"I think that's a great idea," Bastian said. He placed a hand on Hazel's shoulder and smiled. She was a good woman. It was only a matter of time before Connor took her back.
"At least we're done with the fighting. I know it had to be hard for you to stay here and let the battle rage on in the Dragonlands, but it was the right decision for the children. They've been exposed to too much violence. And while they didn't understand a lot of what happened in Malum, many of them have lost their parents and grandparents. Just like the day the fog fell when Sophia was a child, the children of Hutton's Bridge have once again been orphaned."
"Not all of them," Bastian said. "You, Connor, and I are still here."
"Yes," Hazel said, nodding. "And now we focus on caring for them instead of fearing for our lives."
Bastian was about to agree, when a screech ripped through the sky. He looked up and a dragon flew into the throne room from the window high above. A Yellow dragon, one with fire in its eyes, landed on the floor, its talons scratching the marble with a high-pitched shriek.
The children ran screaming out of the throne room, ushered out by the two healers and Hazel. She glanced at Bastian over her shoulder, fear and anger mixing in her expression. Elinor slipped past Hazel, shooing her out the door after the children. Running to Bastian's side, Elinor panted. "Who is that?"
"I don't know," Bastian said, "but I have a sick feeling we're about to find out."
Chapter Twenty-Six
The Yellow dragon transformed into a man clad in armor. "I am Destrian. The war to end all dragon wars has begun. Claim your side now." He crossed his arms over his chest.
Bastian looked at Elinor. Eyes wide, she didn't have anything to offer. As the unofficial leader of the Blue, and only because he had Connor on his side, Bastian knew the decision was his to make. He glanced back at the doors where the children had escaped only moments ago. His daughter. Connor's boys. They were his first priority.
"We remain neutral," Bastian said. He stepped closer to the man in armor, his shoulders back, chest thrust forward, daring Destrian to question him. “Some of our men have chosen to fight, but I do not command them.”
Destrian threw back his head and laughed. "I was told you might react this way. Very well. We shall take over your filthy insignificant town and kill your dragon as soon as we have crushed the Black and the Green."
Before Bastian could offer a retort, the armored man changed back into a dragon and flew out the upper window.
"I guess that means we're no longer remaining neutral," Bastian said. "So much for our new quiet life here."
"You knew it was only a matter of time," Elinor said.
The doors burst open and Connor ran in the throne room. "Where is it? I'll kill it." His head whipped side-to-side, reminding Bastian of the way Connor moved in dragon form.
Bastian laid a hand on Connor's shoulder. "He's gone."
"What did he want?" Connor's nostrils flared.
"He wants us to choose sides in the war." Bastian paced the throne room. "We have the children to think about. I don't want them involved in another battle. They shouldn't be caught in the middle of this."
"Either we go to war, or war comes to us," Elinor said. "We're fools if we think we can remain neutral."
Connor nodded, staring at Bastian. They both expected him to make a decision. He sat on the throne, his elbows on his knees and his face buried in his hands. This wasn't the life he wanted. He'd been unhappy in Hutton's Bridge, trapped and forced into a marriage with a woman he despised. And yet, life had been simple. Easy. Peaceful. Quiet.
Bastian sat up. His hands gripped the armrests. His knuckles turned white as he squeezed harder and harder.
"Hutton's Bridge," he said.
"What about it?" Connor asked. "You were there. You saw. It's dead. No one is there."
"Exactly," Bastian said. "The children. We'll take the children to Hutton's Bridge."
Elinor shook her head. "That's a terrible idea. It's open on all sides, with nothing protecting it other than the forest—” She stopped abruptly and looked at Bastian. "The fog is gone."
Bastian stared back at Elinor. It was the perfect plan.
"What?" Connor asked, looking between the two of them. "Is there something else I don't remember?"
Bastian had told Connor about the fog and how it fell. Well, not completely. He hadn’t told him about the woman in the tree and her two brothers on the other sides of the forest. She'd protected him and he was determined to protect her. But now, he needed her. If they could take the children to Hutton's Bridge and raise the fog once more, they'd be safe. And this time Bastian knew how to take it down again. Their entrapment would only be temporary, until the war was over.