The Dragonprince's Heir by Aaron Pogue Read Free Book Online

me, as though he hadn't heard me speaking. "But now it belongs to your father. To the Dragonprince. And now it is called the Tower of Drakes instead. As I said, it is clever. After all, that is the foundation of his authority."
    Mother spoke again, "It is just a bit of foolishness, dreamed up by frightened refugees. It has no meaning."
    "Oh, Isabelle," the king said, absently chiding. "We have more to discuss than I ever imagined."
    "We do," I said, bobbing my head. I took half a step closer and lowered my voice, "You are not safe inside these walls."
    The king's eyes narrowed at that, hard as stone, and I nodded furiously. I opened my mouth to go on, to lay out Caleb's plans as best I'd guessed, but before I could say more the king rolled his eyes. He leaned away from me and shot a look at Caleb. "That is enough," he said. "You may take him, Master Drake."
    "No!" I shouted. Caleb caught my arm in a grip so hard it hurt, but I fought against him. I clutched at the king's shirt. "No, my lord, you must listen."
    "Enough!" he shouted. "Isabelle, have you no control in this house? Take him away, or I will have my own men do it!"
    Caleb snapped a quick kick at my left heel. It cost me my balance and startled me just enough that I released my grip on the king. I tried to turn on Caleb, to fight my way free, but he was waiting. He released my arm and planted that hand over my face, driving the heel of it against my mouth.
    I threw two quick punches at his short ribs, just as he'd taught me, but he didn't even grunt. He dropped his other arm across my chest, closed his fingers on my belt at the hip, and hoisted me bodily from the ground.
    I fought him. I tried to bite the hand clamped over my mouth. I tried to scream, to warn the king, but fighting Caleb was like fighting an elder oak. He did not give. Caleb carried me from the room like a toddler throwing a tantrum, and I was helpless to stop him.
    By the time we had left the hall, I was no longer fighting. I lay limp in his grip, breathing heavy. He started up the long stairs, and I tried to shake free of him, but he pressed me to stillness. I tried to shout, "Let me go!" but the words were still muffled by his hand. After a moment I sighed, and tried, "I'm sorry," instead.
    Neither worked. Caleb carried me up five floors as though I were no burden at all then kicked open the door to my room and dropped me on my bed with no special violence. He went to the window and slapped the pane with the palm of his hand, assuring himself it was closed. Then he closed the door and put his back against the wall to stare down at me.
    For a moment I sat there, glowering up at him, hating him as much as I ever had. He had chased me through the halls of my father's tower like some kind of criminal. He had driven me before the king in a wretched state. He had dragged me from the great hall in front of a thousand watching eyes.
    The reality of that sank in. The reality of all of it. I replayed the whole scene in my head—from my arrival dripping with pig's blood to my frantic scrabbling at the king's shirt front to my violent removal at Caleb's hand. I'd done it all before the king and his dignitaries, before our own people, and before my mother.
    With every realization I wilted. The glare I'd aimed at Caleb guttered and went out. I shrank back against the cool stone wall and hugged my knees to my chest. After a moment more I buried my face in my hands.
    Then, for the first time, Caleb spoke. Without a trace of emotion in his voice, and just loud enough that I could hear it across the quiet room, he asked, "Who told you about the windows?"
    "It doesn't matter," I said.
    "Who?" he asked again.
    "I figured it out," I said at last. "After I learned about the dumbwaiter. And the great gate. I pieced it together, and then I heard Mother use the phrase 'windspun glass.'"
    "Clever enough," he said. "And you stole the key to the room downstairs. You've been keeping it secret for six years now."
    I didn't