Free Liberator by Bryan Davis Page A

said in a soothing tone. “You wish to explain yourself, and explain yourself you must, but not to me. I already know your dilemma. You have cried out that love does not need chains, yet you have been bound with chains of your own choosing.”
    She tried to speak again, but the dragon’s shushing sound seemed to pull her breath away.
    “Hush. Your dilemma was real, and I am not your judge. Rest your mind for now. You need your energy to survive until your father returns. If the Creator sees fit to allow your days to be extended, then perhaps you will have an opportunity to state your case.”
    Koren murmured, “Jason … Elyssa.”
    “Your traveling companions. The last I heard, they were safe. You will be reunited in due time.”
    New pain dug into her gut. She pressed against her stomach and kneaded it with the heel of her hand, trying to push the evil beast away. The spasms returned, worse than ever. Her abdominal muscles twisted into a knot.
    She rolled to her side, curled into a ball, and pressed her knees against the slats. Sweat trickled across her forehead and back, dampening the sheets. Maybe death would come soon and cast her mind into darkness. At least then the pain would finally end.
    A flapping sound arrived. As it settled, a fresh wind blew across her face, drying the perspiration. The cooling sensation brought a new shiver, but instead of inciting another round of spasms, her muscles settled. Maybe the wood particles Alaph applied were helping.
    Alaph’s voice returned in a whisper, shifting again to the dragon language. “How could you carry her in this condition?”
    “I flew here with a boy who helped me.” The new voice was gruff, familiar somehow, another dragon speaking in their guttural language. “I left him at the entry.” There was a pause, and a puff of hot breath swept over her. “How is she?”
    “She has very little time.”
    “As do you.”
    “True,” Alaph said. “My time might well be near its end.”
    “Thank you for allowing me to be here. I know how dangerous it is.”
    “The trees are weak. The limb upon which you perch might not hold you for much longer.”
    “I speak of the danger of my presence in the Northlands, not the fragility of this limb.”
    “You have broken the covenant, Magnar,” Alaph said, “so the shattering of that curse has already had its effect.”
    “Have the Benefile been set free?”
    “I have not seen them, but I have no reason to believe they have not escaped. Your bonds were the only restraint.”
    “For that, I am sorry. I hope we can avoid a conflict.”
    “Sorry?” A growl spiced Alaph’s tone. “You intentionally passed through the portal. Your apology is hollow. If conflict comes, you alone will be to blame.”
    “That is why I came here,” Magnar said. “I wish to make peace with you and your kind before the others arrive. We can share power, divide the lands. I will set the slaves free and wash away our guilt.”
    “If you wish to make amends, then help Orson collect a stardrop. The survival of this Starlighter will help us in the event my fellow Benefile decide to exact punishment.”
    Silence descended for a moment. Koren’s spasms subsided further, but the gnawing beast within never relented. It continued biting and clawing from her intestines to her chest. Her heart thumped erratically, almost stopping at times before racing once again.
    “If she survives,” Magnar said in a low tone, “my future is bleak indeed. I will never be king again.”
    “Sacrifice is at the heart of repentance. Without deeds, your apology is worthless.”
    Magnar snorted. “We shall see how well you follow your own maxims. When Beth arrives, her fury will be terrible to behold. Your own apologies will be like acid in her ears.”
    “I am prepared to face the consequences of my actions. Leaving my own mate to such suffering is unforgiveable, at least in her eyes.”
    “Then you admit you were wrong?”
    “I did what I had to do,” Alaph