Dragonbound: Birthrights (Book 2)

Cyrin stepped across the scarred ground. Because of magic, plant life would never again grow back. A few bodies lied dead, pieces of armor and weapons spread between them. He came to a stop, a mask at his feet. It was perfectly smooth and as white as the moon with two, narrow slits for eyes.

He picked it up, looking at its front and back. A splash of dried blood crusted across the inner contour of the mask. Kiaran stood nearby, still wracked with angst. She watched him closely, her brows low. Though she seemed calm, it was the opposite. Worry struck her deep, and Cyrin could read it in her eyes.

Against his wishes, she had demanded to come to the scene with him. He shook his head, thinking of the state she was in when she got to the castle. She had fallen off Ruthianna with a strange boy, both in very poor states. The only way he could calm her was to promise he’d take her with him as soon as she was bandaged.

“Are you still sick?” he asked.

“No.”

A few guards paced the area, studying every piece of evidence they could find. Their voices were distant as they spoke.

Cyrin flashed the mask toward her, saying, “These are a special group of assassins from Trindal-VinCar.” She narrowed her eyes slightly and he asked. “What would they want with Davin?”

“I don’t know,” she retorted. “But we know where they’re taking him, don’t we?” she questioned.

“VinCar is a big place, Kiaran,” he began cautiously.

“Would Sterjia want him at the palace? To toy with him, maybe?” she paled. “Cyrin, we have to go find him--”

“You cannot do that,” he said, sternly. It was the harshest he had ever spoken to her. “You will be killed. I will not let you just walk into this. It’s clearly a trap meant for your head.”

“That doesn’t make sense,” she retorted. “I was right...there,” she started off strong, then faded into something weaker as she stared at where she had passed out. “They could have killed me. Taken me. But they chose to go after Davin.” Her voice strengthened again as she faced him with hard eyes.

“You had a dragon guarding you,” he said flatly. “Kiaran. Think about this. You’re still in shock, so of course, this isn’t adding up for you.”

“That mage could have killed the dragons, given the chance,” she bit. “There’s something more to this…”

“All the more reason not to go headlong into this,” he grunted. “I’m not going to watch you kill yourself.”

Her hair was a mess, still matted with dirt and blood. The attack had been just hours ago, the sun now beginning to rise. He could see the conflict in her eyes as she stared at him. He knew the questions she had to harbor, the turmoil within herself.

The wind picked up, carrying the stench of blood and ash between them. She had told him little about Ryker, just touching on how she found him. All that mattered to her was Davin’s safety. Cyrin could understand that, however, he needed her to think clearly.

Gripping her shoulder, he met her gaze, saying, “We’ll find a solution. But for now, you need to rest. You need to heal.”

She grit her teeth, yet she didn’t argue. “I know,” she bit quietly. “This is all..It’s…”

“It will be alright,” he assured her. His grip on her shoulder tightened before releasing. “Kiarain.” When she looked at him again, he said, “When we get back, we’ll plan. But I’d first like to know exactly who Ryker is. And I’d like to know exactly what happened in Trindal.”

She nodded, holding a hand to her wounded arm. “Alright,” she muttered lowly, following him back to Ruthianna.

Kiaran laid in her bed, staring out the window. She slept very little, her heart not allowing any rest. She insisted that Ryker stay with her until he woke. She didn’t want him waking alone and scared. That was something she had experienced once before.

He slept behind her, his breathing steady and deep. Slowly, she pushed herself up, her arm throbbing. Her heart was broken, it was irreparable. She had gone quite a distance to find Davin, only to have him ripped away.

If only she hadn’t agreed to camp one more night. If they had continued on, they wouldn’t have been attacked. He’d be safe at home by now.

Guilt sealed her throat, making it difficult to breathe.

A soft knock at the door jolted her back to the present. Sitting up straight, she wiped her eyes dry of any tears. “Come in,” Kiaran said lowly, her voice rough.

The door was pushed open and Elsibellem stepped in. She carried a tray of hot tea, bowing slightly. “Your Highness...Are you feeling well?”

She heard the question, but didn’t actually have an answer to give. Keeping quiet, Kiaran’s eyes shifted away as if ashamed. Her body ached too much to even shrug a shoulder to the question.

“Well, I have some tea for you,” she said gently. “And...there is a visitor if you are willing.”

She was about to refuse, however paused. “Who is it?” Kiaran asked. The only visitors she would have would by her mother or Cyrin, and they’d simply just come in.

“Stella from your Tribe,” she answered.

Kiaran’s brows knitted slightly, then she nodded. Elsibellem bowed, then exited the room, allowing Stella to come in.

As she entered, she gazed with worried eyes. She swallowed hard, breaking her eyes away. “How are you feeling?” Stella asked quietly, noticing the sleeping boy at her side.

“Like my head is about to burst,” she said flatly. “My body feels like it’s filled with stone, and…” Her heart felt like it was in pieces.

“Kiaran, I am sorry,” Stella said genuinely. She stood at the end of the bed, wringing her hands together as she clenched her jaws. “You must feel…” she hesitated, unable to bring Kiaran’s feelings to light if she was unwilling to herself. Not to mention, the death glare cast by her steely eyes stopped Stella’s voice in her throat.

“Do not perceive to tell me how I feel,” Kiaran bit.

Stella frowned, looking away before she could return the glare. “I stopped myself before I could,” she retorted. “Regardless, I have a heavy heart for you--”

“It isn’t like he died,” she said. “You act like he’s gone forever.”

Stella hesitated, but said, “I know that. And I know we’ll do whatever we can to bring him back.”

After a long standstill, Stella moved to the small table, pouring a cup of tea. “I came to escort Davin home. I had several bits of information for him to aid him in taking his position back.”

Stella reached over, handing the cup of tea to her. Kiaran stared at her outreached hand, her heart shattering all over again. Finally, though, she took it. “Stella...I,” her voice broke as emotion shifted through her like a landslide. Tears filled her eyes, catching every bit of light in the room. She could feel her cheeks heat up with embarrassment and pain and her face twisted slightly.

Looking away, she said, “I don’t know what to do.”

Stella was cautious as she moved, sitting on her knees at Kiaran’s feet. Gently, she took the cup from Kiaran’s hand and sat it aside. Then, she took Kiaran by the hands, spreading what warmth she could through her. She seemed so lost and so fearful. Perhaps even confused.

“Kiaran,” Stella began quietly, “You are going to do what you always do: Act.”

Kiaran met her eyes, her body shaking slightly.

Act…

Kiaran blinked, clearing her eyes of their dampness. She was right. She was going to do what was necessary. She’d go to Trindal-VinCar on her own if she had to.

“I will see Davin back,” Kiaran stated confidently. “I’ll get him back.”

“Yes you will,” Stella nodded once.

“And I’ll do it without damning my kingdom. I’m going to stop this war before it stops,” she stated. She wiped her eyes, then snatched up the tea, gulping it down in one take.

Stella stood with a smile, sitting by the table. “So...I have to ask,” she said, glancing toward Ryker. “Who’s the boy?”

“His name is Ryker,” Kiaran smiled faintly as she, too, looked at him. “He’s family.”

Ryker blinked several times once he heard the heavy door close with a surprisingly quiet click. He had caught bits of conversation, though he was too weak to wake up. He felt as if he were covered by a blanket which was weighed down by the world. Fears, sadness, anxiety, anger. It felt as if it all rested on his little body.

His ears perked to the sound of the blankets shifting and someone standing. As he listened, his awareness slowly came to him. The ghostly memory of dragon’s flames shooting above him and the sound of clashing metal. He could remember the pure strength of magic, forcing him to collapse.

Footsteps echoed quietly across the still room, drawing him back. Squeezing his eyes tight, he fought off the immense pain throbbing in his skull. The scent of smoke and blood still lingered in his nostrils, making him sick to his stomach.

He rubbed his burning eyes as he growled quietly to himself. The realization of what had happened was slowly settling in. He was useless in protecting them.

Quickly, his eyes opened and he scanned the room desperately. It was so foreign to him. So large. The room was heated by a fire, the walls glowing by its light. The open door near the bed was framed by two tall windows.

He shot to his feet, but wobbled backwards, sitting back on the ledge of the bed. His body was still quite weak, his legs shaking. Narrowing his eyes, he caught a glimpse of the world outside his room.

Tall, evergreens and a clear, midnight sky filled with speckling stars. It was a perfect scene, one which was half masked by the firelight’s reflection.

A familiar figure walked by the window, entering through the door. “Kiaran,” he gasped. She smiled, though it was weak. She appeared healthy for the most part. Exhausted and wounded. Her hair was freshly cleaned, her skin glowing.

“Ryker, are you alright?” she asked lowly, her voice a bit rough.

He nodded quickly, dizzying himself. “Mhm,” he hummed quietly. “Is...Is Davin alright?” he asked.

She paused, her eyes darting aside for a moment. That reaction alone was enough to set him on edge.

“Kiaran…” he pressed. “Is he alright?” He nearly begged for him to not be dead.

“Um…” Her voice shook a bit as she hesitantly sat beside him. “Davin is...He’s missing right now.”

There was a long silence following her statement. Missing? As in…? He tried to recollect what had happened, but it seemed like a lifetime ago. “Tell me what happened,” he said. “Please?”

“I’m not really sure,” she admitted. She tried her best to explain what she understood to have happened. However, with so many pieces missing, it was a difficult story to tell.

“So, then, are we going to help him?” Ryker asked.

Kiaran opened her mouth, but paused, holding her breath a moment. “When we can,” she said. “Don’t worry, Ry.” She sat beside him. “While we heal, we’ll plan. We’re going to do what we can to stanch Sterjia’s plans. We’ll end this war before it begins while also saving Davin.”

He stared at her, admiration heating his blood. The strength she aired was unmatched. He nodded hard, hoping to enheiret that same strength. “You’ll see, Kiaran. I’m going to be useful to you, I’ll be right there with you.”

“I know you will,” she answered. “But for tonight, you should eat and rest. I’ll bring you to meet Cyrin and my mother tomorrow.”

She made him lay back down and then draped the blanket over him. "You did good, Ryker," she said softly. "You are a powerful boy."

He bit his lip, his eyes hardening as not to cry.

"If you weren't there, I know that magic would have killed us all," she said. "We need you here...You may be scared, but I'm glad you're with us."

He inhaled deeply, closing his eyes tight to hide their dampness. "Thank you," he said, hoping to conceal the quiver to his voice.

"We will need time to prepare," she said as she rested beside him. "But we'll get this done."

With that said, he knew it would happen. Kiaran could get it done where no one else would.