Avital yanked his wrist, but he couldn't get his hand away from hers. The guards had tied his arms and legs to the chair. Another concession she had reluctantly agreed to. "You are not my family. You are not wed to my brother. The two of you have promised nothing. A romp in the sack does not constitute marriage and family. If that was the case, the queen of Risos, the one your lead Black dragon fried, would be my family as well. Who should I fight for? The woman who kept Jarrett satisfied for years, or you, who has been in his life less than a year?"
Tressa crossed the room and knocked on the door. The guards entered, their faces grim. "Is everything okay?" the one on the right asked.
"Yes. We're done here," Tressa said. "Take him back to his cell."
Avital struggled against the guards’ grip to no avail. They untied Avital and dragged him out of the room by his arms.
"I won't forget this," Avital yelled back to Tressa. "You are marked, and I will be the one to claim your life."
Fi stepped through the doorway. "He's lovely, isn't he?"
Tressa laughed and closed the door behind her friend. "I don't know him well, but he is Jarrett's brother, so I'm determined to treat him with respect. It isn't easy."
"He's spirited. That's a good trait." Fi smiled. "The armor suits you."
Tressa shrugged. "It fits. I'm not thrilled to be going into battle again. Frankly, I'm a little tired of it."
"I can imagine," Fi said. She ran her hands through her black hair. "We only have a little time before we leave for battle. Can I ask you something?"
"Sure." Tressa stood in front of the mirror. Fi's reflection paced nervously, her hands behind her back. "What is it?"
Fi sat on the bed. "It's Sarah. She's scared I'm not going to come back. After the way Sophia spoke in the battle room, I almost believe this will be my last flight."
"Oh, Fi, don't think that way. You've heard what I've been through since getting out of Hutton's Bridge. I'm not dead yet." Tressa sat down next to her.
Fi rolled her eyes. "Death is inevitable. No one lives forever. Not even my great-uncle, though some say Mestifito has been here since the beginning of all time. If someone slices off my head, it can't grow back."
Tressa patted Fi's head. "Don't worry. I won't let that happen. I'll be on your back, protecting you.”
A smile graced Fi's face. "Then let's do this. Are you ready?"
"No." Tressa slid the helmet over her head and patted the sword at her hip. "I don't think anyone is ever ready for something like this. But we have to face it. Whether I like it or not, Granna is right. We have to end this. Otherwise our lives will continue to be embattled. As much as I hate fighting, I do want the strife to stop. If we can show the Red and Yellow how strong we are, maybe we can broker some kind of peace. Now may be our only chance."
"I'm glad we're in this together." Fi linked arms with Tressa, and they left for the main cavern.
Hundreds of dragons flew in the middle of the town square, far more than had answered the call days ago.
“Where did they all come from?” Tressa asked, her jaw dropping. “Does the Black also turn their babies into dragons like in the Meadowlands?”
“No,” Fi said. “We are simply larger than any of the other dragon hordes. Far older, too. It is said we were the first. We will be the last.”
Tressa marveled at how organized they were. In spite of having hidden underground for many years, convincing the rest of the Dragonlands they were extinct, these dragons were quite skilled. Groups flew in formations, practicing maneuvers that defied death. The riders held on with nothing more than their gloved hands, appearing as one with the dragons.
“We won’t be that good,” Tressa said. “Maybe you should say your final goodbyes to Sarah.”
“Don’t go morbid on me, Tressa! Those are the elite guard. Do you think Sophia would have called them to action for a simple diplomatic meeting with the Yellow? If Jacinda’s son knew about them, then they might prepare differently for battle. Right now all they know is that we’re a small group of Black dragons led by an old woman. Who’s afraid of that? No one.”
Tressa found her great-grandmother sitting on a throne next to the magnificent Black dragon Mestifito. She stroked his head and cooed into his ear.
“What does he look like as a human?” Tressa asked Fi.
“Who? Mestifito? He can’t change anymore. At least no one has seen him change in a very long time. Some believe he prefers his dragon form. Others think he lost his ability to change.”
“What do you believe?”