Blood Bond Read online

  Soren grunted as his father increased the pressure. “It’s so they can tell Jerrick and I apart.”

  “They?”

  “The King, his men.”

  “Ah. I see.” His father glanced up, his eyes widening.

  Soren heard the wings. The ground shook as Dex landed. His father took a step back, releasing the pressure on Soren’s shoulder. He backed away as the red dragon advanced. Soren climbed to his feet, placing his hand on Dex’s flank. His father’s eyes flickered to him.

  “You don’t belong here. Nothing good will come of this. And soon you will be the cause of another death, and they’ll know it.” He picked up the saddle and backed away.

  “Who was that?”

  “My father.”

  Soren’s mind whirled. He couldn’t figure out what his father was doing here. He had a successful business in Kenton. There was no reason for him to be here in Camden. General Thayer’s words came back to him. He had said someone he knew had taken care of the harnesses for the dragons. His father. He shook his head as he recalled the smirk on the General’s face. He must have known they weren’t close. Soren snorted. Close? They had never been that. Not even while his mother and Addie were alive. This meeting with his father had gone pretty much exactly as it had ten years ago, when he had left home. His father had hit him that day too. Afterwards, he swore it would never happen again. It was that day he left and joined the Walencroft guard.

  “Soren, are you all right?”

  But Dex’s words barely registered. His mind played over and over his father’s words. You don’t belong here. Nothing good will come of this. Without another thought, he headed back into Camden. He didn’t know where he intended to go, but he couldn’t have stayed there and explained his relationship with his father to Dex. Not now.

  As he neared the main square, he saw Bevin standing on the stairs of the building where the King and the others still met. As he approached, he could see the pain in the other’s eyes. And he knew.

  “My father…” Bevin shook his head. “I don’t…I don’t know how to tell my mother. I can’t believe he is gone.”

  Soren’s mind flashed back to the moment when Tevor began to slip off Dex. They had been flying one more time over the camp at his insistence. If he had been able to pull the man back onto Dex quicker than the arrows may not have hit Tevor. What had the man been doing out of his harness anyway? Had it broke? Had he not made it correctly?

  Nothing good will come of this. And soon you will be the cause of another death, and they’ll know it.

  His father’s words echoed in his ears as he left Bevin on the steps. He walked down the street, turning into the nearest pub. The divine smell of ale wafted toward him as the door swung closed. He knew in an hour he would no longer feel the sting of his father’s words.

  Chapter Twenty

  His eyes were dry, and his head pounded as if it was about to split into two. Soren pried his eyes open. His eyelids felt heavy. He rolled over. Blonde hair spread out across the sheet. He sat up, his eyes trailing across the bare back of the woman beside him. Her face was turned away from him. He put his hand to his head as he tried to remember the previous night. He had only a dim recollection of meeting her. He didn’t remember her name or even leaving with her.

  Moving slowly, he inched out of the bed. He grabbed his pants from the floor and slid them on. His eyes scanned the room. He spotted his shirt by the door along with one boot. He put on the shirt as he searched for the other boot. It was under the bed. He put them on, pausing when he heard the woman murmur in her sleep, but she didn’t wake. He crept to the door and slipped out.

  Once outside, he surveyed the area. The street was narrow. All the buildings appeared to be homes. Nothing looked familiar. Not knowing which way to go, he picked a direction and began walking.

  With each step, his head pounded. His only thought was to find Dex. His stomach gurgled. He stopped and leaned against the nearest building. This was the part he hated about indulging in ale. The lost memories and the sick after effects. He took a deep breath as his stomach turned. He bent over, retching whatever was left in his stomach. This made him feel both better and worse. He leaned against the wall, praying the nausea would pass. It had been a long time since drinking had caused this type of reaction. Usually, he only had a headache.

  A few minutes later, Soren decided he felt better and continued along his way. Shops lined the next street. This area seemed familiar, and he recognized it as the one leading out to where the dragons had made their camp. He hurried along but instead of continuing to the dragon camp, he veered to the right as he followed the path that would lead him to where he and Dex had made their own camp.

  The trees grew closer to the trail before giving away to an open area. Suddenly, he found his way blocked by Rakkah. The golden dragon opened her mouth, allowing him to see her fangs.

  “I warned you,” she hissed. “You would have been smart to sever your tie with Reddex.”

  Soren backed up as she advanced on him. His head pounded, and it was an effort to even answer her. “It’s too late for that now. Why do you even care?”

  “I must protect Reddex.”

  “From what?”

  “Pain. That is all that can come from your Bond. Pain for both of you.”

  His mind whirled as he tried to follow what she was saying. “You don’t know that.”

  She flipped her golden tail toward him. It landed in front of him, causing the ground to shake. “But I do. Do you really think man and dragon will continue this alliance? They won’t. They will cut us off like last time. And the ones to pay will be you and Reddex. And this time it will be worse for you two.”

  “Why?”

  “Your Bond is strong. Stronger than it should be.” She turned, walking away from him.

  “What do you mean by that?” He took a step after her. His mind struggled to make sense of what she was saying. Now he regretted his night of drinking even more. “Wait. You…you understand about the Bond because you shared it with someone. Didn’t you?”

  Rakkah didn’t respond. She leapt into the air, leaving him standing there with a swirl of questions on his mind.

  ***

  The red dragon lay with his muzzle tucked under his wing. Soren walked slowly, trying not to disturb the beast. It reminded him of the many nights or mornings when he had returned to Jerrick’s home. He hated the confrontation with his brother that always followed a night of drinking. His stomach tightened as he dreaded experiencing the same thing with Dex. He froze as the dragon opened one eye.

  “I….”

  “Soren, I can smell you.” Dex raised his head. “I know where you were. You owe me no explanation. I am not your keeper.”

  Relief washed over him, but the feeling didn’t last. Maybe it was because of the Bond, but he couldn’t say nothing. He owed the dragon a reason for his behavior. His mind flashed to yesterday when his father stood over him, his boot pressing into his shoulder. Even now anger coursed through him. Why did he always let his father get to him? He shuffled his feet before looking at Dex.

  “My father and I…we don’t get along. We haven’t for years.”

  “He hit you. I felt it…and your anger.”

  Soren turned away from Dex, his gaze falling back to the ground. “That went on for years too. I don’t know if dragons do that sort of thing to their young.”

  Dex reached out with his tail and pulled Soren toward him. He leaned against the dragon before sliding to the ground. He sat with his back against Dex.

  “It doesn’t happen often, but a few dragons have been known to hurt their young. We don’t tolerate that type of behavior.”

  Soren sighed. “I wish humans were that caring. My mother was the only one who could stop him. After she died, living at home was horrible.”

  “He said…” Dex hesitated as if not sure he wanted to continue. “He said something about causing another death. I know he speaks of Tevor, but what other death does he r
efer to?”

  The image of Addie’s face flashed before his eyes. As it always did, it tore at his heart. “I killed my sister,” he whispered.

  “I feel your pain, Soren. Tell me what happened.”

  The words tumbled out of his mouth. He had been off to meet friends in the woods. His little sister had followed him. He had taken a short cut across a log over the river swollen from the previous night’s rain. He had been furious to find Addie had followed him. Her plea to come with him had fallen on deaf ears as he ordered her to go home. He had warned her not to cross the log again. Even now he regretted he didn’t take the time to walk her home or at least make sure she used the bridge. A few minutes later, he heard her scream. By the time, he reached the river’s edge, he only caught a glimpse of her long brown hair. He jumped into the rushing water. Addie cried out again. He swam in that direction but couldn’t find her. He kept searching and searching until Jerrick had shown up. His brother had run home and returned with their father. Though they searched for hours along the river, they didn’t find Addie. Her body was found downstream the next day.

  He pulled the necklace out from under his shirt. “This belonged to my sister. She was six years old when she died.”

  “You must realize her death wasn’t your fault,” Dex said. “And the same holds true for Tevor. You couldn’t prevent him from being shot. If he had been fully on my back, I don’t think the arrows would have hit him.”

  “They would have hit you instead.”

  “My hide is thicker than human skin.”

  “One thing has been bothering me about that day.” Soren stood. “With Tevor, that is. What caused him to almost fall off you? He was strapped to the harness.”

  He picked up the harness from the ground beside Dex. He ran his hands over the straps and connectors. Nothing seemed out of place. Figuring it would help to see it back on Dex, he quickly put it on the dragon. He hoisted himself onto Dex’s back and moved from his customary place to where Tevor had sat. The strap lay in front of him. His fingers ran over it. It wasn’t damaged or broken. He tugged at the connector that would have attached to Tevor’s belt. It was fine too.

  Soren noted the view was different from this location. If the dragon’s wings were outstretched as they had been during flight, there was a good chance Tevor’s view would have been blocked. Perhaps the man had unhooked himself from the harness to get a better view. He relayed his speculation to Dex.

  “If this is true,” the dragon said, “it is his own fault for nearly falling off. If you had not unhooked yourself, his death would have been from a fall and not the arrows. You are not responsible for his death.”

  Soren didn’t reply as he climbed down. He felt a little better knowing it hadn’t been his or Bevin’s handiwork with the harness that caused Tevor to slip, but they wouldn’t have been close enough to the archers if he hadn’t requested one more fly over of the army.

  He caught a whiff of his clothes. They smelled of ale. He needed to change and regretted he hadn’t grabbed another set of clothes from the supply closet. But now he knew where it was located and could always pick up another pair. And a trip into Camden would also let him get another meal at the dining hall. His empty stomach rumbled as if in agreement. He told Dex of his plans.

  “That is fine. I will check in with Warnox while you are gone.” He paused, bringing his head to Soren’s level. “Do not listen to your father. Neither of those deaths are on you.”

  Soren nodded though he wasn’t fully convinced. Instead, he turned and headed to Camden.

  ***

  Soren sat hunched over his plate. He had run into Darvin. The Captain had shown him a wash room. He had also given him a bag with several sets of clothes and instructed him to bring back any soiled clothing for cleaning. Soren liked that idea as washing clothes was never his favorite chore.

  Now he enjoyed warm bread and thick stew in the dining hall. He sat with his back to the wall and his eye on the door. He had no desire to run into his father. They had lived in the same village for years, and it had yet to happen. He knew how to stay out of his sight, but now that they were both working for the King he wondered if he could continue that trend.

  “Hey, dragon rider.”

  Startled, he saw Rodar standing before him with his own bowl of stew. How had he not seen the man come in? Rodar sat across from him. Soren tensed, not sure what to expect. This was after all one of the people he thought might have tampered with his harness before he left Ballinger.

  “Emery and I just arrived. I came straight here while she went to clean up first.” Rodar smiled. “By the looks of the dragons outside Camden, you were successful in your mission.”

  Soren glanced toward the door. “And you?”

  “Oh yes, the armies of Rison march this way. They should arrive in about a week, about the same time as our forces from Ballinger arrive.”

  “And at most a week before the invading army gets here.” Soren sighed. Two weeks was a long time to avoid his father.

  “Expecting someone?”

  “Huh?”

  “You keep glancing at the door.”

  “My father is here in Camden.”

  “Joran’s here? What? Why?”

  Rodar’s outrage seemed genuine and that reassured him. Soren took a bite of stew before responding. “I don’t know. I think General Thayer arranged it.”

  Rodar sat down his spoon. “Why would he do that?”

  “The General said they needed someone to craft the harnesses. There were others he could have chosen, not to mention the old man hasn’t worked with leather in years.”

  “I’ll see if I can find out anything.”

  “I’d appreciate it.”

  “You know I wasn’t sure I would see you here in Camden,” Rodar said. “You were such a reluctant participant in Ballinger.”

  Soren shrugged. “I’m still not sure I can help.”

  “Don’t say that. You are after all the only dragon rider in over fifty years.” Rodar’s smile faded. “What? You cringed when I said dragon rider. Is there something wrong with Dex?”

  “Dex is fine. I am still not used to being referred to as a dragon rider.”

  “How is that going?”

  “The title may feel weird, but I can’t explain it…my connection with Dex feels…natural.” His meeting with Rakkah that morning flashed through his mind. She was not the first to mention his Bond with Dex seemed unusually strong. He mentioned it now to Rodar.

  “I might have an answer. Maybe it’s because your grandfather was a dragon rider too.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  He barely saw the people walking by as his mind whirled with Rodar’s revelation. His grandfather had been a dragon rider. His mother’s father. There was much about his mother’s family he didn’t know. As a child, it never occurred to him to ask. Now as he thought back, Soren could remember times when his mother would be sad, but those didn’t last. Or if they did, he was too busy playing to notice. Those were the good times before Addie died. Afterwards, his happy childhood had ended.

  There was only one time he recalled his mother mentioning her parents, and the memory wasn’t a good one. He had overheard her talking to his father, begging him to allow her to send Soren to them. Even now the pain tore at him almost as much as it did when he was twelve. It didn’t matter that years later Jerrick had pointed out she was doing it for his own good. She must have known she was dying and wanted to save him from his father. But it didn’t relieve the sting.

  Now he mulled over the knowledge his grandfather had been a dragon rider too. If he had shared the Blood Bond with his dragon, then perhaps Soren’s strong connection was because he had two ties to the dragons instead of one.

  Someone bumped into Soren, jarring him out of his thoughts. He turned around, glaring at the back of the person for a moment before recognizing her.

  “Emery?”

  She spun around. Her mouth was clinched, and her fingers were balled into fi
sts. Between her disheveled hair and dirt-stained clothing, he guessed she hadn’t been to the wash house as Rodar had said.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Emery blew out a long breath as she shook her head. “I just…it is…” She stomped her foot. “I have been informed by one of General Thayer’s men I am no longer to have anything to do with Agnot or any dragon. He said they were going to assign men to some of the dragons and there was no way a girl needed to be involved in this.” She paced the width of the street before swinging around to face him again. “A girl? Indeed. I know more about dragons than he does. And…and then after that, I ran into a man who claimed I had stolen the material for the harnesses which is totally crazy since the material came from King Arden’s court. He claimed the harness was crude and not done at all as it should. I’ve used it. The harness works fine.”

  Soren immediately knew who the second man was. His father. He had obviously noticed the missing leather he had used on Dex’s harness, though there was no way for him to prove it. Soren had made sure to cut off any branded sections. And what could he mean about the harness being crude? Did his father know Soren had made it and was insulting him or did he know something Soren didn’t? Joran had worked on harnesses for horses all his life, and Soren had spent many years working for him. Surely his father didn’t have any extra knowledge. But there had to be a reason his father was picked to build the harnesses for the King. There were others, even some in the employment of the King, who could have done the work. He hoped Rodar would be able to find out the answer soon.

  He noticed Emery regarding him with a perplexed expression on her face. He shrugged. “Sorry, I got lost in thought for a moment. I was on my way to see Warnox about something. I wonder if he knows General Thayer’s plan to assign men to the dragons.”

  “I don’t know,” Emery muttered.

  “General Thayer can’t make decisions for the dragons. It is up to the dragons who rides and works with them. Come with me, and we will see what Warnox has to say about it.”