Dragonforge by James Maxey Read Free Book Online Page A

me. I need you beside me at the summit.”
    “Aren’t you up to the job?”
    Pet took a long, deep breath, then shook his head. “No,” he said. “We both know I’m a fraud. You’re right—I did nothing to win the battle of the Free City. Two prophets, Ragnar and Kamon, rallied their followers to fight for me; they did all the work. And, you’re right about Vendevorex. We would have been slaughtered if he hadn’t shown up. My sole contribution to the battle was to stand before the crowd and look heroic.”
    “Yeah,” she said. “You do look the part.”
    Pet grinned. He couldn’t believe she’d finally given him a compliment! He returned to his attempt at sincere confession. “We both know I’m the worst person imaginable to have at that table. I’ve spent my life trying to please sun-dragons. I’m worse than a slave. I’ve lived as a sun-dragon’s pet.”
    Jandra shook her head. “I’m no better,” she said. “I grew up feeling like the daughter of a dragon. I’ve never known any human family. I’m told my parents are dead, but does that mean I’m all alone? What if I have sisters, or a brother, or even grandparents still alive? The horrible thing is, I wouldn’t know what to say to them if they found me. Look at my wardrobe. I dress in gowns with fabrics that resemble the scales of dragons. I braid feathers into my hair to look like the neck fringes of sky-dragons.”
    “A very fetching look, may I say,” Pet said. “You grew up in a palace. You can’t be expected to dress in burlap sacks.”
    “I know. But it’s my dreams that frighten me. In my dreams, I’m a dragon. I dream constantly of flying.”
    “Ah,” said Pet. He was bonding with Jandra at last, and he did know something about her particular condition. He reached out and took her hand, cupping it gently with his. “Dreams of flying are usually dreamt by women who are still virgins. They’re a symptom of sexual frustration. Perhaps—”
    “Perhaps if you leave right now I won’t slap you,” she said, jerking her hand away.
    From the look in her eyes, he could tell she meant it. He stood up, stretching his back. “You can’t blame me for trying.”
    “Just leave,” she said, looking down once more at the skull cap. “I was actually starting to feel a little sympathy for you. I should have known it was only another seduction ploy.”
    Pet turned and walked across the vast and empty room. Flattery hadn’t worked on Jandra, lies hadn’t gotten him anywhere, and now the truth had failed. For a brief instant, a new and strange thought flickered across his mind: perhaps, if he wished to have her by his side, he should be prepared to accept her as a friend. Instead of constant attempts at seduction, he should simply value her for her fine qualities and welcome her into his life as an equal, or even a superior, rather than as just another conquest. He truly did want her to stand beside him at the upcoming summit. He honestly admired her courage and her convictions. He glanced back across the lonely room. She was standing now, studying herself in a full-length mirror. She was beautiful, slender and virginal, and once more had that vulnerable lost look upon her face. He wanted to say something, but couldn’t find the words. When he saw her again, he would work on winning her as a friend. Perhaps then she’d be easier to seduce.

    As the door to the star-shaped chamber closed, Jandra looked back over her shoulder. She almost felt like chasing after Pet. He wasn’t the best of company, but being alone in this room was painful.
    For as long as she could remember, this tower had been her home. Once, its walls had been lined with thick, leather-bound tomes and countless parchment scrolls. The interior had been a forest of tables covered with vials and beakers and magnifying lenses of the finest quality.
    “The world thinks of what we do as magic,” Vendeovorex had told her. “Their ignorance is an important source of our