---

Alcabaza

Isiah sprinted along the crowded street. The sound of his breathing swirled in his ear. Each footstep sent a shockwave up his legs. Merchants yelled and staggered aside as he shoved his way past. He clutched the coarse sack to his chest and shot a quick glance over his shoulder.

Seeing nobody behind him, he cut hard into an alleyway. Tall sandstone walls penned him in, broken by small windows with wooden shutters. Far ahead and above, the mountain’s flat, table-top peak loomed over the city—along with the eagle roosts. He vaulted over a pile of fallen jugs and burst onto a new street.

Someone slammed into his side and tackled him to the ground. He grunted as a bolt of pain shot through his ribs. He tightened his grip on the sack, but a pair of hands wrestled it from his grip.

“You’re too slow, Isiah.” Aron laughed. He straightened up and slung the sack over his shoulder. “We’re winning this one,” he said as he took off along the road.

As Isiah scrambled to his feet, he saw Aron join up with Myla and scamper off. Isiah rubbed his aching side and went after them.

Aron and Myla slipped into the crowd, heading toward the roosts. Isiah put a hand to his forehead and scanned the sea of heads. He swore. Where’s Marie?

“Isiah!” Marie’s shrill voice called. He turned to see her jumping and waving her hands.

“Come on!” He beckoned her. “We’re losing them!”

Marie sprinted over. Her cheeks were red and sweat clung to her brow. “I couldn’t keep up with Aron,” she gasped.

“We can still catch them,” he told her. “You follow them on the street.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I’ve got a plan.”

Leaving Marie behind, Isiah sprinted to the nearest building and clambered up its side, using the windowsills and shutters as handholds. He hauled himself over a low wall and onto the building’s flat roof. He sprinted along its length, then kicked off and jumped to the next house.

Aron and Myla ran along the street below, weaving between merchant stalls and past gangs of Raiders. Isiah fixed his eyes on the sack dangling from Aron’s shoulder. Marie floundered after them as if trapped in a current.

Isiah leapt onto another rooftop and ducked beneath a clothesline. Someone yelled at him, but he didn’t stop to see who it was. He came level with Aron and Myla and moved to cut them off.

Aron glanced at him out the corner of his eye. As they neared the end of the road, the boy made a sharp turn into a plaza.

Isiah leapt from the rooftop. His heart flew into his throat as he became weightless, then he plummeted toward the ground.

He landed on a cloth tarpaulin and dropped into a merchant’s stall. Poles collapsed and vegetables spilled across the plaza. A merchant swore at him and brandished a stick.

“Sorry!” Isiah called over his shoulder. He ducked into the crowd before anybody could grab him and sprinted after Aron and Myla.

A line of mule-drawn wagons crossed the plaza ahead. Aron climbed a cart and vaulted over it, then paused to help Myla over. The boy locked eyes with Isiah as he approached.

“You can’t catch us, Isiah!” he called, before dropping out of view.

Isiah reached the mules. Merchants yelled, waving the crowd aside as they passed. A driver, brandishing a whip, shook his fist in Aron’s direction. Isiah’s gaze fell to the underside of the wagon.

Tensing his muscles, he hit the street and slid beneath it. His stomach backflipped as the grumbling wheels passed inches from his body, but he made it out the other side.

The stone stairs that led to the roosts were ahead. He spotted Aron and Myla already halfway up. Isiah willed his aching muscles to keep running.

He reached the staircase a few seconds behind them and climbed above the city, leaving the crowds and the jumble of sandstone buildings behind. Beyond, the open plain around Alcabaza sprawled, yellow and shimmering with fields of wheat and maize. Eagles circled above the mountain’s peak, some breaking away to settle on the wooden landing pads that jutted from the roosts.

Isiah’s chest heaved with aching breaths. Aron and Myla were a few paces away. He could almost snatch the sack from the boy’s shoulder . . .

Aron reached the top of the stairs and let out a whoop. “I win!” He pumped his fist in the air. “Take that, Isiah!”

Isiah doubled over, panting. Myla laughed as Aron scooped her up and spun her around.

“Didn’t I tell you?” Aron said. “They thought they lost us back in that bazaar, but I knew better.”

Isiah leaned against a wall as they waited for Marie to make it up the stairs. She gave Isiah an apologetic look. “I’m sorry I lost us the game,” she said.

Isiah gave her a reassuring smile. “It’s not your fault. I shouldn’t have let myself get tackled.” He raised an eyebrow at Aron. “I should have expected you to play dirty.”

“Hey, Darla said it’s allowed,” Aron said. “You’ve got to be prepared for anything, remember?”

Isiah spotted Darla climbing down from a rooftop. The woman brushed her silky dark hair off her face. “That was some quick thinking, Aron,” she said, lifting a spyglass. “I saw the whole thing.” She ruffled Marie’s hair. “But you’re improving. I’ll make a Scavenger out of you yet.”

Marie gave her a weak smile. Darla plucked the sack from Aron’s hand and slung it over her shoulder.

“What’s even in there?” Myla asked.

“Our groceries,” Darla said with a mischievous grin.

Aron groaned. “I thought you said there was a reward.”

“There is.” She winked at them. “We get to eat tonight.”

Isiah let their bickering fade to the edge of his awareness. The adrenaline from Darla’s challenge began to wear off, letting fatigue creep into his muscles. Darla said her games were supposed to toughen them up.

Myla sidled over. “I’m sorry about the tackle,” she said. “Are you hurt?”

Isiah rubbed his side. “I’ll be fine.”

“I was gonna head to the house to cool off.” She looked up at him from beneath her curls. “Do you want to come?”

Before Isiah could reply, Darla waved at them. “Myla,” she called. “For our next lesson, how about we take your eagle for a fly?”

Isiah glanced at her. “I guess you’re busy.”

Myla sighed. “Catch you later, then.” She broke away and joined Darla.

Isiah watched the pair go. Since they’d returned to Alcabaza, Darla had kept Myla busy with her training. He’d barely had a chance to spend time with her.

Aron waltzed over. “I’m also heading to the house—hopefully before Darla can rope me into anything else. How about you?”

Isiah waved him away. “I’m gonna find Tessa.”

Aron shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

Aron and Marie broke away in the direction of their new house. Isiah’s gaze went to the squat sandstone building on the mountainside. After defeating Abaddon’s fleet, the Raider gangs had welcomed Lazaro back into the city and given them a new place to live. It overlooked the roosts and the plain beyond, situated near the tavern that Mauriel had commandeered.

Isiah started at a brisk walk toward the eagle pens. Long rows of stalls housed the city’s many eagles. Groups of handlers scurried around, tending to them. Isiah craned his neck and watched a few birds circling lazily in the watery blue morning sky. He passed Vyrro’s empty pen.

Tessa must still be giving him exercise, he thought.

He stopped on one of the landing pads and squinted against the sunlight. A piercing blue-white sun crowned the sky, overshadowing a smaller star that smouldered a deep reddish-black. A lone eagle soared across the plains, wheeling through the warming air.

Isiah made out Tessa hunched over Vyrro’s saddle, her long hair trailing like a banner. She tugged on the giant bird’s reins and he plummeted toward the plain far below. Isiah held his breath as Vyrro threw out his wings and rushed over the fields, making crops ripple in his wake. Isiah waved as they pulled up and flew toward the city.

He stepped aside as Vyrro dropped onto the landing pad with a flurry of wingbeats. Each one blasted Isiah’s face and made his robes flutter. The bird adjusted his long, hooked talons as Tessa slid from his back. A pair of handlers rushed to lead Vyrro to his pen and remove his saddle.

“I didn’t see you at Darla’s games this morning,” Isiah said.

Tessa laughed. “Darla’s games are silly,” she replied. “I told her I’m too experienced for them.” She gave him a sly smile. “And I think you are, too.”

Isiah grinned. “Maybe you’re right . . . but we needed four people to play.”

Tessa dusted off her brightly coloured robes. Strips of vibrant red and orange adorned her, pinned tight against her body by a harness. A curved sabre hung from her belt in a wooden scabbard. After defeating Abaddon, Isiah had bought a new blade to replace the one that had broken. Tessa watched him with bright eyes.

“What made you swing by?” she asked.

“Oh.” Isiah collected himself. “I was going to practice with Aegon.”

“I’ll go with you,” she said. “I want to see how she’s settling in.”

As they headed deeper into the roosts, Isiah studied Tessa out the corner of his eye. She hadn’t spoken about what happened between them after defeating Abaddon. He still remembered the sensation of her lips against his. Part of him wondered if she was pretending it hadn’t happened.

As they walked, a familiar presence crept into Isiah’s mind. He closed his eyes and opened himself to it. Further down the street, a serpentine head lifted.

The dragon lay in the shade beneath a tree. Rippling blue and purple scales adorned her lithe body, with broad wings that continued down her sides and flared out like a cloak. Her tail twitched as they approached.

Isiah stroked her neck and she gave a rumble of greeting. It had taken the Raiders time to get used to her, but with Gaelon and Valerie’s help, they’d convinced the city to allow both dragons to stay. Isiah spotted Gaelon and his dragon Enzo nearby.

“Isiah.” Gaelon beamed. A turban adorned his head, and he wore the robes of a Raider. He’d settled into the city and become part of the Raiders with all the ease and tact Isiah expected from a former Royal Guard.

Isiah exchanged glances with Tessa. She smiled at the man. “Hey, Gaelon,” she said.

“The Raiders are holding a meeting this afternoon.” Gaelon wandered over. “I wanted you to come along, Isiah. Tessa, too.”

Isiah hesitated. “Why do you want me there?”

“We’re Alcabaza’s dragon riders,” Gaelon said. “You couldn’t hide from the Raiders if you wanted to. They want to discuss the Sunstone—and because you two helped find it, I wanted you both to be there.”

“Why so much chatter over the Sunstone?” Tessa asked.

“Word is spreading like wildfire,” Gaelon explained. “Sybil was right. After what happened with Abaddon, we lost all hope of it being kept a secret. It seems like every corner of the Badlands will know about it soon.”

“You don’t need me,” Isiah said. “I can’t tell them anything useful.”

“Nonsense.” Gaelon put a hand on his shoulder. “I saw how you defeated Abaddon. You’re a natural-born leader, Isiah.” He lowered his voice. “And I see how your friends look up to you.”

Isiah squirmed beneath the man’s gaze. “You and Lazaro can represent our gang,” he said.

“You can’t count on Lazaro forever,” Gaelon replied. “No offence to the man,” he added, glancing at Tessa.

“Lazaro is down by the skyships,” Tessa said. “Valerie trusted him to be in charge.” She took Isiah’s hand. “I want to go visit him.”

“I’ll go with you,” Isiah said quicky.

Aegon climbed to her feet and lowered a wing so that Isiah could climb onto her shoulders.

Gaelon stepped away. “Your dragon puts you in the public eye,” he said. “It’s not something you can run from.” He gave a brief wave. “I’ll see you at the meeting.”

Isiah helped Tessa climb after him and Aegon lumbered along the street. Isiah sighed as the dragon launched herself into the sky and pulled away from the roosts.

“What was that all about?” Tessa asked.

“It’s the Royal Guard in him,” Isiah replied. “He’s taken to being a leader. He drags me to every Raider meeting.”

Tessa tightened her grip around Isiah’s middle as they flew over the plain. Townsfolk stared and pointed at them. Isiah adjusted his weight on Aegon’s shoulders.

“He’s kind of right, you know,” Tessa said. “Everybody recognizes you. The whole city thinks you’re the first Raider to tame dragons.”

Isiah tugged at his collar. The material rubbed against his Mark, irritating the warped, candle-wax skin that stretched across his shoulder and either side of his torso.

“Are you worried they’ll find out?” Tessa asked softly.

“I don’t know . . .” Isiah shook his head. “Let’s just drop it, okay?”

Tessa fell silent. Isiah focused on the Badlands ahead and settled into the steady rise and fall of Aegon’s shoulders. For a moment he was back in the highlands, flying Aegon without a care in the world.

I’m not like Gaelon, he thought. The Raiders will never respect me. He knew the Raiders were only humouring him by letting him attend. He didn’t know the first thing about leadership.

He sighed. “Things were so much simpler in the Hidden Citadel.”

---

Lazaro

The dark shapes of ruined skyships materialized ahead, littering the lush plain surrounding Alcabaza. Isiah leaned forward and directed Aegon toward them. She spread her wings and began to descend.

Piles of wood and metal lay strewn across the landscape, remnants of the battle with Abaddon’s fleet. Aegon roared as she touched down on the sandy earth. A hulking mass of broken wood leaned against a spire like a dead whale. Coils of rope and sheets of sun-bleached canvas were scattered around. A few brightly coloured merchant tents stood nearby as people picked over the former flagship’s carcass.

Isiah swung his leg over Aegon’s flank and slid down her wing. Raiders sat around talking on one side of the vessel, their eagles perched in the shadow of a butte. The sheer, rocky crag loomed overhead. Isiah picked out the ledge they’d sheltered on after Abaddon’s flagship crashed.

Merchants hauled away chests and strips of salvaged material. Scrap-dealers fastened lengths of pipe and sheets of metal to the backs of scaly, lizard-like beasts. Others bundled carpets and curtains from the rubble. The golden figurehead at the front of the vessel was missing—along with most valuable items.

Lazaro stood directing Raiders as they combed over the ships. Some used axes to open tunnels into the crushed hull of the vessel. Occasionally a merchant would come up with an item of value and the others would scuffle over who found it first.

Tessa called Lazaro’s name and he turned to face them, squinting against the piercing sunlight. Isiah made out the man’s short-cropped hair and the slight tilt of his nose.

“Have you found anything good?” Tessa asked as they reached his side.

“Plenty of gold,” he said. “Assorted artefacts. Even some fine rugs and furniture that survived the crash.” He scratched the back of his neck. “The other Raiders think we’ve salvaged everything useful by now.”

Tessa took a seat atop a boulder that overlooked the flagship. “Maybe they’re right. Why do you stay down here?”

“The skyships attracted merchants from every corner of the Badlands,” Lazaro said. “In the beginning, we spent less time looting and more time chasing them off. We even caught some smuggling goods out of Alcabaza in the dead of night.” He folded his arms. “We’re still excavating some sections that collapsed during the crash. Any loot we find belongs to the Raiders.”

Tessa gave him a sly look. “I see why Valerie put you in charge.” After a moment, her expression dropped. “You should come back to the city with us. You’ve been out here for weeks.”

Lazaro waved her away. “The Raiders need me here. You’re more than capable of taking care of yourselves. Besides,” he added, “you have Gaelon looking after you.”

Something in the man’s voice made Isiah pause, but he didn’t have time to think about it.

“Lazaro,” one of the Raiders called. “We’ve breached another treasure room.”

Lazaro rubbed his hands together. “I’ll catch up with you later, Tess.”

Isiah watched the man go. Merchants crowded about the Raiders like scavengers around a carcass, but they scattered when Lazaro approached. A burly Raider lifted a chest from a hole in the ruined flagship’s side. Tessa fidgeted.

“Is something wrong?” Isiah asked.

She lowered her voice. “I feel guilty not telling Lazaro about Gaelon.” She rubbed her arms. “I don’t know what he’d do if he found out the truth.”

“You said it was better this way,” Isiah said. “Remember?”

“I know . . .” She trailed off. “I just hate keeping secrets from him. I’ve never hidden anything from Lazaro before.”

Isiah watched Lazaro vanish inside the flagship. Part of him wondered if the man suspected Gaelon of being a Royal Guard, but he’d never questioned them about it.

“The whole Raider tames a dragon thing was hard for him to believe,” Tessa said.

Above, an eagle gave a shrill cry. Isiah craned his neck as a troop of four birds soared overhead. Their riders clutched spears with long, trailing banners. Merchants stopped working to watch them pass.

Tessa furrowed her brow. “That’s odd.”

“What is it?” Isiah put a hand to his forehead and squinted. The eagles flew in tight formation toward the city, their riders adorned with dark purple robes. “They don’t look like they’re from Alcabaza,” he said.

“They’re not.” Tessa jumped to her feet. “They might be messengers from another city.”

Isiah remembered Gaelon’s earlier words, about how rumours of the Sunstone will spread through all the Badlands. “Do you think it’s got something to do with the Sunstone?”

“What else could it be?”

Isiah beckoned Aegon. Merchants scattered as she lumbered over. “We should check it out.”

Tessa hesitated. She cast a look at where Lazaro had disappeared. “I guess you’re right.”

---

Aegon lowered her head as she approached the city and touched down in the roosts. A crowd had gathered nearby, around a row of eagle pens. Isiah slid off Aegon’s wing and hurried toward the crowd, Tessa in tow. He tried to make out their hushed conversations.

A nagging voice lingered in the back of his mind. If they’re messengers . . . who sent them? He pushed the thought away. Paradon couldn’t possibly know about the Sunstone.

He broke past a crowd and spotted the eagles that had flown overhead. Purple strips of material adorned their bodies, and the twin banners leaned against a pen nearby. The four messengers stood talking to Gaelon and Valerie.

Isiah tugged on Tessa’s hand. “Let’s get a closer look.”

They slipped through the mass of Raiders. As they drew closer, Isiah made out the conversation.

“This is wonderful news,” Gaelon said. He glanced at Valerie. “If a bit abrupt.”

“We flew as quickly as we could,” the lead messenger replied. “We wanted to visit before any other cities had a chance.”

“I knew word was spreading, but I didn’t think an entire city would take such a keen interest,” Gaelon replied.

“How couldn’t we?” the messenger asked. “Surely you don’t underestimate what this means for the Badlands.”

The messenger’s smooth voice made the hair rise on the back of Isiah’s neck. Gaelon was right about word spreading fast. It made sense the other cities would want to confirm the rumours, but would all this attention be a good thing?

A murmur went around the Raiders. Gaelon spotted Isiah among the crowd.

“Isiah!” Gaelon beckoned him. “Come over here.”

Isiah squirmed as the messengers turned to him. He forced himself over to Gaelon’s side.

“These messengers represent a special Order,” Gaelon said. “They’re arriving to pay homage to the Sunstone.”

“We want to see if the stories are true,” the messenger cut in. “Did you fire the Sunstone? Did it cleave the sky in two and lay waste to the skyship fleet?”

Isiah picked his words carefully. “We only used the Sunstone once,” he said. “Abaddon wanted to use it to control the Badlands. We had to stop him.”

“Judging by those skyships, you succeeded,” the messenger replied. “What do you plan to do with it now?”

“We can’t let it fall into the wrong hands.” Isiah had seen first-hand the cost of obtaining the weapon. He remembered the nomad shaman Sybil’s warning, before she died. “It’s too powerful for anyone to wield.”

“I’m certain that your city will keep the Sunstone safe.” The messenger bowed. “We’ll relay your response to our comrades.”

“Please,” Gaelon said, “stay and rest a while before you return home. You’ve had a long flight.”

“It would be our pleasure,” the messenger said.

Valerie motioned to her Raiders, and they led the messengers deeper into the city. The crowd followed after them.

“Where are those guys from?” Isiah asked.

“Kalabara,” Gaelon replied. “A neighbouring city a few days’ flight from here. As you heard, they’re requesting permission for an important Kalabaran convoy to visit. It seems their city has taken notice of us.”

Tessa folded her arms. “Should we really allow them to visit? They might want the Sunstone for themselves.”

“This is the perfect opportunity to put their minds at ease,” Gaelon said. “If we forge a strong alliance with Kalabara, it will show that the Badlands has nothing to fear from us holding the Sunstone.”

“I say we welcome them,” Valerie said, spreading her arms. “Whatever Order they belong to, if they’re enemies of Paradon, that makes them friends of ours.”

A murmur of agreement went around the Raiders. Isiah searched for any flicker of emotion in Gaelon’s face at the mention of Paradon, but the man gave nothing away.

“This isn’t about strength,” Gaelon said. “It’s about cooperation between the cities.”

“Oh, where’s your ambition, Gaelon?” Valerie asked. “As long as we have the Sunstone, we’re invincible. I say we welcome this Order and show them all the hospitality Alcabaza has to offer!”

The Raiders cheered louder. Isiah took the opportunity to slip away from the crowd. He let his shoulders drop as he reached the edge of the roosts. He jumped as Tessa put a hand on his shoulder.

“What do you think about these messengers?” she asked.

Isiah brushed her away. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Of course it does,” she replied. “Gaelon wants you to—”

“I know what he wants.” Isiah caught himself. “I don’t think Lazaro will be happy about this.”

Tessa’s nose crinkled. “He’s more worried about the skyships. I’ll be surprised if he even notices.”

Valerie’s voice rose above the crowd. “Stock the tavern and finish repairing the plaza. We want to make a good impression!”

Isiah shook his head. “I don’t blame him.”

FULL BOOK COMING APRIL 30TH