Free The Blind Dragon by Peter Fane

smile of her own.
    Moondagger gave the riders and the captain's war dragon a final growl, then dropped from the parapet.
    Anna turned and walked across the terrace, down the steps from which she'd come. As she left, she could feel their eyes on her.
    The captain said something that she couldn't hear.
    Someone replied.
    But it wasn't a joke.
    All the laughing was over.
     

17
    M OONDAGGER SAW HIMSELF ripping the men and their dragons to pieces. He saw lines of blood spraying bright patterns across stone and steel. He saw the men shriek, holding their hands in front of their faces, their silly weapons useless, their open mouths little caves into which he poured silver-white fire, searing their guts, scorching their flesh, cooking them whole in their funny metal suits. He saw the bronze dragon scream as he sank his fangs into its throat.
    A wild delight filled Moondagger's heart.
    It was a new sensation.
    A violent, righteous bliss.
    And it felt wonderful .
    More than wonderful.
    It was as if Moondagger had found his purpose.
    To fight and war with Anna in the sky.
    And as the burning men jerked and danced their crazy dance, as their dragons sang their howling death songs, Dagger's heart was filled with a savage, ecstatic joy—the kind of joy that touches those who have finally found their reason to live.
    He would only have to do one thing.
    Our time will come.
    He would have to wait.
     

18
    A NNA WALKED DOWN the steps, away from the barracks' terrace.
    The moment she was out of the enemies' sight, she ran, leapt down the last stairs, and—instead of continuing down towards the Dragon Steps, the way she'd come up—took a hard left, crossing a short bridge, sprinting down the narrow alley that dead-ended at the service door of the upper barracks' kitchen. She tried the handle. Locked. She looked into the small window at the door's center.
    Nothing. Empty and dark.
    Half a bell's time before the start of breakfast and the place should've been clattering with cooks and servants and apprentices busy preparing the morning meal. But there wasn't even a scullery boy to be seen.
    Moondagger swooped into the alley, angling sideways to fit, wing tips brushing the narrow walls. He landed at Anna's side, a bit awkwardly on account of the confined space, and nudged up against her. Anna smoothed the dragon's head absently. His scales were warm under her hand.
    Master Khondus thought that they had the advantage of surprise, that House Dradón had the initiative.
    Anna looked up the face of the terrace's retaining wall.Above her, she could just see the upper barracks' roof.
    She had to get up.
    She had to be sure.
    Dagger inched a bit closer, gave Anna a gentle head-butt, and spread his wings.
    "Soon," Anna said. She kissed the foal's wet nose. "Even the fastest learners don't take a rider, even a training squire, until the end of their second week."
    Moondagger stretched his wings wide, their tips bending inward as their ends pushed against the alley's narrow walls.
    She shook her head and looked to the top of the wall. "Meet me up there."
     

19
    T HE MORTAR BETWEEN the wall blocks was in good shape, but there were still a few familiar cracks Anna could use to climb. In fact, she'd climbed this particular wall often—but she was usually climbing down to visit the barracks' kitchen for a clandestine snack.
    Moondagger was waiting for her when she scraped herself over the parapet. They were in the upper barracks' rear courtyard. The courtyard was filled with clothes drying on a dozen even lines. Most of the laundry was the blue and white livery of House Dradón, but there were a few pieces of maroon gear belonging to riders of House Tevéss as well. A light breeze stirred the empty uniforms. The morning sky was pink, the sun just set to rise.
    Above and to her right, the foundation wall of the eastern stables rose up, huge and indomitable. Above that, she could see the retaining wall of Voidbane's lodge. On her left, a narrow gap