“WHERE ARE YOU TAKING ME? TO THE GALLOWS?” SHE ASKED. “You need to stop talking that way. I’ve never met anyone so ready to die,” the dragon complained. “I am always ready to die. At any time.” He stopped. “Why?” “Why what?” A female who had dark hair and eyes like the fool before her stepped in. “I’ll let them know you’re bringing her.” Then she ran off laughing. The dragon gave a short snarl before facing Elina. “Why do you want to die?” “I have no desire to die.” “Then why do you seem so ready for it?” “To die with honor. If you cannot avoid death, then you must die with honor. Do you not plan to die with honor, dragon?” “No,” he said plainly, dark eyes staring at her. “I plan to fight death all the way, dragging those trying to kill me along for the ride.” “I would agree with you, dragon . . . except I am guilty of trying to kill your queen.” “But you didn’t do a very good job. Perhaps if you were better at it, I’d feel more inclined to take your head myself. But at this point, it would feel like stepping on a squirrel. Annoying. Sad. And a little messy.” More Dragon Kin novels from G.A. Aiken DRAGON ACTUALLY ABOUT A DRAGON WHAT A DRAGON SHOULD KNOW LAST DRAGON STANDING THE DRAGON WHO LOVED ME HOW TO DRIVE A DRAGON CRAZY A TALE OF TWO DRAGONS (eBook novella) Published by Kensington Publishing Corporation LIGHT MY FIRE G.A. AIKEN ZEBRA BOOKS KENSINGTON PUBLISHING CORP.
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All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected. Table of Contents “WHERE ARE YOU TAKING ME? TO THE GALLOWS?” SHE ASKED. More Dragon Kin novels from G.A. Aiken Title Page Dedication Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty-One Chapter Twenty-Two Chapter Twenty-Three Chapter Twenty-Four Chapter Twenty-Five Chapter Twenty-Six Chapter Twenty-Seven Chapter Twenty-Eight Chapter Twenty-Nine Chapter Thirty Chapter Thirty-One Chapter Thirty-Two Chapter Thirty-Three Chapter Thirty-Four Chapter Thirty-Five Chapter Thirty-Six Chapter Thirty-Seven Chapter Thirty-Eight Chapter Thirty-Nine Chapter Forty Chapter Forty-One Epilogue ACKNOWLEDGMENTS THE UNLEASHING Copyright Page For you, Ma Chapter One Elina Shestakova of the Black Bear Riders of the Midnight Mountains of Despair in the Far Reaches of the Steppes of the Outerplains—or just Elina for those who are lazy—carefully made her way up the mountain toward her destiny. It was, of course, not a destiny she wanted for herself. This had not been her plan for her life. But she didn’t have a choice, did she? The leader of her tribe, Glebovicha, had ordered her to take on this task. Glebovicha had said it was to help Elina get a reputation she could be proud of among their tribe. Even, perhaps, all the Tribes of the Steppes that were under the rule of the Anne Atli herself. But Elina had no delusions about any of this. Her life was over no matter which choice she made, so she might as well string this pathetic existence out as long as she could manage. And who knew? Perhaps the end would be quicker and much less painful than if she’d told Glebovicha to go to hell with her ridiculous task. So Elina continued to climb that mountain. Devenallt Mountain, it was called. Deep in the heart of Southland territory. Said to be the mountain home of the Southland dragons’ feared queen. It was a big, imposing place, but Elina had been taught to climb bigger mountains from the time she could stand. Her people, the Daughters of the Steppes, or as others called them, Terrors of the Outerplains, were a war-loving people. At one time, the Steppes
