Dreamwalker's Bride - Chapter 281

Chapter 281: Turning back
Mia watched her cousin’s face as he struggled with defeat.

“But Mama–”

“No buts!” Anaisa turned to her own horse and mounted in a show of anger. “Get on your horse!”

“Mama, do you remember in the capital–”

“This isn’t going to change my mind,” She warned.

“I got very interested in myths and magic,” Daniel continued.

“Yes, I know,” Anaisa confirmed without brooking argument. “Get on your horse.”

The boy obeyed, but slowly. “Her Highness lets me into the royal library sometimes, like while you and Papa went to the ball. I read all the books they had on dragons and wights and other creatures. I probably know it all! You didn’t get back from the ball until almost sunrise, and I spent all that time reading–”

“You were supposed to go to sleep an hour after your younger brothers,” Anaisa snapped.

“I’m sorry, Mama. But surely the things I learned—”

“If you can read them all in a night, you can tell them all to me on the way back,” She responded evenly.

“There’s too much!” Daniel said. “When you went to that luncheon the next day, I went back and read some more! I know everything!”

“How many legs does a dragon have?” Mia cut in.

“Mia, do not humor him,” Anaisa warned. “We’re leaving now.”

“Four legs, and two wings with hooked claws on the end, kind of like a bat’s wings,” Daniel responded, throwing an image of the creature into the air. “When the eggs hatch, only their back legs and wings work, the front legs have to develop enough for them to walk instead of just fly. Wights control them by having all the gold–”

“That’s from your storybook,” Anaisa cut in.

“Which is said they keep in a grand city, the capital of their underground nation. The legends say that it’s enormous and black, shining in the darkness of the deep, and that no human has seen it since the ancient treaty,” Daniel sat straight up in his saddle.

“I didn’t mention the black castle at the house,” Mia frowned.

“I saw drawings!” Daniel sensed an opening. “It’s several stories tall, with spires that reach up to parts of the cave that can’t be seen. The doorways are all double–wide enough for dragons to fit through!”

Daniel raised his hands and conjured another image in the air. A dark, gleaming edifice looking so similar to her vision that it was eerie.

Mia blinked. “Not to contradict your decision, Aunt Annie,” She said quietly, “but everything he’s said so far is right. If he knows more… that would be very helpful.”

“You too, Mia?” Anaisa looked betrayed, and Mia ducked her head.

“I saw the castle, almost exactly like that.” She pointed to Daniel’s floating recreation. “Since that’s where we’re headed, it would be useful to know as much as we can about it.”

Mia normally showed great deference to her elders, so openly contradicting her aunt in front of her cousin was outside of her comfort zone. Still, the matter was important enough that she felt the need to speak up.

“Are you against me, too?” Anaisa turned on Seth, and he held his hands up, palms towards her.

“I’m staying out of this one.”

Anaisa’s face was turning red and she glared at her son. Daniel looked to Mia for support, but she’d given as much as she dared.

Everyone stayed quiet as the mother’s fists clenched and relaxed several times. Her jaw worked angrily. Grandpa seemed to be the only one brave enough to look straight at her while she thought things through.

Mia wondered how her mind was working. Daniel was a very bright boy, and could recall information almost immediately when asked. It made him incredibly stubborn–or perhaps he got that from his mother–but his heart was good.

“If the royal library has such complete information, perhaps we should wait for word from them before proceeding,” Anaisa said thoughtfully. Mia wondered that she would even suggest delaying saving Uncle Trace, but Grandpa’s lips twitched.

Was she bluffing?

As part of their preparations to leave, Anaisa had written a letter to the king detailing the events, with Grandma assigned the task of mailing it from Droth the following day. Awaiting the king’s instruction was not something the Countess was willing to do when her husband’s life was at stake.

“You know I can recite every word I read in that library, Mama.” Daniel said calmly. Mia suppressed her smile. The boy did have such an uncanny ability to memorize everything that they had almost attributed it to magic when he was young.

Slowly, Anaisa’s face became resigned. Another 2-3 days wasted to take Daniel back home was obviously too much for her, especially when he bore what could be extremely useful information.

After the resignation came a stern look.

“You didn’t say any of this before we left. You decided to keep it to yourself and secretly follow until we were too far away to send you back home,” She accused.

“I’m sorry, Mama. I didn’t know if it would be enough to convince you.” Daniel admitted.

“A real man does not manipulate and scheme to get what he wants, Daniel,” Grandpa told the child.

“How am I to learn to be a man if you leave me behind with Grandma and Aunt Sarah?” Daniel groused.

“Your older cousins would have come back soon, and we would have come back with your father soon enough.” Anaisa frowned. “Stop arguing or I’ll change my mind and leave you behind.”

“I’m sorry, Mama. I’ll be perfectly obedient starting right now,” Daniel promised.

“We’re burning daylight,” Grandpa said. “If we’re going, let’s go.”

“Yes, Grandpa!” Daniel chimed brightly, earning a sharp look from his mother.

Mia pulled her horse around and took the lead once more, her young cousin moving to ride beside her, immediately taking up the task of sharing his knowledge with the rest of the party.

Conjuring images in the air above himself, he began narrating, likely almost word for word, the mythology of dragons.

Unable to resist a final glance over her shoulder before leaving the area, Mia took a deep breath and listened to the nine year old’s authoritative lecture.

“The first mention of legendary beasts was hundreds of years ago…”