supposed to be on the same side as the Imperial Guard. What were they doing outside the castle?
The red dragon below Quinn roared, and fire billowed from its mouth.
‘We are the last line of defence.’ The red dragon’s voice echoed through Marta’s magic, distant but clear. ‘All others have fallen. There is nowhere else to retreat. We swore our lives to this. Now is the time to fulfil that oath. Defend the castle!’
As the army of Black Guard below began its charge, the red dragon dropped towards them.
Quinn watched in growing confusion as, one by one, the dragons launched attacks againstthe Black Guard, then, as the fog rose around them, the dragons fell.
This wasn’t the way it had been told to him. The dragons had been the ones who murdered the Emperor and his family. That’s what everyone had said. Yet here was the Black Guard attacking the castle.
Quinn saw the dragons brought down and what looked like a metal bracelet being clamped onto their ankles. Then he saw Vayn stride into the palace and proclaim himself Emperor.
The flames died away.
‘The manacles,’ Quinn gawped. ‘So, that’s what it is to be bound …’
‘Yes,’ Marta explained. ‘They trap the Dragon Knights in their human form.’
‘So they can’t harm anyone?’
‘So they can’t harm Vayn ,’ Marta continued. ‘Vayn murdered the Emperor and Empress and other high-born people – heirs – too. He blamed the Dragon Knights. He exiled them.’
Quinn looked down at the scroll in disbelief. The Black Guard were the traitors. They werethe murderers, not the Dragon Knights. All their bullying and stealing wasn’t to protect the Islands. They were just thieves.
Now he was supposed to become one of them and swear allegiance to Vayn, the man who had murdered his own brother to become Emperor?
He couldn’t do it. Everything he had been taught had turned out to be false and now he knew the truth.
And the truth changed everything …
CHAPTER 3
AN UNWELCOME VISITOR
‘What am I going to do?’ Quinn cried, staring blankly at Marta. He was supposed to report to the barracks this morning but he couldn’t go and join the Black Guard. Not now he knew that they were liars and that Emperor Vayn had stolen the throne. ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’
‘I couldn’t put you in danger. Knowledge is a powerful thing in Alariss,’ his aunt said. ‘There is no other option, now. We must run!’ she cried. She grabbed a bag and began shoving things into it. ‘I brought you here to the farthest of the Islands to get you away from the BlackGuard. You have been safe for twelve years and I will not let them have you now. Get everything you need. We must leave within the hour.’
Quinn scrambled up, his heart pounding. Yesterday, all he’d been worried about was being in trouble for knocking over the laundry. Today, he had to run away from everything he’d ever known.
He snatched up a bag and headed for his corner of the cottage. He rummaged through his few possessions and bundled in some clothes. Suddenly he remembered his father’s knife, the only thing of value that had been left to him, and rushed to the high shelf where he kept it safe.
‘Quinn, wait!’ Marta cried out, before he had a chance to grab it. ‘There’s something else I have to tell you. Something important. You —’
Before she could finish, a loud thumping sounded from the door, and a harsh voice shouted out:
‘Open up, in the name of the Emperor!’
Quinn froze. It had to be the Black Guard.
‘We have to go – now! ’ he hissed.
Behind him, Marta put her finger to her lips and urged Quinn to be quiet. She picked up a handful of dust from the floor and whispered into it once more, muttering a barring spell. Slowly, magic pulsed its way through the air, pushing against the door like a pair of invisible hands.
‘Go!’ Marta said under her breath. ‘I’ll hold them off.’
Quinn started for the back door, but just then something came crashing into
The red dragon below Quinn roared, and fire billowed from its mouth.
‘We are the last line of defence.’ The red dragon’s voice echoed through Marta’s magic, distant but clear. ‘All others have fallen. There is nowhere else to retreat. We swore our lives to this. Now is the time to fulfil that oath. Defend the castle!’
As the army of Black Guard below began its charge, the red dragon dropped towards them.
Quinn watched in growing confusion as, one by one, the dragons launched attacks againstthe Black Guard, then, as the fog rose around them, the dragons fell.
This wasn’t the way it had been told to him. The dragons had been the ones who murdered the Emperor and his family. That’s what everyone had said. Yet here was the Black Guard attacking the castle.
Quinn saw the dragons brought down and what looked like a metal bracelet being clamped onto their ankles. Then he saw Vayn stride into the palace and proclaim himself Emperor.
The flames died away.
‘The manacles,’ Quinn gawped. ‘So, that’s what it is to be bound …’
‘Yes,’ Marta explained. ‘They trap the Dragon Knights in their human form.’
‘So they can’t harm anyone?’
‘So they can’t harm Vayn ,’ Marta continued. ‘Vayn murdered the Emperor and Empress and other high-born people – heirs – too. He blamed the Dragon Knights. He exiled them.’
Quinn looked down at the scroll in disbelief. The Black Guard were the traitors. They werethe murderers, not the Dragon Knights. All their bullying and stealing wasn’t to protect the Islands. They were just thieves.
Now he was supposed to become one of them and swear allegiance to Vayn, the man who had murdered his own brother to become Emperor?
He couldn’t do it. Everything he had been taught had turned out to be false and now he knew the truth.
And the truth changed everything …
CHAPTER 3
AN UNWELCOME VISITOR
‘What am I going to do?’ Quinn cried, staring blankly at Marta. He was supposed to report to the barracks this morning but he couldn’t go and join the Black Guard. Not now he knew that they were liars and that Emperor Vayn had stolen the throne. ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’
‘I couldn’t put you in danger. Knowledge is a powerful thing in Alariss,’ his aunt said. ‘There is no other option, now. We must run!’ she cried. She grabbed a bag and began shoving things into it. ‘I brought you here to the farthest of the Islands to get you away from the BlackGuard. You have been safe for twelve years and I will not let them have you now. Get everything you need. We must leave within the hour.’
Quinn scrambled up, his heart pounding. Yesterday, all he’d been worried about was being in trouble for knocking over the laundry. Today, he had to run away from everything he’d ever known.
He snatched up a bag and headed for his corner of the cottage. He rummaged through his few possessions and bundled in some clothes. Suddenly he remembered his father’s knife, the only thing of value that had been left to him, and rushed to the high shelf where he kept it safe.
‘Quinn, wait!’ Marta cried out, before he had a chance to grab it. ‘There’s something else I have to tell you. Something important. You —’
Before she could finish, a loud thumping sounded from the door, and a harsh voice shouted out:
‘Open up, in the name of the Emperor!’
Quinn froze. It had to be the Black Guard.
‘We have to go – now! ’ he hissed.
Behind him, Marta put her finger to her lips and urged Quinn to be quiet. She picked up a handful of dust from the floor and whispered into it once more, muttering a barring spell. Slowly, magic pulsed its way through the air, pushing against the door like a pair of invisible hands.
‘Go!’ Marta said under her breath. ‘I’ll hold them off.’
Quinn started for the back door, but just then something came crashing into
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