Aurora Read Free Page A

Husam’s eyes filled his mind. He had no idea what Husam was doing, but he was determined to hold firm to his decision.
    The next few moments felt like an eternity, but suddenly Husam broke off his stare. Tembo staggered slightly before regaining his balance.
    ‘Very well, Tembo,’ Husam said. ‘But you need not fear. It will end today. We have been through a lot together, you and I. It would be a shame if we had to part company
now.’
    Tembo rubbed at his temples with his fingertips. Kasau had played a similar mind trick when the hunting party had first latched on to the trail of the dawn dragon. Husam’s attempt to
persuade him by force of mind had been less subtle than that of Kasau, but it had felt very similar. Husam was not the man Tembo had taken up with in Racafi. He had known it in his heart from the
moment his friend’s eye had changed colour, but he had so wanted to believe the change in Husam was temporary that he had convinced himself to persevere as if nothing was wrong.
    ‘Husam!’
    The hissed whisper from one of the nearby hunters was urgent.
    ‘Husam. The watchman!’
    Tembo followed the man’s gesticulations and realised the watchman poised by the side of the gate was signalling to them. The dragons were on the move. This was it.
    Husam waved a rapid sequence of silent instructions to the men. Tembo watched as the men reacted to the signals. Their response was impressive. The watchman withdrew from the gateway. Everyone
was poised within moments, weapons at the ready. He could feel his heart pounding with anticipation and he began counting the beats to help keep a sense of calm.
One hundred . . . one hundred
and fifty.
Where were the dragons? Had the watchman been mistaken?
    Two hundred.
A movement to Tembo’s right drew his attention. It was Husam. He was creeping towards the watchman’s position at the side of the great arched entrance to the
fortress. Tembo’s breath caught in his throat. What did Husam think he was doing? If the dragons were coming, he would be virtually under their feet as they emerged. Without a miracle, he
would suffer the same fate as Kasau. To attempt to fight a dragon at close quarters was to invite death.
    Husam passed the watchman and moved silently along the wall until he was right next to the gateway. Twisting, he took a quick peep into the castle and then instantly flattened himself back
against the wall. He remained still for a moment and then he turned and took another look. This time he moved more slowly, easing into position and staring in through the gateway.
    The signal to gather was a further surprise. What was Husam up to now? What had he seen? Tembo ran forwards as lightly as he could. The others in position nearby ran with him. Seven men gathered
next to the wall on the other side of the gateway.
    ‘Get ready,’ Husam warned. ‘We’re going in.’
    ‘I thought you said . . .’
    ‘I know what I said,’ Husam snapped softly through gritted teeth. ‘But this is too good an opportunity to miss. The dawn dragon is asleep in the courtyard. There’s no
sign of the riders. The night dragon is somewhere in the keep.’
    Tembo shook his head. ‘It feels like a trap to me,’ he said slowly. ‘Why else would the dawn dragon expose herself like this?’
    Husam’s eyes narrowed, but his expression was more thoughtful than angry.
    ‘You might be right, Tembo,’ he replied, his focus going distant. ‘But I’m certain that if we act swiftly there will be no other dragons close enough to come to her aid
before we make the kill. The injured night dragon will not bother us. There are some strange echoes inside the castle. I sense the dusk dragon and day dragon have rejoined the two we have been
following. They are somewhere within the walls, but they are not close enough to cause us a problem. The dawn dragon is alone in the courtyard.’
    Tembo knew better than to ask how Husam knew all this. He suspected the truth was better left unknown. The