The Dragonswarm Read Free

father an acid look, but he ignored her.
    She went on, sliding closer to me again. "We should go scout it out. Make sure you know the way, in case you have to go in a hurry."
    The baron's eyes snapped to Isabelle, and I saw them narrow. After a moment he sighed. "That is a good idea. And if I were to go—or worse, send an escort—it would draw too much notice. But the two of you going out for a ride...."
    He trailed off, and Isabelle beamed. She caught my hand again and bounced a shoulder against my arm. When I looked down she grinned. "We're going to Palmagnes."
    Despite everything hanging over us, I smiled. I couldn't help it. I leaned closer to her. "That's exciting, is it?"
    She bobbed her head and answered in a whisper. "Father has never let me go."
    He cut through our quiet conference with the heavy boom of his voice. "That's right. Because it is dangerous."
    Isabelle rolled her eyes. "They say restless spirits and soulless ghouls wander among the ruins."
    The baron grunted. "I'm far more concerned with biting asps and feral dogs." He leveled a threatening finger at me. "You watch out for her, wizard. Return her to me whole."
    "Of course," I said. "With all my care."
    He nodded. "Well enough. Go. Send for the horses and some food. Might as well take some gear now too, so you can travel light when the time comes."
    I nodded. "Will there be water?"
    "Last I checked the well still ran clean, but that's been most of a decade now. You'll have to check on that while you're there."
    I tried to think what else to take, what other preparations I could make, but there were too many unknowns. Still, if there was clean water, I could get by.
    Isabelle was anxious to go. She darted out to arm's length and tugged on my arm, but I lingered to consider the plan one more time, trying to think of anything else I needed to ask of the baron. I found nothing. But I saw him frowning, clearly calculating, and he looked up to see his daughter trying to drag me from the room.
    He opened his mouth. A moment later he said, "Go. Make your preparations. But before you leave, come find me again. We have another matter of business yet to settle."
    Then he dismissed me with a wave, and I followed Isabelle into the wide stone corridors of the sprawling house. We went a dozen paces before she led me around a corner and down another long hall. I had to hurry to keep on her heels, and I felt my smile creeping back. "You really can't wait to see these ruins."
    She stopped, startling me, and turned on me with more anger than joy in her eyes. "How could you keep this from me?"
    Her voice was a hiss, and she stepped very close to me. It was not a tender gesture.
    I licked my lips. "I was afraid. I did not want you to know that part of my past."
    "I could have done so much to protect you, Daven. I could have made this go away. And now instead we must run and hide."
    "I'm sorry, Isabelle."
    "You should be!" she snapped, but then her face softened. "Come on." She nodded down the hall, then started walking again. "Palmagnes is not a friendly place, and we must make our preparations. It will not be easy to convince my father to let me stay there with you."
    My heart faltered. "Stay with me? No. Resolving this mess will take some time—"
    "And I would not be without you for so long." She never turned, never slowed. "But Father will not understand. We'll save that fight for later."
    I followed after her in a daze. She wanted to be with me. She was prepared to face the discomfort and dangers of a harsh wilderness with me. She was prepared to fight her father, and with her father to fight the king for me. She was prepared to marry me. She'd asked, hadn't she?
    While I was thinking, she was searching for a steward she could trust. Now she found him and rattled off her orders with a brisk authority. I watched him nodding quickly, trying to memorize all the many things she wanted. Then she sent him scurrying off and dragged me down another hall.
    It was too soon to