“Come to me,” Grelm commanded as he glared at Lilly.

Lilly was frozen in terror as she desperately sought a way out of this trap. She couldn't change to her dragon form, so escape was impossible. She could call on Balisha's power, but calling on the hated goddess here would likely get her killed. If she tried to run or fought back, the wise ones would be blamed, and Grelm would likely become the leader of the united Doan army. That would mean a full-scale invasion and unimaginable bloodshed in the next day or two. She still hadn't learned where the missing army was and had vowed to remain until their plan was done. That meant Lilly could do only one thing; she had to go to him and bow her head. What he would do with her made her stomach sick, and she started to tremble as she took the first step.

“Wait!” Valindra shouted as she stood and walked to stand beside Lilly. Other women also came to her side, forming a layer of protection for Lilly. “You dishonor the dragons by your cruel manipulations of our ways. We will not deny you your claim, but you have not yet completed the steps to gain her hand.”

Grelm looked at the woman with a glare that spoke volumes as his anger flared in his aura. Lilly looked around, desperate for a way out and hoping this was it.

“She is a soma,” Grelm insisted. “The law of chiefs does not protect her.”

“She is a dragon,” Valindra exclaimed. “And by the ways of our ancestors, she should be afforded the same protections we give any woman of high status.”

“Fine,” Grelm said and turned his gaze on the masses of Doan watching the tense moment. “Then by right of our law, I ask, is there any other who wishes to make a claim?” Grelm asked.

“What does he mean?” Lilly asked in a whisper.

“It's an old custom,” Jhandi replied. “When a tribal leader claims any woman of exceptional status, the other leaders have the right to challenge him. If one does, they will fight over you, and the winner makes you his wife.”

Lilly felt her heart sink to hear the answer, as it didn't solve her problem. Even if somebody did challenge him, she would still be in the same position. No matter who won, she would be a wife to another man, and he would take her to his tent and claim her. She trembled as Grelm asked the group again while smiling as he glared at Lilly.

“I will challenge the claim,” a voice called out as the entire camp fell into a hushed silence. Lilly and the other women looked up as Hurrock walked into the firelight with a hooked axe. He briefly looked at Lilly, whose heart started to flutter. She saw the pained look in Sophia's eyes as the woman stood a the side cupping her hands over her mouth.

Grelm turned to face him, a look of murder in his eyes as he took brandished a large axe. He turned to face the smaller man as his chest heaved with every angry breath.

“You would dare challenge me over the soma woman?” Grelm growled.

“You are unfit for so special a woman,” Hurrock replied. “I will not see her soiled in your bed.”

“You have already taken a soma queen as your wife,” Grelm shouted as he pointed his axe at Sophia. “Yet you deny me the right to claim mine.”

“She was captured as a prize in battle,” Hurrock replied. “Had you been there to storm the city, you could have claimed her yourself. But none of that matters here. The woman Lilly has made her offer before the whole camp, and by right, as a chieftain, I am allowed more wives. There is nothing in our ways that says I cannot challenge your claim.”

“You will have to kill me for her,” Grelm said through gritted teeth.

“Not, so you have the right to yield the claim,” Hurrock said as he locked eyes with the man. “There is no shame in it.”

“I will never yield!” Grelm shouted angrily.

Hurrock nodded and turned to the wise ones as Valindra did her best to look calm.

“A challenge has been issued,” she said in a voice of stone. “Will you both fight?”

“I will fight!” Grelm shouted and raised his axe to cheers from the crowd.

“I will fight,” Hurrock said in a more calm voice when he could be heard.

“Very well,” Valindra said and took Lilly by the wrist. “Then let the fight commence. To the winner goes the woman Lilly of the empire.”

Lilly trembled as the Doan shouted their approval, and the two men faced over only a dozen paces apart. She could hear her heart beating over their shouting as they prepared to decide who would bed her.

Both men exploded into motion axe’s swinging as metal rang against metal. Grelm attempted to use his strength and size to overwhelm the smaller man, but it gained him nothing. Hurrock didn't try to match the man's strength and only used his ax to turn Grelm's momentum away, causing him to pitch forward and stagger a few steps to regain his balance. Hurrock tried to gain the advantage in the misstep, but Grelm was a skilled fighter. He knew the attack would be coming and twisted around just in time to intercept a downward cut as another loud ring of metal echoed across the camp.

The cheering was deafening as Lilly watched in horror. Two men were trying to kill one another over who would possess her. She couldn’t take her eyes away as they danced in a savage battle of strength and skill. She finally gained some composure and nervously asked how long they would fight.

“Until one of them is dead,” Jhandi explained.

“Then you go to your husband's bed. He will anoint you with his seed and make you his,” Jhandi replied.

“But I can't do that,” Lilly insisted. “I already have a husband!”

“Not by Doan ways,” Valindra countered. “You made the offer before the whole camp, and you have been claimed. A Doan man will be your proper husband, and you will remain here as a proper wife should. I am sorry, but you must do this now, or all will be lost.”

Lilly felt sick as she heard the reply that doomed her to a life here. She didn't care about their ways or their honor anymore. All she wanted to do was flee. She looked around, desperate to find a way of escape, but everywhere there were thousands of Doan, watching the fight for her hand. Metal on metal rang out again, and men groaned as the two continued their dance of death. Lilly found herself silently hoping that they might kill each other, but that would hardly solve her problem. Any man if the camp could claim her now, and surely somebody else would step up to do so.

“Why do I have no say in this?” Lilly asked.

“You had a say,” Valindra replied. “You could have chosen not to offer yourself as a wife. I warned you to remain silent and speak only when we told you to. Now you have put us in a terrible position, and you will have to follow through.”

“But why do you even claim women like this?” Lilly asked. “Shouldn’t you marry for love?”

“Young men's hearts burn with fire,” Jhandi explained. “They must be allowed to claim a woman to quench that fire. Too many women will refuse a man if they can, so we honor those brave enough to make an open offer. It is a woman’s place to have strong children for her people.”

“But I won't have children! I am a dragon; I cannot have children with a human!” Lilly argued.

Jhandi nodded. “We will see. If you fail to have children for him, I am sure Sophia will. But he must be allowed to try many times first.”

“He will die long before me,” Lilly protested. “I will live for thousands of years.”

“You will go to the next oldest male of his bloodline when he passes,” Jhandi explained.

“What are you talking about?” Lilly demanded. “Are you saying I have married his entire bloodline?”

“In a manner of speaking,” Jhandi said apologetically. “It is our custom for a woman to remain in her husband's bloodline. If he passes, she goes to his brother. If he passes the next male and so on until she finally passes.”

“Are you telling me that there might still be a Doan man who can claim to be my husband five thousand years from now?” Lilly gasped.

“It is our way,” Jhandi replied with a shrug.

Lilly twitched as her legs implored her to start running. She trembled from head to toe and looked about, determined to find a way out. A hand came over hers, and she looked into the eyes of Mikaela, who didn’t look at all sympathetic.

“You must do this, girl. If you insult the gathered tribes, especially after blood has been spilled over you, they will kill you and turn on us for sheltering you.”

Lilly was frozen with fear as a cry from the battle drew her attention. She looked up as Grelm through Hurrock to the ground and tried to cut him in two. Hurrock rolled out of the way as the powerful chop buried the axe in the dusty soil. He kicked out and caught Grelm in the knee, causing him to stumble before rolling to his feet to face the man.

Lilly had been so lost in her panicked thoughts that she had lost track of the battle. Both men were bleeding but they appeared to be wounds from kicks and punches. Grelm continued to pour all his strength into his blows, but the faster Hurrock avoided them and waited for his opening. Lilly could see the eyes of a predator on Hurrock as he sized up the bear that was Grelm. The two clashed again, with Hurrock charging into the attack, and Grelm was caught off guard. The people cheered as the first real wound was inflicted, and Grelm stumbled to the side with a bleeding gash on his leg.

Hurrock was on him in a moment, his weapon cleaving the air as Grelm once again tried to connect with raw power. Lilly saw the flaw in his fighting style and knew how Gersius would have exploited it. Hurrock did the same, allowing the swipe to go wide, putting pressure on the injured leg. When Grelm was too slow to recover, Hurrock acted, and everyone held their breath as his axe connected with the side of Grelm's head.

There was a spray of gore as a fatal wound was inflicted, and the barrel-chested Grelm dropped to his knees before falling to the dirt.

“At least it will be Hurrock who beds you. He has much honor,” Jhandi said.

“It must happen tonight,” Valindra said. “There can be no delays.”

Lilly trembled in fear as the wise ones stepped away, leaving her standing alone as Hurrock turned his angry eyes on her. He had blood on his face and armor as he set his feet, his chest heaving with exertion. He finally raised a hand and beckoned her forward, but she couldn't move. People began to laugh when he growled and stormed to her, taking her by the wrist before turning to the crowd.

“By right of combat, I claim this woman as my own!” he shouted before turning his gaze on her. “You are now Lilly, the wife of Hurrock, chieftain of the stone maw.” Around them, the people cheered as he dragged her away and took her into the camp. The people parted as they passed, shouting encouragement that it was time to tame the dragon.

Lilly dragged her feet as his tent came closer, forcing him to yank her along. Tears welled in her eyes as she struggled to break his iron grip on her wrist, which was starting to hurt. She could still hear the cheers as the people celebrated in preparation for battle, reminding her that she had failed to stop the bloodshed. She almost broke down as the tent came into view, and she realized what a fool she was. She was so insistent that this was the right course of action, and look at her now. She was a prisoner, married to a man she didn't love, and on her way to his bed. She had failed to learn anything useful or even deliver the location of the missing army. Now her dream made sense as Lilly realized why Gersius always pointed to a star in the west. It was because that is where she was, the wife of a Doan man, forever more lost to her family.

“No!” she growled as she refused to accept that outcome.

“Be silent,” Hurrock shouted and pulled her along, closing the ground on the tent. When they finally arrived at a modest skin tent, he pulled the drape in the door aside and practically threw her inside.

Lilly turned to face the man who followed her into the tent. She balled her hands into fists, determined to strike him if he so much as suggested she was his to take. She was done feeling trapped and determined to make a stand no matter what the outcome.

“Relax your angry stance,” Hurrock said as the flap closed. When Lilly didn't budge, he folded his arms over his chest and smiled as if amused by her defiance.

“I am not your wife,” Lilly growled.

“Yes, you are, buy Doan right and custom,” he clarified while not moving an inch. “And you will sleep in this tent from now on.”

“I am not lying with you,” Lilly growled in her dragon voice as her eyes glowed.

“No, you are not,” he replied and pointed to a pile of skins. “I will make you a bed on the other side.”

Lilly paused in her anger to consider what he said. He wasn't demanding she satisfy his needs as a wife or even insinuating they share a bed. Instead, the expression on his face appeared to be of amusement, as if her anger was somehow funny.

“Why do I have to sleep here if I am not your wife?” Lilly demanded.

“You are my wife,” Hurrock corrected. “You promised to obey our traditions and beliefs and then offered yourself in the dance. I have won you by blood combat and taken you as my prize. The whole of the assembled Doan now expects you to sleep in my bed. They will know you have dishonored yourself if you sleep anywhere outside this tent.”

“So I have to sleep here, but I don’t have to lay with you?” Lilly asked.

“No, but you should,” he answered with a stone-faced expression. “I have risked my life to save you.”

Lilly wanted to shout she wasn't his wife again, but she knew it was pointless. As far as he and the rest of the Doan were concerned, Lilly had just been married to him. However, he didn't seem willing to enforce what that meant and was trying to help her keep her deception.

“Why are you helping me?” Lilly questioned. “You could have let Grelm have me.”

“Because he did not deserve such a prize,” Hurrock explained. “I never expected you to make such an offer, but as you did, I have chosen to make you my wife.”

“And now what?” Lilly asked.

“I would say that you should be trained in our ways so you can stand at my side and rule our clan. However, I am no fool. I know you are not here to join our cause, so why have you really come?” he asked.

“I wanted to end this war,” Lilly insisted. “I thought if I could speak to your wise ones, we could see that there was no reason to fight. But your people measure everything by strength in combat, and turning away from this conflict is foolishness to you.”

“There is great honor to be earned on the battlefield,” Hurrock agreed. “But you must have understood your plan was doomed to fail a day after you arrived. Yet here you are, still among us when you should have fled long ago.”

“I am trying to find a way to stop the war,” Lilly insisted.

“You lie, you know that is a lost cause,” Hurrock argued. “The dragons are the ones who drive us. The war will go on no matter how you plead with the wise ones.”

Lilly sighed and turned her back on him as she explained her promise to remain until whatever plan they were planning was done.

“So you know your efforts are wasted, but you remain because of your vow,” Hurrock said with a nod of approval. “I am surprised you care. The dragons are not known for their adherence to what they say.”

“I am not like the dragons you know. I was introduced to human culture by Gersius,” Lilly countered without looking back. “He showed me the importance of keeping a promise unless it simply can’t be kept.”

“We Doan know the name of this man,” Hurrock said as he approached her. “He is seen as a great warlord and killer of men. They say the divines bow to him, and that there isn't a wall he can't break.”

“He is a good man,” Lilly replied. “He fights this war because he cares about his people. He wants peace so he can raise a family free from the threat of conflict.”

“So he is not a warrior,” Hurrock surmised.

“Gersius is the greatest warrior ever to walk the land,” Lilly corrected as she whirled around. “He knows every combat style and can best any man in a single fight. He has only been slowed when somebody he trusted betrayed him. It takes lies, deceit, and betrayal to even scratch him, and then he still prevails.”

“Such tactics are the tools of your empire,” Hurrock replied. “We are direct in our methods. We meet our enemy on the field of battle and trust in our strength to win the day.”

Lilly was angry by his bold statement considering all these tools were being used by his allies to prepare that field of battle. She felt a hand on her arm and looked down as Hurrock came close.

“I respect your love for him, but what will you do if he falls in our invasion?” Hurrock asked.

“I will die,” Lilly replied as she pulled away. “I don’t want to live without him.”

“Then you should go back, now,” Hurrock suggested. “You have no reason to stay, and it would be foolish to do so.”

“I told you I promised to stay until your plan was done,” Lilly protested. “I thought honor and vows were important to your people. So why are you telling me to break my vow?”

“Because you are being deceived,” Hurrock countered.

Lilly blinked as she tried to figure out what he meant. She went to say something, then paused to reconsider her words.

“What do you mean I am being deceived?” she asked slowly.

Hurrock paced away and checked the door as if worried someone might be listening; then, he turned back to her with anger in his eyes.

“How can you be so naive?” he demanded. “You are surrounded by your enemies that welcomed you in and allowed you to remain. Did you never ask yourself why they are so willing to entertain your wish? They listen to your pleas and use your hopes as a weapon to ensnare you. They dangled the prize before your eyes and demanded you vow to remain until they say you can go. Do you not see the snare they have set for you?” He accentuated his point by poking the collar. “This didn't occur by happenstance. They planned to snare you with this, desperate to buy time to keep you.”

“What are you talking about?” Lilly replied in shock. “They allowed me to stay because I am a dragon, and your kind respects that.”

“They allowed you to stay because they wish to turn you over to the dragons that rule us,” Hurrock replied.

“That isn’t true,” Lilly said. “Why would they let me go if they wanted to snare me?”

“They let you go because they had no means to keep you,” Hurrock explained. “But the moment you returned, a messenger was sent to tell the other dragons of your existence. The wise ones are not to be trusted, and you are being strung along until one who can properly deal with you comes.”

“They sent somebody to alert the dragons I am here?” Lilly said in a panic.

“Did you honestly think they would treat you so well?” Hurrock accused. “We are the Doan, and you are the wife of our most hated enemy. How could you believe we would waste this opportunity? Did you think we were fools that we could not see the prize delivered right to our grasp? No, you are still whole only because the wise ones believe they do not have the right to kill you. Our respect for dragons is great and as such, it must be another dragon who deals with you. That is why they were so angry with Grelm. They felt the dragon that came to claim you would be insulted if he soiled you.”

“How long do I have?” Lilly gasped.

“Thankfully your kind does not make it easy for us to make contact,” Hurrock replied. “They lair high in the western mountains and do not make roads for us to walk. I would guess the messenger will deliver the news in two days at most. Then the dragons will come for you.”

Lilly reeled in shock as the danger was laid bare. Once again her naivety had led her down a foolish path. No wonder Sarah scolded her so much for her silly ways. She refused to believe Gersius when he said the Doan could not be reasoned with. She was determined to prove that peace could be achieved if only they could open a dialog. What a fool she felt now and that shame brought her to tears.

“I am sorry,” Hurrock said. “You needed to know the truth.”

“Why?” Lilly sobbed. “Why does it have to be this way?”

“It is simply the way things are,” Hurrock replied. “It is our way of life and the tradition of our ancestors. It has been handed down for generations so long passed that we have never known another way.”

“But what good is a way of life that always leads to bloodshed?” Lilly asked. “Do you never dream of holding a child in your arms?”

“Of course I do,” Hurrock answered. “And I will teach my child to be strong and take their place in the strength of the Doan. I will pray to the heavens that when they are at the peak of their health, they too will have a war to fight and test their strength.”

Lilly could see that he was as much a product of his culture as the others were. War and conflict were just a part of their life and unlike Gerisus, they didn’t mind raising children in it. In fact, it was celebrated as a right of passage, a method to weed out the weak and test the strong. He could see no reason they needed to change or cause to avoid the coming conflict. It didn't matter if they won or lost, only that they were tested in the fires of war.

“I don’t understand,” Lilly sobbed. “Why are you helping me then?”

Now she saw something different in his eyes as a look of pain passed over his expression. He turned away this time, taking a moment to think through his thoughts before replying.

“For generations, my people have revered the dragons that live in the western mountains. Our legends speak of the age when we once marched under their banner, waging war on the false goddess of dragons. We are raised on stories of how the dragons once taught us great works and helped create our society, always guiding us to greatness.” He paused again and looked back as if she should know the rest. “But time and experience speak differently. Often a generation might pass before one of your kind has so much as a word to say to us. When they do speak, it is often to make demands of metal or food to keep them from pillaging our lands. They are vain and cruel and look on us no differently than a hawk looks on a rabbit, yet because of their power, we bow. They have not even cared enough to show us this human form they possess, preferring to tower over us and make us tremble.”

“Wait, are you saying you don’t like the dragons you follow?” Lilly asked as she found his story confusing.

“I have been raised to believe that how they behave was simply the way things were. They were divine and thus did as they pleased.” He looked directly at her while thinking over his next words. “But then I met you and realized that you were different. You are a noble spirit and not like any dragon we know. You have a trustworthiness they do not have, and your actions show a caring for human life. You are the first dragon I have met who is worthy of our respect, and I will not see you torn to shreds by the others. So I tell you to go. You do not deserve the fate they have in store for you. You are not honor bound to keep your promise to those who have lied to you from the first.”

Now Lilly understood what he was getting at, and she began to wonder if she should. Her plan to stop the war was a fool's errand, and every minute she waited for the supposed messenger that was coming put her in greater danger. If she flew hard now, she could be over the forts before the enemy messenger even delivered his report. However, if she waited, she could still learn where the missing army was. She was torn with fear and worry as the choice to stay or go tormented her mind. The wise ones were leading her along, playing a game as they treated her like a child. Then she remembered the collar and realized the choice was already made. She couldn't fly east, no matter how badly she wanted to, and she had no way to escape.

“I am a fool,” Lilly said to herself as her eyes closed. “Gersius was right, and I didn’t listen.”

“Do not suffer your desire to prevent bloodshed,” Hurrock said as she took her arm again. “I may have been born to this culture, but I see something in you that makes me wish I could know more about the empire.”

“I wish you, Doan, would let us talk,” Lilly sobbed. “But that's impossible, isn't it? Even if we started talking, your dragons would interfere. I understand it now, this isn't a war between men. It's a war between dragons. You and your people are just the veils they hide behind while working to some greater plan.”

“They would see their goddess restored,” Hurrock explained.

“That's a lie,” Lilly spat with a shake of her head. “They have no interest in restoring Solesta. They tell you and the younger dragons that to make you think this is all for some greater goal. No, they have something else in mind, and it is meant to destroy both Solesta and Balisha for good.”

“But what would that accomplish?” Hurrock asked.

“I don't know,” Lilly replied as she wiped her eyes. “But everything they do has been to bind the power of the divine while they wait for something important to happen.”

“The lunas vormortax,” Hurrock said.

“What?” Lilly replied as she turned to stare at him. “What does that mean?”

“The conjunction of the two moons,” Hurrock explained. “When the dark body passes over lunas the silver moon. It happens once every thousand years, and it is coming soon.”

“What does that have to do with anything?” Lilly asked.

Hurrock sighed and bid Lilly to sit down, motioning her to the pile of skins. He then sat on the floor before her and explained a story that was part of their tradition. In it, a dragon waited for a magical door to open that would grant him the powers of a divine. The legend was this door only opened when the silver moon was hidden by the black one. When this happened, the light would turn red, and the hidden door would open, making it possible to claim the treasure within. A great dragon had tried a thousand years ago, but another dragon of equal power opposed him, and during their titanic struggle, the door was closed before either could win.

“This is just a story?” Lilly asked.

“I would say yes if not for the fact that the dragons have been far more active than we have seen in generations. They have come to us to teach us how to wage war and build weapons that can break walls. They showed us how to corral the savage howlers, what you call bandersooks, to use against you. They also called every clan from across the west to prepare years ago so that we would be ready at this moment. All I know is they say we must be in Calathen when the eclipse happens, or all will be lost.”

“So the eclipse is important to them,” Lilly said as she tried to puzzle it out. “But why, and what does the dark moon have to do with anything?”

“That I cannot answer,” Hurrock replied. “But the wise ones claim that the dragons have spoken to them. They say that dragons will reward us by rebuilding our lost society when they restore the power of their ancient ways. The whole plan is based on the alignment of the moons, and we have been told to hold our advance until the moon's conjunction is closer.”

Lilly tried to work out what he was saying, but so much of it was vague. She knew he didn't have any more details than he had already told her, so asking was pointless. What mattered was the eclipse and how it was key to the timing of their event. It was also important they be in Calathen for it, but why? It was nothing but a chain of mysteries that hinted at a darker secret. She grew ever more frustrated as the answers eluded her and wished now she could talk to Sarah.

“So, I have told you everything. Now go east and prepare your people for war,” Hurrock insisted.

“I can’t,” Lilly replied and pointed to the collar. “I can’t take my dragon form while I wear this.”

“I will get that off,” Hurrock said with a nod. “Then you will flee this place and never return.”

“Even if you get it off, I still can’t go,” Lilly replied and shook her head. “I have to wait a few days more.”

“No,” Hurrock insisted as he sat up and took her by the arms. “You must go now. I will not bear the sight of you being destroyed.”

“Why do you care?” Lilly asked as she looked deeply into his eyes.

Hurrock let her go and sat back as he took a deep breath.

“You may not care for what it means, but I did fight for the right to possess you. In my heart, you are my wife, and I would see you survive the coming storm,” he said.

Lilly put her face down in her hands as she wanted to scream in rage. She hated that he kept referring to her as his wife, yet she needed to play this stupid game. He knew she didn't feel the same, and that made it all the more frustrating. What was worse is she was starting to feel something, an inkling of respect and concern for him. He was proving to be a good man despite the culture he was brought up in. She saw his light traveling to her, proving his love beyond doubt. His eagerness for her to flee and save herself only added to the confusion. As much as it shamed her, Lilly started to see her light flow back. She couldn't help but feel something for this man who was risking his life to love her.

“I can’t be your wife,” Lilly said. “But I will be honest. You are a good man and one deserving of a dragon wife.”

“That is all I could ask of you,” Hurrock replied with a nod. “But if you intend to stay, then you must not let the wise ones see we are not mated. You must behave as if you are my wife when before the others. If they become suspicious, they might demand you prove that you have accepted your place.”

“Prove how?” Lilly asked as she wondered what they could possibly do to prove it.

“Several of them will watch as we consummate our marriage,” she replied.

“No!” Lilly said strongly as she bolted up from her seat. “That is never going to happen.”

“Then you must be careful not to give them any reason to doubt that you have accepted our marriage,” Hurrock said. “If they ask about tonight, you must tell them we mated. If they tease you about mating, you blush and pretend that you enjoyed it. We must convince them that you and I are husband and wife in every way, or they may make you prove it.”

“I don’t know if I can pretend we are lying together,” Lilly groaned. “I feel like that will betray the vows I made to Gersius.”

“Then I will get that collar off so you can fly home tonight and forget this foolish plan of yours,” Hurrock said. “I will tell them I approached you to mate, and you became enraged and used magic to remove the collar. Then you fled into the night, and last I saw, you were in your dragon form flying east. It will be the perfect excuse for you to flee without putting any suspicion on me. Go and warn your husband of what is coming, and then flee further east to find your peace.”

“I can't,” Lilly insisted. “I care about the people of the empire, and I have to stay.”

“Why?” Hurrock demanded. “What good will your death do them?”

Lilly didn’t want to admit that she had already given up hope of peace and was now spying instead. It became impossible to explain why she wanted to stay without telling him her motivation. She looked down and told him the truth, that she believed she could win the war if she knew where the missing army was.

“What good will it do you to know if you can’t warn them until after it has happened?” he asked.

Lilly never lifted her gaze as she explained that she had a means of relaying a message without anyone knowing. She expected him to be angry or even to attack her, but instead, he nodded as if understanding.

“The longer you delay, the more likely you will be taken and killed,” he said. “Your time is running out.”

“Do you know where the third army is?” Lilly dared to ask, hoping that the love he felt would excuse her boldness. “I could flee tonight if you can tell me.”

“I do not know where it is,” Hurrock sighed. “And even if I did, I would not tell you. Remember what I said about the city I captured. I hate the raven guard for betraying their own people. I would never do the same to mine.”

“But aren’t you doing that by telling me to run?” Lilly asked.

“Maybe,” he replied with a nod. “But I am making an exception for you. You are the only dragon I have ever met who I can honestly say I respect. You are a noble spirit seeking to save lives by risking her own. You do not deserve the fate in store for you, and I cannot bear to see it happen. If you need that answer, you will have to get it from the wise ones.”

“Then I have to stay as long as I dare, hoping the messenger arrives,” Lilly explained. “If I flee now, then everything I have risked will be for nothing.”

Hurrock grumbled and got up to pace as Lilly watched him warily. Thus far, his light had done all the speaking she needed, but now it filled with sorrow. He was genuinely concerned for her, and it showed in his actions as he risked everything to help her. Something inside began to twist as she tried to understand his feelings and saw more of her light flowing his way. She worried that the wise ones would question her in the morning and try to determine if she had honored her husband. She knew she couldn't lie, or Cindri would see it in her aura. That left Lilly in a terrible position. If she stayed, she would need to be able to tell the truth, which meant doing something she hated to think of.

With a sigh, she looked at the Doan man who had forcefully become her husband. By staying, she was putting his life at risk after he risked his to save her from Grelm. He was a good man caught up in terrible circumstances, and for his sake as well as her distant family, she had to be careful. For the next few days, she would pretend to be his wife and hopefully find a way to fool Cindri. If circumstances became to dire, she might very well have to do something she would sorely regret.