Chapter 17
“Ahuman? You?” the blonde leader taunted, voice husky with amusement. “Never thought I’d see the day.”
Onyx kept his eyes trained to the newcomer, stoic, calm, and as apathetic as ever. “Artemis,” was all he said in greeting. “I think you’ve known me long enough to get to the bloody point. Why have you called me here?”
“There’ve been whispers about a conflict between you and another faction, and I simply came here for answers. Why didn’t you reach out to warn us about the recent clash with the Stormriders? You know how little I like Dreythos and his generals.”
Onyx crossed his arms, the muscles in his torso hardening to total visibility. “How odd for you to come by that information. One might think you were spying.”
Artemis’s once relaxed expression darkened. “Is that an accusation, Onyx?”
“An observation,” the dragon beside me rebuked. His eyes slid over to Luna. “One of many, in fact.”
Artemis scowled in confusion.
He couldn’t have possibly foreseen a meeting of long-lost sisters. He’d probably brought her along before, so her presence wouldn’t be noted among differences. I got the impression she was this pale demon’s favorite.
Coincidental felt too simple a word. This was fate, one that sealed the other king’s demise as resolutely as it did his betrayal. I’d been in the company of treachery for so long that I recognized it before my head had a chance to piece everything together.
My eyes naturally went to Luna. She was still worried about me. It was clear in the way she stared. Her jaw ticked several times in frustration, her hands drawn into fists before she crossed her arms.
She’d always been my protector, and no doubt she’d lay down her life to save mine. She already had. Which was what I was worried about.
So I did what we did as kids. I kept eye contact and laid a hand over my heart.
It was our sign for everything was okay.
Our little way of reassuring each other back in Desert Roseland when words were too risky.
It was all I could do, hoping she’d understand.
Hoping she’d know I wasn’t in any danger, not with Onyx by my side.
Her lips twitched before she did the same, the gesture second nature even after all these years.
We always answered each other. A resounding promise was in every thump under our palms. Across several feet of space, we didn’t break eye contact for nearly a minute before our arms dropped.
The only dragons who seemed to notice were Onyx and the one guarding my sister’s side.
My sister smiled in that gentle way of hers. The way that stayed rooted in my memories of her. She wasn’t afraid anymore. After all these years, Luna still knew me better than anyone.
It was a relief to see her calm. She was a breathtaking sight with her hair blowing in the wind and her slender frame outlined by a brilliant sunlit backdrop.
The memories of her found color in those brief moments.
They were no longer fuzzy and faded. My sister was alive, and I could finally do what she’d always done for me.
It was my turn to protect her.
Luna’s shoulders rolled back and her chin lifted, refusing to appear anything but strong and unshakeable despite the threat of violence looming. Just like when we were kids.
If I hadn’t seen the countless bruises marring her skin, I’d think she didn’t have any. My sister carried herself like she did when we faced down the gangs roaming the Desert Roseland streets. They couldn’t break her and neither could these dragons, not after all these years.
My sister kept her pieces firmly in place.
Onyx’s hand touched my lower back, lending me his strength and reasserting his promise. I turned my head to look at him, and the apathy he reserved for everyone else faded away.
“If the Stormriders are starting a war—” Artemis cut through our moment, his voice dripping with irritation.
“It was a ruse,” Onyx interjected sharply.
Artemis seemed genuinely surprised to hear it. “A ruse? But I was told you’ve fought some of their people.”
Onyx and I shared a look. One side of his mouth ticked up in victory. “And how would you have come across that information? A spy? But that would go against our agreed upon terms. Surely you’re aware what something like that would imply…”
Angry, the other leader took a step forward, the shift in the air tangible. “Does it matter? We’re allies. Friends, I dare say. We’ve always protected each other’s interests, Onyx.”
“I wonder about that,” my dragon murmured, his voice dropping several octaves. Knowing the dragon’s cleverness and battle prowess, he was likely several steps ahead of whatever was happening here.
As if he hadn’t heard him, Artemis went on, “I should’ve been made aware the minute you were attacked in the Borderlands and discovered who was responsible. Instead, I’m forced to hear it through my sources. If anyone should be explaining themselves, it’s you.”
“Your sources…” Onyx repeated, smirking. That look alone put the other dragons on edge. “Those sources wouldn’t happen to reside in Desert Roseland, hmm? Or perhaps it was Vektor and Void who found time to reach out? You’ve been rather busy, Artemis.”
Onyx’s eyes lifted to the other leader, glowing a violent blue. Scales appeared on his neck and arms, hardening and reflecting the sunlight, now a similar color to his eyes. I’d never seen them that color before. It was so captivatingly blue.
“Organizing treason within my own bloody faction.”
“How dare you—”
“But you’ve underestimated my reach, as per usual.” His furious gaze narrowed. “And Rook’s.”
The name I recognized from the phone call earlier made Artemis’s jaw clamp shut and his own scales harden along exposed skin. The other leader bristled with the accusation, taking hold of his weapon in an open warning, but Onyx carried on as if he hadn’t noticed.
“What a shame that I’d be informed prior to our meeting of the plans you cooked up with my own fucking brother.
Though it was rather clever of him, seeing how I was obstructing his plans…
in a lot of ways.” Onyx’s attention moved over to my sister by Artemis’s side.
“The two of you are certainly likeminded when it comes to humans. I imagine he’d already discovered your betrayal of our agreed terms, specifically the ones dealing with our own human sectors, hmm? How is that rebellion of yours faring?”
Blade and Rook caught wind of an insurrection, Onyx’s voice reverberated inside my head, but I kept my eyes trained to the males in front of us, listening carefully as the soothing timbre stroked all my senses.
Void and Vektor have betrayed the Sky Demons so they can return our faction to the old ways.
They orchestrated this ambush and planned to reign in the wake of my death.
Shameless, but likely the only way they could manage it without blood on their hands.
Artemis raged in silence but didn’t rebuke Onyx’s allegation. Because he’d brought all the proof my dragon needed, and Onyx had named the sector specifically.
It was their intention to lay blame on the Stormriders thanks to a defector.
It was Void’s hope to start a war and strengthen our “alliance” with Artemis and his faction, the Water Serpents, Onyx went on, his words calm and measured as if he’d said them many times over the years. They will be dealt with.
He'd delivered his speech with the authority of a leader who’d seen the many faces of betrayal. Even his own brother’s treachery couldn’t shake him.
I wanted to wrap my arms around him, if only to shoulder a little of the hurt he must be feeling. Because while he might’ve been in the presence of traitors wearing a friend’s face more times than he could count, family was another matter.
Not even Onyx could escape the pain that sort of betrayal inspired. It was a blade that struck so deep it’d shake anyone’s resolve—like it had when I suspected Jona and the other leaders. Like it still did when I thought about the years I spent trusting them.
Artemis would need to be outright stupid not to already draw the conclusion that the jig was up.
He’d been found out. I sensed him constructing a number of lies to manipulate the narrative and buy time to attack, but it wouldn’t work.
Onyx came here ready to fight and wouldn’t be caught by surprise like they’d hoped.
Onyx stared at the other dragon leader, daring him to make his excuses or try to climb out of the grave he’d dug. My eyes skated across the group of Water Serpents. Several had hands on their weapons. The only one who didn’t look ready for bloodshed was the dragon next to my sister.
His hand ghosted across the space to touch her. Their eyes met, and then her haunting stare was back. I sensed his loyalty was with her and not his king. Leave it to Luna to make allies with dragons. I guess we had that in common. How strange.
We’ll deal with these enemies first. Are you ready, little Moon Beast? You’ll need to work fast to disable them.
Catching his gaze, I nodded.
Onyx smiled at me, causing the other dragons to falter and forget their objective for a beat. “Keep Luna safe, Pyro,” he ordered to the confusion of the group, but the one beside Luna grabbed her and took several retreating steps back before anyone could respond.
Artemis’s face twisted in on itself. “Onyx, what—”
But Onyx was already slamming into him, countering several Water Serpents in the wake of his attack. In a series of swift movements, he disabled them the way he’d taught me.
I didn’t hesitate another second. I moved quickly to do the same to the rest. But I was caught by surprise when one was taken down by the dragon protecting my sister. He nodded before we both worked in tandem to overcome the rest.
Like Onyx said, none of the dragons considered me a threat. It was easy to catch them off guard with my new speed and strength.