Merglan suddenly released his grip on Anders and returned to his focus on Ivan. Ivan writhed on the floor as Anders tried to force Merglan to stop. Using the full tempest flowing through his veins, Anders couldn’t even divert Merglan’s attention.
Zahara dove and swooped around the room, flying expertly as she evaded Killdoor. Each time she locked claws with him, she managed to force the heft of the large dragon away from Anders and escape.
Anders could feel his energy beginning to dwindle. He was running out of time and needed to get them out of there before it was too late. Breaking his grip on Merglan, Anders connected with Zahara again, I need to grab him when I transport us out of here, he said.
You’re sure you know how to do that? Zahara asked, dodging Killdoor’s tail as he swung at them.
No, but I must try. The energy is fading quickly.
I’ll get us close, but we’ll risk Merglan trapping us again.
Do it. Zahara, he’s my father.
Without another word Zahara dove across the room, screaming toward Ivan and Merglan. Anders drew on all the strength they shared and focused their combined energy on transporting them out of there. As Zahara dove, she tucked her wings, slamming into the ground and sliding toward Merglan.
Merglan turned to look at them and raised his hand, but Ivan caught him, blocking his grasp with a last-ditch effort. As Zahara slid along the floor past Ivan, Anders reached out with his hand, grabbed Ivan’s leg and released the transport spell. An orb of light consumed Zahara as Anders drained his energy into creating the spell. With a snap, they began to pull away from the room. Anders looked up, his hand still gripping hold of Ivan's leg. Just as the spell began to work and the last stores of energy were pulled from Anders to complete the spell, a hand protruded through the glowing bubble encapsulating them. It grabbed hold of Ivan and pulled him out. Anders and Zahara were drawn away from the room. Transported through space and to a different location.
The dome of light vanished, and Anders slumped in Zahara’s saddle. The spell sucked all energy from his body. The last thing Anders saw before exhaustion claimed him was a red dragon approaching across the sky.
Nadir felt someone grab him by the armpits and begin to lift him to his feet. Bending his knees, he was able to get his legs under him and rise to his full height. Remli came around to his side and said, “That’s the second time today I thought you were a goner.”
Nadir sidestepped and picked up his sword from the ground. Wiping the dirt and blood from the blade, Nadir said, “Third actually.” He narrowed his eyes, keeping them fixed on the dwarf as he walked over to Lageena’s body. Nadir stood alongside the stout soldier. Reaching out to him, Nadir said, "You have my thanks, soldier. Give me your name so I know who I am indebted to."
The dwarf glanced awkwardly to the line of fighting taking place nearby, feeling they should fall back in line and continue their duty, but he couldn't ignore the fact that he’d been addressed by a king.
When the dwarf didn’t respond right away, Remli stepped forward, “Your name lad. Give the elf king your name.”
Nadir furrowed his brow when the dwarf remained silent, shifting in his armor. Remli groaned and stepped toward the soldier, but Nadir stopped him, grabbing him by the shoulder. He nodded to Remli as if to say it was fine. Nadir held out his hand and the soldier took it. “I don’t need your name, because from the moment you drove that burning dagger into her heart, you forever earned a new name in my eyes. I’ll call you Burnheart. Now, Burnheart, name a reward. I'm in your debt and I'll do whatever is in my power to see it paid."
At that moment the dwarf named Burnheart reached his arm up and removed his helmet. Nadir raised his eyebrow when he recognized the dwarf. Suddenly he recalled why those red braids had seemed so familiar. Remli gasped, stepping back in surprise. The smooth-faced soldier, queen slayer and Nadir's savior was Remli’s own daughter, Maylox.
“No, it can’t be,” Remli said shaking his head. “You aren’t supposed to be here.”
Addressing the elf king, Maylox said, "I wish to be a soldier in my father's army."
Nadir turned to the dwarf king, raising an eyebrow.
Remli gawked in disbelief, “But I expressly forbade her from doing this.”
Nadir shrugged.
Remli ran his hand through his beard trying to find the right words, “I’m, so, proud.” A wide smile crossed his face as he lunged forward to hug his daughter.
Maylox hugged her father, glancing to the line of soldiers fiercely holding back the orcs from pushing through their defense.
Nadir crouched next to Lageena’s body, staring into her glossed-over eyes. He stripped the gauntlet off his hand and then held the back of his hand over her mouth and nose to make sure she was no longer breathing. A glint of silver around Lageena’s neck caught his eye. A necklace hung, coiling on the ground next to her head. He could see the faint glow from the crystal she'd been using to wield magic. Nadir reached down and picked it up, pulling hard to break the chain from her neck. He held it tight in his hand as he took one last look at his dead stepmother, burn marks on the chestplate where Maylox had driven the dagger into her heart. Lageena’s eyes looked wild, crazed and unsettling.
Groaning, Nadir stood. Turning to Remli and his daughter, he said, “Maylox Burnheart. I like the sound of that.”
Remli grinned, “Yep. I also like the sound of us living through this, so let’s get out of here now.”
As the two kings sounded the horns signaling to their soldiers to retreat, they joined the injured who'd already begun sneaking their way out of the canyon. The Lumbapi and dwarfs led the retreat, helping the injured and those slowed by exhaustion to the secret trails that wound through the trees. The elves held the wall, keeping the disorganized orcs at bay while the others climbed to safety in the shadow of darkness. The ravines provided good cover to escape during the night. When Nadir climbed to the top of the narrow canyon and saw the last of his elven forces retreat swiftly up the hill to join them, he gripped the crystal in his hand, wondering what kind of king he would be.
Epilogue
“No. No, no, no, no,” Thomas whimpered as he tried to shake his sister’s limp body awake. “Wake up!” he cried, tears streaming down his cheeks.
Britt watched with a blank stare as Kirsten’s flesh turned pale, red streaks extending out from the goblin’s bite. Blood seeped out from the deeply cut tissue on Kirsten’s left shoulder. Britt had seen hundreds of wounds before. She’d battled humans, orcs, and even kurr, but she’d never seen a wound turn septic so quickly. It was as though the goblin’s bite was powered by a rapidly advancing poison.
“The crystal,” Britt said pulling herself from her trance. She had dropped the translucent crystal when Kirsten came through the barrier. Dropping the crystal reformed the barrier, severing the goblin attached to Kirsten in two. Britt frantically began searching the forest floor around them. She’d hardly moved from where she was just a moment before when she’d been holding tightly to the crystal.
Max saw her searching and immediately joined in. “What are we looking for?” he whispered as he raked his hands through the duff-covered ground.
“The crystal,” she said. “It can heal her. I know it can.” Britt pulled apart clumps of grass at her feet, pushing aside dead leaves and twigs. “It was right here!” she shouted in frustration.
“Got it,” Bo said. He’d joined the search shortly after Max.
Britt thrust her palm toward him, “Give it,” she said forcefully. Taking the crystal, she quickly pressed it to Kirsten’s body, holding it in place on her chest. She held her breath waiting for the magic stone to do something. Nothing happened. Britt frowned and lifted the crystal off Kirsten, looked at it, then shook it and tried again. Again, she held the crystal against Kirsten’s limp body, but nothing happened. The red streaking poison in Kirsten’s veins continued to spread.
“Maybe we should try it directly on her skin?” Thomas sniffled through his tears, trying to regroup.
Britt tried again, this time holding the light blue stone Governor Rankstine had used to control an entire town against Kirsten’s bare skin. Suddenly Kirstin’s breathing turned shallow and rapid, as she attempted to breathe through clenched teeth.
“Try on the bite,” Max snapped, seeing Kirsten’s condition worsen.
Britt moved the crystal directly to the wound, blood coating the crystal. She held the crystal against her friend, closed her eyes and willed the crystal to work.
