Invasion and Dragons Page 10

  Landon shot him a heated look. “Why do you have to watch me?”

  Takeshi hissed into his cup. “I ask myself that same question. I am a Samurai Master, and yet I am forced to tend children like a nanny. But if it will help Darrin keep a handle on you, then I will endure it.”

  Landon was about to tell Takeshi what he thought of him, when a polite knock sounded at the door. Landon stood to answer it, but Takeshi beat him to the door in two swift strides. He threw it open.

  It was Juan. He and another man stood in the hallway. Juan’s companion flinched, his dark skin growing a shade darker from embarrassment. Both were dressed not in the traditional blue tunic of samurai trainees but a rich red doublet with baggy sleeves and baggy black trousers tucked into knee-high boots. They wore black berets on their heads, and both had a saber buckled at their waists. They stood with their hands clasped behind their backs.

  Landon stared at them, recognizing the Caborcan uniform. It was strange to see Juan wearing the outfit. He looked ready to escort a king.

  “I see you have decided to abandon your training, Valdez,” Takeshi said, eyeing the uniform. “A shame. You were a few months away from becoming a Master.”

  Juan raised an eyebrow, as if Takeshi’s statement was childish. “I would remind you, Master Takeshi, that in times of war or the threat thereof, a trainee reserves the right to return to his own country any time.”

  “I am aware of that. What do you want?”

  “King Guiterrez requests an audience with Lord Landon Dayn.” Juan’s voice faltered, and his gray eyes flicked towards Landon. Landon, however, was too focused on the meaning of Juan’s words to notice the title his friend had used. “We have come to escort him to my lord’s rooms. He will be gone for an hour at the most.”

  “What does he want with him?” Takeshi asked, his eyes boring into Juan.

  “He did not specify and I did not pry.” Juan’s voice was flat and impassive. Juan spoke about Landon like he was a wagon to be borrowed. It would’ve bothered Landon if he wasn’t so glad to see a friendly face. He eyed Juan’s companion, hiding his excitement behind an annoyed scowl. Whether Juan’s story was true or not, it was better than sitting with Takeshi all day. He just needed to help convince Takeshi.

  Takeshi’s eyes bored into Juan. “Seems strange to me that King Guiterrez would want to see the boy so soon after the council. I was under the impression he was satisfied with the treaty.”

  Landon sensed Juan could use a little help. “I’m not going,” he said, annoyed. “I’ve had enough of kings to last me a lifetime.” He situated himself further into the sofa to emphasize his point.

  Takeshi shot Landon a scathing glare over his shoulder. “Be silent. I have had enough of your whining.” He looked back to Juan. “What does your king want of the boy?”

  “As I said before, sir, I do not know. If you wish to address the matter with my king, you may come with us and ask him yourself.” Juan smiled, calm and patient.

  Landon saw Takeshi hesitate, and felt a small bubble of hope. Takeshi didn’t trust Juan and would have no problem seeing Juan’s story through, but he was assigned to guard the suite. Morgan could return and hide while Takeshi was away, and the samurai knew it.

  “Who are you?” Takeshi demanded, looking pointedly at the other Caborcan.

  “My cousin,” Juan answered. The other Caborcan soldier gave a short but polite nod of his head. Takeshi’s eyes narrowed, but Juan continued. “If you please, Master Takeshi, King Guiterrez is waiting.”

  Takeshi stared at him, thinking and weighing Juan’s words. Although Juan stood at attention, he was relaxed. His cousin looked bored, an expression that reminded Landon of Ramirez. Landon stayed seated, grumbling complaints under his breath as he picked at the upholstery.

  “Very well,” Takeshi said. “I expect him in an hour. Inform your king that I wish to be notified if he detains the boy for more than that. I will investigate if I hear nothing, do you understand? I know you two are friends.” He turned to Landon. “Come. Your presence has been requested.”

  “I’d rather not,” said Landon. Juan’s mouth flickered in the barest semblance of a smile.

  “Now, Dayn.”

  “He can stick his head in a chamber pot.”

  “Landon,” Takeshi growled and moved towards him, a hand outstretched.

  Landon jumped to his feet and shied from the samurai. “All right, all right! I’ll go.” Grudgingly, he went to the door.

  “Send your king my apologies for Landon’s attire,” Takeshi said, beginning to close the door. He smirked, eyeing Landon’s bare feet and worn shirt and trousers. “He is hoping his wardrobe will spark sympathy for Nircana.”

  “Go to—” Landon started, but the door shut. He heard Takeshi chortle behind the door, and he turned on Juan. “Please tell me you’re not really taking me to Guiterrez.”

  “Of course not,” Juan hissed. He took Landon’s elbow and guided him down the hallway. “But act as if I am. I’ll explain everything once we’re in a safe place.” He and his cousin walked on either side of Landon, hands on hilts.

  “Resistance is futile,” said Juan’s cousin, his voice all too familiar. He grinned from ear to ear, and Landon grinned in turn.

  “Howsy, Morgan,” he whispered. “I almost didn’t recognize you for a second. What’s on your face?”

  “Soot. Courtesy of Mr. Valdez’s fireplace,” Morgan answered in a low voice. “I couldn’t have that samurai frog recognizing my good looks now could I? Right through here, Lord Dayn,” Morgan said, deepening his voice so he sounded like Eli. “The king must not be kept waiting.”

  “Right ho, Lord Giles.”

  Morgan frowned at Landon and opened a section of the wall. It slid aside to expose a set of stairs leading to the floors above. Landon recognized it as a servant’s passageway. He had wanted to explore these since Morgan and Myra had told him about them but couldn’t due to his façade of being ill.

  Morgan entered it first, followed by Landon, then Juan, who slid the door closed after him. They started up the curving staircase, passing doors set into the walls at the landings. Morgan led the way, having a better understanding of the route.

  “Have you been hiding in here while Darrin and his minions look for you?” Landon asked after a few minutes of walking.

  “Yep!” Morgan replied. He looked over his shoulder at Landon, his eyes glittering mischievously. “Darrin’s goons searched the passageways too but don’t know them as well. It was a piece of pie dodging them, as well as the hired help.”

  “That was how Morgan ended up in my room,” Juan said. He spoke in a low voice but it still echoed in the passageway. “It gave me a fright when he ran out of my washroom and hid in my wardrobe.”

  “Lucky for me,” Morgan continued, “Darrin’s goons didn’t search occupied rooms. Sairen just asked Juan if he had seen me, and Juan, being the fantastic Caborcan that he is, said he had no idea.” He winked at Juan. “Thanks again for that, mate.”

  “No worries, Nircanian.”

  Landon bit back a laugh. “Shouldn’t there be, uh, servants, about?” He too kept his voice soft as he looked around the passageway. It was well-kept and quiet. He heard doors sliding open and closed in the distance, but none opened onto their passage.

  “It’s their lunch hour,” Juan answered. “Which was the perfect opportunity to get you away without being noticed.”

  They reached a landing, and Morgan opened the hidden door onto the second floor. They stepped out onto the soft carpet and padded around a corner, into Juan’s room. Juan glanced around the corridor before shutting the door. All three let out a shattering breath of relief, and Landon sank into a chair. He didn’t realize he had been nervous until now.

  Morgan took off his beret and tossed it onto the table. He too plopped into a vacant chair and ran his hands through his dark hair. A bit of the soot on his face got dislodged, smearing away to reveal the scratches from the rosebush. “So now we wait,”
he said.

  Landon looked to Juan, and Juan shrugged. “What are we waiting for?” he asked.

  “Ryoshin,” Morgan replied simply.

  “And why are we waiting for Ryoshin?” Landon pressed. He hadn’t seen the faithful Tsuregan servant since yesterday morning. Ryoshin had served his parents when they were living in Tsuregi before the Drakshus had captured them. Years later, Darrin had assigned him to be Landon’s servant when he first came to Tsuregi last summer.

  Morgan gave Landon a sly grin. “Ryoshin is going to help you get out of Tsuregi. With this.” He reached inside his shirt and withdrew a heavy envelope.

  Juan tensed. “Morgan,” he said slowly, “what is that?”

  Landon eyed the envelope as well, an inkling of suspicion trickling down his spine. “You didn’t. Is that the treaty?”

  “Swiped it from the king’s desk myself,” Morgan said proudly. “For all the hullabaloo over this thing, I was surprised at how easy it was to find. Katsunaka left it sitting out in the open.”

  “When did you end up in the king’s study?” Juan demanded, his voice tight. His dark face was pale, and he looked like he would be sick.

  “When I was running around. Pure luck, really. Katsunaka was in the next room, talking to Darrin about yours truly,” he gave a dramatic bow, “so I yoinked it and ran.” His goofy smile slipped. “Granted, who knows how long we have before he notices it’s gone.”

  Juan stared incredulously at him. “You broke into the king’s private study and stole a treaty? Morgan, you could be hanged for that!”

  Landon turned to Juan. “Katsunaka can’t do that. Morgan’s a guest.”

  Juan gaped at him, his gray eyes wide. “Landon, all of you are no longer guests. Depending on that,” he pointed to the heavy envelope, “Dre’Goran may have claimed your guardians, Morgan, and Myra as his prisoners. He has every right to hang Morgan, and none of the kings can stop him. Goddesses, they may even help him!”

  “What else are we supposed to do?” Morgan retaliated. “Just sit here until someone goes too far and kills a dragon? The Dagnorians hate us, Juan. They hate every Westerner. Even though they’re sitting in Nircana to make sure the kings play fair, I bet those men and dragons are itching to raze our home to the ground,” he gestured between himself and Landon.

  “They wouldn’t do that, Morgan, not with everything on the line with the Wizard’s Seal and treaty,” Juan said, though he didn’t sound so sure.

  “That’s what I thought too,” said Morgan, turning the envelope over in his hands, “until I remembered they made a bargain with the Drakshus and allowed them to bring Landon’s dad into Dagnor. He was a prisoner, not some crazy person wanting a dragon, and yet they were happy to use him as an excuse. If they were willing to burn down a country for that, I can see them burning Nircana because a kid threw a rock at a dragon.” Morgan’s eyes watered. Landon knew he was thinking of his younger sister, who was fearless and would do just that.

  They fell silent, staring at the parchment slowly rotating in Morgan’s hands. Landon’s thoughts went to his siblings and their families, wondering where they were right now, and hoping they were still alive.

  “We need Ryoshin to get Myra out, not me,” he said, breaking the silence.

  Morgan and Juan looked at him. “Why Myra?” Juan asked.

  “Because she killed Angen,” Landon reminded them. “At the meeting, the Drakshus and Issachar said that Angen had to be avenged, but for the sake of the treaty that was put on hold. Once the treaty’s decided,” he nodded at the parchment, “then they will have to carry out the Twin’s Revenge.”

  “I thought the person’s family did that,” Morgan said in a trembling voice.

  Landon shook his head. “Normally, yes, but Angen and Ashrin’s family are all dead, so it falls to the Drakshus.” He looked at Morgan and Juan. “The Menrians don’t know, and they kept saying so, but I think Darrin might. I’m sure he suspects Myra—or you, Morgan—and is sitting on that knowledge until it proves useful. Juan, why are you shaking your head?”

  He gave Landon a sympathetic look. “The problem with smuggling Myra out is it would draw attention to her,” he explained. He ran his fingers through his hair, messing it up. “It may seem like a move to protect her, but it’ll do the opposite. The kings, Borikans, and samurai would expect you to make a run for it, Lan, not Myra. If she gets out, then it would make the Borikans wonder why we put her first. Even if they just assumed it’s because you love her, they would figure it out eventually. You know how smart they are.”

  Landon’s stomach clenched. “You weren’t there, Juan. Issachar was very clear: once they found out whomever killed Angen, they would demand that person be handed over to them. And who is the closest to being allies with Dagnor right now? That’s right, Menrye. Dre’Goran would hand Myra over in an instant. Women aren’t as protected in Dagnor as they are in the rest of the world.”

  Juan frowned. “What makes you say that?”

  Landon explained the run-in he and Morgan had had with Liliana, telling him about the dragon taming ritual and how it nearly cost her her life. When he finished, Juan looked more impressed than alarmed.

  “Lan, I think that’s the most I have ever heard about Dagnor’s culture,” he said, awed. “That’s more information than any book I have read. And the Caborcan Royal Archives is one of the largest in the West.”

  “That’s beside the point,” Landon said impatiently, waving his hand. “I’d rather we get Myra out. I don’t want her anywhere near this place.” He thought of telling them the true reason, the curse on marriage that the Seal posed. He was on the verge of saying so when Morgan spoke.

  “I’m with you, Lan, I really am, but I’d rather get you out,” he said. “When I was in the king’s study, I overheard Darrin ask him when the Dagnorians were going to take you.”

  Landon blinked, frowning. “Take me? Take me where?”

  Juan, who had also been confused, gasped. “Oh goddesses. Sayre’s promise.”

  Landon turned his gaze on him, puzzled, and then it hit him. Sayre’s promise. To drive Sierra out of hiding nineteen years ago, Dre’Goran wanted her unborn child in exchange for threatening Hondel. Grudgingly, Sayre had agreed. Hondel was destroyed as a threat towards Sayre if she didn’t hold to her promise.

  Landon whirled on Morgan. “What did Darrin say exactly?”

  “Just as I said. ‘When is Dre’Goran going to take the boy?’ He then went on saying that with me loose in the castle, it may complicate things.” The nervousness on Morgan’s face melted into a mischievous one. “He was afraid that I would find out and try to stop Dre’Goran from taking you. So here we are, plotting to get you out so the dragon king doesn’t cart you away.”

  “And Ryoshin’s going to help?”

  Morgan nodded. “I ran into him on the stairs after swiping the treaty. He doesn’t know I have it, I felt it was safer that way.”

  Juan made a distressed sound. “What about me? I shouldn’t know you have this either, Morgan!”

  Morgan shrugged his shoulder. “You’re a prestigious noble, Juan. Your dad’s super powerful, right? You said he was close to your king or something.”

  Juan goggled at him. “Just because my father is a duke doesn’t protect me from treason. If anything, my punishment will be worse than Ryoshin’s.” Juan sank onto his bed. “And don’t forget, we told Takeshi we were taking Landon to my king.” He buried his face in his hands and began muttering in Sikhan.

  Morgan stared at the Caborcan guiltily. He looked at Landon, begging for help. Landon was at a loss for words. He thought the same as Morgan. Weeks of living among the nobility had shown him they could do whatever they wanted and the king would just turn a blind eye. Could Juan be killed for sitting here with them? Landon didn’t think so, but the world had turned upside down. Nothing made sense anymore, and the kings were desperate enough to get their hands on the Seal. Would they turn on their own people?

  The enormity of what
was happening sank in. If Landon left, then it would be a free for all. No treaty would protect the nations. Just sitting in this room, with a stolen treaty, was enough to plunge the continent into a bloody war. Everything up until this point, the Borikans’ scouring the continent for the Dayns and the Seal, Landon’s parents being imprisoned, and Nircana being invaded were just teasing jabs in the school yard. But this would cause an outright war, probably one that hadn’t been seen since the Nircanian revolution, or even the fight against the wizards.

  “Say nothing,” Landon said, looking at Juan. He reached out and gripped his Caborcan friend’s shoulder. Juan looked up, scared and desperate. “Just say you know nothing,” he continued, squeezing Juan’s shoulder for emphasis. “If they ask about Morgan, say you don’t know. Tell them you didn’t expect your cousin to come, let alone be an imposter. You and your cousin dropped me off at your king’s room, but he wasn’t there. Your cousin offered to stay with me in the king’s suite and you went back to your room. You don’t have to fabricate a big fancy story, just keep it simple. You didn’t know Morgan escaped his room and posed as your cousin, tricking you into leaving me with him.”

  “But . . .”

  “Just say you didn’t know,” Landon repeated. “Darrin knows how devious we are; he wouldn’t be surprised. It’s like Morgan said, your family’s name will protect you, especially against Darrin.”

  Juan blanched. “That’s easy for you to say, Lan. You can lie with a straight face. I’ve seen you do it many times. I . . . I am not so good.”

  “You kidding me?” Morgan blurted. “You flat out lied to Takeshi and he’s not an easy person to go nose to nose with. He’s more paranoid than a squirrel.”

  Juan still didn’t look convinced.

  “That’s what I’m saying,” Landon pressed. “Don’t lie. Keep it simple. Morgan was never here, and you escorted me to the king’s room.” Landon stood up. “Juan, you are my friend, but I know you would never betray your country. I don’t want you to. The Seal and I aren’t worth it.”