Father Rodriguez, an inquisitor from Spain, has showed up in Edinburgh at the same time as King Donald's contingent from Argyll. He requested time with the youngest dragon lord.

“I have heard, Gerald, that you hated all dragons and wanted to kill them all. And I have heard that you are lord over nearly all dragons and they do your bidding. Which is it?”

Gerald stared at the father in amazement. “Who says I am lord over the dragons? That is absurd! They bow to no man; they are their own.”

“Then how did one so young earn the title of dragon lord, and why is his name shown so much respect?”

“I did not realize it was. But I earned it as any might. I traded with a dragon for my gain- a long lost dragon sword. I killed another dragon, and vanquished a third.”

“A dragon gave you a dragon sword?”

“In a dream I saw a great dragon treasure. The dream was true. I found the treasure and traded.”

“What would a dragon long for enough to yield a true dragon sword? Why would it not destroy the sword?”

Gerald shrugged. “Apparently, destroying one is difficult. He had hidden this sword away where no man would find it. As for what he wanted, it was just a relic.”

“Why?”

“I cannot say.”

Rodriguez, who had been leaning forward intently, now leaned back. He stared alternately at Gerald and out the window. He sipped his wine. After a long silence he spoke. “And what of Skye, Lord Gerald? What are you trying to hide from me?”

Coming soon: an excerpt from volume III, Into Otherness.