Chapter 74
Ro
Icould hardly breathe, and not just because Dae tore through the woods like a fired arrow.
Because we hadn’t been able to stop them.
Braxius almost died at the hands of a monster, and I’d been helpless to save him. A monster who now controlled the deadliest magic in the world in its full force.
Kasia had died. So had her husband. And now, all of my friends would, too. Then everyone else.
I’d thought I could make a difference. Thought I could remain a step ahead, foil The Order’s plans and save the day. Instead, I’d single-handedly brought about the end of the world.
If I’d never stepped foot into Windguard’s castle, none of this would have happened. The greatest irony was that I’d spent my life searching for a purpose, thinking I was meant for something good. And look what happened. Striving for that led to the opposite. What would my father say? My mother?
Guess I would find out soon enough since I’d be joining them.
“Look,” Dae said.
He finally slowed, and I craned my neck to see around his big monstrous head.
My friends stood in a line, as if welcoming me home.
They were all glowing. Had I already died?
Was this heaven? I lost that hope when I noted how they all donned Highcrest armor.
The sun reflected off the shiny silver steel, the sight nearly blinding.
We approached, and I dismounted. Dae shifted quickly, barely letting my feet hit the ground. He grabbed my hand, holding it tightly. There was an uneasiness about him, so I asked, “Are you okay?”
“Are any of us?” he replied, but it seemed intentionally avoidant.
Greeting the others, I hugged them as if it were the last time. I explained that we’d been too late, but it seemed they’d already figured out something had gone wrong. The army worked behind them, sharpening weapons, passing around supplies.
The terrain here was a blessing and a curse.
Barely any flat, open land existed, only a small clearing that forced soldiers to file along the road behind us, or scatter throughout the trees.
Not efficient for mobilization, but at least provided coverage from attack.
Though the same could be said for the enemy.
“After this, you know what I could go for? A nice big steak. We should put that chef of yours to work, eh Nick?” Tio said to soothe the throbbing tension. He always had a knack for doing that.
I smiled, but tears slipped free regardless. Dae’s hand remained tightly grasped in mine.
“I’m sorry, everyone. I tried to help but I just made everything worse.” I didn’t want their pity, or their sympathy. Any attempts to comfort me or try to convince me that it wasn’t would just make this harder. Pretty words wouldn’t erase the truth.
“They were always coming, Ro. At least we got to see it coming, to try to make a difference,” Tio said, already resigned to the inevitable loss heading straight for us.
He tightened his hold around Melody, his thumb lovingly stroking against her hip, and I wanted to cry.
They wouldn’t get to have the life they deserved together.
In a matter of moments, it would be ripped away, all because I hadn’t shared what I’d learned with Dae.
If I had, he would’ve had the sense to stay away.
To keep his brothers away. And Kasia never would have returned.
It was actually incredible how fast everything went to shit.
I doubted history had ever had someone make such colossal mistakes so rapidly. How could anyone hold faith in me now?
Familiar drums sounded from a distance. No, not drums—beating wings. We all looked toward the sky to see the horde of dragons soar over the treetops. Screams of terror rang out from the army as the dragons landed, crushing trees and sending gusts of wind that stirred up leaves and dirt.
At last, a behemoth blue dragon joined, and I ran. I collided against Braxius’s chest, splaying my arms over his expansive, scaly body.
“I thought you died.” I sobbed into his leathery hide.
“I’m insulted. You know how tough I am.” Even his mental voice boomed.
The soft sound of my laughter sounded foreign against the heaviness in my heart. “You’re no longer the spry, pesky little thing that sat on my shoulder all the time.” My lip trembled at the thought that I’d never feel him there again.
“I’m still spry and pesky. If you want, I can try sitting on your shoulder.”
I chuckled. “No, please don’t.”
He brought his nose down to nuzzle against my head. “Maybe it’s your turn to sit on mine.”
I squeezed my hold against him. “What were you thinking, getting that close?!” My eyebrows pinched together in anger.
He lifted his head, returning to a regal posture. Damn his nostrils were huge now. “I spotted you in the woods when they had you tied up in that wagon. You needed help, so I got it. But we didn’t know.”
“Didn’t know what?” I asked.
“The Eleven cannot kill us with dark magic. For balance, as is in all things, we cannot kill them by our fire. I was flying around, trying to figure some other plan of attack, when an owl plucked me from the sky in its talons. It handed me off to Marvoe. They used the blood from the non-magic wielders to draw symbols over their skin, muttering a spell over me and the horn. I guess I was the last ingredient. But I wasn’t scared, because I had seen you and Dae escape.
I didn’t enjoy having my throat slit, but I would do it again if it meant keeping you safe. ”
“Please don’t ever do that for me. I wouldn’t be able to live if I was the reason you died.”
“You’ve been the reason I’ve lived, Ro. I left the mountains because I wanted more from life.
I wanted adventure, risk, and fun. You provided all of that for me.
Looking back, I don’t think I could have pulled it off on my own.
I would have retreated back to the mountains with my tail between my legs, admitting defeat for being foolish and na?ve that my life could be something more.
But a redhead with a bow and arrow welcomed me without reservation and gave me a home. ”
My face drowned in hot, salty tears. “You’ve helped me live, too.
” He had. So had Tio. So had Rav and Radhak.
I’d been much the same as Braxius, feeling like there was something more calling to me.
Fitting in had never been easy until I found a group of people who didn’t.
People, and a tiny little dragon creature who wandered out of the woods of Argora Vale in need of a meal.
“I don’t think we’re going to make it,” I admitted. Voicing those words out loud wouldn’t do any good. None of us needed to state the probability of what was about to unfold. We all had a pretty clear idea.
“You have us now.”
“Yeah, but you can’t kill them.”
“Not with our fire, but now that we don’t need to keep our distance, we’ll just have to do it the old-fashioned way.” He snapped his jaw, making a loud chomping sound. I lifted my gaze to his face.
“You definitely couldn’t do that before.” I patted his chest.
“Oh, I could. Beetles were terrified of me.”
“Don’t remind me.” I rolled my eyes, shutting out the memories of hearing those beetles scream. The circle of life wasn’t always kind. I had a special kind of awareness for that.
Dae cleared his throat behind me.
“Tell him he smells rancid and I liked him better before.”
“Braxius. This new look suits you. You look fierce,” Dae said, placing his hand over my back.
“…Okay, maybe I still like him.”
“He can tell that you’re different,” I said timidly.
Dae hummed and nodded, an obvious sign that he didn’t want to talk about it.
“But he still likes you.” I gave a weary smile, finding it difficult to fake.
“Did he see how far away The Order was?” Dae said.
I hadn’t thought to ask. The question was a slapping reminder of our final moments.
“Some of their camp members rallied, the ones who avoided our attack. The Eleven marched forward, not caring that some of their own people were eviscerated by the dark magic. There were fifty or so marching when we flew overhead. Maybe five minutes?”
I stared into Dae’s mesmerizing brown eyes, trying to memorize every fleck and hue. “Five minutes.”
He kissed me like his lips would save me, save us. I flung my arms around him, arching back. I never wanted to forget the warmth of his caring arms wrapped against me, holding me close like I was a part of him.
When he withdrew just enough for our lips to merely graze, tears glistened on his face.
“Oh, Dae.” I wiped them with my thumbs. He looked like he was in pain, and that drove a lance through my heart.
“If I can figure out how to control the magic, I’ll keep it away from you. Until my last breath.”
“Dae, no. No, the more you wield it, the more it’ll corrupt you.
You’ve seen what The Eleven look like. So far, your skin looks clear.
I don’t want it to take over.” I brushed the hair away from his face, stroking his cheek and jaw with my palm.
“I can’t lose you,” I whispered, losing the battle to keep my tears at bay.
“You never could.” He nestled his face into my neck, drawing me into a hug that only solidified how perfectly we fit together. I ran my fingers through his silky hair that remained unbound at the bottom. Our silence overflowed with the truth of what existed between us.
A wave of calm acceptance washed over me in the comfort of his embrace. Perhaps death would always come too quickly, maybe we’d always want more time. Maybe the amount of time we spent in this life mattered less than what we made of it.
In mine, I’d loved, I’d lost. I’d fought for what I believed in, I’d made a difference in others lives, no matter how small. I’d lost family, but created more along the way.