"Ten men," the guard said. "Now."
Which meant they were far enough up the cliff on the winding trail that the dragons could take flight and eliminate them.
"Continue to get things ready," Kiernan said.
"Stay here," Ena said, frowning at the humans. "Help the men get the wagons hitched."
This time they agreed.
The dragon shifters shifted and with their powerful wings rose into the sky as a unified force.
"It's a trap!" one of the men shouted, trying to turn his horse around.
The men were so panicked, one knocked another off the narrow path. Ena swooped down and only managed to save the horse, not that she had any intention of saving the prince's man.
As soon as she set the horse back on the path, she dove for the only man who had managed to turn his horse around and was galloping down the steep incline. She seized him and dropped him from the cliff. Though she wanted to go after the other men, she had to stop the horse. If anyone saw the rider-less horse return to the village, the word could get back to Prince Grotto. They had to keep this quiet until they were well on their way.
Taking care of the horses was the hardest part, she realized. When Mark and Bryan and two of Kiernan's guards ran down the incline to grab the horses, trying to calm them, Ena realized the boys could be more help if she'd just trust in them. But she didn't. Trust in them. Not completely.
She shifted and grabbed another horse's reins and walked it back up to Kiernan's keep. They would have to house them in the stables with plenty of food and water until Prince Grotto or some more of his men checked on Kiernan's keep to see if everything was in place.
It was getting dark now, which was even better for them. Kiernan's women and children had left and the mostly empty wagons were on their way. They would meet up with Olaf's at the same place at the border of the phantom fae. She reconsidered the trouble that they might have with so much gold and fewer dragons to guard it. She didn't believe that anyone would bother the travelers this time. Not with that many armed guards—that she hadn't had before—or dragons watching over them.
"Aideen, yours is next. Let's go," Ena said. They still had too many to see to. Amerand's, Altons, Aideen's, and Halloran's.
She didn't know how they'd ever get it all moved in one night. Prince Grotto would probably never expect them to move all at once like this either. And he probably never thought they'd thwart him at the first two castles.
Aideen's castle was quiet also. But Olaf went in with her, leaving the two worn out humans behind with Ena and the others. She didn't have any women on her staff, so all she had were fighters. She used them for everything—cooking, cleaning, practice fighting with her. So she had one of the biggest fighting forces, but no gold to transport. It was all in the caves in No Man's Land and safe.
"Aideen, will you take the two humans with you and your staff, and stay with one of the other wagon trains? Ensure that all of the wagons are still safe and meeting where we asked them to?" Ena asked.
She nodded.
Mark and Bryan began to object, but Ena sliced them a glower. "By now, you know what I do to people who piss me off."
They shook their heads and went with two of Aideen's men.
Three more castles left and Ena was already more worried about Halloran's than anyone else's. He wasn't home so Prince Grotto shouldn't see it as a priority target right now. Unless Halloran had already come home.
Ena said to Alton, "We go to my brother's place now."
"But, we agreed Amerand's and mine are more at risk," Alton said.
"She's got that brother and sister thing going on," Amerand said. "If she feels something's wrong, there probably is."
They knew it was so as soon as they reached the forest surrounding her brother's keep. A moat surrounded the walls from olden times to prevent anyone from undermining them, and it was still filled with water. The gates were closed as would be the case at night and it was late. But she heard her brother's roaring inside as if he wanted to kill everyone and everything that got near.
He was locked in his dungeon. The very same dungeon he had locked her in.
She took a deep breath.
"The ones on top of the wall walk, friend or foe?" Alton asked.
"Maybe a mix. If they don't fight us, then the others will shoot them," Ena said.
Amerand snorted. "They won't have time. They'll be too busy fighting us. The only thing is we don't want to warn the ones waiting inside."
"Let's go. You know which ones are your brother's," Olaf said.
"So do I," Alton said, since he was Halloran's best friend and visited him more often than the rest.
They all shifted and took to the wing. The full moon lighted up the sky and they looked like giant black birds, their wings stretched out, and then they folded them down and dove toward the men. Ena bypassed one of the men who turned his sword on another. Alton had the same situation and then it was a mess. They couldn’t get a clear shot at any of the prince's men. Halloran's guards fought the prince's men off though. Ena headed for the front door along with Amerand and Olaf.
She knew Alton would want to come with her, but he was the only other one who knew which men were her brother's for certain if he could get in a killing blow to help them out.
The door was barred. They had no choice, and the three of them turned into dragons and began pouring a stream of flames at the double oak doors. While the doors were still in flames, she and the other dragons rammed them, the wood splintering, their hard scales undamaged. Immediately, men fired crossbows and hit her in the wing with a bolt.
In pain and pissed to the max, she shot a stream of white hot flames at all six of them, Olaf staying with her, joining his flames with hers, and Amerand flew toward the dungeon. The prince's men were nothing but ashes now.
It was quiet down below, and she knew her brother was waiting to see what was going on.
She did worry he'd be angry with her over this whole mess, but she didn't care as long as he was all right. She motioned to Olaf to go help Amerand while she checked out the rest of the keep to ensure that no others were hiding at the castle. They didn't need anyone running off to tell the prince prematurely what they had done.
Olaf shook his head and motioned toward the stairs, telling her to help, and he would search the keep. He gave her wing a look, indicating she was wounded, all right?
She rolled her eyes, and he stared at her in disbelief, grinned a wickedly toothy grin, then flew off through the keep. She heard him roar and knew he was dealing with another fae there. She flew toward the stairs, but paused.
Why was it so quiet? Why had her brother and Amerand not left the dungeon already?
It had to be a trap.
Chapter 15
Olaf came around the corner and saw her standing midway down the curving stone steps into the dungeon. She turned and flew back up them, forcing him to head the same way.
As soon as they were again in the Great Hall, she shifted and whispered, "It's too quiet. My brother would be roaring around and furious. Amerand would be jangling the keys to get him out. It's dead silent down there, but I swear I could hear rapid hearts beating and heavy breathing. It's a trap."
Olaf shifted. "So what do we do?"
"We leave."
"We can't. That's your brother and Amerand down there."
"Right. We have to get Halloran's guards together to get his treasure, the same protocol. Then we'll leave to get Alton's and Amerand's."
"Amerand's people won't leave without his say so," Olaf warned.
"They will when we tell them the prince has caught the two of them in a trap. I have an idea of how to spring the trap."
"Good. What about your arm?"
"It's just a scratch."
Olaf shook his head and tore off a piece of his tunic, then tied it to her arm.
Then they headed out of the keep and talked with Halloran's men and Kiernan and Alton.
"Everything could go wrong with t
he plan," Alton said.
"Everything could go wrong with any of the sieges and reaching the hawk fae land. We have no choice," Ena said.
Alton took hold of her uninjured arm. "Maybe you should stay here. Rest up. You've been injured."
"We have to finish this," she said.
"Yeah, we do, but if you can't fly, you risk getting yourself killed over it. Stay here for your brother. If something happens and you see a way to free him in the meantime, go for it."
The other dragon shifters agreed with him. Which royally ticked her off. "All right. Go. I'll be in charge of getting the wagons ready."
She prayed the other wagon trains were fine and Aideen had no trouble as the dragons flew off.
She paced across the inner bailey, then thought of the two small windows that let some air and light into the dungeon. Neither was large enough for anyone to climb in through but a child, and only if the grates were not in place. But she could listen and learn what was being said. If anyone talked.
One of Halloran's men said, "If there's anything I can do…"
"Be sure and take the family portraits. And thanks." She headed for the dungeon's windows and felt a little woozy. The prince's men couldn't have drugged the bolts. Could they have?
She made her way to the window, feeling her step slowing, then lay down next to the window and listened.
She heard whispering. "What are they doing?" one of the men asked.
She couldn’t tell if it was one of Halloran's people or the prince's.
She tried to peer into the dark cells. And saw Halloran's eyes glowing with malice. Amerand's also. Both were in the same cell. The one Halloran had put her in. If this wasn't such a serious situation, she would have figured it served her brother right.
Five guards were listening at the door to the stairs. How had they overcome Amerand?
Then she saw an iron mesh net lying on the floor next to the door. They had to have tossed it over him and taken him down. Her vision began to blur.
Someone touched her arm and she looked up to see one of Halloran's men. She raised her hand to indicate five men.
Then she closed her eyes and felt herself being lifted and carried away, and she wanted to fight whoever was moving her. What if she could shoot an arrow at one of the— Her thoughts dissolved into a black mist.
***
Alton had a time convincing Amerand's people that what he said was true, but he was glad they hadn't had any trouble with the prince's men yet. They hurried to pack up his belongings, saying Amerand would kill him if he wasn't telling the truth. Alton slapped his administrator on the back and said, "He will kill us if we don't move his gold in time and the prince confiscates it."
Ena's plan to take a couple of the prince's men prisoner wouldn't work here. No men to capture. Not that he wanted to fight any. They'd come up with another plan anyway.
When they reached his keep, everyone but his administrator had left. "Where did everyone go?" Alton asked in surprise.
"Aideen came and told us what was happening. She knew you'd be headed for Halloran's castle first. I've sent word to the other dragon shifters. None of them are Ena's suitors, so they probably won't have any trouble right away. Word was sent back that they'll be moving out within the next few hours, though none are happy about it. Their words, not mine."
"Okay, well we have to leave and rescue Amerand and Halloran," Alton said. "We thought we might be able to use a 'change of guard' if we'd captured any prisoners, but no such luck. Go with the wagons. Ensure their safety. We'll see you soon."
Alton left his home, hating to leave it behind, but it was time to start over, no regrets. As soon as he reached Halloran's castle, one of Halloran's guards hurried to join him.
"Where's Ena?" Alton asked in alarm when he saw no sign of her in the courtyard.
"Drugged. The bolt that injured her was drugged. She's sleeping. She reminded us of the two small windows to the dungeon. They're too small to get a body down there. Five of the prince's men are down there. They've got an iron mesh net that forced Amerand to shift back to his fae form, and he couldn't fight them. He's locked in the cell with Halloran. We can't angle an arrow to hit any of the prince's men. They're all sitting near the door to the cells, waiting for an intruder."
Alton stalked over to the windows and lay down to get a look. He saw Halloran smile at him. The problem was the bars were dragon proof so Halloran and Amerand couldn't shift and use fire to melt the bars. But why not flame the prince's men?
Then Alton saw the trouble. The prince's men were holding a couple of children and a woman near the door. If a dragon burned the door down, or tried to kill the prince's men, the children and the woman would be sacrificed.
"Halloran," Ena said on the other side of the dungeon door.
What the blazes?
Both Halloran and Amerand stood inside the cell and placed their hands on the cell bars as they looked at the door.
"Halloran," Ena said, sounding half asleep. "I've been wounded, drugged. I'm giving up. This isn't worth it. I'll wed the prince, be a princess, whatever…"
"It's a trap," one of the prince's men said.
"So we wait it out in here?" the one man said. "If we get hold of her, we're done with this. Let the king decide what he wants to do with these two."
Two of the prince's men held daggers at the kids' throats and another was using the woman as a shield, while a fourth unbolted the door and another readied the iron mesh net. "We have women and children as hostages," the man with the net warned.
"I'm ready." Ena sounded like she was ready to join him in bed she seemed so out of it. Alton prayed to the goddess that she was pretending and not about to get herself into the same predicament as her brother and Amerand.
"Okay," the one man whispered, holding one of the kids.
The one pulled open the door and let it fall against the first cell, and he had to catch Ena as she collapsed into his arms. She was still drugged!
Everything happened so fast after that, Alton was kicking himself he wasn't down there. But he didn't have to be. He shifted and poked his nose through the grate in the window and as soon as Ena went all wild fae on him and cut the first of the men with her sword and pushed him away, Alton flamed him.
Ena shoved the man holding the woman against the cell and Halloran reached through the bars and broke his neck. She went to attack another of the men, but Olaf was there, his wing slicing out and he felled one of the men holding a child. The other Kiernan took care of and then Ena collapsed.
Alton couldn't believe it.
Before long, Halloran was carrying Ena out of the cell and heading out of the keep, surprised to see his people had already gone for his gold and were on their way to the border of the phantom fae kingdom.
"You could have asked me first, you know," Halloran said gruffly to Ena before he flew off with her. She couldn't even shift into her dragon form.
"You want me to take her?" Alton asked.
Halloran smiled. "Sure. Have you won her over yet?"
She slowly shook her head back and forth. "He's interested in a hawk fae princess, sister to the king." And then she closed her eyes again and fell asleep.
Halloran scowled at Alton. "What's that all about?"
"She's mistaken. No interest at all."
"She wouldn't think so if there wasn't," Halloran said.
"Can we get going?" Kiernan asked. "You know the rest of us are still interested in courting Ena." He looked at her sleeping form and smiled. "I kind of like her like that. Nice and docile for once."
Olaf said, "Not me."
Amerand said, "Sorry about that back there."
"It all worked out," Alton said, and then the dragon shifters headed for their caravans and were ready to roll. He suspected they'd have a devil of a time with moving all their people and wagons of treasure through the region.
They saw thieves every once in a while, but it was more of a case of looking and wanting, but not touching. Against arme
d men, they didn't stand a chance.
Alton was glad Ena slept all the way through the phantom fae kingdom where surprisingly they didn't have any toll collectors hassle them for gold, and he knew something was up with that. They saw shadows of fae watching them, but no one approached.
Aideen was in charge of making sure Bryan and Mark stayed with the caravan she was protecting and didn't try to make a side trip to rescue their human friend, Brett.
When they reached No Man's Land, the day was early and they had no trouble with sandstorms, but sand serpents were in abundance, and the whole lot of them had a fight on their hands. They lost one of Amerand's men and one of Kiernan's, but managed to reach the canyon by dusk. The vampires came down for a look, but when they saw the dragons again, and all the heavily armed men, their steel swords glistening in the moonlight, they moved along.
In the forest, they fought the horse-men beasts for hours, then finally managed to reach the hawk fae lands when they heard other dragon wagon trains behind them.
Alton hoped that settling here would be the best thing for their people, but except for some of the dragons' grumbling, most were ready for a new rule. Would King Tiernan's be any better than King Tibero's?
They decided it couldn't be any worse.
Ena stirred and Alton smiled down at her. She frowned and groaned. "My head is killing me. We'll never reach No Man's Land by nightfall if we don't—"
"We're in the hawk fae territory."
She sat up too quickly and looked back at the forest they had just left. "Brett."
***
Esmeralda was glad to be free of her griffin fae captors and her brother treated her warmly with love and respect. He had a page, Romero, who looked to be fourteen, but was a couple of centuries old, Ritasia, the queen, had told her—courtesy of the fae who had brought him to the fae realm and then died. Esmeralda had often found the dark-haired "boy" studying her with his inquisitive blue eyes while others distracted her, asking her questions. She didn't dislike him, but she didn't exactly like him either. He was a strange being, and she swore he was trying to read the intent behind her every word—trying to decide if she was lying or telling the truth. She'd heard of fae who could determine such a thing, but she didn't feel comfortable enough to ask anyone, fearing the person would betray her question to the king.