Chapter 33
Chapter
Thirty-Three
T he fire’s warmth had faded from my skin when Kaelith’s voice erupted in my mind.
We are under attack!
I jolted upright, scrambling out of my bedroll. My boots were already on—rider protocol—and my weapons were within arm’s reach. I grabbed my rapier as I scanned the clearing.
“Where are they?” I asked, but Jax’s shout cut through the chaos.
“Get to your dragons!”
The others were already moving, throwing on belts, grabbing weapons. I bolted toward Kaelith, her scales glinting silver-violet in the low light. She was already crouched low, muscles coiling to launch skyward.
I swung onto her neck and barely had time to grab the rope before she shot into the air, her wings slicing through the morning wind. I spotted Hein ahead, Zander’s silhouette blending with the silver sheen of his dragon’s back.
Then I saw them—black scales glinting in the morning sun. Not like the sleek elegance of Kass, but rougher, jagged, like shards of obsidian set beneath their scales. Blood dragons. Smaller than ours but faster, their wings snapping like blades through the air.
They are vicious, Kaelith warned, her voice sharp in my mind. And there are more of them than us.
I cursed under my breath. There had to be at least ten of them circling the sky, moving in perfect coordination. Far too many for our small squad.
One of the blood dragons dove, streaking past Hein in a blur of shadow. Hein twisted in midair, narrowly dodging the attack. Zander’s blade gleamed as he sliced the air, his Dark Fire lashing outward. The blood dragon veered away, a jagged burn scoring its side.
Another swooped toward me. Kaelith! I shouted.
Hold on! she growled, her wings folding tight against her body as she dove hard and fast.
The blood dragon closed in, jaws snapping—rows of serrated teeth flashing. Kaelith twisted mid-dive, her tail lashing outward like a whip. The crack of impact sent the blood dragon spiraling away with a furious shriek.
“ Ashe! ” Zander’s voice roared from above. I looked up just in time to see another blood dragon arrowing toward me from my blind spot. Its rider held a jagged spear, and he aimed straight for Kaelith’s side.
I hurled a small dagger, the silver blade flashing before it sank deep into his arm. The rider’s hand spasmed, his spear tumbling uselessly toward the trees below.
Kaelith twisted hard, banking in a sharp arc that left my muscles screaming, but it got us out of range. I clung to the rope, breath ragged as my heart pounded in my chest.
We can’t keep this up, Kaelith warned, her breathing echoing in my mind. They’re driving us away from the clearing—separating us.
She was right. In the chaos, our squad had scattered. Zander was circling high above with Hein, locked in a twisting dogfight with two blood dragons. Jax’s dragon, Koddos, was streaking low across the treetops, weaving to help protect Cordelle’s smaller dragon.
I grit my teeth. “We’re not running,” I said aloud.
Agreed, Kaelith rumbled. But we need to change the game.
I reached into my belt for another dagger, my gaze locking on the blood dragon circling low. The rider’s face was masked in dark leather, his blood-red cloak whipping behind him like a banner.
That one. I sent the thought to Kaelith, and she didn’t hesitate.
She dove like a bolt of lightning, wings tucked to her sides. The blood dragon twisted, its rider raising his blade—but he wasn’t fast enough. Kaelith’s claws ripped across the dragon’s wing, tearing the membrane wide open.
The beast shrieked, spiraling downward in a blur of black scales and crimson cloth. Its rider leaped free before it crashed into the trees below.
One down.
I turned my gaze skyward, where Zander was fighting off two blood dragons alone. Hein roared, but they were closing in. The odds weren’t in his favor.
“We’re coming!” I called out, gripping the rope tighter. “Kaelith, get us there fast.”
Hold on, Rider, she growled, wings snapping wide as we surged back into the fray.
I noticed another black dragon approaching Hein from the rear. As skilled as the massive silver was, he and Zander couldn’t fight on three fronts.
Do something, Kaelith hissed.
The power surged inside me like a raging storm, electric and uncontrollable. The sky darkened, thunder rolling through the air like a drumbeat that shook the ground beneath us.
Stop, Kaelith’s voice seared through my mind, sharp with warning. You do not have control yet.
But the power kept building, burning beneath my skin like wildfire. I clenched my fists, trying to smother it, but my magic lashed out like a whip.
The sky split open.
Lightning cracked, jagged and blinding, striking one of the blood dragons mid-air. The beast’s scream was drowned by the roar of the storm as it plummeted, smoke rising from its scales as it spiraled toward the forest. The rider’s silhouette flailed briefly before they crashed through the trees.
The power surged again, fierce and hungry.
Ashe, no! Kaelith’s roar hit me like a hammer. You’ll lose control! Focus on the rain—force them down!
I forced a deep breath through my teeth, closing my eyes as I focused not on the rage, but the cold. The pressure of the air shifted, and instead of the fire inside me erupting in fury, I called on the chill of the sky.
The heavens opened, and rain poured down like a flood.
Cold and vicious, the drops stung my skin like needles, driven by the wind I realized I’d summoned.
The downpour swept over the battlefield, drenching everything.
The blood dragons twisted in the sky, wings faltering in the sudden torrent.
One by one, they dipped lower, too heavy to stay airborne.
Now! Kaelith roared, diving toward the clearing.
We hit the ground hard, her talons sinking into the mud as she folded her wings over me like a massive canopy. Hein landed seconds later, Zander tucked beneath his dragon’s silver neck. Our squad followed, their dragons huddling together to shelter us.
Water ran in rivulets down Kaelith’s scales, cold and relentless. I pressed against her side, feeling my strength drain from me as the storm churned above.
“Fuck, Ashe,” Jax swore as he stumbled under Koddos, drenched from head to toe.
Riven grinned despite the cold. “You needed a shower anyway.”
I let out a weak chuckle, chest tight with exhaustion. My fingers trembled, and I shoved them beneath my arms to hide it.
But then... a sound.
A shrill, haunting wail echoed from the forest—long and ragged, like something torn from the depths of agony.
Our laughter died instantly.
“What the hell was that?” Naia asked, her voice low.
Cordelle’s face was pale. “A dragon.”
We stood there in silence, the storm beating against our dragons as the wail faded into the night.
We must put it out of its misery, Kaelith said with a solemn tone.
I met Zander’s gaze. “We have to...”
“I know. Kaelith has taken responsibility for this mercy. We will escort her.”
Kaelith spread her wings out just enough that we could stay beneath them as she walked toward the wail in the forest.
Zander and I moved with Kaelith as she began to walk toward the forest. We stayed close to her, as protected as possible, as she broke branches on the ground with her talons.
The dragon’s cries cut through the rain, raw and broken. Each wail seemed to shake the air, vibrating through my bones. We moved toward the sound, the squad following silently behind us as the storm softened to a constant drizzle.
I froze when I saw it.
The blood dragon lay in a twisted heap, its wings shattered and crumpled beneath its body.
Deep gashes marred its black scales, rivers of crimson streaking down its side, pooling beneath its broken form.
The stench of burned flesh lingered in the air—a sickly reminder of the lightning strike that had sealed its fate.
Kaelith shifted beside me, lowering her head until her nose nearly touched the wounded beast.
Hello, Seratine, she whispered in my mind, her voice laced with sadness. That would have been your name… had you not been stolen from us.
The black dragon let out a weak, pitiful groan—the sound of agony and fear and something far more primal.
“Can it understand you?” I asked aloud, my voice barely above a whisper.
I don’t know, Kaelith replied, her mind full of sorrow. But I know it feels my presence.
The dragon’s breath came in ragged bursts, each weaker than the last. Its head shifted slightly, its dull red eyes struggling to focus. Even in death, the beast was magnificent—as dark as midnight, its scales etched with faint crimson veins like rivers of blood.
Kaelith opened her jaws, her fangs gleaming in the fading light. She moved slowly, almost reverently, lowering her teeth over the blood dragon’s neck.
I release you, Kaelith said softly. May you find peace with your family. You will receive my mercy.
The dragon gave one final, pained exhale—a sound that was less of a roar and more of a sigh—and Kaelith’s jaws clamped down.
The snap of bone was sharp and final.
The wail of the wounded dragon cut off, leaving the air cold and empty.
A cry came from the tall grass beyond the clearing, faint but sharp enough to jolt me from my haze.
“Someone’s still alive,” Zander muttered, already moving.
I sprinted after him, my boots splashing in the mud as I followed the pained sound. The faint flicker of movement drew my gaze—a figure sprawled in the grass.
The Blood Fae.
He lay on his back, clutching his side where the lightning had burned him. His skin was cracked and gray, tendrils of decay creeping up his face like twisting vines. His breath came in short, desperate gasps, and his eyes—once a burning red—had dimmed to embers.
Zander knelt beside him, but the Blood Fae let out a rasping chuckle.
“It doesn’t matter,” he wheezed, blood bubbling at his lips. “You… can’t stop it.”
“Stop what?” I demanded, but the fae coughed hard, his body shuddering as decay spread across his chest.
His gaze flicked to Kaelith in the clearing, then to me. “They… want you.”
“Who wants her?” Zander asked harshly, his hand gripping the fae’s tattered tunic.
The Blood Fae’s cracked lips twisted into a smile. “Your king… he’s… already lost.”
“Why are you after Ashlyn?” Zander asked.
His rotting eyes moved toward me. “You should know who you belong to, halfling.”
His body convulsed, then sagged, his breath vanishing into the cold night air. The decay crawled over his face, turning him to dust before our eyes.
I stumbled back, the words sinking in.
“What just happened?”
Zander stared at the decimated corpse. “They decay quickly after you kill their dragon; their immortality is tied to dragon magic. Once that tie is severed, they return to the earth.”
I nodded but swayed on my feet.
“You are exhausted.”
“Summoning that much power takes it out of me. Kaelith and I aren’t quite in sync.”
Cordelle pointed at my neck. “No, but you are getting close.” I picked up the gold pendant that had shaken out of my clothes during maneuvers. The purple scale was half exposed. “You’re right, I guess we made some progress.”
Zander motioned to Jax. “Set up the tents. We need to change into dry clothes and get some rest.”
We returned to the clearing and had the tents set up in a few minutes.
My stamina was wavering, and Zander told me to go inside mine after setting up my bedroll.
He placed a small bowl beside the bedroll, then waved his hand, and Dark Fire erupted.
He exited for a moment and called out to the others.
“Everyone, stay battle ready. The dragons will stand watch but stay armed.” He entered my tent as I knelt in front of the bowl, warming my hands.
Zander pulled a shirt from my pack. “Change into this and get into bed.”
He turned around, and I did as he said, thankful to be out of my wet clothes. The Dark Fire warmed the tent, and I sighed as I closed my eyes and snuggled into my blankets. I must have drifted off for a minute, because the next thing I knew, Zander was slipping into my bed with me.
“Relax,” Zander murmured against my ear, his voice low and warm. “You need to sleep.”
Easy for him to say. His bare chest pressed firmly against my back, radiating heat like a firestone.
I felt his arm drape over my waist, his fingers splaying across the thin fabric of my shirt.
The weight of his touch felt possessive—like he was anchoring me to him, holding me steady in the storm of my own thoughts.
His breath brushed the back of my neck, and I bit my lip to keep from shivering. Just sleep, I told myself. Just close your eyes and sleep. But my body refused to cooperate.
I could feel him— all of him—pressed against me, and my heart pounded like a war drum. His fingers slid lower, tracing just above my hip before settling there. Firm. Unyielding.
I exhaled slowly, trying to focus on the rhythm of his breathing, but my mind kept spinning back to the warmth of his skin, the pressure of his chest against my back, the hard muscle that flexed beneath my fingers when I shifted just slightly.
I should have turned around. I wanted to—to meet his gaze, to kiss him until the tension burned itself out. But he shifted closer, his arm tightening around me as if he sensed my hesitation.
“Don’t,” he whispered, voice rough. “Just... stay still.”
His fingers curled against my hip, gripping me like he wasn’t entirely sure he could let go. His thumb traced small circles—lazy and soothing—but each slow pass of his skin against mine only seemed to wind me tighter.
“I’m trying to sleep,” I muttered, mostly to myself.
His lips brushed against the curve of my neck. “So sleep.”
The warmth of his breath sent a shiver down my spine, and my body betrayed me by pressing back into him. He inhaled, and I felt the tension in his body spike.
“You’re not making this easy,” I whispered.
His chuckle was low and rough. “Not my fault you smell good.”
I closed my eyes, ignoring the way his fingers flexed against my waist, ignoring the thrum of heat curling low in my stomach. Sleep. Just sleep.
But as his fingers slid just a little lower, and his breath warmed the back of my neck, I found it very hard to relax.