Dragonbound(43)

When we get there, it’s obvious why. There are about a dozen purple dragons in the room, crashing the feast. The dragons from Hawthorne clan are seated around giant stone slabs that serve as tables. One of the tables has been smashed with a boulder.
The leader of the purple dragons—the one I’m certain is Lothar, even if I still can’t recognize dragons very well—shouts orders at the rest of them. He’s holding what looks like a big metal lantern, or maybe a cage, except that it’s got metal plating all over it, hiding whatever’s inside. He sets it down on the king’s table, keeping one clawed, scaly hand on top of it protectively while he says something threatening to Amelrik’s father.
At least, I’m assuming it’s threatening. Because it’s not like he’s come here and crashed their feast and busted up one of their tables as a gesture of goodwill. Plus, even if I can’t understand what he’s saying, it sounds pretty threatening.
Amelrik’s listening intently, his breathing shallow. I kind of want to ask him what’s going on, but I also kind of don’t, and then Lothar twists the lantern-cage thing a little, and I don’t care what he’s saying, because on one side of the cage is an open panel. Just big enough for whoever’s inside to look out. And of course there’s someone in it. Our eyes meet, and even though I can’t see much of her face, and even though she’s kind of far away, I know it’s Celeste. I think I’d know her anywhere.
All the dragons must know who and what she is, too, because a lot of them are giving the cage wary looks. Lothar must be using her as a threat. Or maybe a weapon.
I nudge Amelrik, trying to get his attention, but he’s too busy watching the argument play out between his father and Lothar. “Amelrik, the cage thingy, it’s—”
Lothar suddenly snarls and shouts something at the king. His voice echoes through the chamber, so loud it hurts my ears.
Amelrik grabs my arm and pulls us both behind an outcropping in the rock wall. “He knows.”
“He knows what?”
“Lothar knows that I’m here.”
“He can’t know that. He’s bluffing.”
“No, he figured it out. He told my father I’m still alive, that Hawthorne clan still owes Elder clan a blood debt, and when my father didn’t seem surprised to hear that about me, Lothar put two and two together. He knew I must have come here, and now he’s demanding that they give me up.” He wraps his arms around himself and leans his head back against the wall, letting it hit the stone with a thump. “They’re here because of me.”
“They didn’t even know you were here. And his father’s the one who let you go.”
Amelrik’s shaking his head. “They’re demanding a blood debt for Raban’s death.”
“It was an accident, wasn’t it?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Lothar’s known you were still alive for over a month. He didn’t come here, on one of your biggest holidays, to settle a debt. He came to make trouble.”
“Obviously, but—”
“He brought Celeste.”
Amelrik glances over his shoulder, in the direction of Lothar and the cage, even though we can’t see them from here. “You’re sure?”“Of course I’m sure. I only saw her for a second, but I know it was her. Besides, who else would it be?”
He pauses, thinking that over. “You’re going to go get her.” It’s a statement, not a question, like he knows there’s no way I’m not.
Even if the thought of going over there and trying to steal her out from under Lothar’s nose is completely terrifying. “Yeah, but . . . how?”
“Lothar won’t be looking. I’ll make sure of that. He’ll be distracted, and when that happens, get over there as fast as you can. I don’t know how much time you’ll have.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I already screwed this up once. I’m not costing you another chance to save her. So just trust me on this.”
“Amelrik, no. Whatever you’re planning, you can’t—”
“I made a promise to you, and I can’t break it a second time. And I can’t let them come here and cause trouble because of me. I can’t let someone else die in my place. So . . .” He trails off, not having anything left to say, I guess. And before I can tell him again not to do it—before I can get in front of him and try to block his path—before I can do anything, really, he darts out from our hiding place.
Maybe no one would notice him if that’s all he did, but he’s shouting at Lothar. His voice isn’t as loud as everyone else’s, since they’re all in dragon form, but he must get Lothar’s attention anyway, because everything gets quiet all of a sudden.
Then chaos erupts, and there are a lot of voices, talking all at once. This is my chance. This is the diversion he bought me. I creep out from behind the rock, not nearly as confident about it as he was. Even though I’m pretty sure he’s going to get himself killed.
But I can’t think like that right now, even if it might be true.
“Come on!” Amelrik shouts. Not at me, but at Lothar. “I’m what you came here for, aren’t I?”
Lothar snarls and lunges across the room. Amelrik’s father shouts something.
I force myself to move, because otherwise I’d just stand here, watching, unable to breathe. I run along the edge of the cavern walls, trying to stay away from any lashing tails or stomping feet. When I glance over at the king’s table, I almost have a heart attack because Celeste’s cage is gone. But when I get a little closer, I see that it’s just been moved. It’s on the ground now, behind the table, in care of one of Lothar’s friends. Whoever he is, he’s paying more attention to the drama going on between Lothar and Amelrik than he is to the cage.
I creep up to the open panel. 
Celeste gasps when she sees me. She presses her face to the opening, her eyes wide. “Vee?” she whispers, keeping her voice low.
“It’s me.” Tears prickle at my eyes, because maybe a small part of me—just a teeny, tiny bit—was worried it wouldn’t be her somehow. That just when I thought I’d found her, it would all turn out to be a lie. Or that maybe I’d hallucinated the whole thing, because I wanted it to be her so badly, and the cage would just be empty.
“It can’t be you. You’re . . . you’re outside of the barracks.” She blinks at me, like me standing right in front of her isn’t enough proof. “What are you doing here?”
“Rescuing you. I thought that was pretty obvious.” I peer at the cage, looking for the mechanism to open it.
“No, what are you doing here? Did you get captured? Did they hurt you?” Her face gets all worried, even though it should be the other way around—she’s the one who’s been kidnapped for weeks.
“I’m fine.” I glance across the room at where Amelrik is, but I can’t see him. My heart speeds up. But Lothar’s still talking, and surely if Amelrik had . . . if something had happened, the crowd would have reacted. They wouldn’t just watch their prince get killed and not even blink, would they?
Celeste’s eyes dart back and forth. “If you weren’t captured, how did you get here?”
“Does it matter?” I fumble with the lock. It’s not as simple as what would be on an actual birdcage—I guess so Celeste couldn’t just stick her hand out the panel and unhook it—but I think I’ve figured it out. I have to press down on one spot while lifting the latch at the same time.
“How did Prince Amelrik get out of our dungeon, Vee?”
I flinch at her implied accusation, even though it’s true. My hand slips along the part of the cage where I was pressing in, so that the latch sticks as I try to pull it open. “He’s helping me. Us. He’s probably getting himself killed right now, and you—”
“You let him go?! What the hell were you thinking?!”
“Celeste,” I hiss, motioning for her to shut up. And why does she have to jump to conclusions like that? Just because she’s right doesn’t mean it’s not crazy.
“I told you to stay away from him! It wasn’t bad enough that I got captured—you had to go and get yourself captured, too?!”
“I’m not a prisoner. You’re the one in the cage.” I press down with one hand as hard as I can while lifting the latch with the other. This time, it works, and the door swings open.
But too late. Celeste’s shouting got the attention of Lothar’s friend, who was supposed to be watching her. He swears and slams the door shut, knocking me back and sliding the latch into place with one claw. He grabs the cage and lifts it up onto the table, not even caring how much Celeste might be getting knocked around inside.
Then he turns his attention to me, and I know I should run, but I’m frozen in place. I had the door open. Celeste was free, even if only for a second. And now she’s still right there, but she might as well be miles away, because I missed my chance, and this dragon’s probably going to kill me.
It all happens so fast. He reaches out to grab me, and then there’s a terrible roar followed by a scream. Not from him, or from me, but from Lothar. And Amelrik. The crowd gasps in horror.