That was something for all this misery. Her fists tightened around the reigns. Joselyn was not deficient, woman or not. She’d fulfill her duty as well as any son. Better. And her father would live with the knowledge that, for all his imperious lecturing, she’d been the one to save their house from his recklessness.
She opened her eyes. Fixed on the mountains ahead. So distant, cold, and silent. Joselyn hadn’t cried the day she left Fury Keep, and neither had her father. Only Tansy had wept. If the old nurse had been a spinster, Joselyn had no doubt she’d have picked up and followed. As it was, Joselyn would meet her future husband—her fate—with her father’s guards, an insufferable maid, and no one else.
She’d never felt so alone.
Morningstar nickered, his white ears flickering back and forth.
“What is it, boy?” Joselyn leaned down to stroke at his strong neck when the horse reared on his hind legs. She gasped, clutching at the reigns.
A violent gust bore down on them, and Morningstar, who’d been battle trained by the finest horse masters in Morhagen, let out a whinny that sounded more like a scream. Joselyn’s heart skipped a beat. She caught the bit in her hands and urged Morningstar back down. Just as she managed to ground him, a great shadow swooped up from the valley below her.
What was she seeing? Was that? No. It couldn’t be! A massive black dragon hovered not twenty feet above them. Its mighty wings sent a cyclone of wind all around. Joselyn’s mouth fell open. Her red hair whipped about her face as she stared up at the winged horror. The scaly beast shrieked, snapping its fang-lined jaws at her.
Morningstar bolted before Joselyn could think to spur him on. She barely managed to keep her seat as the animal raced back toward the procession. Ahead, her guards were scrambling. Some appeared to be forming rank and the rest were notching arrows.
Joselyn leaned low on the horse’s back, willing him to run faster. The blasts of air intensified rather than diminished, and Joselyn risked a glance above her, only to see wicked claws extending in her direction. The sun was totally eclipsed by the giant creature’s raven scales. She couldn’t even manage a scream.
The dragon seized her; its talons encircled her waist and yanked her off her steed. Morningstar bucked as her weight left him. Joselyn’s body folded in half as the monster changed directions and began a rapid ascent.
Her guards scattered below; some fired arrows. Stretching her hands toward the earth, she cried out to them, “Help me!”
The howl of the wind drowned out her voice. Another breath and her escort was so far away, they appeared as tiny dots scurrying around the carriage. No. This can’t be real. Can’t be happening. The dragon shrieked, sending a shot of ice down Joselyn’s spine. When they burst through a cloud, Joselyn knew she was on her own.
She flailed. Her first instinct was to attack the beast. One touch of its iron scales destroyed that hope. Next she tried to pry the creature’s grip open. She strained against its inky claws before understanding that, even if she could free herself, she would plummet instantly to her death. She forced herself to breathe against the creature’s crushing grip and craned her head backward.
Its belly was covered in plates black as onyx. If it bore any other coloring, Joselyn couldn’t tell from her low vantage point. It appeared to have only two legs, both of which held her to its body. Its wings were each composed of five long spines which connected a thin layer of flesh together. She could almost see the sun through that skin, the light illuminating the beast’s thin, obsidian veins. There was no doubt she was being carried by a dragon. She stole herself against the urge to faint.
She’d heard tales of such beasts. The dragon was the sigil of her house after all, but never had she actually seen one. Precious few had. Joselyn despaired. She was unarmed. Even had she been the greatest of warriors she’d stand no chance against this monster when it finally released her. The thought sent fresh terror through her body.
Will it drop me? Devour me as it hovers above some foul nest?
A flash of something dark caught her eye. Was that leather? Joselyn squinted. The beast was entwined in a wide band of some sort, like a saddle strap laced under the belly of a horse. A vague memory tried to surface, but Joselyn was too panicked to call it up.
Beneath her, the earth was gone. In its place was a shining sea of golden clouds. The sensation of looking down at what her mind told her should be above, made Joselyn’s stomach blanch. Icy mist saturated her cloak and her flesh stung with cold. As they soared past another vapor, Joselyn suddenly realized their destination. Mount Carpe, the tallest peak in the Crookspine Range, loomed ahead. The mountain was said to hide great riches and be home to all manner of ancient devils. She knew now that at least one rumor was true.
The mountain’s terrible stone face glared at them. They were at least halfway up. Her heart pounded in her chest as the beast began to circle a gradual descent. The earth below was gray rock. Its blanket of snow grew thicker as it climbed toward the peak. They spiraled and a wave of nausea rolled over her. The contents of her stomach rose into her throat. Joselyn gripped the dragon’s claws for support and willed the bile back down.
What’s happening? What’s it going to do to me?
They were nearly to the ground, but instead of landing, the dragon leveled off and picked up speed as it soared across the earth. So close to the ground, Joselyn could see how fast they were moving, and it was all she could do to hold on.
They were headed straight for a stony cliff face. Joselyn’s eyes widened. Just as she thought she would die, plastered to the side of the mountain, a dark crag came into view. A cave waited, suspended hundreds of feet into the air. Joselyn let out a sob of relief.
With incredible grace, the dark creature sailed deep into the cave’s opening. For a moment, she was totally blinded by the sudden darkness. She could hear the dragon’s wing tips gliding along the rocky edges, though they didn’t catch. At last, the dragon landed with the soft crunch of gravel beneath its feet. Joselyn’s ease was short lived as her eyes adjusted.
The dragon held her parallel to the ground. She was suspended several feet above it, arms and legs dangling awkwardly to the side. Whimpering, Joselyn pried at the creature’s talons. Hysteria loomed as she jerked and bucked, desperate to get free. The beast let out a deep growl, and the cavernous walls reverberated with the sound. Joselyn stilled. Her mouth went dry.
Back home, in a moment of weakness, she’d briefly considered if death would not be a better alternative to marriage with the young lord Viridian. A lifetime of misery and possibly violence. She knew now, however, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that she did not want to die.
Please, gods! Please!
A thud echoed through the cave. Joselyn listened over the sound of her heart hammering in her ears. Heavy footsteps. Where were they coming from? She swept at the pieces of red hair that had slipped their elaborate coif and blocked her vision. The footfalls were nearly upon her now. Her fear pulsed like a living thing, threatening to consume her. Unable to do anything else, Joselyn squeezed her eyes shut.
“Velsa lagi.”
A deep male voice spoke in a language Joselyn didn’t recognize. Her eyes sprang open just in time to see a massive man staring at her. Suddenly, she was released. Joselyn fell into his waiting arms. She clutched at them, steadying herself, then looked into the darkest eyes.