This guy was still spot-on and every word from his mouth made sense. But what was his end game?
With few options already, and time slipping through his fingers, Tzader had to consider any opportunity. He asked, "How do you know all this?"
"You'll understand by the time we have a deal and the dragon is free."
"How do you communicate with the dragon?"
Ceartas stretched and crossed arms that bulged with roped muscles. "You're wastin' time on insignificant details. With Queen Maeve and the original Cathbad the Druid back in business, you're dealing with a nasty pair. They're plotting to undermine the Beladors in the human world, as a start. Queen Maeve is not the fool Flaevynn was. She has been around a long time, and is developing a strategy that will eventually win if left unchecked. By the time she pulls the last block out from under the Belador power base, it will be too late to stop her. Not even having Brina in Treoir will save the Beladors."
Tzader's heart beat harder than it had while he'd fought. Could all of this be true? While he reeled from those statements, Ceartas pointed out, "However, if you lose Brina, the war is lost before it's begun. The dragon will not lift a finger to help you or the Beladors if Brina is not protected from everyone who would do her harm, including Macha. And that will not happen if the spell is allowed to continue destroying Brina's mind."
No one had considered that the Noirre majik was still influencing Brina. What if Flaevynn was the only one who could reverse the damage? A lead ball of disappointment landed in the pit of Tzader's gut at that possibility.
This guy claimed the dragon could help.
Why would Tzader trust a stranger or some unknown dragon? He pressed his question again. "You still haven't answered me. Who are you to know all this?"
"I am the champion for a dragon who was cursed to remain in TAmr Medb two thousand years ago. He remains there even now. Having no choice in the matter, he was present when Flaevynn created the Noirre spell your traitor cast upon Brina. The dragon heard Flaevynn talk about the traitor she used to deliver the Noirre attack. That dragon is the only one who can save Brina, and in so doing , also save the Beladors."
"Save the Beladors from what?"
Turning a cold, gray gaze to Tzader, Ceartas asked, "Who wields the most power over the Beladors?"
"Macha."
"That's what she'd have you believe. Has she not lied to you time and again? Told you she couldn't break the ward on the castle to allow you to be with Brina?"
"How do you know that?"
The warrior's face turned grave. "The Medb know many secrets the Beladors believe are safe. You underestimated Flaevynn, and Brina was attacked. Don't underestimate Queen Maeve and Cathbad. Let's just say, if it has been spoken of in the queen's chambers, the dragon knows it."
Fuck. Tzader rubbed a hand over his jaw. "What is the dragon's interest in Brina?"
"You keep asking the wrong questions."
"Not from where I'm sitting. How do I know this dragon will work in Brina's best interests?"
"If the dragon wished Brina harm, he merely has to remain silent and allow the mental damage to continue."
The guy had a point, but Tzader held his silence, waiting for more.
"Tell me, Tzader, are you willing to be Brina's champion?"
"That goes without saying. Of course I am."
"I believe you're willing to face a tangible enemy, but will you go up against Macha to save Brina? Will you risk all to free the only one who can reverse the Noirre spell?"
Tzader was torn between the hope that burst inside his chest and doubt over what it would take to fan that hope into an actual miracle.
Still, he had to know more, even as he began calculating possibilities. "What's stopping the dragon from leaving on his own?"
"He pretended to be Queen Maeve's sword arm many centuries ago so that he could get close enough to Maeve to save someone very important to him. When Maeve discovered what he was up to, she cursed him to spend the rest of his days as her throne. Then she killed the woman he was trying to protect."
"She turned a dragon into a chair?"
Ceartas looked insulted. "This log we sit upon is a chair. The dragon's shape is a throne."
Suspicion raced back and forth through Tzader's thoughts, but damn he was desperate to have that Noirre spell broken. "Why have you waited until now to free the dragon?"
"I'm a dream walker. That doesn't afford me a lot of opportunity for conversation with a dragon whom Queen Maeve has not allowed to close his eyes for two thousand years. She only recently permitted him to rest, and only for short periods. Speaking of sleep, Brina is sleeping more often, isn't she?"
Tzader swallowed, not wanting to admit to the truth in that statement. He had no idea if it was the spell, or Brina preferring to stay in the dream world where she was happier and could hold on to her memories longer.
Nodding confidently, Ceartas said, "The TAmr Medb dragon had me wait until the right moment to make contact. Now that she sleeps more often, it is clear that time is running out."
"This isn't the first time you've seen her here in the dream world, is it?"
"No. I've been keeping up with both of you."
Tzader considered what he and Brina had just been doing when they'd believed they were alone.
Ceartas must have picked up on Tzader's thought path. He said, "I have not invaded your privacy with Brina. I can tell when your power blends that you're having an intimate moment, and I do not intrude, but those intimate moments have not come often."
"That's none of your business." Tzader was not explaining why he'd avoided sex with Brina until she was whole again. He shouldn't have to explain it to anyone who had a conscience.
Placing his empty mug on the ground, Tzader crossed his arms and pressed for answers this guy hadn't supplied. "I'll ask again. Why did you wait until now?"
"To be honest, I've been waiting for you. She sleeps far more often than you do, which means she's here alone much of the time. The dragon demands I stand watch over her, so she's been safe."
"Why does the dragon care about Brina?"
"You may ask him when you free him," Ceartas said, as if that was any answer.
Tzader had been right to worry about the changes he'd recently noticed in her sleep patterns. "If I help you free this dragon throne, it will start a war between the Beladors and TAmr Medb."
Amusement vanished from Ceartas's face, and anger took up residence. "That war was launched many thousands of years ago. A river of blood has been spilled, and is nothing compared to what Queen Maeve will unleash once she has all her game pieces in place. Many have died, but war continues for the living long after the dead no longer fight." His fists clenched and the ground shook. "If you fail to save the dragon, then you fail Brina. I will have no choice but to come for her. I will not kill her, but she'll never wake again to suffer life with Macha."
Tzader was on his feet. He stared down at Ceartas and put venom in his voice. "Do that, and I'll come for you with enough power to bring you down."
In the face of that threat, Ceartas actually seemed to relax. "You may return to the dream realm when you choose, but you'll not find me, or Brina, if she is with me. The only reason you see me now is because I made myself visible to you. I can tell that you are not versed in the skills of dream walking. Nor could you learn enough to ever find me again." He studied Tzader and added, "We both want the same thing. The dragon cares about Brina, and not in any way that would validate jealousy on your part so don't waste energy posturing."
When the silence stretched again, Ceartas added, "This is about more than Brina's memories, but that should be reason enough, considering what she means to the Beladors, and to you. If you make the wrong choice, the day will come when you'll realize you could have protected her and all the Beladors. By then, no one will be able to help you, and Brina will be long gone from your life."
Tzader didn't know if it was the months of strain from watching Brina struggle or the offer o
f hope, but he stopped fighting.
Unshakeable walls were closing in on his future and on Brina's salvation. "What is my guarantee that the dragon can break the spell on her and that he will?"
"You want a guarantee? The only things guaranteed are that Brina will not survive this spell and that Macha will do what she deems best for Macha." Ceartas paused, looking away in thought, then told Tzader, "What if, as a show of good faith, I tell you something no one except Queen Maeve, Cathbad, and the dragon currently know?"
"I'm listening."
"The dragon has been privy to all things in the lives of every queen ruling TAmr Medb for the past two thousand years. When Queen Maeve first cursed him into the shape of a throne, she wanted no one to have the ability to pass the secrets from one queen to the next. That's when she made a rare miscalculation. Due to fear of one queen along the way gaining too much knowledge, Maeve added a caveat that the dragon could never be compelled to tell what he knew of the past. That means even Queen Maeve can't compel him to share the history and secrets of past queens, which she's going to regret."
"Not as much as I'll regret starting a real-time war between the Medb and the Beladors and losing Brina if I make the wrong decision," Tzader muttered. He'd fight the world to save Brina, but wouldn't he put her at more risk with war?
"There are many things you don't know about the Beladors and the Medb."
Tzader gave him a blunt look of disbelief. "About the Medb, perhaps, but as to the Beladors, I beg to differ."
Ceartas raked a hand across his face, as if Tzader had said something that pinched a nerve. "Do you trust Macha?"
Tzader started to say hell no, but in spite of all the grievances he had against Macha, he'd given his word to stand loyal to her, and would not sound disloyal in front of a stranger.
He only said, "I'm a Belador, and we swear fealty to Macha."
Ceartas sat quietly for a moment. "Your loyalty is admirable, but you'll soon find that it's been misplaced and misused. I won't share more at this time, but I will tell you that Queen Maeve and Macha are two sides of the same coin. I know this for a fact. Flaevynn's attack on Treoir with the gryphons is nothing compared to what Maeve is capable of accomplishing. The only reason Flaevynn's attack failed was because she didn't know about Kizira and Quinn. Maeve suspects something, though, after viewing details of the attack using her scrying wall."
"Viewing what, specifically?" Tzader asked.
"As the battle raged, Kizira stepped between Quinn and an attacking gryphon that mauled her. Quinn held her as she died. Maeve does not know everything yet, but she will not stop until she does."
Quinn, Tzader, Lanna, and Evalle had shielded that secret. If Ceartas knew about Quinn and Kizira's child, he wasn't saying. Tzader battled to decide whether he was impressed or concerned that this one man knew so much.
Ceartas chuckled. "Don't be surprised. The dragon knows about so much more than the secret love Kizira worked to hide from everyone in the tower. That's why the dragon is the only one alive with knowledge of the Noirre attack on Brina. The traitor, who was Horace Keefer, by the way, held Brina and Macha responsible for the death of his family."
Horace had made that very accusation while he threw the Noirre spell on Brina and Lanna. Tzader ran back through his memory of the incident, picking out the people who could possibly know the traitor's name and that particular detail. Lanna had been the only one other than Brina to hear Horace make those accusations. Tzader doubted the young woman had told anyone beyond Quinn or maybe Evalle.
Neither of them would have said a word.
The only way the Medb would know was if Horace told them himself.
VIPER hadn't even been informed as of yet. Tzader wanted to keep the details quiet in case Horace had an accomplice who was also in league with the Medb, and Macha had agreed with Tzader's reasoning. Rats always deserted a sinking ship, so they'd put word out on the street that Horace, who'd been technically retired anyway, was taking an extended sabbatical out of the country.
The more Ceartas said, the more support he built for the dragon's case. He turned serious again. "Like I told you, Tzader, the war started long ago, and blood will be shed on both sides no matter what you decide. Queen Maeve is after Treoir. Always has been. You can't take responsibility for a war with roots as deep as this one, but you can prevent Maeve from winning. The sooner you free the dragon, the better chance all Beladors will have of surviving. Have you not noticed how, from what I've related, the dragon shows no loyalty to either Maeve or Macha?"
Tzader had noticed, but instead of admitting that, he asked, "And where does your loyalty lie?"
"I serve the dragon's family. I am the only one who can speak on his behalf at the moment, which is why he will honor any agreement I make for him. Keep in mind, I could have taken Brina many times over, and I could have killed you."
Ceartas might or might not know about Tzader's immortality, but Tzader had a hunch the man was speaking truth. Still, he lifted an eyebrow. "You could have tried."
Ceartas smiled, not the least bit challenged. "Give me your word that you will free the dragon, and I will give you mine that I will do all in my power to keep Brina from harm in the dream realm while you're gone. Also, I swear that once the dragon is free, he will reveal how to remove the Noirre spell on her. That is your guarantee."
If what Ceartas said was true, there was only one way to save Brina. Tzader had a hard time discounting this dream walker.
Strange things happened in his world all the time, but no one just showed up with this kind of information. Trusting this man could go either way--for good or for ill. But if Tzader were entirely honest with himself, he'd admit that Ceartas had struck a nerve when it came to trusting Macha.
The whole reason Tzader had hidden Brina's mental deterioration from Macha was because he feared what the goddess would do.
Now he just had to convince Macha to endorse his stealing the dragon throne, so she couldn't accuse him of breaking his Belador vows. While going after the throne without her authorization was honorable in Tzader's mind, defying her would be dishonorable to her and the Beladors, in her thinking.
That would be the same as signing his death warrant.
His silence must have sent a message of hesitation.
Ceartas reached inside his leather vest and withdrew something shaped like a rounded leaf the size of his hand. As he turned the thin disk, it changed from iridescent colors to brilliant red. Ceartas said, "I can appreciate that you have doubts. I will give you this to prove that I know what I'm talking about, and for Brina to show you the truth."
Tzader frowned. "What is it?"
"One of the dragon's scales. He shares this with Brina to help her while you're rescuing her savior. This scale can't stop the Noirre spell from continuing to infect Brina, but it will offer her a brief reprieve. She will remember you--"
Those four words gave new life to Tzader's hope.
Then Ceartas ruined it by saying, "But only for twenty-four hours once she touches it. However, she will remember you immediately and recall far more than she has in the last two months. Clamp it between your hand and hers when you see her again. Make sure she does not show this scale to anyone."
Tzader accepted the scale, surprised at the energy buzzing over the surface. He made his decision. "If this scale does what you claim, then I give you my word to try to free the dragon, but I'll need some time to figure out a few things."
Like how to get inside TAmr Medb undetected.
How to break the curse placed on the dragon so that he would be mobile.
How to get out of the place with the dragon, before all hell broke loose and Queen Maeve turned them both into something far worse than chairs.
Rising slowly to his feet, Ceartas snapped, "You can't try, Tzader. This is an all or nothing deal, and time is running out. If you don't think so, go back and talk to Brina before sharing the scale, then have her touch it. And if you want to see proof of what I've said of Macha and
Queen Maeve being no different, just ask Macha what she plans to do when Brina's memory does not return. I assure you, she'll turn Brina into nothing more than a mindless vessel for making babies."
Not while I still breathe, Tzader swore silently.
Much as he hated to admit it, Ceartas voiced the concerns about Brina's future that rode Tzader's heart every minute of every day.
He admitted something now that he never would have in the past. He did not trust Macha with Brina's well-being or her future.
Maybe not even with the future of the Beladors, if Macha gave Tzader reason to question her commitment to him and Brina.
Decision made, Tzader extended his hand. "By my word, we have a deal if this scale performs as you say."
"I would not give just anyone the dragon's scale." Ceartas shook hands.
Tzader winced at the amount of power flowing through this man. "What are you when you're not dream walking?"
"A very dangerous warrior to those who cross me," Ceartas said, without a bit of ego. "But you and I are allies. You have a day, if that much, which is another reason I'm delivering the scale now."
"What? Why?"
Sympathy softened the warrior's intense gaze. "'Tis not my timeline. That's the dragon's best guess at how long you have before the Noirre spell finishes the job it started. Queen Maeve is not aware of Brina's mental condition, but she's piecing together a picture of what Flaevynn did in the past. Once she has everything she needs, she'll know how to come after Treoir. She's already inserted an elite unit of warlocks known as Scath Force into the human world."
That new information made Tzader's head spin. VIPER had no idea, or he'd have heard from someone about it by now.
Ceartas went on without slowing. "You will need the dragon very soon. Need his aid to protect Brina and the Beladors against Queen Maeve. You're a powerful warrior in your own right, Tzader, but remember. No one can win a war alone. You can save Brina and gain a powerful ally at the same time."
"So Flaevynn is definitely dead."
"Yes." He shrugged. "More like disintegrated. The power that brought Queen Maeve to this time took Flaevynn from it. The same thing happened to reincarnate the original Cathbad the Druid, who is Maeve's partner in all ways." Ceartas turned to leave but stopped, looking back at Tzader. "You must not tell Macha about any of this, and definitely don't allow her to see the scale."