turned toward Issari and Tanin, a princess and her companion
from the north.
How must we look to them? Issari thought. She no longer wore
her fine cotton tunic hemmed with gold, and her old headdress of
lapis lazuli had been lost in the war. She wore the fur and leather
of the north now, and gone was the innocent softness of her old life;
she knew her cheeks were gaunter now, her eyes harder. At her side,
Tanin looked out of place, like a dragonfly among bees—a tall young
man, his brown hair mussed and dusty, his cloak made of rich fur, a
northerner that must seem like a barbarian to these southern
soldiers.
"Hear me!" Issari stepped forward and raised her amulet. "I
am Issari Seran. I have come to rededicate Eteer, to reclaim our
kingdom and banish the demons who infect it. My father, Raem Seran,
is a killer of kings; he slew his own father, the wise Nir-Ur. My
father, Raem Seran, lies with demons. He must fall! I claim dominion
of Eteer." The light blasted out from her amulet. "Follow
me, soldiers of Taal! March with me to the palace. We will banish
Angel from the throne, and I will be your queen. We will banish these
demons back into the Abyss."
She stood, panting, waiting for a reaction.
The soldiers only stared.
From the shadowy back of the room rose mirthless laughter. Issari
stiffened and her lip curled up. At her side, Tanin raised his
dagger. The shadows stirred and a soldier stepped forth, his smile
cruel and his eyes hard.
"General Gateris," Issari said, her voice cold.
He walked toward her, a hint of swagger to his step. A grin split his
face, revealing a wide space between his front teeth. Wrinkles
crinkled the corners of his eyes, and lines marred his forehead, but
he still stood tall and strong, and his hair was still jet-black. A
bronze breastplate covered his chest, and a khopesh—the traditional
sword of Eteer, shaped as a sickle—hung at his side. Issari had
always feared this man. Once, as a child, she had run into the
barracks while chasing a butterfly. Gateris had grabbed her, twisted
her arm, and sent her fleeing with a slap—but not before grabbing
the butterfly in his hand, crushing it, and wiping the mess against
her shirt. Since then she had cowered whenever she encountered him,
trying to ignore the lustful looks he gave her growing body.
But today I will not fear him. Today I will be his queen.
"General Gateris!" She stared at him, the amulet thrumming
on her palm. "Follow me with your troops to the palace. We have
a demon to tame."
His grin widened, cruel and taunting. The same malicious mirth filled
his eyes. "And so, the wayward pup returns home. Or should I say
. . . the wayward weredragon?" He drew his sword, pointed the
blade at her, and raised his voice to a shout. "I have seen this
wretch shift into a dragon! I watched her fly across the city. I will
have no reptile ruling over me." He spat at her feet. "Raem
Seran is my king. Raem Seran is—"
"A weredragon himself!" Issari said. She turned toward the
soldiers. "I've seen my father shift in the city cistern. He
himself carries this magic; all in our family do. My siblings, Laira
and Sena. My late mother, Queen Anai. And my father. Dragon magic is
not a curse; it's a blessing of starlight. This city is cursed—with a demon infestation, with a cruel king who aligned
himself with the Abyss. I've come to purify Eteer—with Lord Gateris
or without him."
The soldiers stood still, but she saw their eyes darting from one to
another. She saw the doubt in them. Tanin stepped up closer to her,
dagger raised, as if his small blade could do these armored swordsmen
any harm.
"March with me to the palace, soldiers of Eteer!" she said.
"Accept me as your queen, and we will—"
Laughing and shaking his head, Gateris swung his sword at her.
Issari hissed and leaped back. The sickle-shaped blade sliced the
air.
"You want control of this army?" Gateris said, grin wide.
"Fight me for it." He grabbed a sword from one of his
soldiers and
from the north.
How must we look to them? Issari thought. She no longer wore
her fine cotton tunic hemmed with gold, and her old headdress of
lapis lazuli had been lost in the war. She wore the fur and leather
of the north now, and gone was the innocent softness of her old life;
she knew her cheeks were gaunter now, her eyes harder. At her side,
Tanin looked out of place, like a dragonfly among bees—a tall young
man, his brown hair mussed and dusty, his cloak made of rich fur, a
northerner that must seem like a barbarian to these southern
soldiers.
"Hear me!" Issari stepped forward and raised her amulet. "I
am Issari Seran. I have come to rededicate Eteer, to reclaim our
kingdom and banish the demons who infect it. My father, Raem Seran,
is a killer of kings; he slew his own father, the wise Nir-Ur. My
father, Raem Seran, lies with demons. He must fall! I claim dominion
of Eteer." The light blasted out from her amulet. "Follow
me, soldiers of Taal! March with me to the palace. We will banish
Angel from the throne, and I will be your queen. We will banish these
demons back into the Abyss."
She stood, panting, waiting for a reaction.
The soldiers only stared.
From the shadowy back of the room rose mirthless laughter. Issari
stiffened and her lip curled up. At her side, Tanin raised his
dagger. The shadows stirred and a soldier stepped forth, his smile
cruel and his eyes hard.
"General Gateris," Issari said, her voice cold.
He walked toward her, a hint of swagger to his step. A grin split his
face, revealing a wide space between his front teeth. Wrinkles
crinkled the corners of his eyes, and lines marred his forehead, but
he still stood tall and strong, and his hair was still jet-black. A
bronze breastplate covered his chest, and a khopesh—the traditional
sword of Eteer, shaped as a sickle—hung at his side. Issari had
always feared this man. Once, as a child, she had run into the
barracks while chasing a butterfly. Gateris had grabbed her, twisted
her arm, and sent her fleeing with a slap—but not before grabbing
the butterfly in his hand, crushing it, and wiping the mess against
her shirt. Since then she had cowered whenever she encountered him,
trying to ignore the lustful looks he gave her growing body.
But today I will not fear him. Today I will be his queen.
"General Gateris!" She stared at him, the amulet thrumming
on her palm. "Follow me with your troops to the palace. We have
a demon to tame."
His grin widened, cruel and taunting. The same malicious mirth filled
his eyes. "And so, the wayward pup returns home. Or should I say
. . . the wayward weredragon?" He drew his sword, pointed the
blade at her, and raised his voice to a shout. "I have seen this
wretch shift into a dragon! I watched her fly across the city. I will
have no reptile ruling over me." He spat at her feet. "Raem
Seran is my king. Raem Seran is—"
"A weredragon himself!" Issari said. She turned toward the
soldiers. "I've seen my father shift in the city cistern. He
himself carries this magic; all in our family do. My siblings, Laira
and Sena. My late mother, Queen Anai. And my father. Dragon magic is
not a curse; it's a blessing of starlight. This city is cursed—with a demon infestation, with a cruel king who aligned
himself with the Abyss. I've come to purify Eteer—with Lord Gateris
or without him."
The soldiers stood still, but she saw their eyes darting from one to
another. She saw the doubt in them. Tanin stepped up closer to her,
dagger raised, as if his small blade could do these armored swordsmen
any harm.
"March with me to the palace, soldiers of Eteer!" she said.
"Accept me as your queen, and we will—"
Laughing and shaking his head, Gateris swung his sword at her.
Issari hissed and leaped back. The sickle-shaped blade sliced the
air.
"You want control of this army?" Gateris said, grin wide.
"Fight me for it." He grabbed a sword from one of his
soldiers and
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