The Dragon Queen Selection Chapter 140

LIRA

'Lira.' Luna's voice was soft, confused. 'Who is this?' 

My brother, I thought back, barely able to form the words. That's my brother.

Callum stepped forward, his hands outstretched.

"Lira," he said. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I had to come. I had to warn you."

"Warn me about what?"

He glanced at the other masked figure, still standing in the shadows, still watching.

"The plan, the attack," Callum said. "About all of it."

The other figure reached up.

Pulled off his mask.

And I saw a face I didn't recognize.

Older. Hard. With eyes that had seen too much and a mouth that had forgotten how to smile.

"Lady Lirael Sutton," the man said. "Or should I call you by your false name? Lady Lira Vale?"

I said nothing.

The man smiled.

It didn't reach his eyes.

"My name is Captain Tensen," he said. "And I've been waiting a very long time to meet you."

"What?"

He inclined his head, a mockery of a bow. "Captain Tensen like I said. Intelligence division. I serve Norwyn directly."

"Norwyn?" 

"Yes, Norwyn." Captain Tensen's eyes swept over me, assessing. "You have our regards. Thanks to you, we were able to successfully infiltrate the palace." 

My blood ran cold.

"Infiltration."

"Come now, Lady Lirael. You didn't think those maps you sent and those directions wouldn't help?" He stepped closer, and I fought the urge to step back. "The secret passage. The one you told your brother about. The one beneath the eastern wall?"

My stomach dropped.

No.

No, no, no.

"We've been using it for weeks," Captain Tensen continued. "Moving supplies. Positioning agents. Your information has been invaluable."

I turned to Callum.

"You told them."

Callum's face was pale, but his jaw was set. "They needed to know. It was part of our agreement remember."

"What agreement?"

"The one that gets us out of here." He stepped toward me, reaching for my hands. "Lira, listen to me. Norwyn has promised us safe passage. A new life. A new home in Norwyn. Once the attack is complete, we can leave Aurelia and its ugly past behind forever."

"Attack?" My voice rose. "What attack?"

"The one we've been planning for two years now." Captain Tensen's voice was calm. Almost bored. "The one your brother has also been helping us coordinate."

I stared at Callum.

At my brother.

The boy who had held me when I cried. Who had worked himself to the bone to keep food on our table. Who had helped me forge letters and steal dresses and pretend to be someone I wasn't.

"Callum," I whispered. "What have you done?"

"What we always planned to do." His grip on my hands tightened. "Destroy the crown. Avenge Father. Burn it all down."

"That's not..." 

"It IS." His eyes blazed. "Don't you remember? This was your idea! It was your plan at first. You were the one feeding me information to sell in the first place remember? Remember your words? I will make them pay, you said. I will make them all pay."

"I remember."

"Then why do you look at me like I've betrayed you?"

Because you have.

Because I have.

Because somewhere between the forged letters and the silver dresses and the prince who looked at me like I was something precious, i had forgotten what I came here to do.

"The attack will happen soon," Captain Tensen said. "Your brother will give the signal. When he does, you will leave with us before the fight begins." 

I shook my head.

"No."

Callum's face tightened. "Lira..."

"No." I pulled my hands free. Stepped back. "The palace is on high alert. I sent a letter saying this. They know something is coming. The guards have been searching every corridor, every room. Taheer has been flying patrols day and night. If you attack now..." 

"We'll fail." Captain Tensen laughed, a short, sharp sound. "You're a novice, girl. You know nothing about war."

"I know that the element of surprise is gone. What if they have already found out that you're going to attack?" 

"The element of surprise is never gone. Not when you have the right information." He tapped his temple. "And we have very good information."

"From who?"

He didn't answer.

"From who?" I demanded.

"Someone else  inside the palace. Someone with access to the royal family." His smile was thin. "Someone who wants the crown to fall as badly as we do. You're not our only spy lady Lira." 

My mind raced.

Someone inside the palace.

Someone with access.

Calista.

The thought surfaced before I could stop it.

No. Not Calista. She wants to be queen. She wouldn't... 

But would she?

If she couldn't have the crown through marriage... would she burn it down instead?

"Lira." Callum's voice pulled me back. "We need to go. The captain is right. The attack will happen on the night of the ball. You need to be ready to leave before then."

"The ball is in a week."

"I know."

"Callum, listen to me."

I grabbed his arm and pulled him away from Captain Tensen, far enough that the man couldn't hear, close enough that I could still see his silhouette in the darkness.

"You have to find a way stop this."

"I can't."

"You CAN. Callum, please..." 

"Lira." His voice was sharp. "What happened to you? You used to want this. We used to want this. Revenge. Justice. Fire."

"People will die."

"People always die. It's war." 

"Innocent people."

Callum's jaw tightened. "There are no innocent people in that palace. They're all complicit. The King. The Queen. The princes. The courtiers and the greedy lords who took every property our father owned." 

"That's not true."

"It IS true." He grabbed my shoulders, his fingers digging in. "You're the one who said it. They let him die. They all let him die."

I closed my eyes.

I had said that.

I had meant it.

"I wrote you letters," I whispered. "I told you to stall. I told you it was too dangerous. Didn't you receive them?!" 

"I got them."

"Then why..." 

"Because we don't care about the danger." His voice cracked. "I only care about him. About Father. About the life we were supposed to have."

"Callum..." 

"Veyraxis." He said the name like a curse. "You mentioned a dragon. A dragon named Veyraxis."

I said nothing.

"Tell me about her."

"She's... she was trapped. Beneath the palace. The crown imprisoned her centuries ago."

"And now she's free?"

"She escaped. Yes."

Callum's eyes widened. "Then this is our chance. The chaos. The confusion. While they're hunting for the dragon, we strike."

"It's not that simple..." 

"It IS that simple, Lira." He released my shoulders and stepped back. "The attack will happen. On the night of the ball. Nothing you say will change that. Everything is already in order." 

I felt something break inside me.

"Please."

"No."

"Callum...." 

He held up a hand.

"There's something I need to ask you." His voice was quieter now. Dangerous. "And I need you to answer honestly."

I waited.

He stepped closer.

"Are you backing out?" His eyes searched my face. "Are you backing out because you've fallen in love with Prince Cassian?"