Морган Райс
Realm of Dragons
CHAPTER FORTY ONE
Nerra was held up only by the tree against which Bern was pinning her, holding her in place with one hand while the other was raised to strike.
“Where is the dragon?” he demanded.
Nerra shook her head. She wouldn’t say, she mustn’t say.
He struck her, and Nerra’s ears rang, as it left her tasting blood.
“Won’t be able to ransom her back if she’s hurt too much,” one of the others said.
“Think this is about ransom?” Bern shot back. “Try to do that with a princess, there’s a rope waiting for your neck, or worse. We kill this one and lose the body when we’re done, that’s what we do. The dragon is the important thing.”
All the more reason for Nerra to say nothing. They were going to kill her anyway, so it was better to hold on, to say nothing, and hope…
Hope what? That her father’s men would rush in to save her? Given her sentence, her illness, they would probably kill her just as quickly even if they found her. She could hope that the growing weakness in her limbs claimed her before she could talk, but that was all she could hope.
Nerra could feel herself transforming, feel herself dying. Her body wasn’t strong enough for this.
She found herself thinking of her siblings: Rodry, who was so quick to act, and Vars, who only acted when it was to his advantage. Greave, who had tried to help her, and Lenore, who would never really understand what it was like to be the younger sister of someone so perfect. Nerra half wished that Erin were here with that little spear of hers, ready to take on the world…
None of them were there though, and she was dying.
Her thoughts turned to the dragon, back in its cave. It was so tiny, so young. Would it be able to leave the cave? Nerra had done a good job of stopping the entrance, so if she died… when she died, it would be trapped, starving in the dark. That thought made her cling to life.
She stared up past Bern’s shoulder, and that meant that she was the first to see the shadow flying above the forest’s canopy.
At first, Nerra assumed she must be dreaming, because it was impossible.
But then the creature banked, and dove, and landed.
Men cried out as the dragon rose up over them, a baby still, yet flashing fierce yellow eyes.
The men of Bern’s gang clustered together, some looking to their leader, others looking as though they might simply run.
That great, reptilian mouth opened wide, and then fire poured from it, white hot and sudden, flashing over the men without mercy, without hesitation. They screamed, but the heat was so great that it claimed even their screams. In just seconds, there was nothing left but ash.
Bern grabbed Nerra, dragging her in front of him so that he was between her and the dragon.
“It will kill you before it gets near me,” he said, and Nerra could hear the fear in his voice then.
“You should be afraid,” she whispered. She looked up at the dragon, knowing it was the same one she had found, even though it seemed impossible that it should have already grown so much.
You’re beautiful, she thought.
The dragon leaned forward, tongue flicking out to taste the air. That tongue scraped across Nerra’s skin like a rasp, and she wondered if it could taste her fear, her wonder. Then the dragon’s mouth opened and flame darted, focused and precise and hot, past her head. Nerra heard Bern scream, and his grip loosened as he tumbled back from her.
Nerra fell forward, collapsing to the ground. She didn’t have the strength to rise. She could only look up at the dragon above her, thinking how beautiful it was. The dragon stood there, and in spite of its size, it mewled like the baby it had been such a short time ago, nudging her with its snout as if trying to get her to rise.
“I… can’t,” Nerra managed. “I’m dying.”
The dragon paused, and Nerra wondered if it understood any of her meaning. It didn’t matter, because Nerra could feel the world fading around her.
She fell, eyes closing.
And then she felt it.
Huge, cold claws wrapped themselves around her.
She felt herself being lifted, back arched, higher and higher.
A flap of wings, a rush of cold air.
She was flying.
Nerra managed to open her eyes, and she looked down to see the world rushing by beneath her. They flew just over the treetops, laced with fog, and it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. For a moment, just a brief moment, she had a flicker of hope.
And then her world was darkness.
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THRONE OF DRAGONS
(Age of the Sorcerers—Book Two)
“Has all the ingredients for an instant success: plots, counterplots, mystery, valiant knights, and blossoming relationships replete with broken hearts, deception and betrayal. It will keep you entertained for hours, and will satisfy all ages. Recommended for the permanent library of all fantasy readers.”
--Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re The Sorcerer’s Ring)
“The beginnings of something remarkable are there.”
--San Francisco Book Review (re A Quest of Heroes)
From #1 bestseller Morgan Rice, author of A Quest of Heroes (over 1,300 five star reviews) comes the debut of a startlingly new fantasy series.
THRONE OF DRAGONS (Age of the Sorcerers—Book Two) tells the story of the epic coming of age of one very special 16 year old boy, a blacksmith’s son from a poor family who is offered no chance of proving his fighting skills and breaking into the ranks of the nobles. Yet he holds a power he cannot deny, and a fate he must follow.
It tells the story of a 17 year old princess on the eve of her wedding, destined for greatness—and of her younger sister, rejected by her family and dying of plague.
It tells the tale of their three brothers, three princes who could not be more different from each other—all of them vying for power.
It tells the story of a kingdom on the verge of change, of invasion, the story of the dying dragon race, falling daily from the sky.
It tells the tale of two rival kingdoms, of the rapids dividing them, of a landscape dotted with dormant volcanoes, and of a capital accessible only with the tides. It is a story of love, passion, of hate and sibling rivalry; of rogues and hidden treasure; of monks and secret warriors; of honor and glory, and of betrayal and deception.
It is the story of Dragonfell, a story of honor and valor, of sorcerers, magic, fate and destiny. It is a tale you will not put down until the early hours, one that will transport you to another world and have you fall in in love with characters you will never forget. It appeals to all ages and genders.
Book three (BORN OF DRAGONS) is now available for pre-order.
“A spirited fantasy ….Only the beginning of what promises to be an epic young adult series.”
--Midwest Book Review (re A Quest of Heroes)
“Action-packed …. Rice's writing is solid and the premise intriguing.”
--Publishers Weekly (re A Quest of Heroes)
THRONE OF DRAGONS
(Age of the Sorcerers—Book Two)
Did you know that I've written multiple series? If you haven't read all my series, click the image below to download a series starter!
Books by Morgan Rice
AGE OF THE SORCERERS
REALM OF DRAGONS (Book #1)
THRONE OF DRAGONS (Book #2)
BORN OF DRAGONS (Book #3)
OLIVER BLUE AND THE SCHOOL FOR SEERS
THE MAGIC FACTORY (Book #1)
THE ORB OF KANDRA (Book #2)
THE OBSIDIANS (Book #3)
THE SCEPTOR OF FIRE (Book #4)
THE INVASION CHRONICLES
TRANSMISSION (Book #1)
ARRIVAL (Book #2)
ASCENT (Book #3)
RETURN (Book #4)
THE WAY OF STEEL
ONLY THE WORTHY (Book #1)
ONLY THE VALIANT (Book #2)
ONLY THE DESTINED (Book #3)
ONLY THE BOLD (Book #4)
A THRONE FOR SISTERS
A THRONE FOR SISTERS (Book #1)
A COURT FOR THIEVES (Book #2)
A SONG FOR ORPHANS (Book #3)
A DIRGE FOR PRINCES (Book #4)
A JEWEL FOR ROYALS (BOOK #5)
A KISS FOR QUEENS (BOOK #6)
A CROWN FOR ASSASSINS (Book #7)
A CLASP FOR HEIRS (Book #8)
OF CROWNS AND GLORY
SLAVE, WARRIOR, QUEEN (Book #1)
ROGUE, PRISONER, PRINCESS (Book #2)
KNIGHT, HEIR, PRINCE (Book #3)
REBEL, PAWN, KING (Book #4)
SOLDIER, BROTHER, SORCERER (Book #5)
HERO, TRAITOR, DAUGHTER (Book #6)
RULER, RIVAL, EXILE (Book #7)
VICTOR, VANQUISHED, SON (Book #8)
KINGS AND SORCERERS
RISE OF THE DRAGONS (Book #1)
RISE OF THE VALIANT (Book #2)
THE WEIGHT OF HONOR (Book #3)
A FORGE OF VALOR (Book #4)
A REALM OF SHADOWS (Book #5)
NIGHT OF THE BOLD (Book #6)
THE SORCERER’S RING
A QUEST OF HEROES (Book #1)
A MARCH OF KINGS (Book #2)
A FATE OF DRAGONS (Book #3)
A CRY OF HONOR (Book #4)
A VOW OF GLORY (Book #5)
A CHARGE OF VALOR (Book #6)
A RITE OF SWORDS (Book #7)
A GRANT OF ARMS (Book #8)
A SKY OF SPELLS (Book #9)
A SEA OF SHIELDS (Book #10)
A REIGN OF STEEL (Book #11)
A LAND OF FIRE (Book #12)
A RULE OF QUEENS (Book #13)
AN OATH OF BROTHERS (Book #14)
A DREAM OF MORTALS (Book #15)
A JOUST OF KNIGHTS (Book #16)
THE GIFT OF BATTLE (Book #17)
THE SURVIVAL TRILOGY
ARENA ONE: SLAVERSUNNERS (Book #1)
ARENA TWO (Book #2)
ARENA THREE (Book #3)
VAMPIRE, FALLEN
BEFORE DAWN (Book #1)
THE VAMPIRE JOURNALS
TURNED (Book #1)
LOVED (Book #2)
BETRAYED (Book #3)
DESTINED (Book #4)
DESIRED (Book #5)
BETROTHED (Book #6)
VOWED (Book #7)
FOUND (Book #8)
RESURRECTED (Book #9)
CRAVED (Book #10)
FATED (Book #11)
OBSESSED (Book #12)
About Morgan Rice
Morgan Rice is the #1 bestselling and USA Today bestselling author of the epic fantasy series THE SORCERER’S RING, comprising seventeen books; of the #1 bestselling series THE VAMPIRE JOURNALS, comprising twelve books; of the #1 bestselling series THE SURVIVAL TRILOGY, a post-apocalyptic thriller comprising three books; of the epic fantasy series KINGS AND SORCERERS, comprising six books; of the epic fantasy series OF CROWNS AND GLORY, comprising eight books; of the epic fantasy series A THRONE FOR SISTERS, comprising eight books; of the new science fiction series THE INVASION CHRONICLES, comprising four books; of the new fantasy series OLIVER BLUE AND THE SCHOOL FOR SEERS, comprising four books; and of the fantasy series THE WAY OF STEEL, comprising four books (and counting). Morgan’s books are available in audio and print editions, and translations are available in over 25 languages.
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