51. Chapter 51
fifty-one
S hadows shield us as we follow Ripley. Dragonspire becomes smaller with every step, and the battle cries from the wyverns fade just enough for us to step out of hiding. The soft green grass changes as darker colors show. Every time my boots hit the ground, it groans. Dead plants turn to dust beneath my weight.
We move more freely as the first signs of the Vermyllion Drakes appear near the edge of the forest. Where the trees thin, an ancient structure awaits us as a ruin of the past.
“We’re almost there,” Ripley calls out as he slows his pace. He tightens his robe as he turns to the right. “Wait here!”
I don’t question him as I stop, but Ares and Ethan shift on their feet, scanning our surroundings .
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
“Why would he leave us? Doesn’t make sense,” Ethan mumbles, his skin no longer grayish pale as we’ve completed our bonding.
“Ripley won’t betray us,” I say. “He could’ve left us and flown here to get the others. Instead, he stayed with us, naked, with just a cloak shielding his body. He protected me, trained me.”
“And he wants me dead,” Ares says.
“Can you blame him?” I ask.
Footsteps stop our words, and Ripley stands before us. His cloak loosely hangs from his shoulders as he’s wearing full attire underneath. Leather pants, straps over his thighs with loops that can hold daggers. A loose fitted crème cotton shirt that shows a bit of chest.
“The closer we get, the more clothes are hidden in trees.” A soft curve appears on his lips as he adjusts the straps on his legs.
My brows draw together. “This is just for anyone to take?”
The curve twitches slightly as his gaze snaps at mine. “Well, there might be a shifter running around naked in a bit, but it’s no longer me.”
Sneaky bastard.
“Heard that,” he mumbles as his brow rises.
I chuckle. “I knew you would.”
“What does he mean?” Ares asks as he steps closer to me.
“Oh, you—”
“Please don’t say it,” Ripley’s voice cuts through my mind, and I swallow my words.
“They don’t know?”
Ripley shakes his head and smooths out his cloak. “We have to go before the owner wants his clothes back.”
“Don’t want to anger any more Vermyllion Drakes,” I say and follow after Ripley. Even though I don’t want to keep secrets from Ares, I believe in this case, it’s the right choice if we want to win the Drakes over and convince them not to kill us on sight.
As we move over a slight hill, more structures rise from the ashy ground, and my strides linger as the city skyline comes into view. Dominated by towering spires and grand citadels, some still bearing the scars of battle, their stone surfaces are marred by claw marks and charred from dragon fire.
Tears brim my eyes, blurring my sight. Cold fingers intertwine with mine as my ribs tighten. Screams fill my mind as tears roll down my cheeks. Memories filter through me, reminding me of the horror that has happened here.
A horror we can never change.
Dragons falling from the skies, riders screaming in agony as their souls are torn away. The ground painted in crimson as one towers over them all.
Black scales cover the land in darkness as the gold that glimmers between them turns into a fiery red.
I was here when it happened, watching from afar as Ares’ power rippled through the air, taking all those souls… and mine.
My next breath comes out shaky as I know my demise was nothing compared to the loss the Vermyllion Drakes suffered.
There’s nothing we can do as now our souls are at their mercy.
“Come on,” Ares whispers. “There’s no going back.”
I have nothing to say. He pulls me with him as we head toward the opening in a stone wall.
Vines creep through the stone structures as they are slowly reclaimed by nature. Trees grow through tumbled houses as we set foot inside.
The air fills with the sounds of hammers striking anvils, the murmur of merchants preparing their goods. Soon, they fade as they find us, staring from a distance as we follow behind Ripley. My brows crease as I see the weapons attached to their clothing, the leather, the armor.
I’ve never seen this in other clans. It almost looks like they are always ready for battle.
Dragons fly over us, screaming in warning as they land on top of the citadel in the center of the city.
They perch on the high balconies as they stare at us.
“They are part of the guard of Nythralia,” Ripley whispers as he stays closer to us.
The dragon on the left keeps his icy stare on us, his top lip trembling as fire crackles around him.
Ripley scratches the back of his neck. “I believe I’m wearing his clothes.”
“He won’t kill you for it,” I say.
“The guardians… and with what I am…” He sighs. “I’ll be fine.”
“What are you talking about?”
He says nothing, but I feel the pressure building on my forehead and his voice comes next. “The order was clear. Kill on sight.”
I blink as I gape at him. “Ares?”
“All of you.”
“What? But you were my guard at Riversong,” I ask aloud, but he holds his tongue as the warm hues of the setting sun bathe the city in a golden light.
Riders and shifters gather around us. Murmurs fill the cooler air, and I clench my hand shut, aware of what can happen.
How easily it is to take our lives here.
But we have to explain, convince them to let us live so we can break our curse and never come back.
As we continue our tense steps down the street, the air grows thicker and heavier, weighing down on me and making my skin grow clammy. I catch sight of Ethan’s slightly wide eyes, able to sense the unease rolling off him in waves.
“Is something wrong?” Ethan whispers to me, his eyes sweeping back and forth as he remains on high alert.
I don’t want to alarm him or Ares as they pitch confused looks my way. They heard my question to Ripley, so they know that something is up. I don’t want to expose Ripley, though.
“Look around us. They could strike any moment,” I whisper back, trying not to move my mouth all that much.
“Not unless they want a fight,” Ares growls under his breath. He moves even closer to my side, shielding me as much as he can as some shifters step toward us with glares on their faces.
The tension in the air feels like it doubles as voices grow louder, spits and growls sounding on either side of us. At any second, anyone can lash out at us. Strike us. Break us apart. Rip us to shreds.
I swallow hard and keep my eyes forward, holding my breath as the citadel looms just ahead. All I can do is hope that we get a chance to speak and explain ourselves, to show how important it is for them to keep us alive. We, especially Ares, may be seen as a threat, but they must know that the biggest threat to their survival isn’t Ares anymore.
It’s Hephaestus, and he’s closing in at deadly quick speed.