Chapter 18
Chapter
Eighteen
We sat in that sacred stillness a moment longer, the ocean a heartbeat beneath us, before I turned slightly and rested my chin on Zander’s shoulder.
“There’s something I need to tell you,” I said softly, as I looked around to ensure nobody was near us.
He glanced at me, the faintest crease between his brows.
“It’s about Siergen.”
His brow lifted. “What about him?”
I hesitated, then breathed it out. “He’s the Unifier.”
Zander blinked once. Then again. “I… what?”
“He is the one who united the dragons after the first war. The reason they still have a leader at all.”
Zander let out a low, disbelieving laugh. “No. That’s not… Siergen used to stay in my room for hours when I was a kid. He used to pretend to fall asleep with me when I had nightmares.” He shook his head. “The Unifier wouldn’t have time for a young prince with a bruised heart.”
I reached for his hand again. “Zander… he loves you. He told me he wished he could’ve been your dragon, but he knew someone else was meant for you.”
His throat worked, but he didn’t speak.
“And he was not happy with Hein earlier. When Hein wanted to incinerate your father for what he did to you… Siergen was very stern with him.”
Zander turned to me, something unreadable swimming behind those lavender eyes. “Why would he…?”
“Siergen shared a few other stories,” I said gently. “From your youth.”
Zander’s gaze dropped, his fingers flexing in mine. “Those weren’t my father’s finest moments,” he murmured.
Before I could respond, Kaelith’s voice slid into my mind like a rush of wind through an open door.
I need you.
The words were urgent. Steady.
And final.
My spine straightened instantly.
Zander saw it. “What is it?”
“Kaelith,” I said, already pushing to my feet. “She needs me.”
Zander and I hurried down the narrow ladder from the turret, boots hitting each rung with a rhythm quickened by Kaelith’s call echoing through my thoughts.
“I need to tell you something before I go,” I said, breathless as we descended.
Zander looked over his shoulder. “What is it?”
“The dragons from the lost horde… they’re real. They came to the Hollows. Three of them. A Striker named Norven, a Swordtail, and a Clubtail. They’ve agreed to an alliance. We made a pact.”
He blinked, processing, then frowned. “What kind of pact?”
“They’ll help us in the war. But one day, we’ll owe them something in return.”
His jaw tightened, but he didn’t argue. “And you passed some kind of test?”
I nodded. “They called it the Trial of Truth.”
His expression shifted—concern, pride, something deeper swimming behind his eyes. “You didn’t mention any of that earlier.”
“I didn’t want to ruin the night,” I said with a faint smile, then kissed his cheek as we reached the base of the turret. “I’ll be back soon.”
Kaelith was already waiting in the Ascension Grounds, her massive violet wings tucked neatly, golden eyes locked on mine.
I mounted quickly.
Where are we going? I asked as she rose into the sky, wind rushing past my face.
To the isle, she said simply. You are to attend a dragon summit.
What is that?
It is a meeting between hordes. A gathering of minds and bloodlines. There has not been one in two thousand years.
My heart stuttered. Why me?
Kaelith didn’t answer.
We landed on the far edge of the Dragon Isle, in a clearing carved out by wind and time. The moment Kaelith touched down, I saw them—hundreds of dragons. All colors, all types, their scales catching the starlight like shattered gemstones.
Siergen stood beside Hein, his gold eyes ancient with knowing.
Narvea’s head tilted as Ferrula’s green Clubtail watched me curiously. Kass flared his wings once, and I saw Cordelle’s gentle influence in the motion.
But I was the only rider.
I swallowed hard.
Kaelith lowered her head beside mine.
Walk proud, Ashlyn Rebec. Tonight, you speak for more than riders. You speak for hope.
I stepped down from Kaelith’s back, my boots sinking into the soft, trampled earth of the clearing.
The murmurs of gathered dragons quieted as I approached the trio of gray-scaled beasts—Norven, Olzar, and Alteth.
Their colors were dull compared to the gleaming brilliance of the other dragons, but there was an ancient gravity to their presence, like stone carved by centuries of wind.
“I have come as requested,” I said aloud, my voice steady despite the way my heart pounded.
Norven lifted his head slightly, and his voice slipped into my mind, calm and lilting.
I offer an allegiance.
Why now? I asked. Why after so long?
There was a pause, a beat where even the air seemed to hush.
The lost continent has changed over the last fifteen hundred years, Norven said. After the Blood Fae war, it became too dangerous to travel between continents. We were cut off. Forgotten. The journey across the great divide is long, and before the war, we could rest on the Fae Isle. Now…
His eyes darkened, scales shimmering with memory.
Now we must stop only briefly on the rock outcropping that remains. It is dangerous to linger. Many who tried… did not survive.
“We are aware,” I said softly.
And yet, I continued, why did no one know your horde was still alive? Not even the dragons here…
Because we did not want to be known, Norven answered. For centuries, it was safer that way. But your call… your bond… reached us.
He stepped forward, slow and deliberate, until his great head was level with mine.
You are bound to Kaelith, who is not merely a dragon, but a Shiftling. One of the rarest, most ancient bloodlines. That magic—your magic—pierced the veil that separated our realm from yours. Without it, we would still believe ourselves forgotten.
I felt Kaelith stir behind me, her pride a low hum in the back of my mind.
So this… alliance, I said, lifting my chin. It’s more than strategy.
Yes, Norven replied. It is destiny, drawn by blood, fire, and truth. The lost horde will return to help you, but only if the realms stand united.
I glanced around the summit, all eyes on me.
Then let’s make sure we do.
The clearing buzzed with low vibrations, not of sound but of thought—dragons speaking mind to mind.
I stood in the heart of it, Kaelith coiled behind me, silent but ever-present. Her breath was steady, but I felt her tension through the bond, like a taut bowstring.
Why should we bind again? one voice murmured across the mental web. We have tasted freedom.
We were made to choose once before, said another. This time, we choose ourselves.
I glanced at Kaelith. What are they saying?
They want to stay unbound, she answered simply.
My stomach twisted. But we need them. We need their strength.
And they know it, Kaelith said.
Norven stepped forward, his dull violet eyes sweeping across the gathering. His voice entered all our minds like a steady pulse.
The allegiance will require sacrifice from us all, he said. But the truth remains—those dragons born on the lost continent have adapted to the darker magic. We have learned how to navigate the warping storms, the poisoned winds. But dragons from Earendall…
He paused, and the silence was heavier than before.
…will perish during the crossing, unless they have a rider and an escort from our horde.
Shock rippled through the group.
I turned toward Norven, speaking aloud now. “Why?”
Because the crossing is not only physical. It touches the soul. The corrupted magic in the chasm between our lands twists the essence of all that pass. You need two anchors—a rider, and a dragon who has already survived it.
A low, unsettling hiss passed through a few dragons clustered near Narvea. I spotted Hein’s massive frame shift subtly, his gaze locking on Kaelith. Even he seemed unsure.
Another voice joined the mental thread, older, rough-edged. And what of those of us who do not wish to return to bonds?
Norven didn’t flinch. Then do not. No dragon will be forced. But this alliance is not simply for riders. It is for all of dragon kind. The disease that spreads across our continent will not stay contained forever. Our threat is yours. It is why we have come. He looked at me then.
She will lead the fight here. If we fail, then both continents are lost.
I stepped forward, the air thick with the burden of unspoken truths. The dragons were quiet now, still and listening, even the most restless of the unbound. Kaelith’s warmth pulsed behind me, but she didn’t speak.
I looked at Norven. “What happened to the Lost Continent?”
The gray Striker’s gaze turned distant, old sorrow flickering through the link that connected us.
We fought… and we lost, his voice was rougher now, hollowed by memory.
The enemy came from the east—twisted magic, older than anything we had prepared for.
At first, we resisted. Alone. Proud. We did not trust the native humans born with magic in their blood.
We thought we were enough. By the time we made a treaty with them and chose our riders, it was too late.
His tail swept low over the dirt, etching a dark curve into the earth.
The darkness had taken root, not just in the land, but in the minds of our kin. Many fell to it. Others became corrupted by it. Those of us who survived withdrew into hiding. We learned to adapt. We changed.
“And now your lands are ruled by this… darkness?” I asked, barely able to imagine it.
It sleeps beneath the surface, but yes. Our home is no longer safe. And eventually, it will spread beyond the sea.
“Then… why now?” I asked. “Why come to us?”
Norven’s gaze sharpened. Because you are already at war. And your enemy’s roots reach deeper than you know. If we help you win, then you will owe us. When the time is right…
“When will that be?” I whispered.
When the Chosen One emerges, he said, voice like stone cracking under pressure.
“Who is it?” I asked, heart pounding.
Norven glanced at Kaelith, then at me. We do not know yet. But they will be marked by both light and darkness. A soul tied to both dragons and magic. And they will decide the fate of two continents.
Silence. No one dared speak—not even the dragons.
Then Siergen’s mind brushed against us all, steady and firm.
It is time. All dragons of the isle will cast their vote. This is not a command. It is a choice. Do we honor the allegiance offered by the lost horde… or let them fade from memory once more?
A beat.
Then one by one, dragons began to lift their heads.
And the voting began.