How to Bond a Mage (Heir of Dragons Book 3) Read online

  Minx had to step away from the tainted lake, from the sight of the fallen dragons, to calm herself. I don't know what's happening anymore. Torrent's power has obviously increased. His destruction of the lake is moving forward... It's possible that he's found a way to break through the shield. She counted the plumes of smoke with a heavy heart. There may be a few battles raging out there, and judging by the amount of smoke, it's possible they're getting hammered. We should go and help them.

  Kaleb took Minx's hand and drew her gently away from the water. “Looks like things are heating up again. Let's go. They'll need our help.”

  She acquiesced and waited for him to shift.

  But as he stepped away from the shore and prepared to do so, he suddenly stopped in his tracks. Mau turned on her hind paws and immediately raised her hackles. Alla, too, staggered back a few paces in surprise.

  They had company.

  Chapter 13

  Five individuals emerged from within the neighboring woods. Stumbling through the trees with heads low, the five men appeared to be wearing full plate armor. They were unarmed and disheveled; a curious sight.

  It was Kaleb who first recognized them as fellow Royal dragons. The tension faded from his face and he sported a relieved smile, waving to them. “Ah, and here I was worried for nothing! What brings you out here? It's not every day I meet a few of my kind on the shores of Heilo Lake. Change your minds, did you? Come to assist us?”

  There was no immediate reply; in fact, the shambling dragons didn't even look up in answer to Kaleb's voice. They continued shuffling toward the water, eyes glued to the ground, chests heaving with every labored breath and arms limp at their sides.

  Suddenly, Kaleb felt a good deal less sociable. “Hey, what are you guys doing here?” he asked more forcefully. He stepped to the fore of the group, hands on his hips. “Are you all right?”

  The five dragons kept advancing, and it wasn't until they'd come within several yards of Kaleb that they finally offered something like a reply. A middle-aged shifter in night-black armor cast a dark gaze Kaleb's way as he shuffled onward. Every step seemed to pain him; he looked as though he was toiling beneath an unseen load. His dense black beard swayed in the breeze and his slumped shoulders quaked as he walked. “We've come for the water,” he spat. “We have need of the lake.”

  “This is all thanks to the Fae,” uttered another in the group. This one was younger, but appeared every bit as haggard as the rest. “Darkness has fallen across Aleio thanks to them. And they brought this plague to our lands...”

  It was then that Kaleb first noticed it. The approaching men, their eyes sunken and dim, had strange marks on their faces. They seemed to run from the lowermost edges of their eyes, like black tears, and uniformly fell into the shape of a spider's web. His chest tightened at seeing the black marks—the very same they'd witnessed on the faces of the fallen scouts back at the Talon Range. These five, dragons of the Pyra Clan, had not been among the fallen scouts. This could mean only one thing.

  “The condition has spread?” muttered Kaleb, studying their tainted faces with horror. “Hold on, guys. Stop where you are. Tell me what's happened.”

  One of the men in the rear jabbed a finger at Minx as he approached, spittle flying from his mouth as he cursed her. “It's the Fae! They have brought death to the Talon Range! The shadow spider... it spreads. It will infect all of us!”

  “That is why we have come,” continued the bearded dragon in the lead. “We have been told that the lake can cleanse us—that its waters will drive out the spider...” He cut to the left, bypassing Minx and the others completely, and finally dropped down onto his knees at the water's edge. Heedless of the water's murkiness, he thrust both hands into the flow and cupped a goodly portion into his mouth. The tainted water rushed down his throat and dampened his beard.

  Minx moved to dissuade him, to draw him away from the lake, but Kaleb's firm hand stopped her. “It's too late,” he said. “If the water is dangerous, we'll know it soon enough.”

  One dose wasn't sufficient; the dragon returned for a second, then a third. He eventually lowered his head and drank directly from the lake, slurping like a dog. Then, taking a seat upon the shore, he panted and wiped his face dry with the back of his arm.

  The other dragons shuffled behind him, eager to do the same.

  None got the chance before the first one began to retch, however. The bearded dragon brought a hand to his throat as if choking, and began to make terrible sounds. A harsh gurgling issued from behind his grit teeth and the heaving of his chest became more pronounced. He was struggling to take a breath, to control his body, and mere moments after having swallowed the last drop of lake water he collapsed backward onto the shore, his eyes black as pitch and his entire frame seizing.

  Reflexively, Minx went to assist him—but was once again restrained by Kaleb, whose iron grip kept her anchored to his side. “Don't touch him,” he said, watching the poor creature writhe violently in the sand. “It's already too late, and if we get too close we may become infected ourselves...”

  The other dragons watched in abject confusion as their leader suddenly ceased his thrashings. The bearded dragon, the light gone from his eyes, was completely still—except for the ribbons of shimmering black that slipped out of his open mouth. Like serpents, the strands of black material slithered out of his body and sped across the sand. Upon entering the waters of the lake, they rapidly dissolved—and added to its unsightly darkness.

  “The darkness that was inside of him... is spread across the lake,” noted Alla, watching from behind Kaleb. “These men... they're going to taint the lake further!”

  Minx was frozen with terror. In the space of a minute, she'd watched that first dragon approach the waters and drink deeply, only to suffer a painful and dramatic death on the shore. That he was dead was a certainty; his skin had grown bone white and he didn't stir in the least. He looked as dead as the common dragons littering the sands. But what did it mean? Why did the waters have this effect, and who had told them to come? No panacea awaited them here, only destruction.

  Even so, when the initial shock had faded, the other dragons resumed their shambling march toward the lake, apparently intent on drinking.

  “Hey!” barked Kaleb, standing in their way. “Stay put, all of you. Didn't you see what happened? You don't want anything to do with this water—it'll be the end of you!”

  Minx stepped forth, too. “If you value your lives, turn around. It isn't safe here. The waters of the lake are tainted and they will not heal you.”

  The dragons, dazed by their mysterious affliction, did not take so kindly to being ordered around, however.

  “Shut your mouth!” shouted one of them at Minx, nostrils flaring. “I don't take orders from a Fae!”

  Still, Minx stood firm. She spread out an arm to bar the way, her gaze hardening. Mau sidled up to her, lending her threatening aura in the hopes of dissuading the dragons. “I mean it. Stay back. If you drink from the lake, you'll die just like your friend did. It's not worth it.”

  This warning had anything but the desired effect; the sickly dragons only became more enraged. One of them, breaking away from the group, marched straight toward Minx. “That's enough! You'd better stand aside, else you're going to be sorry!” He outstretched a hand and moved to seize her arm, but before he could reach her Kaleb intercepted him.

  Kaleb had taken hold of the other dragon's arm, his large hand tightened around the surly attacker's limb like a vise. His eyes were glowing, as molten yellow as the fireballs he so often unleashed in battle, and he bared his pearly teeth in a snarl. “Take another step toward her and you'll answer to me, whelp.” With no visible effort, Kaleb lifted the other dragon into the air and flung him at the others with a bestial growl. “What's wrong with you lot, huh? You've lost your minds. Drinking from this lake will kill you—you saw it yourselves! Has this shadow spider destroyed your minds? This is insanity.”

  “And that's not all,” add
ed Minx, taking up her bow just in case any of the other dragons decided to get handsy. “You're infected, and by drinking the water and perishing by the lake, you're going to taint it further, just like your friend did. Is that what you want? To hasten the death of Heilo Lake?”

  At this, the five remaining dragons finally relented. “But we were told that the lake could heal us... that this shadow spider would be destroyed by the waters of the lake!”

  “You were lied to,” shot back Kaleb. “These waters will be your destruction if you don't stay put.” He glanced at Minx and Alla. “What do you think? What can we do for them?”

  Alla stepped toward the mass of dragons, looking them over with concern. “Perhaps I can help them. They're ill and must be kept away from the water... Maybe Gloirs can help them recover.” She peered at Minx. “What do you think?”

  “You want to take them to Gloirs?” The thought didn't sit well. The Fae huntress knew the great dragon to be very wise, and it was even possible that he could find a way to heal the dragons of their mysterious ailment. But then, it would involve leading them all the way to the mountain—and to the very spring whose pure waters fed the lake. If those waters were somehow tainted, then there was no telling what would happen. Already, Torrent's power was enormous. The last thing she wanted was to help him grow even stronger. “I don't know if that's a good idea...”

  “I won't let them into the mountain,” continued Alla. “But I can take care of them and ask Gloirs for help.” She knelt down and pet Mau cautiously. “Perhaps you and Kaleb can run to Pandling Grounds to find out what's happening, and Mau here can stay behind with me. I could use the help in keeping these five safe.”

  The suggestion was almost offensive. “You want me to leave Mau with you?” Not so long ago, Mau had been paling around with the half-Fae against her will. It had been Mau's capture by Alla that had first driven her to work together with Kaleb. After much searching, they'd finally been reunited with the missing Faelyr, and had taken Alla as a prisoner. “You're kidding me, right?”

  Call me crazy, but I don't mind, offered Mau. Things look bad at Pandling Grounds. You need to get out there quickly and see where all of that smoke is coming from. Alla will have her hands full with these dragons. I can help keep an eye on them—just until you and Kaleb are back.

  Minx grimaced. After everything she's put us through, you really trust Alla that much?

  The Faelyr purred. Trust is a strong word... but enough dithering! Get moving!

  “All right,” said Minx. “Alla, you keep an eye on these dragons and tend to them with Mau. Kaleb and I need to head to Pandling Grounds straight away. I fear the worst.”

  Together, Kaleb, Minx, Mau and Alla led the infected dragons away from the shores of Heilo Lake. They appeared entranced, vaguely disoriented, and responded better to direct orders when the lake was no longer in direct view. Mau and Alla guided them further away, toward the mountain, and the half-Fae offered a slight wave as the group split up.

  Kaleb donned his dragon form and took to the air once Minx had situated herself. “All right, here we go. Next stop, Pandling Grounds. Don't worry about those two; I think they'll work well together.”

  The Fae huntress watched as Alla and Mau became specks on the ground below. Parting with her trusted partner didn't feel right, but it was true that Alla would have trouble managing all five dragons on her own. There was nothing to do but to trust the Faelyr's plan. Mau's instincts were usually solid; if she was comfortable partnering up with Alla, then Minx felt she had no choice but give the half-Fae a chance, too. Be careful, Mau... We'll be back as soon as we can.

  Chapter 14

  The two of them were en route to Pandling Grounds when the vision called them both.

  Never before had Minx and Kaleb both been drawn into a vision; ordinarily, only Minx was made privy to the call of Heilo Lake and its mysterious, dream-like messages. The lake had reached out to her numerous times, and on some occasions she had been shown marvelous things—glimpses of an ancient world, of great romances and terrible evils. This time, however, both she and the dragon she was riding on were thrust into the phantasmal world, and Kaleb barely had time to land before they lost all sense of their surroundings.

  “What's happening?” she asked, her vision fading and her body feeling featherlight. She rolled off of his back and landed in the grass.

  Touching down clumsily on the outskirts of Pandling Grounds, Kaleb was swallowed up by the vision. There wasn't even enough time for him to shift; like Minx, he watched as the scenery began to unfold.

  The real world vanished in the blink of an eye and was replaced with a velvety darkness—a primordial darkness. Minx felt herself transported once again into those long-gone, ancient days where the Fae and dragons used to frolic together. From somewhere in the impenetrable blackness trees took root, and their lush canopies sprang upward into a hazy night sky that gradually spread out above them. A slender moon emerged from smoky clouds, staring down at them like a watchful eye and allowing just enough light to highlight other shapes in the vicinity.

  “Are... Are you seeing this?” muttered Kaleb from nearby.

  Minx couldn't see him. Her mind was fully absorbed in the scenery of the vision and she couldn't perceive his physical body. Nevertheless, as joint dreamers, they could still communicate with one another, as if sharing a single brain. It reminded her of the link she had with Mau; an effortless mental connection. “Yeah...” she replied. “We're deep in the past... This is like the other visions I saw, from the olden times.”

  Stars blinked overhead and the shapes of the trees around them became more concrete.

  And something else became clear, too.

  She and Kaleb were not alone.

  Within the dense woods, she caught sight of a fair-skinned young woman—a Fae. Minx had seen her before, in a previous vision—and in that instance, she'd been running around happily with a young dragon. Her heart swelled at the sight. “Heilos?” she called out in a whisper. “Is... Is that you?” She had never associated the image of this young Fae with the spirit of the lake, but after their run-in with Gloirs, the connection seemed all too obvious.

  If the ancient Fae heard Minx, she gave no indication whatsoever. She was far more preoccupied with the movement occurring to her back—a sudden burst of activity that saw two hands emerge from the darkness and take hold of her.

  “Heilos!” cried Minx, trying to rush toward her. She, too, possessed no physical body in this sphere, however. Like Kaleb, Minx was merely a spectator here, unable to interfere with the proceedings in any concrete way. All of her effort resulted only in a racing pulse.

  In one of the reaching hands that had overcome the now-trembling Fae was a stout, shimmering blade. The cutting edge was placed against Heilos' throat, and from over her shoulder the face of its wielder appeared through the dim.

  It was a face that the two of them recognized.

  Torrent, his visage partially hidden by the hood of a black cloak, spared a thin smile. His scaly hands held Heilos firmly, and he teased the skin of her throat with the edge of the blade.

  “Torrent!” shouted Minx. No matter how she struggled, no matter how loudly she screamed, she could not influence what was playing out in front of her. “Leave her alone! Get away from her!”

  The sight was simply mind-boggling. Heilos, the spirit of the lake, was somehow being preyed upon by Torrent. Heilos no longer had a physical body; like Gloirs, she lived on only as a specter. Even so, the Dark Mage had his scaly hands on her as though she were flesh and blood—and judging by the terror in her awe-stricken expression, she was utterly powerless.

  “How are you doing this?” demanded Kaleb. “Is this... Is this some kind of trick? A spell you've put us under?”

  The Dark Mage did not reply. Instead, he tightened his grip on Heilos and bared his sharp teeth in a terrible grin. “I am your master now, do you understand?”

  Minx and Kaleb both felt as though the air had been robbed
from their lungs.

  “I am your master,” continued Torrent, his low voice reverberating through the dream-space and making them both shudder. “The war is over; I am the victor. All of Aleio is mine, and you will swear loyalty to me. I am, now and forever, your master.”

  There was no opportunity to resist this claim, to challenge it. In this sphere, neither Kaleb nor Minx had even an ounce of power. Their cries of anger and outrage went unheard and their struggles would leave only more sweat on their brows upon awakening.

  Suddenly, there was an eruption of blinding, silvery light. It seemed to come from Heilos' body in a great wave, and before they knew it the brilliant light had ousted their nocturnal surroundings and left them spiraling back out of the dream state. Gradually, the two of them became cognizant of their physical bodies again. They stirred in the warm grass, both of them dripping with perspiration. During the vision, Kaleb had unwittingly returned to his human form, and he awoke with a gasp, his long, dark hair matted to his face.

  They were still in the countryside, precisely where they had been when the vision had overcome them. The smoke in the distance was still rising; Pandling Grounds, then, was still under attack. It was likely they'd only been indisposed for a brief time—a few minutes, perhaps.

  “What was that?” uttered Kaleb, massaging his temples and sitting up with a grunt.

  Minx shook her head. She rose to her feet, but had trouble standing at first. “I-I don't know. I've had visions like that one in the past, but... never with another person. You saw it, right? All of it?”

  “Oh, yeah,” replied Kaleb, blinking hard as if to test the reality of the world around him. “Question is, who was it that made us sit through that? Whose handiwork was it?”

  Because the lake had been responsible for all of her previous visions, Minx was inclined to attribute it to Heilos. And yet, the familiarity with which Torrent had spoken to them during the episode, and its startling resolution, left her wondering if this was really the case.