Silence of the Dragon: Dragonsbane Saga, #4

By Madison Keller

Dragons mate for life. So what will happen to Sybil and Riastel's relationship when the curse is lifted?

 

When Riastel declares his love for Sybil, she panics. But her attempt to distract him worsens Riastel's curse, leaving him magically silenced.

 

To get his essence back, they must seek out Riastel's sister at her lair high in the mountains. But as the danger mounts, both of them will be forced to ask if they should break Riastel's curse.

 

For Riastel, is getting back his dragon-self worth losing Sybil's love? And can Sybil live with loving a dragon?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rainbow Dog Books
• Release date: May 30, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386016571

Madison Keller

MADISON KELLER lives and writes in the Pacific Northwest. When not writing he can be found bicycling around the woods of Oregon or at the dog park with his adorable Chihuahua mix. Madison has transitioned and now goes by Ian.

Book preview

Silence of the Dragon

Ian Madison Keller

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Rainbow Dog Books

Copyright © 2018 by Ian Madison Keller

All rights reserved. Published by Rainbow Dog Books. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior written permission.

Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

Edited by Element Editing Services

Map by Tabs Abernathy

Illustration by Beleoci

Cover by Ian Madison Keller

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The mission should have been simple. Sneak in and loot some of a dead dragon's treasure before the dragon slayer can haul it all away, but the dragon wasn't as dead as they'd heard. Unwillingly left behind as bait so the rest of the party can escape, this thief will need all her wits to survive.

Get a free copy of the prequel Black Dragon here:

https://bit.ly/3pZdBui

Contents

The World of Dragonsbane Saga

Prologue

1. Too Attached

2. A Lonely Road

3. Empty Air

4. Just a Test

5. A Family Heirloom

6. Tracking a Thief

7. The Thieves Guild

8. Slumming It

9. A Convenient Healer

10. The Unicorn Grove

11. An Angry Herd

12. An Unusual Ally

13. A Bad Feeling

14. Slimed

15. Family Disagreement

Illustration: The Epic Battle

16. Chosen Mate

17. A Unicorn Ride

18. The Showdown

19. The Mage College

Epilogue

ALSO BY IAN MADISON KELLER

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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Prologue

Riastel’s socks made whispering sounds on the stone as he walked, but even that was loud in the oppressive silence of the ruined keep. Patches of sunlight illuminated the rotting remains of furniture and tapestries, and chunks of stone littered the ground around him, forcing him to keep his eyes focused downward lest he trip.

Evidence of his sister’s passage was everywhere, from the scorch marks on the stone walls, to claw marks marring the intricate-tile floor.

Water dripped in a steady beat.

Drip.

Drip.

He exited the foyer, carefully

crawling over the broken remains of the double doors that led to the throne room.

Something screeched and exploded from the shadows. Riastel jumped backward, his heart pounding. He raised his hands into a casting position before his mind registered that it was just a crow. Black feathers ruffled and, cawing loudly, the bird flapped up and away. Riastel lowered his shaking hands, wiping the sweat from his palms on his pants before continuing.

He was going to have to be calmer than this when he spoke to Dexta. Speaking. Without being able to talk, he wasn’t sure how he would solicit her help.

He lifted a hand to his throat. His other hand reflexively grasped at his arm where he’d worn his magic bracelet for the last six months—up until five days ago. His fingers pressed into bare flesh.

He took a deep breath and lowered his hands, forcing himself to breathe slowly and deeply. He’d fly over that chasm when he came to it.

Resolved, he set off again. Columns and alcoves lined the inner chamber. Riastel didn’t understand the reason for this room. Tarnished suits of armor stood at attention in a few of the alcoves, but most were empty except for dust and rubble.

When he’d come through here before as a dragon, he’d appreciated the high ceilings, but as a human the sheer size of the space intimidated him.

Up ahead, water dripped from the ceiling, running down the wall to where a puddle had formed at the side of the hall. Thick patches of mold grew on the walls and along the floor nearby. Riastel circled the puddle, trying to avoid getting his socks wet. He missed his boots. Damn unicorns.

As he stepped carefully around the pool, his foot came down and landed on something soft which squelched underfoot. What appeared to be a patch of ground let out a high-pitched shriek and shifted, oozing up around his foot. Sharp pain radiated out from where the gray slime touched his skin. Riastel yelled and jerked away, but the creature wrapped around his leg pulled back, throwing him off-balance.

Only grabbing a nearby column kept him from falling. The gray slime tugged harder and began crawling up his leg beneath his pants. His skin crackled and burned at its corrosive touch.

Riastel gritted his teeth and held out his free hand, concentrating on the words of the spell in his mind.

"Alev." Riastel moved his lips, but no sound came out. No fire sprang from his fingertips to scorch the gray slime. In his panic he’d forgotten that he was mute until he could get his bracelet back from those thieves and, with it, his dragon essence.

The slime moved slowly, it was not yet up past his knee, but he was helpless without his magic. And unarmed; he hadn’t thought to bring a weapon with him. He’d grown too used to having Sybil around with her martial prowess, and too reliant on his growing mastery of human magic. A mastery that was useless if he could not speak the words of the spell.

The doorway to the audience chamber was only a few yards away, yawning open; a black mouth waiting to eat him whole. His sister’s lair wasn’t much further beyond that, in the old treasure vault underneath.

Silently screaming with pain as he put his weight on his injured leg, Riastel hobbled toward the doorway, struggling to stay upright as the weight of the slime continually pulled him off-balance. The creature cried out when he stepped on it, but otherwise didn’t react except to continue its inextricable crawl up his leg.

He could only hope that Dexta would recognize him beneath this human shell and be able to save him before it was too late.

He’d gone less than half a dozen steps when there was a squelching pop from the ceiling. A massive weight landed on top of him, engulfing his head and shoulders. Another slime, unnoticed by him in the shadows of the high ceiling, had fallen right on his head.

Riastel flailed at his face, ripping and tearing at the gooey mass. At least the touch of this one didn’t burn like the gray one on his leg, but he struggled to breathe with the thick, slimy substance smothering him. Finally, his fingers dug a hole through to his mouth and nose. Riastel managed to get one gulping breath of air before the slime’s goo oozed back down.

His vision swam, dark spots appearing before his eyes. He fell to his knees on the tile, fingernails ripping at the creature, but he knew the effort was futile.

His sister, if she had even heard his cries, probably thought he was just another human thief, getting taken out by her door guards.

Sybil wasn’t going to be coming to save him, not this time. Not after how he’d betrayed her. This had been the unicorn’s game all along, he was sure of it. He was going to die here. Alone. Human.

His vision went black and he fell prone on the floor. How had it come to this? The last six months flashed through his mind. Everything had started to go wrong two weeks ago.

Chapter one

Too Attached

Two weeks earlier

Sybil added another log to the fire, sending a flurry of sparks up into the twilight. The smoke curled into the cloudless sky, briefly obscuring the first evening stars twinkling overhead. Sybil sighed and rubbed her arms as she sat back. The nights were already becoming colder. Autumn would be here before long.

Riastel—her lover, travel partner, and former dragon—came up behind her, although she didn’t glance back at him. If she had to look at him she didn’t think she could do what needed to be done. As she expected, he sat down on the dirt next to her. He wrapped one arm around her shoulders, pulled her to his side, and kissed the top of her head.

What did you need to talk with me about? Riastel asked.

Our relationship. Tears pricked her eyes. The smoke was getting to her. It’s over.

Riastel pulled away. She could feel him gazing at the side of her head, but she refused to look at him. Her eyes stayed locked on the dirt in front of her feet, watching the shadows cast by the fire dance about.

Explain. His voice was hard, but a note of pleading crept into the last syllable.

Sybil took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts, and blew it out again. We can’t be together anymore, as a couple.

Why not? Riastel growled low in his throat. The sound was so like a dragon’s that Sybil started, snapping her gaze up to look at him, to make sure he was still human.

His red hair glowed in the light of the fire. Combined with the pink tint from the setting sun, it looked as if his head were aflame. His eyebrows pulled together, and his lips pressed into a tight line. She would have said he was furious, except for the single tear slipping down his cheek. It sparkled as it fell.

You’re too attached to me. Sybil berated herself internally. What had she been thinking, sleeping with him in the first place? He had still been reeling from his change from dragon to human and he was emotionally vulnerable. It was no surprise he’d bonded with her, and she’d only made it worse by encouraging him.

She’d been lonely. Horny. There’d been no one since Jasper. She hadn’t let anyone get close; until Riastel. He’d been there, so real and vulnerable, and she’d had a moment of weakness. She’d been wrong to take advantage of him.

But that hadn’t even been her worst mistake.

I am not, Riastel huffed, crossing his arms to glare at her. Why would you say that?

Sybil straightened, curling her fists into balls and placing them on her knees. The fire crackled and popped as the flames hit a patch of sap. She stared resolutely at the rocks she’d placed around the firepit.

Right before you ate Jasper you called me your mate, remember?

Riastel stirred and made a little urr sound. Yes.

Sybil looked up, meeting his eyes for the first time. Did you mean it?

He met her gaze steadily. I did. I love you.

No. Her worst mistake had been forgetting about his dragon nature. Letting his temporary form lull her into a forgetting that underneath lay a dangerous killer. Dragons were killers, every last one. Jasper’s brutal death on Riastel’s teeth had been a painful reminder. A wake-up call.

She was a dragon slayer and Riastel was a dragon. It was time they both remembered that.

You’re a dragon and I’m a human. What happens when we succeed at our quest? What then? Sybil said, challenging his gaze.

Riastel flinched and dropped his eyes. I don’t know.

That response tells me that you do, Sybil said quietly. She reached over, took his hand, and squeezed it.

After a moment Riastel pulled his hand away and laid it over the gold, jeweled bracelet that had his dragon essence imprisoned inside. Can’t we keep going as is for now? he said plaintively. Fry that meal when we get to it?

It’s not healthy, Riastel. It’ll be easier, better, if we stop now.

Easier? Riastel mumbled, using his sleeve to wipe his eyes. This isn’t easy.

No, it’s not, Sybil said, her chest feeling as if it were being squeezed in two. But trust me, this is better. Once you’re back to your old self and have found a nice lady dragon to settle down with, you’ll forget all about me.

Once you’ve found a nice human man, you’ll forget all about me, too?

What? Of course not. The words came out before she’d had time to think, and she knew they had been a mistake when his face smoothed out and he smiled slyly.

Ah, I get it now. I haven’t been romantic enough. I can do better, win you back.

No! Sybil groaned. Life isn’t a romance novel. Love doesn’t always get a happy ending.

Maybe not, he conceded, but the smile remained.

I’ll find someone in Goldrun to escort you the rest of the way to the college—

Have you been in love before? Riastel asked.

This was not the way she’d expected this conversation to go. What? That doesn’t have anything to do with this—

Of course it does. Answer the question. He stared straight at her, his eyes boring into her soul.

No, I’ve never been in love, Sybil huffed, still off-balance from the sudden topic change.

So, you’re saying you aren’t in love with me, like I’m in love with you. Is that why you think my love for you is a problem? A smirk crept across his lips.

No, I’m— Sybil took a deep breath. Riastel, the reasons why don’t matter. We should take a break.

Riastel pursed his lips. Fine, we’ll take a break. But you made an oath to take me to Faymoor. Do you not intend to honor your promise?

Sybil shook her head. I don’t know the way. We’ll have to hire a guide in Goldrun, and with the bounty hunters after me it will be safer if we split up after that.

Riastel narrowed his eyes. Safer? Or more convenient for you to run away from your feelings?

I’m not running away. Sybil snarled, slashing at the air and pointing at him. And I told you, I’m not in love with you.

Fine, I won’t challenge you on that. But I say again, you promised to take me to Faymoor. We can hire a guide if we must, but, the smirk fell off his face, a glimmer of fear tinged his eyes, and his voice lowered to almost a whisper, please don’t make me go alone.

The naked fear in his voice and the vulnerability on his face stabbed at her heart and twisted her guts. Alright, Riastel. I’m not an oath breaker. I’ll come, as I promised.

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Riastel lay in his bedroll, fingers interlaced behind his head, staring up at the stars. On the opposite side of the fire, Sybil snored softly. At the edge of the clearing a horse, either Lunch or Phelone, nickered in its sleep.

His heart ached and he already missed the feel of Sybil curled against his side as they slept together.

He sighed, climbing out of the bedroll to stand up. There was no way he was going to get any sleep tonight. Not by a long shot.

He caught a glimpse of Sybil over the banked fire. She’d rolled onto her side, facing away from him, and pulled the blankets up over her face. All that was visible of her was a round mess of curly black hair. Without conscious thought he found himself taking a few steps in her direction before he caught himself.

You’re a dragon and I’m a human.

Her words echoed in his head. She didn’t want a dragon. She didn’t want him. The thought hurt so badly that he had to close his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again he turned his back on her and walked away.

As he went he stripped off clothing until he was naked, dropping his robe on of his bedroll. The air was cool against his skin. Once he was away from the fire, he lifted his arm and focused on his bracelet.

Just yesterday he’d been able to restore his dragon form, if only for a moment. He wasn’t sure how he’d done it, but if he’d done it once he could do it again. And the sooner he changed back, the sooner he could be away from Sybil and the hurt that stabbed him every time he looked at her.

Riastel centered himself, breathing in short, measured breaths as Shon, his half-elf magic teacher, had taught him. Only once he was relaxed did he reach out his mental awareness to the bracelet. His dragon self pulsed there, but although he could feel it throbbing in his mind, feel its warmth comforting him, he couldn’t reach it. Couldn’t touch it. It was as if an invisible barrier stood between him and it, just as it had been since he’d got the bracelet back.

He’d somehow done it in Harset: once again merged with his dragon, entirely himself again as he had not been since his change at the beginning of the spring. Yet he had no idea how he’d done it.

His mind lingered on the memory of the events leading up to his change. How angry he’d been at Jasper and how protective he’d felt toward Sybil. How he’d wanted nothing more than to save her.

Warm tingles ran along his wrist and out through his fingers. Scales followed the tingles and claws sprouted. Riastel watched