again.
Fine. Whatever. I didn’t have time for this. “Well, look, thanks for helping me ditch those guys, but I can’t stick around to chat.” I glanced back into the hall, checking both ways to make sure no other guards or servants were in sight. So far, it was still clear.
“What are you doing outside your chambers?” he asked, still keeping his voice hushed. “I thought you and the other children weren’t meant to be out in the castle unchaperoned.”
I whirled back, rage making my face burn all the way to the tips of my only somewhat pointed ears. One of my eyes twitched as I stared him down. “Did you seriously just call me a child?” I hissed. “I am not a child. I’m fourteen, for your information, and I don’t need a chaperone or anyone else breathing down my neck like a nanny.”
“Oh.” He blinked, as though completely surprised. “Then why were you being kept in the same room with them?”
Hit him—I was gonna hit him. So. Hard. Probably right in that too-straight nose of his. “Because my father is a stuffy, overprotective old worrywart, that’s why. He thinks everything is out to get us, and that I can’t handle myself. But he’s wrong.”
“I see,” Lukani said, still looking thoughtful. “I … didn’t realize. Arlan is that way about me. He doesn’t like it when I go off on my own. But he isn’t my father. He will be angry when he finds out I’ve left again. But tonight, I had to keep watch.”
I frowned harder. Nothing he said made any sense. What was he? Some sort of forest spirit? Or a different kind of elf? And who was Arlan?
“Keep watch over who?” I finally asked.
“You.” He fixed me with a worried stare that made my face feel even hotter and my collar a little too tight.
My heartbeat skipped. Me? But why? We didn’t even know each other. I knew, without a doubt, that I had never met this guy before in my life. You didn’t generally forget people with green skin. So why did he care what happened to me? And what was there to watch out for anyway?
I opened my mouth to ask, but he spoke first. “You should go back to your chambers, Maylea. It isn’t safe out here. Not tonight.”
There it was again—that same warning. It made my throat jump as I drew back slightly. “Why not?”
He shook his head a little. “I can’t say. He’ll be angry if I tell you too much.”
“Arlan?” I guessed.
Lukani’s mouth rumpled again. “Please go back.”
I sank into my heels, sighing as I looked him over more closely. He had such long legs. He’d probably tower over me if we stood side-by-side. But his frame wasn’t heavy or brawny. His clothes fit him loosely, almost like the billowy robes the Gray elves wore. Although his didn’t have sleeves, and they were made of a coppery-colored fabric that shimmered whenever he moved. His black pants were baggy and gathered at the ankles, and he wasn’t wearing any shoes. Everything about him was strange, although not in a way I’d ever seen before.
And that was saying something because I’d grown up with a lot of strange people coming and going from our house.
“I can’t do that,” I answered at last. “There’s someone in this castle I have to find. Until I see him, I can’t go back to my chambers.”
Lukani’s expression brightened as he looked up, long ears perking some. “I can help you, then. It will go much faster because I know this castle.”
My heart gave another fluttering skip. “You’re … you’re serious? You are really willing to help me instead of ratting me out?”
He smiled warmly and leaned in closer, offering one of his big hands for me to take. “Yes, of course. I know this castle very well. I’m sure I can show you the way. Now, who you are trying to find?”
7
CHAPTER SEVEN
I stared at Lukani’s much larger hand and hesitated. I probably should have been more wary of a complete stranger who knew my name and claimed that he was keeping a watchful eye on me. Buuut then again, I had my suspicions that my father probably had something to do with it. Putting a secret, weird-looking guard out to make sure I didn’t sneak away? Yeah. He’d totally do something like that. Maybe that’s why Lukani didn’t want to say who had given him the order to watch me. Or, if it was that Arlan guy, maybe he was someone who worked for my father.
Either way, this had Dah being overprotective again written all over it.
All the more reason for me to continue on. If Lukani really did know this castle as well as he claimed, then he was my best shot at finding Ronan in record time.
“His name is Ronan,” I said, keeping my voice hushed as I seized his hand and let him guide me out of our hiding place. “He’s my age—fourteen. But I don’t know where he is, exactly, only that he used to live here. My memory is a little hazy about some of the details, honestly. But I remember what he looks like, or what he looked like six years ago, anyway. I was going to try searching the ballrooms first. He might be there with all the other guests.”
Lukani nodded and squared his shoulders, his grip firm as he tugged me to my feet and then prowled ahead. That’s when I noticed another one of his, um, interesting features.
A tail.
He had an actual tail.
It sort of resembled a lion’s, with a wispy tuft of dark hair on the end. It swished when he walked, and I could barely contain the urge to … you know … touch it. I mean, how often do you see someone with a tail? Never, right? At least, not in Maldobar. It might have been common wherever this guy came from, but there weren’t any people walking around my hometown with tails, that’s for sure.
We sped along the halls, taking sharp turns and stopping at intersections to flatten against the wall. We listened, silent and perfectly still, until we were certain it was clear, then we continued on. I had to admit, Lukani did seem to know these halls a lot better than I did. He seemed to have the timing of the patrolling castle guards memorized, as well, which was a little unnerving. He knew exactly when and where to hide to avoid them, and how long we had until the next group came by.
I decided not to dwell on that too much since, er, it was a little assassin-y. Nope. Not even going to consider that I might be helping an assassin abduct me.
Happy thoughts only.
The farther we went, the more the ambient trill and rush of music thrummed in the air, making the floor beneath my boots vibrate. The dull roar of conversation, excited squeals, and laughter from hundreds of people filled the air almost as richly as the smells of perfume, fine foods, and wreaths of flowers strung along the ceiling and framing every doorway. We were getting close now.
My heart hit the back of my throat when I spotted the voluminous skirts of two ladies peeking around one of the corners. Thankfully, Lukani saw it, too, and we immediately turned into an adjacent parlor, ducking through a darkened room, and exiting on the other side to avoid them.
Whew. Okay, that was a little too close.
I tried not to let my relief show too much when he finally brought me to another hidden door in a tiny alcove. Just a short distance down the wide, cavernous hall, I could see radiant golden light spilling from beyond a turn. That must have been where the ballrooms were. I stood frozen for a second, marveling at the golden light glittering off the polished floors and the sounds—rich and full—so close by I could feel them prickling over my skin like an invisible current.
Next year, I’d be able to go and find my place in that light. No more skulking around in the shadows. And with any luck, Ronan would be there with me. That tiny flicker of hope made me smile as I turned to follow Lukani through the small, hidden door.
Inside, it was so short and narrow I couldn’t stand up straight. Lukani was practically squatting as he crawled ahead of me, stopping every now and then to look back like he was making sure I hadn’t gotten lost. His eerie yellow eyes caught in the weak light like a cat’s, giving me a little chill up the back of my neck.
“Watch your step,” he whispered, and once again I felt one of his hands close around mine. He guided me up a narrow, extremely steep set of stairs, twisting and winding into the darkness overhead.
The steps ended abruptly, dumping us out into a room with a low ceiling of bare wooden beams. I gasped and held still, watching Lukani prowl ahead still in a squat with his long tail swishing and his ears perked. It almost looked like an attic, albeit an extremely huge one, with gaps in the wooden floor planks in certain places that let in beams of that same brilliant golden light. There were three spots in the center, spaced out across the massive room, where the chains holding up those enormous chandeliers fed up and were attached to big metal gears and cranks.
This was it—the place where the servants could raise and lower them so they could be doused or lit for events like this. The hole cut for the chains wasn’t huge, maybe only a foot across, but it was enough.
My heart beat in rhythm with the music far below as I made my way across the floor toward the nearest of the three chandelier chains. Lukani watched me and kept close, as fast as a cat on his bare feet. He joined me in crouching down next to that opening, peeking over the edge to the staggering drop below. Gods and Fates, we must have been fifty feet up. From there, we could see every corner of the ballroom below spread out like a glittering carpet of ladies ballgowns, men in polished armor, shining golden stone floors, and towering white alabaster pillars. Buffet tables were set against the walls, stacked high with shining glasses of wine and plates of roasted boar, lamb, vegetables, fruits, pastries, and cake.
So. Much. Cake.
My stomach twisted up at those savory aromas, reminding me that I hadn’t eaten my dinner as part of the theatrical tantrum I’d thrown for my parents. Ughhh. What I wouldn’t give for just one bite.
“Do you see him?” Lukani asked, scooting in a little closer to my side as he peered down at the ocean of grandeur spread out below.
Oh. Right. I was looking for Ronan. Gah! I had to focus.
I began to search the room, scanning figures along the walls and making my way across the entire ballroom. There were hundreds of guests, and it seemed like none of them stood still for long. Couples twirled on the dance floor by the dozens, moving in sync with the music like figures in a music box. My breath caught when I spotted my father standing near one of the doorways that led out onto a large balcony. I ducked down lower, just in case he happened to look up. Okay, fine, so he probably couldn’t see me at all from this distance. But it still sent a jolt of fear through me like cold lightning.
I watched him pace, scowling and looking back into the ballroom. Almost like he was … waiting for someone. Strange. But who?
He straightened, his expression going stony and focused as he nodded to the figures of three other men in armor who emerged from the crowds to join him. One of them stopped and glanced back, giving me a clear view of his face framed by loose, pale blond bangs.
Thatcher?
My mouth opened as I studied the other two. The mop of shaggy red hair paired with dragonrider armor was a dead giveaway. One of them was definitely Uncle Reigh. And that last one—tall, dark hair trimmed short, and moving with that distinctive precision in every step. That had to be Uncle Murdoc.
They grouped up at the doorway, standing close together and seeming to exchange a quick conversation with tense, frowning expressions. Then they all moved swiftly out of the ballroom and continued out onto the balcony together.
