Chapter Four

Nightshade hated sitting in the back of the wagon. She always did. She hated the way that the cobbled roads threw everyone in the back around. Of course it was typical that Morana and the seemingly selfish Delano would get front seats. This was why she preferred to walk or to ride. Or to fly. Her thoughts drifted to the Dragon Clan, wondering whether she would ever have the chance to fly upon the great dragons that trailed the Half-Breeds’ skies. She doubted that she would for more reasons than one. If her father caught word that his long lost daughter was planning on visiting he would lock up every egg in sight of his whole kingdom. Nightshade sighed heavily at the thought. Her father would never let her own a dragon of her own after she had been brought up by Pure-Breeds...

How wonderful it would be to touch its dark, cold scales! To help it learn to fly. To teach it to breathe fire over all the lands. To help them to be free from the magic that the Dragon Half-Breeds hold them prisoner with. Phillip had never let her go near Half-Breed territory with a fear that she would be torched the second she stepped a foot on their grounds and when Nightshade desperately pointed out that nobody would recognise her, he had dismissed it with a wave of his hand.

‘What are you thinking about?’ Asked a gentle voice. She snapped herself out of her thoughts to stare up at Lila. She sat up a little straighter, wondering whether it was a trick question.

‘Why don’t you tell me? You’re the mind reader.’

Lila gave her a patient smile, pushing her black curls out of her face.

‘I can only work on lower powered-beings. Your mind’s barriers are much harder to breaks.’ Lila glanced over at Allard with a tainted smile. ‘Allard, fancy breaking someone’s mind today?’

The man glared at her then looked away from the women as Lila gave a wicked smile. Nightshade watched as Lila looked ready to continue her explanation but she was quite relieved when it was obvious that the girl wasn’t going to say anymore. She didn’t like the mind reader but she didn’t know why. Perhaps it was the offhanded way that Lila threw herself at all the men they’d passed from Morana’s tower to where they are now. No man was safe. Lila wasn’t exactly pretty earlier... she was quite frightening looking really with her large steel-silver eyes. Her curls were greasy with neglect, her features were small and sharp and yet... every man had seemed to have bowed down to her since the moment they left. Nightshade instantly wondered whether it was Lila’s mind control or simple charm but it definitely wasn’t her looks. Though she was skinny and maybe men liked skinny women.

Nightshade was disrupted from her character assassination as the wagon abruptly stopped, sending the woman sprawling into Allard’s arms. The warrior looked ready to help her up until he remembered his instructions. Lila was the one who took one of her gloved hands to pull her to her feet, yelling to Delano.

‘What the hell have we stopped for, Delano?’

Nightshade snatched her hand back when she was standing again. Allard was the first to jump out of the wagon to see what was happened, followed by Lila. It was dark now, the clouds had gathered in all their glory swirling up into the dark heavens and it was raining.

Allard ran round to the front of the wagon. Delano was frozen in his seat, his dirty finger still clutched at the leather reins, panic washed over his features. Allard was about to demand an answer when Morana held up a hand to silence him. He glanced over his shoulder to see Lila’s fragile form right behind him with a sickly smile. Nightshade emerged from around the back of the wagon, her expression curious and questioning. Morana spoke quietly.

‘Lila, I need you to survey the area. Delano senses something.’

‘Half-Breeds?’ Lila asked, her face serious for a moment as she closed her silver eyes, briefly.

‘But we aren’t even close to the boundaries!’ Allard snapped, trying to maintain an air of sanity in the company but nobody was listening. Lila’s eyes flickered open again, glancing up at Morana.

‘Half-Breeds.’

‘What clan?’

Lila shook her head slowly, trying to concentrate harder.

‘I couldn’t tell. I think they sensed me and put their mind barriers up.’ Lila smiled at Allard who scowled back. Morana looked irritated till Nightshade spoke up, her voice loud with authority.

‘They’re Dragon Clansmen. Five of them. They aren’t very high rank so I think they are probably scouts rather then warriors. I also doubt they were following us.’ She send a smug smile toward Lila and Lila’s eyes darkened with anger.

‘Very impressive.’ The girl snarled bitterly. Allard clutched the girl’s arm sharply to prevent her from lashing out at Nightshade. She tried to pull away but he kept his grasp. Allard knew how much Lila hated being outdone, especially when her powers were concerned. Nightshade didn’t even flutter an eyelash as Morana demanded they should get back into the wagon and she turned, disappearing back behind the wagon.

‘So what do we do?’ Allard asked Morana without moving, slowly letting go of Lila’s arm so she could move away. She shot him a scowl then went back to the wagon.

‘We’ll take them out.’

‘But they might not be scouting us...’

‘We’ll take them out.’ Morana repeated sharply. ‘They could be a danger. We take them out. That is my final word, Allard.’

Allard bit his tongue and turned away to go back to the wagon.