Dragon Wizard by S. Andrew Swann Read Free Book Online

protects against dragon fire,” Krys said.
    â€œYes. It’s locked up in the armory but—”
    Krys nodded. “If we hunt down the dragon—Frank or not—having that makes sense.”
    â€œI can get into the armory,” Thea said, still giggling excitedly.
    Laya tilted her head at the young girl. “She’s good with locks.”
    â€œI’m sure,” Lucille said. “Just take someone who can carry the sword, it’s rather large.”
    â€œI can carry it.” Thea’s lower lip came perilously close to a pout.
    â€œI’ll go with her,” Laya said. “You said two more things.”
    â€œThe other thing we’ll need is the Tear of Nâtlac.”
    NO! By all that is holy, unholy, or ignored by the gods! BAD IDEA!
    I screamed at the top of my mental voice. No way should we be anywhere near that thing. Even if the spell that the elf-prince cast hadn’t been obviously of a piece with Nâtlac’s evilness, there was no predicting how that jewel would react to whatever had happened to Lucille, much less myself or whoever the dragon was now.
    Right then, I might have started thinking about who now currently inhabited the dragon’s skin, if I hadn’t been overwhelmed by the effort to make Lucille hear me.
    Listen! I’m here! Don’t touch that thing! Think of how badly things went last time!
    Of course, Lucille didn’t hear me. Worse, of the four girls, the only one who even looked as if she might realize how bad an idea it was happened to be Rabbit. She looked at Lucille with her head cocked like she couldn’t quite understand the crazy words coming from her mouth.
    I kept screaming in our skull to no effect as they solidified the plan to slip away from Lendowyn Castle.
    â€œThe horses will be the easy part,” Krys said. “The stable hands pasture them early in the morning when they clean the stables. If five of them are led off, it will be hours before they’re noticed missing.”
    â€œThey won’t be pastured with saddles on,” Lucille said.
    â€œNo,” Krys answered. “But we have the rest of the night to grab those, saddlebags, provisions, and stash them in the woods out by the royal pasture. With Rabbit, I think we’d be ready to meet you off the main northern road about an hour after dawn.”
    Lucille looked at Laya and Thea, “Is that enough time for you two?” The girls looked at each other and Thea nodded enthusiastically.
    â€œI think we can manage,” Laya said.
    â€œGood.” She looked at Krys. “We’ll meet up with you and Rabbit an hour after dawn.”
    â€œWe’ll have the horses ready.” She turned to go with the others.
    â€œKrys?” Lucille asked.
    â€œYour Highness?” She paused.
    Lucille looked at the girls by the doorway and said, “Give us a moment alone.”
    Laya and Thea looked at each other while Rabbit reached out and closed the door. Krys turned around uncertainly, a worried look on her face. “Is there a problem? Did I do something wrong?”
    â€œNo. Nothing like that. I just wanted to apologize for my father.”
    â€œReally? I did speak out of turn.”
    â€œNot that. I wanted to apologize about him calling you ‘young man.’ He’s older, and his vision isn’t . . . are you laughing?”
    Krys snorted and shook her head. “No, Your Highness.” She spoke through a very tight-lipped expression that tried not to be a smile.
    â€œYou
are
laughing.”
    Krys sucked in a breath and said, “You don’t have to apologize for him.”
    â€œAm I missing something?”
    You just haven’t spent much time with Krys.
    â€œYou do notice how I look?” Krys said.
    â€œA lot of girls look boyish.”
    â€œAnd dress? And cut my hair?”
    â€œWell . . . You’re
trying
to look like a boy?”
    Krys suppressed another