Aurora (2 page)

Shadow flinched away from her touch as if burned.

‘What
are
you doing, Aurora?’
Shadow asked again, her voice suddenly suspicious and more alert.

‘I’m sorry,’
Aurora replied.
‘Did I hurt you? I didn’t mean to.’

‘No, you did not hurt me, but the sensation was strange.’
Shadow paused a moment.
‘My shoulder feels cooler. It has been burning with the heat of Firestorm’s
breath since we left the Valley of the Griffins. What did you do?’

‘I’m not quite sure. I may have the key to healing your wounds, but I need to experiment a little more. May I try again?’

‘Where are the dragonhunters?’ Pell demanded. ‘What are they doing?’

Pell’s voice was like the irritating buzz of a fly in Kira’s ear as her vision soared out from the chamber, high up into the air above the Castle of Shadows. Despite many dangers and
traps, she and her three fellow questors, Elian, Nolita and Pell, had won through to the innermost chamber of the castle and gained possession of the third of the four dragon orbs – the Orb
of Vision. The ghostly dusk dragon that had guarded the special plinth on which the third orb had formed had vanished now, leaving the four riders and two of their four dragons with the dilemma of
how to escape from the castle and carry the orb to the Oracle.

Kira found that, with concentration, she could control the Orb of Vision and, by channelling its power, she could now see outside the castle. Using it made her feel as if she were staring
through a window, except the window opened into the world wherever she willed it, and could be moved with a single thought. It was bizarre, yet the sense of power it gave sent thrills of pleasure
through her.

She pressed her fingers harder against the orb, splaying them around its smooth, glowing surface to gain maximum contact. Energy surged into her and her mouth curved instinctively into a
smile.

‘Let’s see what this thing can do,’ she breathed.

‘Be careful, Kira.’ Elian’s voice was distant, but his urgent warning somehow penetrated the trancelike state that the orb created. ‘Remember what the ghost dragon told
us. The orb might betray us.’

Kira’s mind froze, poised to hurl her vision across Areth to her home village in the Racafian savannah. Elian was right. She needed to exercise caution. Try something easier first. She had
already seen Segun, the power-hungry night dragon leader, flying away from the castle. Spying on him would be a useful test of her control. Relaxing slightly she sent her newfound power of vision
whizzing across the sky until she located him still flying south and west on his dragon, Widewing. Zooming in closer, she circled them.

Segun’s face was set in hard lines. His dark brows were knitted into a frown and his eyes stared with icy fury into the distance. She could almost feel the intensity of his thoughts. It
was clear he did not intend to return to the Castle of Shadows, yet was resolved to prevent the four questors from completing their task to restore the Oracle.

A sudden change in Segun’s expression made Kira withdraw. She flashed away, soaring high and fast back towards the castle. Somehow he had become aware of her. A shudder ran down her spine.
It was eerie. One moment Segun had been staring straight ahead, the next his focus had shifted and he had looked right at her.

What had he seen?
She thought the orb allowed her to travel in a totally disembodied state, but now it appeared this was not the case. Segun had definitely seen something, though Kira had
no idea what. Elian had been right to urge caution. Had the night dragonrider seen enough to deduce the four questors had gained the third orb?

Swearing, she mentally berated herself for gifting him with this information. She paused high above the treetops and looked down. The great forest spread below her, a vast textured carpet across
the land, and she watched as the tiny distant figure of Widewing flew in the direction of central Orupee and the Oracle’s cave. Any thoughts Kira had enjoyed of spying on the night dragons at
will were gone. It appeared likely that Segun knew what to look out for now and he would warn his men.

Deciding to be more careful, Kira zipped back across the sky towards the Castle of Shadows. Diving down until her vision was skimming the treetops, she slowed as she approached the edge of the
forest. She could see the dragonhunters gathered outside the great castle gates. She lowered her viewpoint down amongst the branches and then eased forwards again until she was peeping out from
between the leaves at the open ground in front of the enormous sea fortress. The hunters were some distance away. They had split into two groups – one to either side of the main gates. It
appeared they were preparing an ambush.

Wrenching her fingertips from the surface of the orb, Kira staggered backwards. As soon as her contact with the orb was broken, she began to see through her own eyes again. The chamber seemed to
spin under her feet. After the amazing perfect vision she had just experienced, her own sense of sight felt very limited. Also, the disorientation she had felt when Longfang, her dragon, sacrificed
his left eye to form the orb, returned. The sensation was hard to define, but the dragon’s loss of perception echoed through their bond making her feel dizzy.

‘Are you all right?’ asked Elian. ‘What did you see?’

It took a moment for Kira to regain her composure. ‘Segun’s not coming back,’ she confirmed. ‘I followed him a little way. He’s heading southwest towards the
Oracle’s cave. The hunters, however, have laid a trap for us directly outside the castle gates.’

‘That’s not good,’ Pell observed. ‘We can’t take off from inside the walls. There’s not enough room for a take-off run and those shadow demons in the main
courtyard will rip us to shreds if we make any sudden movements.’

‘Do you think the hunters know about the shadow demons?’ Elian asked thoughtfully. ‘If their lead hunter is a Joining, possessed by a demonic creature, would he be aware of the
shadow demons inside the castle?’

The four riders each looked around at one another. No one had an answer.

‘What do you think, Fang?’
Kira asked, keeping the tone of her thought curt. She was still angry with him for sacrificing his eye to form the third orb. Fang had solved the
Oracle’s riddle before they had reached the inner chamber, but had kept the information from her to prevent her getting upset.

‘I don’t know,’
he replied.
‘Demons, as you call them, are not from this world. I do not know the extent of their powers. They may be aware of one another, but
I don’t even know if the creatures that join with humans come from the same world as the shadow demons. The Joining does seem to have a sense unlike that of any human or dragon. He has
tracked us and anticipated our moves with uncanny accuracy. Anything is possible.’

‘Fang doesn’t know,’ Kira said aloud.

‘Neither does Firestorm,’ Nolita added softly.

‘I wonder . . .’ Elian began thoughtfully. Pacing back and forth next to the metal plinth, he hooked his right thumb under his chin and curled his index finger across his face
between his top lip and his nose.

‘What, Elian?’ Kira asked. ‘What do you wonder?’

‘I was just thinking that perhaps we could set a trap of our own,’ he said. ‘But first we need to get out of this chamber and find our way back to Aurora and Shadow. Something
is stalking the maze of mirrors. I’d rather not go back that way if we can avoid it. Let’s concentrate on getting out of the castle. I’ll tell you my idea once we’re in a
position to act.’

Chapter Two

Tembo felt tension building inside his body as he watched Husam, leader of the dragonhunters, directing the other hunters into position on either side of the castle gateway. It
was a sensation that had become all too common over the past two weeks. What was Husam thinking? It would not matter where the men were placed. It was too open here in front of the fortress. Had he
not learned from their foolhardy attempt to finish off the two dragons on the ridge five days ago?

The open attack up the ridge had ended in disaster when the two dragonriders had used their position of strength on the high ground to great advantage. One of the dragons had rolled entire tree
trunks down at the hunters, whilst the riders had hurled a deadly barrage of rocks. Tembo eyed the battlements on the walls high above them. If the dragonriders became aware of the hunters again,
the walls of the fortress could be used to give a similar advantage.

Assuming the dragons could not take off from within the walls, however, the gateway would funnel the dragons when they left, allowing the hunters to launch a targeted attack. But as the ground
in front of the castle was so devoid of cover, the hunters would be as exposed and as vulnerable as the dragons.

A bitter wind swirled around Tembo, increasing his tension. He flexed his legs. His muscles were stiffening. They had chased the dragons for more than a hundred leagues over the past week, and
his body was not used to being still for any length of time. The men would not want to be out here for long. There was something else, though. He could not shake the nagging feeling that they were
missing something.

Barely an hour ago, a particularly large night dragon and his rider had launched from the treeline less than five hundred paces away from them. Husam had been as unaware of the dragon’s
presence as the rest of the hunters. Given their leader’s uncanny instincts and tracking skills, Tembo had been surprised to see Husam caught off guard. It was not the same night dragon they
had been tracking. This one was huge and had flown with no hint of any injury.

The beast was airborne and out of reach before anyone had a chance to react. If the rider had gone for help, Husam and the hunters were as good as dead already. If the entire night dragon
enclave turned to tracking them down, then there would be no hiding place on Areth secure enough to guarantee their safety.

Only the strongest and best of their party had dragonbone weapons now. Most of the bone-tipped spears had been lost during previous encounters. Those without dragonbone weapons were reduced to
carrying blades and spears tipped with metal, which would be next to useless if things turned nasty. Husam had outlined a bold plan, but it was fraught with danger. He was counting on the dragons
being weakened by their wounds and the effects of the long chase. If Tembo had learned anything from these past two weeks, it was that the dragons they had been hunting were full of surprises.
Their riders were young, but they were no fools. Husam’s plan lacked subtlety. The dragons were sure to see through it.

Tembo shifted uneasily as he crouched, waiting. Apparently satisfied that his men were suitably positioned, Husam turned and strode towards him. Slim and upright, the hunter moved with a bounce
in his step.

‘Are you alright?’ Husam asked.

‘I’m just weary,’ Tembo sighed, hoping his friend would not probe further. He could not look Husam in the eyes. No one looked him in the eyes by choice. There was something
about Husam’s mismatched irises that chilled the marrow from one’s bones. Both eyes had been blue, but after the disastrous attack that had resulted in the death of their former leader,
Kasau, one had darkened to a colour that was almost purple. The other remained a more normal shade. It was strange, but not as strange as his friend’s change in behaviour.

‘Don’t lie to me, Tembo,’ Husam said, his tone dangerous. ‘You’re thinking my strategy is flawed. We’re too exposed. We have limited weaponry. If dragons come
from anywhere but through the castle gateway we’ll be totally at their mercy. You’re right to think these things.’

The admission was a surprise. Tembo looked up at Husam and instantly regretted it. The man’s eyes glittered with anger. His gaze seemed to jab into Tembo’s head.

‘Trust me, my friend,’ Husam ordered. ‘We will leave this place triumphant today. I
know
we will.’

Tembo had never been argumentative. Despite his misgivings, he nodded and climbed to his feet. He towered over Husam, but his size meant little in this relationship. Husam had always been the
leader.

‘I have always trusted you, Husam,’ Tembo said slowly, though in his heart he knew that to be a lie, too. ‘But this is as far as I go. If we don’t kill the dragons today,
I’m giving up the hunt. This has to end. There’ll be other dragons: dragons without riders; legitimate rogue dragons that need destroying. I’d like to hunt them with you, but
I’ll go alone if need be.’

Pressure began to build inside Tembo’s head. Husam’s stare intensified. Pain flared and Tembo clamped his hands over his temples. He could not close his eyes. He could not even
blink. Husam’s eyes filled his mind. He had no idea what Husam was doing, but he was determined to hold firm to his decision.

The next few moments felt like an eternity, but suddenly Husam broke off his stare. Tembo staggered slightly before regaining his balance.

‘Very well, Tembo,’ Husam said. ‘But you need not fear. It will end today. We have been through a lot together, you and I. It would be a shame if we had to part company
now.’