Dragon Lord Read Free

dragons curled sleepily together, the grey watched them.
    “Why him?” Fen asked.
    “This is what I need help with. He can’t stay here. In two days if he hasn’t changed colour they’ll kill him for parts. He can’t be tracked unless he changes colour. He’s no good to them if they can’t protect their investment. So they’re going to get what they can for him,” Edana said.
    “What if he changes colour tomorrow?”
    “He’s three-months-old in two days time. His egg mates changed within the first week.”
    “Oh,” Fen said. There wasn’t anything he could say. Most dragons changed colour within the first week. A few more by the end of the first month. It was a rare dragon that changed colour after three months. Some never changed colour and stayed grey their entire life. A blood tracker couldn’t track a grey dragon. It was impossible. No Dragon Lord wanted a dragon that a thief would want to steal. Protecting it would be extremely difficult. They lost enough grey hatchlings to thieves each year without wanting to risk dragons they’d spent time and money feeding and training.
    “What could I offer you to take him from here and not give him to your master? I want you to raise him yourself.”
    “What?” Fen wondered if he’d heard Edana right. The first year of raising a dragon wasn’t too bad. They didn’t grow much. But by the time they were two they towered over an adult. And who was to look after the dragon when Fen was dead? Dragons could live for hundreds of years.
    “I want you to hide him,” Edana said more slowly.
    “You’re completely crazy.” Fen took a step away from her. “Mad.”
    “No I’m not. You could do it. I’ll help you,” Edana said.
    “No way. You don’t know Rhone. If he found I’d crossed him, he’d kill me.” Fen backed further away.
    Edana smiled. “If you take the dragon to Rhone the blood oath will kill you. Taking him there will be the opposite of protecting him.”

Chapter Three
    He stared at her, trying to figure out a way around the oath. She’d worded it too well. There were only two options. Burn the oath or kill Edana. And he didn’t think he could kill her no matter how annoying she was. He eyed her pouch.
    Edana glanced down at her pouch. “There’s no way you can get the oath back. The pouch is spelled against everyone except my family.”
    “Why you-” Fen lunged for Edana, pushing her to the ground. She tried to roll away but he grabbed a hold of her plait.
    “I’ll call the guards.”
    “What does it matter? I’m dead anyway.”
    “You’re not.” Edana tried to pull her plait from his hand, the other fending off the hand going for her throat. “I promise. Hear me. Be your own master.”
    Fen stilled. He kept Edana’s plait twisted around one hand and the other hand pressed against her throat where both her hands kept trying to pull it away. His brown eyes stared unblinking at her. His woollen cap had come off and short black hair stood up in all directions.
    “Speak quickly,” Fen warned.
    “Let me go first.” Edana tugged the hand at her throat.
    “I haven’t got all night.”
    Edana swallowed hard. “One of our maids was killed recently. She went home on her day off to visit her parents. Her father had been bitten by a swamp dragon and he didn’t get it seen to. The poison sent him mad and he killed them all. His son, who worked the swamps with him, his wife and his daughter. All of them. Then the fever became too bad and his heart stopped. There was an aunt. She was visiting friends and came home to blood everywhere. They had to lock her up. Some people say she hasn’t stopped screaming. No one’ll go near the place. They say with a death like that the spirits won’t rest. You could stay there. It’s at the edge of the swamp. All their traps and stuff will still be there. I’ll give you some money. You’ll be fine and the dragon will be safe.”
    “Except for the spirits.” He tightened his grip on her throat