I left Henrietta’s shop behind, my ankle already feeling much better now that I’d finished her tea and she’d finished bandaging it. She’d also provided me with a small pouch of coins—around ten Silver—and a roll of the bandaging, though it didn’t look special in any way to me. Still, it was hard to argue with the facts laid out in front of me; it was much easier to walk now.

  I had left the shop with a promise that I would visit again within a few days time, and a lot of thanks for the gifts that she’d given me. Part of me felt bad about viewing her as a tool—the part I still didn’t wholly recognize—but the larger part knew that using her as a tool was exactly what I should do. It was what I needed to do if I wanted to be prepared to fight the [Hero] when he came.

  All I had to do was figure out a way to take advantage of her.

  As I walked back through the city, I mulled over the day’s events. The moons were already starting their rise into the sky, which meant the sun wasn’t far from setting beneath the horizon. Had I really spent that long in the tome shop? A small part of my mind wondered what had happened to the little cat, with its mismatched colors and its soft fur.

  I shrugged and dodged out of the way of a running boy—this one actually seemed harmless, though—as an older man chased after him, his hands reaching out like claws trying to grab him. The boy’s shrill laughter filled the street, and I couldn’t help but smile.

  The past few days had taught me a lot about humanity already, and how it operated, despite being beneath the dragon’s claw. I hadn’t expected them to spend their entire days worshipping dragonkind, but it was still strange to see so many wander about their days, without a care in the world for what might be happening in the palace. If a portal to another world opened outside the city right now, would any of them even notice?

  I made my way back through the streets of the Eastern Quarter, meeting the eyes of any who even glanced my way. I flashed my teeth at a few of them, ones who looked a bit too willing to make a move, and kept my hand on my dagger the entire time. I really needed to get something bigger. Something that screamed ‘don’t mess with me, I’m dangerous’ a bit better. The outfit and dagger were already doing some of the work, but if I was going to spend any long-term amount of time calling the Eastern Quarter home, I’d need to look the part.

  The Slumbering Drake was already well into its evening routine when I arrived. The common room stunk of cheap ale and sweat, but the sickening scent was undercut by one that made my mouth water: roasted meat. I motioned to Brin, who sat behind the counter. His eyes widened as he saw me, but he quickly composed himself and rushed over.

  “Yes, miss?”

  “Send Irinda up to my room with some of the meat you have roasting.” I withdrew a couple of coins and flattened them against his palm when he held it out. “Oh, and some wine, please.”

  He nodded and twisted away, shuffling back toward the swinging doors behind the counter. I didn’t wait to see if he called out for Irinda. Instead, I turned away and made my way up the stairs.

  The walk back from Henrietta’s hadn’t taken an overly long time, only a half hour at most, but it had worn down some of the effects of the tea on my ankle. The pain wasn’t biting yet, but I might have put a bit too much pressure on it during my wandering.

  I unlocked the door to my room and hurried inside, shutting it right behind me. The lock clicked into place with a sharp noise, and I collapsed into a heap on the bed, letting the air rush out of me in the most undignified way possible. It actually took a good bit of my willpower to not curl up on the bed and pass out.

  Today had not been kind, and if I didn’t figure out something long term for making money soon, then I might lose even the lackluster throne that I’d claimed here at The Slumbering Drake. I glanced around the room—just to make sure everything was still in order—and let out another sigh of relief when nothing jumped out at me.

  It seemed Brin had taken my threats seriously. That was good. I had no particular qualms about killing the man if it came to it—and one could even argue he deserved it. But, that would throw a hitch in my plans if I didn’t have someone set up to take over running the place.

  A knock sounded at the door and I forced myself to my feet—straightening my clothes quickly—and pulled it open. The scent of roasted meat immediately filled my nose and my stomach grumbled in a very un-Empress-like way. I had to stop myself from pulling Irinda inside. Instead, I forced my body to step back and out of the way so she could carry the plate into the room.

  When the door was closed behind her and she had set it on the table by the wall, I stepped over, grabbed up a piece of meat, and stuffed it into my mouth. Honestly, I didn’t care how undignified I looked at that moment. I hadn’t eaten all day.

  Thankfully, Irinda was smarter than the man she worked for, because she simply stepped out of the way and didn’t make a sound as I devoured the meal on the plate.

  It wasn’t a particularly fancy meal. Some kind of roasted meat—most likely boar, based on the flavor—and the wine was more like sweetened water than wine. But, considering my current predicament, it was a meal worthy of an Empress.

  When I had finished, I pushed away from the table and let out a relieved sigh. Irinda continued to stand off to the side, not making a noise, looking down at the floor.

  I settled back onto the bed again, this time in a more dignified position on the edge of the thin mattress.

  “We need to talk,” I said, washing away the last pieces of the meal with a swig of wine.

  “Of course, miss. Uhh, Aria.”

  I shook my head slowly. “If I wanted you dead, Irinda, you’d be dead.”

  The woman’s eyes widened, but she continued staring at the floor.

  I tsked at her. “Look at me when I’m talking to you. It’s disrespectful to stare at the floor when someone is talking to you.”

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  Her eyes shot up, meeting mine. I offered her a slight smile.

  “Now, as I was saying… If I wanted you dead, you wouldn’t be standing in this room. You’re only here because I have a feeling about you, and I think you can help me accomplish the goals that I’ve set for myself.”

  She listened, hands clasped in front of her.

  “I have big plans for this city. Plans that, if you were to help them come to fruition, you would benefit greatly from them. Do you understand?”

  She nodded.

  I didn’t really think she did.

  “How long have you worked with Brin?”

  “Several years now. My family couldn't take care of me anymore and I needed somewhere to go. He took me in and then he put me to work.”

  I nodded slowly. “Are there others like you?”

  She was still a moment. Then she nodded.

  “How many?”

  “Four. Five, counting myself. He took us all in when we were young women. He married us.”

  My stomach recoiled at the thought.

  “He married all of you?" I asked, more out of my own disbelief than at not having heard her words.

  She nodded slowly. She seemed hesitant to say anything else.

  “Irinda,” I said, holding out a hand to her. She looked down at it with disbelief in her eyes. I extended it a little more. I needed her to trust me if I was going to use her to my full advantage.

  Slowly she unclasped her hands and reached for mine. I pulled her gently to the bed, settled her down on the mattress next to me, and met her eyes once more. They glanced away for a moment, then steadied and turned back to mine.

  “What he is doing…it isn't right. You know that right? Nobody should be treated like property."

  She nodded.

  “If you work with me… if I can trust you… then I will take you to heights that Brin hasn’t even imagined. You can have this place, if you want it. Hells, you could burn it down, if you wanted. I can give you that.”

  She watched me for a moment and then nodded, slowly, as if she didn’t really believe what I was saying.

  “It’s hard to explain, but the person you see before you right now, that’s not who I really am.”

  Why I was telling her, I didn’t really know. There was something there, though. Something between us that just clicked. It felt right. Despite her closeness to Brin, part of me felt like I could trust her. Truly trust her. Maybe not with all of my secrets. But, with enough.

  “How much do you know about dragons?”

  Her eyes widened, her mouth opening and closing in an ‘o’ shape before she finally managed to speak.

  “Not much. They rule over us. Master Brin says that they’re evil creatures. Monsters.”

  I quirked my head to the side. “Does he, now?”

  She nodded.

  Well, it seemed the [Hero]’s opinion of my kind hadn’t spread just from him. There were other humans out there that thought the same way. It was a revelation that should have surprised me more, I felt. And yet, after feeling Marcus Ashworth’s blade ram through my body, it didn’t. It made more sense how fast his lies had spread.

  People had already believed them. Whispered about them. Marcus had only been the flame thrown into the tinderbox.

  “And what do you think?” I held her gaze, my emerald eyes boring into her dark, brown gaze.

  “I… I don’t know. They protect us from monsters. My mother used to say things about them. Said she had met one of them once, that he was nice.” Her shoulders rose in a shrug as she finished.

  The Eastern Quarter was one of the poorest parts of the city. I knew that much, but I hadn’t visited in the past thousand years or so. I wondered how many other dragonkind had avoided the slums—either unknowingly or out of their own benefit. I hadn’t ever thought of the people here. If I, the one person responsible for their best interests, hadn’t thought of them, then that meant it was likely nobody else in my government had, either.

  “Do you know how this inn got its start?”

  She shook her head slowly and I smiled.

  “Dragons and humans used to work openly together. Humans used to call upon dragons whenever they needed help. And dragons could do the same. Mind you, dragons rarely need help from humans. But, there were times when humans made sense as part of the solution. Anyway, The Slumbering Drake was started by a woman named Matilda Kingsmore. She was as gallant and precious of a human as anyone could find in the city—hells, even the continent.”

  I continued, “she started this inn as a place for weary travelers to rest their heads after a long journey, without having to worry about spending all of their coin on lodging. It was one of the centerpieces of the Eastern Quarter, at one time. Matilda was quite friendly with dragons in the nobility. She worked alongside them to ensure that more people would travel to this city. And with that work, more people began to call this place home.”

  I smiled, thinking of the memories. Of flying over the early ramparts that had surrounded the city in its infancy—when it had first turned from a village of mudcaked huts and into a blossoming metropolis of wood and stone.

  “It was a sad day when Matilda Kingsmore took her last breath. She had never found love or had children, so the future of The Slumbering Drake was uncertain. Many flocked to call it their own—to claim Matilda’s legacy for themselves. But the dragons would not have it. They chose the next keeper of the inn. A young man named Harindor—an orphan. He’d joined the Empress’s Guard to try to prove himself. But, he wasn’t much good with a weapon. Yet he earned the Empress’s favor…”

  I trailed off, thinking back to the days when Harindor and I had been close—closer than I’d let any human come since. He’d been a good man. Far better than most. And he’d done great things with this place. It was strange that I hadn’t thought of him before now. Maybe I’d been so lost in my own concerns about the future, the [Hero]’s arrival. But as I poked at my memories, I realized that some were…missing.

  I frowned.

  “Is everything okay?” Irinda asked, pulling me from my thoughts.

  “Oh, yes. Yes, quite.” I nodded my head slightly. “Sorry, it’s been a long day. I should get some rest.”

  Irinda nodded and pushed to her feet. She held out a hand for the cup I held, and I downed the last of the wine before handing it over. When she’d gathered everything else, she turned back to me.

  “I want to help you, Miss Aria. I don’t want to live the rest of my life under that man’s weight.”

  I met her eyes again. They had a look of pleading in them. Pleading mixed with determination.

  I nodded back to her. “We’ll make the journey together.”

  She offered me a smile and then crossed to the door, closing it behind her. I stood to my feet and locked it with a quick twist of the key, before tucking it back into my pocket.

  Then, because exhaustion was starting to overtake me, I simply laid down on the bed, still fully clothed, and sank into my dreams.

  *** *** ***

  Blackness surrounded me again, just as it had in the last dream.

  Sparks of lightning danced across my vision in bursts, blinding me, leaving white sprouts that danced across my vision in the aftermath. I was somewhere different. Not my room. Not anywhere I’d ever been before.

  The lightning splayed across the darkness once more, the outline of a woman appearing in the haze left behind by the glow.

  “Who are you?” I asked, reaching for the dagger at my waist. My hand met nothingness, and I glanced down to find that I didn’t even have a body.

  “I am the one that you stole from,” she said, her voice accusing. It was the same voice from the previous dream “So I have stolen from you, too.”

  I couldn’t see her face, but I knew, as the lightning flashed across my vision once more and the outline of the woman faded, that she had been smiling at me.

  A dragon’s smile.

  Wicked. Unforgiving. Scheming.

  My Smile.