Chapter 54
CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
Aroar to shatter hell itself splits the air. And right before the first silver dragon can slam into me, Draven shoots past me from behind and crashes right into them. They screech as he rips through their wings and bodies with a fury that makes the mountains tremble.
I throw myself down on the ground as four more black dragons and a huge purple dragon plow into the other silver dragons. Our enemies scream, throwing their heads from side to side as if they suddenly can’t see, while torrents of fire roar towards them from above. Claws slash and teeth flash.
Leaping to my feet, I stare at the scene before me in shock.
Draven, Galen, Lyra, two other black dragons, and Diana tear through the ranks of enemies while a furious thunderstorm booms around them.
Lightning crackles over Draven’s black scales, making him look like part of the storm itself.
Atop Lyra’s back, Alistair is shooting fireballs at the silver dragon’s wings while Orion is blinding them with his nightmares from his place on Galen’s back.
A cry of pure relief tears from my throat.
Staggering sideways, I drag in a deep breath and try to convince my screaming mind that I am not dead. Isera rolls to her feet a short distance from me and starts shooting spears of ice at the silver dragons from below.
They screech in fear and panic as they’re attacked from all sides.
I would have latched on to those flames of fear and made them bigger, but I have nothing left now.
My magic is utterly drained. And so is the rest of me.
It feels as if a soft wind could knock me over right now, so I grip the dagger hard in my hand to brace myself.
And it is only by sheer willpower that I remain upright.
Blood rains down from the sky as Draven and the others mercilessly slaughter the silver dragons.
I’m forced to sprint to the side as a silver dragon body tumbles through the air straight towards me.
Throwing myself the final distance, I barely manage to get out of the way before it slams down into the stones with enough force to make the ground shake.
“Trevor!” Fenriel screams.
Talon swoops over to his shoulder as Fenriel throws himself down on his knees next to Trevor’s broken body. Deep holes puncture his chest and abdomen, and his entire body shakes when he tries to draw in a breath. Blood pours out of his wounds and trickles down from the corners of his mouth.
“Fenriel,” he gasps out, his eyes sliding in and out of focus.
Fenriel grabs his hand and leans closer, his long red hair sliding over his shoulder and hiding the tears that stream down his cheeks. “I’m here.”
“Try every pastry…” A wet cough racks his frame. “And then tell me all about it…” His eyes glitter as he smiles up at Fenriel through the blood. “When I see you again.”
Then the light in his eyes goes out.
His shaking body stops moving as he dies, that last smile still on his lips.
Fenriel throws his head back and screams.
Above us, silver dragons are falling from the sky while blood rains down over us. It splatters my face and my black leather armor until everything is stained red. But I can barely feel it. I can barely feel anything other than the fury that roars through my head.
They’re all dead.
Trevor. Kevlin. Juliette. Everyone else who followed me on this mission. Who trusted me and believed me when I told them that this was the best way. The only way. And now, only broken bodies and shattered souls remain.
The guilt threatens to eat me alive, so I drown it in more fury.
That awful rage that I have unleashed inside my soul surges up again as I turn towards the final silver dragon, watching it die. I hate them all. They always ruin everything. I want them all dead.
Flexing my hands, I try to breathe through the waves of fury as that centuries-old rage and hatred roars through my body.
I don’t know how to stop it. I don’t want to stop it.
I just want revenge. For every life lost. For every year stolen.
For every hurt and every heartbreak. I hate them all so badly that I think it’s going to consume me.
Draven and the other dragons land on the ground with a boom. But only Draven and Diana shift into their human forms.
Unending rage and hatred still course through my entire body like lightning when Draven rushes up to me and pulls me into his arms.
“Are you okay?” he demands.
The sound of his voice and the feeling of his arms around me pull me out of that blinding fury enough that I at least manage to draw in a full breath.
It clears my head slightly, and I force my gaze away from Trevor’s mangled body.
Wrapping my arms around Draven, I bury my cheek in his chest and just breathe him in, trying to ground myself.
Isera is still alive.
Fenriel and Talon are still alive.
I am still alive.
Right now, that is going to have to be enough.
“Yes,” I reply. “I am now.”
“This is the last time we ever split up,” Draven says as he strokes his hand over my hair and kisses my forehead. “You hear me?”
A broken laugh escapes my throat. “Agreed.”
“We need to go!” Diana calls from somewhere behind Draven. “The dryads will be there soon. If we’re not in position when they make their move, they’re going to get slaughtered.”
Draven reluctantly releases me, and I draw in another steadying breath as I take a step back while I wipe the worst of the blood from my face. It only smears it across my cheeks, but it clears my vision at least.
Looking from face to face, I shake my head. “The plan is ruined. Trevor is dead. We won’t be able to sneak up on her from behind.”
“So we adapt the plan,” Draven replies. Then he turns to Diana. “Get ready for a frontal assault.” He tilts his head and grimaces. “But from the side.”
A wolfish grin spreads across Diana’s mouth. “I like the way you think.” Then she slides her gaze to Fenriel, who is still kneeling next to Trevor’s dead body. “Fenriel, we need to go.”
“I can’t just leave him here,” Fenriel presses out, his voice broken.
Diana’s features soften. “We’ll come back for him. I promise.”
Across the grass, Galen lets out an urgent growl.
Draven squeezes my hand. “Are you ready?”
I sweep my gaze over the broken and bloody bodies of the fae who followed me here. Rage rolls through my soul like waves of fire as I draw in a deep breath and nod. “Let’s end this.”
While Isera climbs up onto the back of one of the other black dragons, Draven and Diana shift again. Closing my eyes, I make a vow to every god and goddess that will listen. This ends now. Jessina dies now. No matter what it takes, I will watch her die before the sun sets.
As I climb onto Draven’s back and he launches into the sky, I open our union bond and then dredge up every last remaining smidgen of energy that I possess.
I will honor the promise I made to all of the fae who now lie dead on the ground. We will carry on this battle for them. We will take on their dreams and hopes and bring them to life in their stead. We will end this war. I will end this war and get our fucking revenge. For all of us.
Wind rips at my hair and clothes as Draven flies straight for the mountain that we had planned to sneak through. There will be no sneaking now. Part of me is glad for that. I want Jessina to see me coming. I want her to watch as death comes for her.
Galen flies up on Draven’s right while Lyra flanks him on the left. Next to her, Diana soars up while the two remaining black dragons fall into line on Galen’s other side.
“Oh, little viper,” Orion calls, a villainous smile on his lips as he looks towards Isera. “If you only knew how hot you look with the blood of our enemies splattered across your face.”
She lets out a short laugh and then flashes the Unseelie King a sly smile.
I sweep my gaze over the two of them and then turn towards Alistair and Fenriel on my other side. Words are unnecessary. They can see those words on my face, and I can read the answers in their eyes. So they all just give me a slow nod in acknowledgement.
My hair streams behind me as Draven and the other dragons shoot up towards the top of the mountain.
I check that my dagger is secure in its sheath and get my magic ready.
Red and golden light from the setting sun paints the gray stones below us the color of blood.
Clenching my jaw, I grip Draven’s spikes hard as we soar upwards.
Then we crest the peaks and fly straight down behind enemy lines.
A massive silver dragon whirls towards us in shock.
I flash Jessina Iceheart a vicious smile as Draven lets out a battle cry that makes the very mountains tremble. Silver dragons shoot towards their empress to protect her as we speed straight for her.
Pale shimmering appears at the back of her throat.
My heart hammers in my chest.
Storm clouds spread out behind us like a fluttering cloak as Draven summons his powers.
Her forces fly towards us, trying to intercept us.
Jessina opens her jaws.
I draw in a sharp breath and brace myself.
Ice flames shoot through the air.