He walks away before I can even get my head around the fact Daegan just accepted that. Before I can ask since when did we agree that I was his? I feel like I’m playing a dangerous game between these two kings. I feel like I’m finally starting to understand where the writer of the book I’m reading is coming from. Standing between the sun and the moon means certain death, but I want to live.
The stone doors click open to the Decidere, and the cheering begins, so loud it blocks out the sound of my racing, confused heart. Catherine’s eyes are wide as I walk over, and before she can ask, I shake my head. I don’t even have enough time to explain to her everything that happened, but I will talk to her after this. Right now, we have to focus. She must know more about going into heat than Daegan or Ziven is going to tell me.
She leans in. “Are you okay?”
Maybe she can make me feel a bit better about it all, about how I went utterly mad with need. “No, but I’m ready for this.”
She gives me a worried glance but runs by my side behind the others, into the Decidere. Of the eight left, all of them run over straight towards the pillars except for Fritz, who goes to the steps before us, rushing down. We are running that way when a dragon jumps down off the ceiling, not just one of them, but two. They smother the steps as they roar at each other, fire spitting in every direction. I don’t think they have even noticed us.
My hands shake as the giant, powerful stone dragons slam into each other, and one wraps its massive mouth around the other’s neck. I step back at the same time as Catherine, mentally thinking of what to do next. The bridge. Another dragon lands on it when we turn, its back to us. Catherine leans in. “What do we do?”
The dragon on the bridge stretches its long legs out, its wings falling off the sides of the bridge and knocking off bits of it like rubble that falls and splashes into the water. It opens its mouth, a blaze of fire heading straight towards the people running for the pillars. A scream follows, along with the horrific smell of burning flesh that fills my nose seconds later. The two dragons on the stairs are fighting still, and I know we can’t get past them.
There is an option, but it’s not one I want to take. “We need to jump off the bridge, straight into the water before that dragon turns around.”
Catherine gulps. “Okay.” She takes my hand. “Together, we got this.” We both run straight towards the dragon on the bridge while it’s distracted, getting as close as we possibly can to the middle of the bridge. It turns its head back, its rows of glittering white teeth ready to snap, and fire heads straight our way. I jump off with Catherine right before the flames can engulf us, a scream climbing up my throat, but this time I hold it in, refusing to let the blackness take over before I turn around, pointing my arms out and diving straight into the water. Seconds later, I see Catherine in the water as I swim up, gasping as I break through the water’s surface. Flames have poured down the steps from the dragons fighting above, illuminating everything in a dark orange glow. We swim towards the pillars, and I pull myself out, water dripping from my hair and clothes.
I wince as the dragons above make more noises, slamming each other into rocks. “Why are they fighting?”
“Territorial, I’d guess,” she answers as she looks around. “But get to your pillar before they sense us.” She’s completely right. I don’t have time to wonder why dragons are fighting as I turn around and run towards the pillars. Catherine is right behind me for a few minutes before she carts off towards hers, and I search the pillars for the light. A panic laces down my spine as I hear more dragon roars and echoes of them getting closer. Those giant beasts, they could just crush me so easily, and I really don’t want to be in the way when they fight.
I barrel down the pillars, hundreds of them passing me by. Where is it? Finally, I see a red light near the wall, a pillar that’s almost half-eaten by the rocky wall edge. I don’t wait before throwing myself at it, knowing that I’ll appear on the other side and in the test—it’s safer than out here.
I stumble, heavy boots holding me down. In fact, all of my clothes are heavy because they are armour. My clothes have transformed and I’m now wearing full armour and scratchy cotton under it. The metal is the deepest purple colour, tinged with red. I glance around and realise that I’m not alone. There are rows of soldiers here, so many of them, and they’re marching forward. I’m one of them.
A soldier bumps into me from behind and gives me a warning look, and I quickly turn around and get back in line, marching along with the others in the thick desert sand. I can taste the sand in the hot air, and the sun shines down on us, almost as warm as the air. Every breath heats my lungs, and I’m sweating within seconds. I need to find out where I am. I move closer to the soldier next to me, noticing how he’s ridiculously tall compared to me, but thin underneath his armour. “Where are we going?”
The soldier has a helmet on, and I wonder why I wasn’t dressed in one. “To fight the dragons. They’ve come to our land and they’ve killed our people. Where else would our army be heading? Of course we’re going to fight the dragons.”
My heart freezes in my chest. I wonder what in the deities is going on? For at least ten minutes, all we do is walk before I hear them, and my mouth goes dry. The unnatural growl of a dragon echoing in the air, the sense that suddenly we aren’t the predator but the prey. The smell of fire and smoke engulfing my senses until I can’t do anything but breathe it in.
A dragon suddenly flies above us, his stone wings spread out, and a fire rains down in a line where it flies. I barely manage to jump to the side to avoid being burnt, but the man I was speaking to, he’s gone. Nothing but bones are left, still burning with red flames. I scream in horror, stumbling back and tripping, right onto another dead soldier that is little more than burnt armour. In a panic, I crawl to my feet, my hands sticky with mud and ash before I start to run. I need to get as far away as I possibly can.
I’m going too fast, not looking where I’m headed, and I run straight into the path of a dragon as it lands in front of me. My foot lodges in between two rocks, and I’m stuck as I come face to face with a dragon. Blood stains its massive grey teeth, and fire lingers at the back of its throat as it looks at me. A group of soldiers run at it, spears high in the air, and it turns, sending waves of hot fire from its mouth. As they scream, I cover my ears, slamming my eyes shut. “This isn’t real. This isn’t real.”
“Here!” A spear is shoved into my hand, and I open my eyes, looking at a soldier standing in front of the dragon. “For our dynasty. Stab this monster straight through its mouth. All you have to do is pierce its skin, and the venom will kill it. Make your death worth it.”
“What?” I question, my eyes widening as I look at the spear that’s placed in my hand. It’s heavy, and the end is dripping with something that looks like silver paint. The soldier inclines his head before he starts running away, leaving me trapped. I reach down, pulling at my foot, but it is too lodged between the rocks, and I can’t escape.
My hand shakes as I look at this beautiful creature as it turns back to me, and I can’t do it. The spear drops out of my hand, and the dragon pauses. For a second, I think it’s going to show me mercy, but that’s foolish. Dragons do not show fae any mercy. It opens its mouth, and a furious, damning fire pours into me, setting every inch of me alight. I scream and scream and scream until I realise that I’m not burning anymore. I’m actually cold.
I open my eyes and shiver, finding myself sitting on the bridge in front of the pillars, faintly smelling of smoke but not a single burn on me. The doors ahead slide open as I lift my hand up in the light. On my right hand, there’s another mark.
Killing the monster was never part of that test. It was letting the dragon live even if it meant I would die.
Chapter Nineteen
Page Nineteen.
I found a way to save them all, but…it will cost me everything. It will cost my life.
“Icome offering gifts. Well, food, but it’s meant to be a gift.”
I glance up from my rows of books at Daegan as he steps into the light of the lantern at the end of the library corridor. He’s holding up a wicker basket that I can tell is filled with food from the smell alone, and my stomach rumbles in answer to him before I even get a word out. I give him a tight smile. “My work isn’t done, not for a while yet, and there’s no food allowed in here.”
Daegan walks in. “I’m sure Mazzis will look the other way for me.” He sits down on the chair next to me, close enough his leg brushes mine. I clear the books, putting them back in the organised piles to make room. Daegan uses the space up, taking out cakes, sandwiches, fruit and dried potatoes that have been cut into circle shapes, sprinkled with salt, and they are slowly becoming one of my favourites.
I go to thank him, but the words feel too heavy to speak. It’s been awkward between us after everything that happened with Ziven. I have to admit that I’ve been avoiding him. The awkwardness doesn’t seem to fade as he looks at me and I finally manage to speak. “Thanks for bringing food. You didn’t have to.”
“You feel guilty, and you’ve been avoiding me.” He arches an eyebrow at me when I almost go to deny it. “It’s understandable and I’m not mad at you. Being in heat makes you do insane things with people that you would never touch usually. I know this because it’s what happened with my brother, and he ended up dead because of it.”
“Your brother?” I whisper.
Daegan looks down. “He went into heat when he was around Ziven’s sister. I had no idea they even liked each other, but they spent the night together.” He waits a second, like he doesn’t have the words to describe the next part. “Ziven was furious about it, and he killed my brother over it all. He is evil, and any friendship between us died that day. There was war.”
I cover my mouth. “Ziven just killed him?”
“Yes, brutally. He left his body torn up and a moon drawn in blood on his cheek.” I can hear the pain in his voice. “Nine months later, Henrietta was born. I gather you haven’t talked about her because Ziven told you not to, and I didn’t ask in case he hurt you.”
My shoulders drop. “You were protecting me?”
“I always have done since we met.” He picks up my hand. “I really believe we have something special.” I search his eyes, unsure how to feel about this new information. I never liked Ziven from the beginning, and I was scared of him at first, but then I thought maybe he was just misunderstood. Maybe he was good. Henrietta seems to love him. “It’s part of our agreement that Henrietta stays there, and I don’t go anywhere near her. It was the only way to stop the war and keep everyone safe.”
“She’s your niece. Isn’t she?” I quietly ask. That’s why she has his tanned skin, why her hair is so fair.
