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It made me think of the disease caused by its touch. I was reminded that cities of the Clandike Kingdom were suffering from the touches of these creatures, and there was nothing that I could do about it.
But other kingdoms relied on us for our seeds and produce.
This creature would damn not only our kingdom–all kingdoms would starve.
It needed to be stopped.
“I think you’re ready,” Nana said, slightly out of breath.
“Ready for what?”
“Let’s go back inside. There’s something I haven’t told you.” Her words started to slur, hiding a secret between them. My breathing stuttered. What more secrets did she have? What more was she hiding from me?
Our footsteps echoed along the spiraling brick path, the cool cobblestone sending shivers through my feet, while lush greenery enveloped the walls, flourishing with life. My heart sank with the thought of returning to my tower, but I obeyed my grandmother and did so.
As we arrived at my bedroom, I collapsed onto the bed, my gaze fixated on my grandmother. Exhaustion seeped into my bones, but anticipation coursed through me. What secrets did she hold, waiting to be revealed?
“There’s a myth from those that practiced old magic that there’s a dragon egg hidden on an island.” I squinted to concentrate on her fiercely, not wanting to miss a word that escaped her mouth. “An island near the North West seas. It is said that this egg can grant a single wish and that only Scalekind can see it.” She paused and looked at me.
“Only one?” I added, attempting to comprehend her words completely.
“One.”
“Why is it there? The egg?”
“It is said that it protects the gates of the locked dragons. The rest of the dragon species. Once a wish is granted, it is said that it would release the remaining dragons back into the world.”
“That’s great news!” I exclaimed. My eyes enlarged. Dragons could repopulate the earth. They didn’t have to be extinct anymore. I thought of all the possibilities. They would probably still be hunted and killed, but at least there would be more. They could protect each other. Right now, it was almost as if they were helpless.
“It could be. However, don’t you think they were locked up for a reason?” Her question drove deep into my chest. I wondered why they were locked up.
She had a good point. Who was guarding the gates? Why offer one wish?
“Did the old magic lock them up?” I asked, inquiring about those who participated in the Old Religion. “And why?”
“I am unsure, child,” she said as she turned toward the window that swallowed the moonlight.
I thought about all her words. If there was an egg that could grant one wish, and if I were to reach the egg…
“I could stop the Deathlies,” I quickly said, cringing at my fight with the one earlier. “I could wish them away,” I said, realizing there was a chance.
I started to fidget and move with the idea of leaving this tower and searching for the dragon’s egg.
“Would you let me leave?” My eyes were glimmering with hope at this point.
She neither confirmed nor denied her answer. A slight smile grew on her face that showed that she would let me decide. Shewas finally going to give me a choice. It felt that I was never granted a choice. Could I be trusted with a decision?
“How do I get to the egg?” I asked, desperate to end the Deathlies–to make a difference in the kingdom.
“There’s a map. I had it locked with me. However, this week it has been stolen. I am worried that the wish will be used for evil in the wrong hands. With that wish, someone could be turned into the king of the land. If notlands,” she emphasized. I thought of Cora and her trips. There were groups of people looking for something every time they traveled. Could they have been looking for the map? “Someone could wish away a whole population, turn the time back a hundred years, have the ability to bring people back from the dead, kill people with the flick of their hand. The possibilities are dangerous and endless.”
“I see,” I responded, understanding the dire situation with this lost map. “Do you know who has the map?” I asked.
“I am unsure, but it must be someone close to the king. And everyone close to the king will be at the masquerade ball tonight, celebrating Tobias as heir to the throne.” My throne. Of course they would keep it on their person when the map led to such a world-changing and dangerous wish. As the image of the golden dragon relic glimmered before me, one thought stood strong in my mind: Tobias would not be heir much longer.
Chapter nine
DAMIAN
