“Other…?”
“He’s the chieftain’s son,” Silas muttered.
“You mean the one they want—”
“Don’t say it. Don’t even think about it.”
She grinned as she ran her fingers over the smooth wooden horse. “I have to admit, the trolls are not at all what I expected them to be.”
He gave her a wary look. “You’re not planning to run off with them, are you?”
“Well, they do seem very friendly. Why did Torushki make them out to be such monsters?”
“That was four hundred years ago. Things were different back then. Whenever the trolls had an infant who died, they would steal a Norveshki baby to replace it. Thankfully, they stopped doing that about two hundred years ago.”
Gwennore snorted. “Now the Norveshki are doing it.”
Silas winced. “I’m trying to put a stop to it.”
She glanced around and noticed there weren’t many children in the village. “They must have suffered from the plague here.”
“Everyone has suffered from the plague. We’ve lost about a fourth of our population, mostly children and the elderly. The adults who survived are infertile, so it’s very difficult to increase our population.”
“Did you have the plague when you were young?”
“Are you worried I might be infertile?” He leaned close. “We could put it to the test.”
She shoved him back.
“Rejected again,” he muttered.
The trolls stood and motioned for them to follow.
Silas rose to his feet. “At last, we’ll find out what they want.”
They were taken to a pen that was surrounded on four sides with a tightly boarded fence. A man set a covered cage in the pen and whisked the cover off.
Gwennore winced. Inside the cage was a large rat. It was frantic, gnarling at the wooden slats of the cage and throwing itself from one side to the other in a frenzy to escape. “What’s wrong with it?”
An older woman talked to Silas for a while, then he turned to Gwennore. “This woman is their healer. She says she has spent the last twenty years studying the plague, and this is how it begins.” He pointed at the rat.
A man leaned over the fence and used a hooked spear to lift one side of the cage. The rat immediately escaped from its cage and ran across the pen, where it slammed against the boards. Then it darted to the other side to crash into the fence there.
“The plague causes the rats to go mad?” Gwennore asked.
Silas listened to the troll healer explain, then told Gwennore, “The plague changes the rat’s behavior, making it frantic and aggressive. It will bite humans, passing the plague on to them, or it will attack animals that it would normally run away from.”
Two troll men lowered a larger covered cage into the pen. When they whisked the cover off, Gwennore was shocked to see a wildcat inside. The typical Norveshki wildcat was no bigger than a lamb, but they were known to be ferocious little hunters. The second the wildcat saw the rat it reacted, baring its teeth and hissing. The cat’s spotted fur bristled as it arched its back.
The rat would have been safe if it had stayed across the pen, for the wildcat was still in a cage. But the rat dashed straight for the cat, squeezing between the slats so it could attack.
With a screech, the cat retaliated.
Gwennore had a quick and horrifying glimpse of gnashing teeth and ripping claws from both animals before she looked away. But she could still hear the awful sounds.
Silas wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close to his chest. “You don’t have to watch to know what will happen. The rat will die. The cat will win, but also lose, for now it will be infected with the plague.”
Gwennore shuddered as one of the trolls used a spear to kill the wildcat. “They could have just told me.”
“They wanted us to see how it happens.” Silas listened to the healer, then explained. “Once the wildcat is infected, it becomes more aggressive and attacks animals much larger than its usual prey. Instead of rabbits and mice, it goes after deer or elk, biting as many as possible before it’s tromped to death by the herd. Then people eat the infected deer and elk.”
“And that’s how they get the plague,” Gwennore concluded.
Silas nodded. “And the healer says it spreads easily among humans. Handling food, physical contact. That’s all it takes.”
The healer approached Gwennore and bowed. When she spoke, there were tears in her eyes.
“She says she has done all she can to figure out the plague, but she has never been able to heal it. She’s begging you to find a cure, so you can save her people.”
Gwennore swallowed hard. “I’m not sure I can.” She looked over all the villagers, who were watching her with hope in their eyes.
“I may have saved you three times.” Silas took her hand. “But you could save an entire country.”
Tears crowded her eyes as she faced the villagers. “I will do my best.”
* * *
Silas glanced at Gwennore as she rode her horse beside him. She’d been quiet since they’d left the troll village. They’d found their still-tethered horses happily munching on grass close to the giant redwoods. After putting her wooden horse in the canvas sack with the crown, he’d tied the sack to his horse’s saddle. Gwen had been so preoccupied that she hadn’t even noticed when he’d let his hand linger on her bottom too long as he’d helped her onto her horse.
She must be worried about finding a cure for the plague, he thought. “If you need any help in collecting plants or distributing tonics, I have an army at your disposal.”
She gave him a distracted look. “Thank you.”
“We’ve made some important progress today.” He motioned to the sack containing the crown. “We know what has been poisoning the kings and queens.”
She nodded. “And we know that the tainted rings made Queen Freya’s condition much worse. Did you find out who gave those rings to the king?”
Fafnir. “I’ll talk to my brother about it.”
Gwen sighed. “Unfortunately, knowing the truth isn’t going to help the queen recover. And knowing how the plague spreads to humans doesn’t really tell me how to cure it.”
“I believe you can do it.”
Her smile was strained. “I appreciate that, but I still think I’m in over my head. I’d like to ask Sister Colleen and the court physicians in Eberon and Tourin for their advice.”
“All right.” Silas thought it over. It would take well over a week for messengers to make the trip. “How about we send Brody to gather information for you?”
“Oh.” This time her smile was more relaxed. “That’s an excellent idea. Thank you.”
“I have to prove myself useful or you might decide to elope with your troll admirer.”
She snorted. “Can you tell me about them now?”
He scanned the forests to make sure they were alone. “I didn’t want to tell their story where they could hear it. They don’t like to be reminded of their past.”
“Why not?”
“Over a thousand years ago, the Ancient Ones took over the land of Norveshka because they wanted the gold and jewels that could be mined here. They terrorized the people into submission by breathing fire and burning any person or village who objected to their rule. They used the Norveshki people to tend livestock, and then they took most of the cattle and sheep to feed themselves, leaving the people to go hungry.”
Gwen shook her head. “They sound awful.”
“They were. They chose the smaller Norveshki to work in the mines for them, for they thought those with a shorter stature would be able to work better in the tunnels. Basically, they used them as slaves. For hundreds of years, the trolls were bred to become shorter and shorter. They spent their lives in caves, hardly ever seeing sunlight. It caused their eyes to grow larger. In their isolation, even their language became different.”
“How terrible.” Gwen tilted her head, thinking. “You said earlier t
hat they have a longtime hatred of gold and jewels. Is that because of the mining they were forced to do?”
Silas nodded. “It reminds them of the centuries that they were enslaved. They won’t step foot in a cave now. They don’t even want to enter a castle or a house, for they view it as a form of entrapment. They need to be free now to roam as they please.”
“How did they get free from the Ancient Ones?”
“Toward the end of the Great Dragon War, the Ancient Ones were losing, dying off. The trolls saw their chance to rebel and turned on the Ancient Ones, helping the rest of the Norveshki people take over the country. But having a common cause wasn’t enough to reunite the trolls with their Norveshki cousins. They have never sworn allegiance to the Norveshki kings.”
Gwen narrowed her eyes. “They don’t feel that they can trust you?”
Silas sighed. “I think they must feel that we abandoned them for all those centuries that they were enslaved. They resented the Norveshki for being able to live in the sunlight. And their culture developed differently than ours. We’re not entirely comfortable around each other, but I think it’s getting better. I want it to get better.”
Gwen nodded. “I think they’re willing to reach out now.”
“I hope so. But I can understand why they don’t trust us. After all, we have … dragons, and the trolls hate dragons with a passion. That’s one reason why we keep the nature of our dragons secret. There are some who would want to kill us.”
“So the trolls don’t know that you’re…?”
He shook his head. “Outside of the Three Cursed Clans, very few people know.”
“So all the dragons come from the Three Cursed Clans?”
“Only a few men from the Cursed Clans. There aren’t that many of us. Only about a dozen.” Silas winced. “That’s a secret, too, by the way. We’ve always wanted the neighboring countries to think we have hundreds. It generally keeps anyone from attacking us.”
“Except for Woodwyn.”
He shrugged. “We don’t know why they keep attacking.”
“I don’t know, either.” She smiled. “But I’m glad that you’re being honest with me now.”
His hands tightened on the reins. He still hadn’t told her she was half elf and, he suspected, half Norveshki.
Her eyes narrowed. “Is there something else?”
He snorted. She was so damned perceptive. “I don’t know yet. When I find out, I’ll let you know.”
She frowned at him. “I still have some questions. For instance, when Eviana was kidnapped, Puff was against it and rescued me—”
“You mean I rescued you.”
“Yes, but who was the dragon who kidnapped Eviana?”
Silas hesitated.
Gwen stiffened suddenly with a gasp. “You called him brother. Was it the king?”
Silas winced. “That’s another secret.”
She drew in a deep breath. “Now I see why it’s been hard for you to stop the kidnappings.”
He motioned to the cabin that was coming into view. “Let’s rest there for a few minutes, so we can talk. Once we get back to the castle, we won’t be able to discuss these things.”
“All right.” She dismounted before he could help her and strode into the cabin.
He followed her inside and shut the door.
She wandered about the room. “I have a few more questions. How can dragon shifting even be possible? Were you able to shift as a baby, or did it begin when you were older? Dimitri and Aleksi, are they dragons, too?”
“They are.” Silas nodded. “That was Dimitri watching over us when we took the barge to Vorushka.”
“I see.” She leaned against a wall, folding her arms across her chest. “When my mind was open, you were able to hear all my thoughts. But when you’re Puff, I only hear what you want me to hear. Why is that?”
“It’s a matter of degree. As children, we learn to close our minds off. Then, around the age of thirteen, when we start shifting into dragons, we learn to open our minds only enough to communicate with each other.”
She sighed. “If I had been able to hear your thoughts, I would have figured it out so much sooner. Instead, I was left wondering for days. Could he really be Puff? How can such a thing be possible? Sometimes I thought I was just imagining it.”
He stepped toward her. “How did you figure it out?”
She shrugged. “There were things that bothered me from the start. Your voice was similar to Puff’s. And sometimes you said the exact same words.”
“I did?”
She nodded. “And every now and then, your eyes would take on a hint of gold.”
He winced. “That only happens when I’m too strongly affected by emotions. Usually no one notices. Well, normally, I’m in complete control, so it doesn’t happen.”
Her face grew pale. “It kept happening with me.”
“Yes.” He took another step toward her.
She turned to look out the window. “When I did the reading on you, I could tell you had an extra-large heart. Then later, you said dragons were the same way.”
“Yes.” He moved closer. “That’s rule number two. Because of our hearts, we can love more fiercely. But we can also feel more pain.”
She glanced back, and her eyes met his for a few tense seconds before she walked over to the table. “I came across this cabin a few days ago, and I found these uniforms here.” She unfolded two leather breastplates. “This one has two stars like the one Aleksi wears, and this one has three stars like Dimitri’s uniform.”
Silas joined her at the table. “We get dressed here before going to the castle.”
“That’s what I figured. There was a breastplate here with four stars, and one of the stars was tarnished, like this.” She touched the star on his chest. “The afternoon after Puff rescued me, you came to my bedchamber, wearing this same breastplate. And that’s when I … I was too shocked to believe it, though.”
“The afternoon when I kissed you?”
She nodded. “I had just seen Puff breathe fire at the trolls, so I was afraid.” Her gaze lifted to his face. “I wasn’t sure if it was safe to kiss you.”
“But you did.” He touched her cheek. “Rule number five: Beware of kissing a dragon. He won’t burn you, but he might make you melt.”
She blinked. “Melt?”
“Yes.” He leaned in for a kiss.
“Like a stick of butter?”
He paused. “I didn’t mean it literally.”
“Oh, that’s a relief.” She stepped back, her eyes twinkling with humor. “I rather like being in solid form.”
“Gwen—”
“Do you just make these rules up as we go? Or are they official rules that are written down somewhere? Are there rules for dating a troll, too?”
He flinched. “You want to date that troll?”
“No.” She grinned. “I was just wondering where these rules come from. How many are there?”
“I don’t know. As many as it takes to win your heart.”
“Ha!” She pointed at him. “You are making them up as you go.”
He gave her an exasperated look. “Does it matter?”
“Well, I think that last one needs some revision. It was just too cheesy.”
“What?”
“The rules should be more simple, don’t you think? For instance, rule number five can simply be, It’s safe to kiss a dragon.”
“If you agree it’s safe, why are we wasting time discussing it?” He pulled her into his arms.
“Wait.” She planted her hands on his chest.
“What?”
“I—I know we’re attracted to each other, but that doesn’t mean we should—”
“Why not?” He cupped a hand around her neck.
“Because a relationship with me will only cause you trouble. I care enough about you not to hurt you—”
“You are hurting me! Every time you reject me.” He stopped himself from saying more. If she knew the pain w
as real, she might feel burdened or obligated, and he didn’t want that. He wanted her to come to him freely. “Gwen, I don’t care what others are saying. My only concern is you. Can you accept me for who I am? Both man and dragon?”
Her eyes glimmered with tears. Puff?
She’d dropped her shield. He lowered his enough to respond. Yes, it’s me.
She closed her eyes briefly. I’ve always loved your voice.
I want to love you. I want to—He snapped his shield back in place.
She blinked. “I can’t hear you anymore.”
“You don’t want to hear my thoughts right now.”
She snorted. “Why not?”
“You might be shocked.”
Her mouth twitched. “Try me.”
“I want to kiss you.”
“Hardly shocking.”
“Whenever you wear a man’s shirt like this, I want to unbutton it, so I can see your breasts. Then I want to touch them. And taste them until I make you moan.”
Her eyes widened.
“And whenever you wear breeches like this, I want to grab on to you like this.” He planted his hands on her rump and with a squeeze, pulled her hard against his swollen groin.
She gasped.
“I’m thinking about removing your clothes. And I’m wondering how sturdy that table is.”
“The table?” She glanced at it. “What does that have to—” She stopped when he nuzzled her neck.
“Shall I tell you more?” He kissed a path up to her ear and whispered, “Or would you like me to show you?”
Her fingers dug into his shoulders. “Silas.”
“Yes.”
“Show me.”
He rested a hand against her cheek, turning her head till her lips met his. A sweet, nibbling kiss that didn’t last long before his passion erupted. Soon he was ravaging her mouth with a deep, desperate, and demanding kiss.
She didn’t shy away, but threw herself into the whirlwind of passion, delving her hands into his hair and entwining her tongue with his.
When he cupped her bottom to lift her off her feet, she wrapped her legs around him. Still kissing her, he carried her to the table and set her down.
“Oh.” She glanced down at the table. “This is what you meant—” She stopped with a gasp when he unfastened the top button of her shirt.