The Dragondain by Richard Due Read Free Book Online Page A

him.”
    Jasper glanced to where the little girl was looking, but there were no windows—just a solid stone wall. And yet her little head continued to move as though tracking some swiftly moving object just out of sight beyond the wall of the house.
    “They’re at the door,” she whispered. A second later, Jasper heard the sound of a door opening.
    “How are you doing that?” asked Jasper.
    Meeri, the girl in the center, opened her eyes and pursed her lips, a look on her face as though she had been foiled.
    “Quickly,” she said, and in the blink of an eye their adult countenances faded. In a single catlike bound, they leapt backward and fell into the bed.
    The boy, Teague, burst into the room. Close on his heels followed a teenage girl, not much older than Jasper himself. Last came a woman who looked old enough to be their mother, though she bore them no resemblance. Teague stopped dead at the edge of the rug.
    “Get out of my way, Teague,” said the girl, and she checked him like a hockey player going after a puck just outside of the other team’s goal. As the two scuffled, the woman stepped forward. She was wearing a plain gray work dress, patched neatly. Her dark hair was loosely gathered behind her head, kept in place by a faded woven band. On getting her first good look at Jasper, her face fell, as though he wasn’t quite what she’d been expecting.
    “Oh!” she exclaimed. But she recovered quickly, standing straight and knotting her fingers before her waist. “Well, then, are you all right?” She bent down, extending a hand. “Can you stand?”
    Jasper gathered his legs under himself and slowly rose, tucking the moon coin inside his vest.
    “I’m Cora,” she said, an amused grin beginning at the corners of her mouth. “This is Darce.” She motioned to the frowning girl staring at him with her arms crossed. “And I understand you’ve already met her brother, Teague?”
    Jasper nodded.
    “Ah, and those three little ones pretending to be asleep on the bed—those would be mine.”
    The children on the bed giggled.
    “I’m Jasper, Lily’s brother.”
    Cora smiled warmly. “Nice to meet you, Jasper.”
    After a long moment, Darce said, “Okay, so he’s here. Now can I go?”
    Cora narrowed her eyes at Darce. “All right, you can go, but take him with you.”
    “What?” said Darce, her eyes flashing.
    “You’ll be going to see your father, I suppose?” said Cora, in a way that said she knew full well Darce’s plans.
    “Yes, but—”
    “No buts!” And Cora held up her hands. “You can take him with you, or you can come back outside and help finish hanging the laundry.”
    Darce deflated. “Oh, all right.” She took a few steps toward the door, then turned on her heel and glared at Jasper. “Are you just going to stand there with that stupid look on your face?”
    Jasper hastened to follow, but at the doorway Darce stopped and turned so fast that he bumped into her, which was a bit like bumping into a tree. Darce took a half step backward, and for a second Jasper thought she might take a swing at him; when she reached up, he flinched, to her amusement.
    “Don’t worry,” she said, adjusting his collar, “I wasn’t going to hit you.”
    They were so close now that Jasper could smell her hair.
    Darce made a quick, military inspection of him. Then her eyes settled on his. “Don’t let anyone see that necklace. Father’s orders. Do you understand?”
    “Yes.”
    “No one,” she hissed. Her eyes flashed fiercely, adding a terrible weight to her command.
    “Got it,” he said, fighting down the urge to salute.
    Once outside, Jasper had to run to keep up with her. The streets were narrow, empty, and cold, except in the few places where the sunlight lent its bright warmth. The houses were packed on top of themselves and overhung their foundations, leaning into the streets. Jasper never once saw Darce look back to see if he was following.
    Chasing the girl into a courtyard,