Chapter 48

S carlet and Bella's ride to Hartsgrove was mostly uneventful. Bella had gotten to know the Hunter better over the past two days. In this form, she hadn't needed sleep, so she'd stared into the fire while Scarlet had slept. She'd finally left the castle, but what waited for her at the dragon's lair? She'd been so incredibly alone these past few months.

Her pocket jiggled, and she took out Gus and Jaq. She'd cleaned them as best she could in a stream, bending them back to mostly normal with the help of magic. They hopped around the firepit, chattering in that strange language.

Bella listened with half an ear, but then the fire flared with magic. The utensils hopped back to her, hiding behind her skirts as images flickered in the smoke.

She gasped, her hands covering her mouth. The stories from school told of messages from the gods in smoke, but she'd never met anyone who had experienced it. She gave a silent prayer of thanks to the gods for revealing this to her, then leaned forward to watch.

A giant brown dragon battled several smaller ones, circling a castle surrounded by trees. A woman ran out the front doors, her hands raised as a spear shot down the large dragon. The ground shook, but the image in the flames spun to the side of the building.

Another dragon, this one white and silver, snapped at a smaller one. The rider on its back jerked on the reins, and the smaller dragon screamed. The rider was thrown through a ground-floor window, crashing into the glass. The dragon roared and magic swirled as he shifted into a half-human version.

Bella's stomach twisted. He looked similar to her body now, the one the wizard had stolen. On two legs, he tucked his wings around his shoulders like a cape and stalked after the little man, stepping with his clawed feet over the broken glass. His head remained draconic and reminded her of Eirwyn's mate, Knox. Dragon scales covered him from the tip of his horns, of which there were several, to his toes.

He disappeared into the building, and the smoke image followed them.

It was a sitting room, standard of any noble household. A few chairs around a fireplace, a few couches, a writing desk tucked along a wall. Nothing drew her eye more than the dragon. His black gaze swung around the room.

A burst of light from the opposite side of the room hit the wall beside the dragon. He flinched out of the way and swung to face the man. She couldn't hear anything, but magic flew back and forth. The dragon jerked from a hit, then threw another ball of white. It splintered the chair, and the man behind it jumped toward the dragon.

The smoke swirled, and Bella leaned forward, gripping her skirts tightly. When it cleared, the dragon was bleeding with each step down a narrow stone staircase. He slammed into a door, and it swung open into darkness.

The dragon held up a glowing hand, the magic flickering. He shook his hand, then it glowed brighter.

Bella's spine straightened. Gastone had done that, when he'd pushed himself so far and depleted his internal magic reserves. Then he'd died. She held her hand to her mouth as the white dragon stumbled into a dark cave. Stalactites and stalagmites filled it, and he fell into one, crushing it to pieces.

The dragon straightened and kept walking, shifting into his full dragon form with a flare of magic. He reached the center of the room and fell on a pile of junk. His eyes slowly closed and smoke curled from his nostrils. His wings tucked around him, and his mouth moved. Magic swirled around him, the colors wrapping around him like a blanket.

The image faded once more, leaving her staring into the fire like nothing had happened. Normally, she would inspect the fire to see if she could identify the magic that had caused it, see if she could reverse engineer the spell or replicate it.

But her mind remained on the silver and white dragon. When he'd closed his eyes, her stomach had twisted. Her body had revolted, and she'd felt sick. It'd reminded her so much of how she'd felt when Gastone had died.

Who was he? And why had she needed to see this? Was it the work of the wizard? She bit her lip and smoothed her skirts nervously, obsessing over the details until the sky started to lighten.

Scarlet woke, and they broke camp shortly after. Her father's mate wasn't a morning person, but Bella was fine with that. Her mind replayed scenes from the dragon's fight until Scarlet drew them to a halt.

A gargoyle sat leaning against a tree, whittling a piece of wood with a knife. He looked up as they approached on the horses. Scarlet tipped her chin at him and leaned on the pommel.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. Her posture remained relaxed, so Bella assumed he was a friend and not foe.

The stone giant lumbered to his feet, putting the knife and carving away in a pocket. "Your Growler wouldn't rest until Knox promised to send me to help. I'm to escort you to safety."

Scarlet snorted, and the gargoyle raised a stone brow. "I know, I told Knox it was ridiculous. But your Growler can be as stubborn as you when pressed."

Scarlet laughed and nodded. Bella knew her father could be very obstinate. She'd argued with him a lot over the years. The man turned his stony gaze on her, and Bella lifted her chin, not looking away.

"You must be the queen. You might not recognize me like this, but I was in the room with Scarlet when the king died and you…" he trailed off, somehow growing paler than the gray stone he'd been before.

Scarlet shifted on the saddle and looked at Bella. "When you killed the Robin by wringing him like a wet towel in the sheets."

Bella flinched and looked away, stroking the horse's side. She couldn't feel it, and her hand could go through the coarse hide if she didn't concentrate. She pursed her lips and took a deep breath. "I—I'm sorry about that. I was very upset and not myself. Was he—a good man?"

The gargoyle nodded solemnly. "Yes, a bit zealous, but he was a good man."

Bella's shoulders slumped. "I'm sorry," she said softly. She'd said it so much over the past few months, first to the servants, then just in general to the universe, the gods, whoever would listen. Tears stung her eyes, and she wiped at them furiously as she glanced at the canopy overhead. "I assume you turned into a gargoyle because of the curse?"

She saw him nod out of the corner of her eye, and she sighed, her head bowing until her chin nearly touched her chest. "I'm sorry for that too."

The silence stretched a moment, then Scarlet said, "Well, enough of that. We still need to get to the castle and see how Wulfric's healed. Bella, this is Ashur. Ashur, Queen Bella."

The gargoyle bowed, but Bella jerked back in the saddle, her hand raising. "Oh no, please don't. I don't deserve that. I deserve to be thrown in the dungeon forever for what I've done."

Ashur shrugged. "I won't deny that."

Scarlet snorted. "As someone who's been thrown into the dungeon before, I will argue against that. She's a bit emotional, but she's a decent fighter when she can control her magic."

Bella's eyebrows shot up in surprise, her eyes widening at Scarlet's unexpected defense. She couldn't believe that the usually cold and distant Hunter had stuck up for her. Despite their rocky start, perhaps traveling together had helped to soften her up. Or perhaps it was because the Hunter was her father's companion.

"Thank you," Bella said quietly. "And for what it's worth, Gastone never should've throne you or any of the others into the dungeon. I didn't know about the arrests until after his death."

Scarlet waved a hand and nodded. "See? I told you she wasn't too bad. Like we haven't all made mistakes before? Besides, it'll be harder for her to find a cure from the dungeon, I imagine."

Bella wasn't sure who she was trying to convince, the gargoyle or herself. Either way, she hoped to avoid the dungeon and wasn't sure that her father would be able to keep her out of it.

Ashur shrugged again and turned toward the trees, his voice easily carrying. "So I've been told." He paused and looked over his shoulder, catching Bella unaware and trapping her in his gaze.

"For what it's worth, Will was determined to kill the king. We all weren't so sure that would solve the problem, but he was like a man possessed about it. I don't blame you for his death. We all knew that it was a suicide mission."

Then he led the way through the trees. Scarlet nudged Bella to follow him, and her mind wandered to the man she'd killed. She still saw his face, that whole room and the events there, every night when she tried to sleep. It was why she'd realized she didn't need to sleep at all in this form.

The saddle vibrated, making the horse prance and throw its head side to side. Blast, her memories and emotions were like a tidal wave in her gut. She tried to take deep, even breaths and control her magic. Perhaps if she thought of something else. In her mind's eye, she saw the silver dragon stumbling into the cave once more, and the saddlebags settled.

A screech drew her gaze, and she jerked on the horse. She had animated the saddle so she could actually stay on the thing, but she still almost fell off at that sound.

"What was that?" she asked, fear making .

Scarlet and Ashur said, "Eagles." They both glanced up, scanning the area.

Ashur's wings flared, his eyes not leaving the canopy above. "When we get within sight, I'll distract them while you make a run for it."

"What about you?" Bella asked. A large shadow fell on them, and Bella looked up. Her eyes widened at the size. When they'd said eagles, she wasn't thinking the size of a horse.

"I'm made of stone. Their claws can't hurt me, and I'm too heavy for them to lift."

The fierce cries of the giant eagles pierce through the air, a combination of screeches and roars that sound like thunder clashing with lightning. Scarlet swore and grabbed the reins in her hand, kicking her horse into a faster pace and dragging Bella's mount with her. Bella's heart leapt as she looked at her rose bumping in the saddle bag. A petal floated free and her heart dropped with it. Ashur might be made of stone, and she might be incorporeal, but the rose wasn't. Neither was Scarlet.

The trees began to thin and an eagle swooped down. The flapping of their massive wings created a deafening hurricane like whoosh. Bella ducked, her arms protecting the potted rose as Scarlet jerked on the reins. The horses whinnied in freight, tossing their heads as they careened sideways, just out of reach of the eagle's lethal claws. Ashur launched himself over them, tackling the eagle to the ground. Ice and snow billowed from the impact, and the ground shook, making Bella grip the pot tighter. She looked back as he punched it in the beak.

It fell limply, convulsing. Scarlet turned their horses, and Bella looked forward, squeezing the pot. They approached a wall of thorns and roses, and her heart pounded faster than the horses hooves. Her magic vibrated and broke free, latching onto the helrose hedge. It grew, thorns reaching higher into the sky to stab at the eagle above. Through her beating heart and terror of the rose being trampled underneath the hooves, she focused on the wall. The pot acted as a focus item, she gripped it so hard, and she actually maintained some semblance of control over her magic despite her terror. They raced along the edge of the wall, large shadows swooping until they turned sharply into a tunnel through the wall.

The sounds of battle faded as they slowed to a walk, and her magic faded. Bella's heart slowed as the horses calmed.

Ashur nodded and explained how the king and queen—Knox and Eirwyn—were working to solve the eagle problem. He talked quite a lot about it, the adrenaline from battle lowering his formerly stoic expression. Bella stopped listening as they exited the tunnel. Her jaw dropped, and she floated off the horse in surprise. It was the castle from the fire magic last night!

Anticipation hung in the air like a heavy fog that obscured the truth and hinted at secrets yet to be revealed. Her gaze swung to where the large brown dragon had fallen. A boulder sat in the middle of a tight circle of trees, barely visible through the grove's thickness. A tree grew out of the top of the boulder, barely a sapling.

Scarlet said, "The tree was the first magic I tried to reverse the curse."

Guilt made her wince as she replied, "The one in the center?"

Scarlet nodded. "It used to produce golden apples that had incredible magical powers. It grew in the middle of the ballroom for the past few hundred years, until it was destroyed."

Dread made her gulp, but still Bella asked, "How was it destroyed?"

Scarlet's hands tightened on the reins. "Gastone cast a spell to animate a dragon skeleton, which attacked Knox and Eirwyn. The tree was destroyed in the battle, but they've replanted it. The gardener said the roots have taken but with the winter, it's not produced any fruit. No fruit, no golden magical apples that might reverse the curse…"

Bella absorbed this new information, her mind already churning with possibilities and plans and hope. With all the resources available to her in this magical castle, perhaps she could finally correct the mistake that had tormented her for so long. The tree might be the key, if she could ferret out the secrets of this place.

She looked up, scanning the towering castle. It was easily taller than the Winter Palace in Demerel that she'd finally escaped from. Gray stone with white mortar and dotted with narrow stained-glass windows towered over them. The room where the dragon fought in her vision must be on the other side. Bella grabbed the pommel of the saddle, anchoring herself back to sit as Scarlet halted the horses at the wide front steps. A servant took their horses' reins, but didn't even give Bella a second glance.

Bella frowned, surprised to not have a comment about a ghost. Scarlet took the pot with her rose and walked to the front stairs, taking them two at a time. Bella followed, her stomach in knots. There were people in there. People who might help, but also people who might hate her for what she'd done.

Her feet dragged, and the door to the manor swung open. Bella stopped on the top step and sucked in a breath. A petite black-haired woman stepped into the light, her face practically glowing. Her signature blue and red dress was in a new style than what Bella was familiar with, but the fabric and cut fit her friend to perfection, highlighting her new curves. Bella's chest ached at the sight of her friend so healthy and happy.

Eirwyn's flushed face beamed at them. "You made it! I knew you would. Where's—oh."

Scarlet stepped through the door, and Bella met Eirwyn's gaze for the first time since that fateful day. Her eyes widened, but the pity in her face made Bella tip her chin up and curtsy.

"Oh Bella," Eirwyn breathed, reaching with arms out for a hug. Eirwyn's arms went through her, and she stepped back with a gasp, tears pooling in her eyes.

Bella's smile was sad as she shook her head and wiped her tears. "I can't," Bella said. "As you can see, I'm a ghost. I—I hope you've been well?"

She couldn't quite bring herself to ask all the million questions she wanted to ask. Eirwyn had stood by her side for ten years when she'd tried to run the tavern and shop. She'd helped sell the shop when the tavern's homemade brew became more profitable. Eirwyn had helped her prosecute several bad people who had frequented the tavern too, all without revealing that Bella had been the one who'd overheard all the confessions and illegal deals.

She'd been so alone for six months, but here was her dearest friend in the world, ready to pick up their friendship where they'd left off.

Eirwyn stepped back, her nose red as tears ran down her own cheeks. "I've been fine, better than you, it looks like. You're a ghost! Wulfric said, but I didn't believe—and he's back! Your father is alive! Bella—"

Bella laughed and wiped her cheek. "Perhaps we can chat like old times? If you'll welcome me. I'll understand if you don't want to." Bella tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. She wasn't sure how much Da had explained about what had happened.

"Of course you're welcome here. I'm so glad to see you. Come inside, please. Wait until you see the library. Oh you'll love it so much! But I'm going to wait until after we talk to show it to you. You'll be too distracted otherwise." Eirwyn waved a hand down the hall but turned to the right. Bella followed her with Scarlet behind them.

She stopped in the doorway of the drawing room and held her hand to her stomach. It twisted and lurched. She could almost see a hazy version of the dragon in the floor to ceiling window. She blinked, and the image dissipated. She glanced to the left of the room where the man had hidden behind a chair in her vision.

While the room had been rearranged and redecorated with more modern fabrics, several of the pieces still looked the same. This was where the dragon had died. Both of them. Nothing good could come from this place.

Except, she was already dead. And it was the only place she might be able to work on the curses.

"A library, you say?" Bella asked. New books meant new spellbooks to explore. Perhaps one of them would know how to reunite her body and spirit.

Eirwyn laughed, the sound light and airy and filling Bella with comfort. "A one track mind. Still the same as always at least. I'm glad some things never change."

Scarlet took the potted rose to the very window the silver dragon had stepped through. Scarlet placed it on a small table and strode back to the door. "I'll leave you two to talk. I need to check on Wulfric."

Bella sank onto a couch, wondering if the silver dragon's battle one from the past or something that would be in the future? Was it something she could help prevent? She shook her head and focused on her friend. "He's fine? Da?"

Eirwyn nodded. "Yes, once we sent Ashur to help, he's been resting and healing. Slept for almost a full twenty-four hours after the druid and the old medicine woman worked on him."

Bella jumped up. "They're both here? Maybe they can help break the spell. Or at least help me get my body back."

Eirwyn reached for her hand, but it went through air. "Relax, they're in the garden arguing. You do not want to get between them when they're like that. Sit and tell me everything that's happened in the past six months. I've missed you."

Bella sat back down, her chest tight with emotion at the warm welcome. She hadn't ruined her one friend or turned her against her. Thank the gods, there was still hope.