The Lost Alliance (Rise of the Drakens Book 2) by Raven Storm (free ebook reader .txt) 📗

moment, and I heard Benedict curse. He dropped to the ground and bent down towards the back wheel, as if inspecting it for damage.

“Where should we drop you off?” He asked us quietly. A man with short, blonde hair pushed his way towards the edge of the cage.

“I know where.”

Benedict looked around, seeing no one around us. He opened the cage quickly.

“Get up front with us.”

The blonde man scrambled out, and Benedict re-sealed the cage. The wagon lurched forward again, the tension increasing. We traveled along a large bend in the road, stopping at a blind spot in the curve. Benedict skillfully backed the horse up to the adjacent alley, which was dark and reeked of sewage. Moments later Kieran was breaking the lock.

“Follow me.”

The humans jumped out one by one, Kieran’s hand lingering on mine as he helped me step down. The blonde led us through the alley and to a large iron grate in the ground. Benedict rolled his eyes, pushing the man out of the way as he and Kieran easily lifted it open. The blonde jumped fearlessly into the hole, disappearing.

“Go on; Kieran and I will dispose of the cart, and then join you.”

I didn’t want to be separated from them and surprised he was allowing it.

“You are safer hiding amongst them.”

He leaned down and seized me in a scorching kiss, his hand on my waist making it clear to everyone else who I belonged to.

“I think they get the idea.”

Kieran snorted.

“Nothing for me?” I pouted. Kieran leaned in. “Not in front of the humans. They don’t mate with multiple partners. No need to make them suspicious.”

My mates hopped back onto the wagon as the last of the humans disappeared into the grate.

“Come on,” Becca whispered, gesturing to me frantically.

I jumped down, into the darkness.

Fifteen

I’d never been in a sewer before, but it was everything I could possibly imagine it to be. Dark. Slimy. Disgusting.

I landed on something soft, but I didn’t bother identifying it. I grabbed Becca’s extended hand and she pulled me up. I could see easily enough with my draken eyes, but it was apparent the others couldn’t. Even the blonde man was fumbling around.

“I have pretty good night vision. What are we looking for?”

The man’s gaze shot to mine.

“A marking...an etching on the side of the wall that marks the way. Though how anyone can see down here is beyond me…”

I let him mumble to himself, inwardly reeling. Was it coincidence the human rebels were using a draken system of navigation? I scanned the walls of the sewer, quickly spotting five horizontal slashes on the wall to the right. The wall on the left held four.

“This way.”

The way with less lines will always lead back to the beginning.

I pushed down my rising emotions, refusing to think about Gelf or the other Elders. They were gone, and I was here. I was alive, so there was hope.

Drakens are hope.

I didn’t want to guess what was in the water we sloshed through, and I was thankful for my leather boots. It was doubtful the others had anything as fine. My ears pricked as I heard two large figures drop behind the group. Benedict and Kieran quickly caught up, holding a lit torch. He handed it wordlessly to the blonde man, who nearly stumbled over himself in gratitude.

“Let’s go.”

We walked for ages—so much so that I wished to fly just to get off my feet. Every time we met a crossroads, I chose the path with fewer slashes. Benedict and Kieran shot me a questioning glance clearly recognizing the system, but I shook my head. We couldn’t talk about it here.

I could have cried in relief when the last crossroad bore one horizontal line. Sound was heard up ahead, and Kieran and Benedict immediately went on alert. The tunnel opened into a vast underground cavern, filled with hundreds of people. The blonde man cried out and ran towards another blonde with much longer hair. I chased away thoughts of D’Arcy as they embraced, clapping each other on the back.

“Brother! You made it!”

The man from our wagon threw a glance towards us, leading his brother over.

“It is thanks to these men and this woman. They stole our transport wagon and released us. I’m sorry I didn’t catch your names, but this is Davos, head of rebel operations in Cantrada.”

The man held out his hand to Benedict, and I stopped paying attention to him. Instead, I was focused on the people, or rather, the children. Young infants just out of their mother’s wombs, children, even teenagers. Davos followed my gaze, puffing his chest out proudly.

“The first children not born to a breeding house in centuries.”

I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. I was speechless.

“The sewer network runs underneath the entire town and empties out at the bay. Escaping slaves come here, and then to the bay if they are able. Cargo ships in our employ smuggle out as many as they can, down south to Aldur.”

Benedict turned, respect in his eyes.

“You’ve quite an operation here. There is truly a large rebel presence, then?”

Davos rubbed the back of his neck.

“I wouldn’t call it a rebel presence; I would call them refugees. Many are willing to fight but have no training or experience.”

Benedict exhaled through his nose, taking in the bedraggled community around us.

“How many?”

Davos sighed.

“To fight? Maybe three hundred, at the most. If we put a call out, we may get twice that number, and better trained soldiers as well. Aldur trains all their people in warcraft. If we can get them to ally with us…”

“Who would they ally with?” Benedict questioned, derision dripping from his voice. Davos stopped short, confused. Benedict ploughed on.

“These people here have no government, no one really in charge except yourself. You cannot barter or make alliances because you don’t really have anything. There is no reason for Aldur to involve itself in your conflict as long as the hordes leave them alone.”

Davos drew back, his eyes