Chapter Thirty
VESKOR
Nerissa stayed pressed to my back as we ran into the heart of the volcano.
One of her hands gripped my hip to steady me when the tunnel dipped.
Her nails clicked anxiously against the stone.
She hadn’t taken his eyes off me since we left the clearing.
We rounded a bend into a small chamber and she stopped me.
“Here. We are right under it.” She pointed up into the stone ceiling.
I would have to believe her when she said we were under the volcano; one slab of stone looked the same to me.
“Here, stand here,” she said. “I will be drawing a rune circle around you. You must not leave it at all costs, or it could kill you.”
I took that in as she grabbed my forearm and sliced it open with her knife. I barely flinched, watching in fascination as she took my blood and used it to draw a circle around us.
“Now, the runes.” She made a mark on her own forearm, bathing us both in the golden glow of her own bloodmagicks activating. She mixed our blood on her palm, and started drawing runes on her forehead, then mine. Then my chest, my back, my shoulders, and even my wings.
“Be careful of my wings,” I grumbled,\ before remembering they were drakens and knew to do that already. I wasn’t used to being around other drakens. I had to constantly guard my wings from my overseers in the pits.
She shot me a look, smirking slightly.
“Bloodmagick is about intent,” she lectured.
“When I say, you will take this knife and trace along the runes you can see. I can do the ones on your back. You must not let the knife leave your skin at any time. We need to connect the runes with lines between each across your flesh. And yes, you will have to cut into your wings.”
My nose wrinkled at the very thought, but I could handle pain. I could do this. I would do this.
“Alright, now when I say–”
“Veskor! VESKOR!” a young, high voice carried through the lava tube, amplified by the stone.
My heart slammed into my chest.
No. Nonononono—
But Perri came anyway, her small arms flapping, hair wild, eyes huge. She bounded into the clearing, pleased as punch for finding me.
“STOP!” bellowed Nerissa, freezing Perri in her tracks. “Do not move any closer or you could kill him. We are in the middle of bloodmagick!”
Perri’s eyes got round and large. She understood bloodmagick. Good. She pointed at Veskor. “I followed him! He smells like rocks!”
“Oh stars,” Nerissa mumbled.
“Perri, it is not safe. Go back!” I begged her.
“I missed you. You said you’d visit me but all you do is work.” Her sad face broke something in me. “Is Queen Wren OK?”
I glanced at Nerissa, who looked caught between rage and helplessness.
“You must stay there!” she shouted at Perri. “Are you trying to kill us?:
Perri froze, little face frozen in terror, so I tried another approach.
“Perri, would you like to help with our ritual?” I asked desperately.
She perked up immediately, beaming. “Yes! I wanna help!”
Nerissa shot me a look, but jumped on board immediately.
“Find ten black magma rocks that are perfect circles, and keep them in the corner,” Nerissa instructed.
Perri busied herself immediately.
“Hurry, start making the marks,” Nerissa whispered furiously.
I turned my back to Perri so she wouldn’t see. I breathed out, and cut down into the first mark on my chest.
Dark blue blood welled under the knife, but I’d been hurt by far worse in the past. Nerissa stood next to me inside the circle, chanting and making her own markings. I tried to block out the sounds of Perri happily puttering around the dark cave, picking out rocks.
The ground underneath us gave a loud rumble, but then stopped just as quickly.
“It’s working. The others have started as well. Hurry, but do not make a rushed mistake,” she chastised me.
I carefully followed the blood runes she’d marked on me, finishing my shoulders and chest. I paused at my wings.
“Ooh! This one is perfect!” Perri’s small voice echoed around me.
I would do it for her.
I cut down into my wings, hand shaking at the pain.
It was worse than when I’d had a lance driven through my wing membrane. Worse than when I’d broken my leg in a clean snap. Worse than—
That doesn’t help. Think of Perri. Think of her hugs.
Nerissa paused in her chanting, knife hovering over her left shoulder, waiting for me to finish with begrudging respect in her eyes.
My body hurt with a fierce, deep ache I’d never felt before. Was that the blood magick working? I fought to keep my hands steady, the pain digging deep into my bones and shaking. Nerissa reached out with a free hand and steadied mine, providing support.
Our eyes met.
“Good. Just one more on the other wing. Go across your shoulders to connect. You don’t need to cut, just keep contact.”
I let her help me guide the blade, my legs now trembling.
“Easy. Go to your knees. We can’t have you fall out of the circle. That will destroy the ritual.”
I went forward, focused so hard on keeping the blade touching my skin I didn’t even register my knees hitting the rock.
“Veskor? You’re bleeding! What’s wrong!”
I tried to block out Perri’s worried voice as Nerissa scooped her up, holding her in her arms as she struggled, continuing to instruct me.
“You wanted to be involved with grown-up things so badly, now you are here,” Nerissa chastised her. “Now be quiet, or you will cost him his life. Stand here, and do not move while I help him.”
I didn’t like her tone, but I needed to focus on what she said next.
“Good. The last wing. If you can’t see, I can guide you.”
I nodded, sweat dripping down my face. It was difficult to hold onto the knife. She guided my arm, squeezing my wrist.
“There. Breathe out, push down. I will guide you.”
A guttural gasp of pain left as I cut into the delicate membrane of my wing. Right at that moment another tremor rushed through the lava tube, shaking both of us. The blade on the knife jerked and tore a hole through my wing.
I screamed and twitched away on instinct, letting go of the knife. Nerissa’s grip on the knife was iron, and she held me down, the pain doubling.
“Veskor, focus. I will need to do a patch rune to keep the ritual stable. This will hurt. I’m sorry. You need to stay still. Crouch down, scream, cry, do whatever you have to do.”
Before I could prepare myself she made precise cuts on the membranes of my wings. I didn’t know what she was doing. I didn’t care. It just needed to stop.
My body tried to curl my wings into my back to protect them, but she pushed me down to the ground and held the one she needed open with her knee, one hand still holding her knife to her own shoulder, the other buried in my wing.
I couldn’t stop it.
I screamed.
And screamed. And screamed.
Perri screamed. Nerissa swore and Perri’s screams cut off abruptly.
Everything was lost in a haze of blood and pain, of noise and agony. It could have been seconds or hours–it didn’t matter. The ground shook, or maybe that was simply my body, ravaged and in shock from blood loss and injury.
“Perri! You rascal!”
Was someone else here now?
Perri was crying or maybe it was Nerissa. Hot tears dripped onto my face, and cool hands smoothed my brow.
That was nice. No one had ever done that before. It was almost like having someone care about you.
“He’s going to pass out,” said a female voice.
Perri’s whimpers reached me and I fought to stay awake.
“Shush, little one. He did his part. He now must fight for it.”
I wanted to sleep. Everything would stop hurting, then. Wouldn’t it?
The rumbling increased, and didn’t stop. I fought to stay awake, the entire lava tube shaking and moving.
“Shit, I need to break the circle and get us out. GO!” Nerissa yelled.
Feet pounded on rock and Perri’s cries disappeared faintly.
Good. She was safe. I could sleep–
“Goddamnit Veskor, I didn’t finally forgive you just to watch you fucking die. GET UP!” A hand grabbed my wing tip and twisted.
I roared in agony, shooting to my feet despite not being able to stand moments ago. Adrenaline pumped through my veins. Nerissa had thrown Perri’s rocks across the blood circle, disrupting it.
“Come on, you sack of bones! MOVE!”
“The ritual—” I slurred out.
“You did your part!” she yelled over the earthquake. “Now I challenge you to survive! We can’t be here while the wards reset from inside the island’s core! MOVE!”
My brain finally caught up to what she was saying. I’d been ready to die. To lay down and go to sleep forever, and let my life finally have value to someone, somewhere. Because after the life I’d led, that would have been enough for me.
Bleeding, weak, and in more agony than the fighting pits had ever given me, I realized it was no longer enough.
I wanted to belong. I wanted a home. I wanted to feel the sun on my scales as I flew over the ocean, and watched Perri grow up.
I wanted to be there to watch Nerissa’s daughter chase after that reluctant draken she wanted to mate.
I wanted to spar more with the females and get to know Nasi and Benedict better.
I wanted to live.
“OK,” I whispered, and let her haul me up.
We took off down the lava tube as best we could, stumbling like drunks as the ground rolled and cracked beneath our feet.
“Keep going!” Nerissa shouted.
We made it most of the way out before we encountered a problem. Perri stood there, screaming in distress, tears running down her face as she pointed to a boulder that had broken off the ceiling and crashed down onto the path.
“Where is Enya?” Nerissa demanded.
Perri kept crying and pointing at the boulder.
“Oh no,” Nerissa gasped, falling to her knees next to it.
I turned to Perri. “Keep screaming!”
She didn’t need to be told twice, her distress call echoing off the lava tubes and rattling my brain. I tried to ignore it as best I could, but it was like my entire system was set on fire by pain, need, adrenaline and anxiety.
I knelt next to Nerissa to see Enya pinned beneath a massive slab of obsidian, the jagged boulder crushing her legs from the thigh down. Old bloodmagick flickered red across her pale scales, her silver hair splayed like spilled moonlight around her head.
Enya lifted her chin when she saw us, face twisted in pain. “Take the child and go.”
“No,” I stubbornly refused.
Nerissa eyed me.
“Take Perri. Get out. I will save this female,” I said.
Her face twisted. “You’re in no state—”
The lava tube shifted, nearly throwing us off our feet. Nerissa shot me a look and ran out, scooping Perri into her arms on her way out.
I ignored my bleeding body and my tortured wings. I pushed away the ache and exhaustion. I bent down to the boulder, sliding my hands under it.
“Veskor, don’t—”
I used all my strength to lift.
“AAAARRGHHH!” I groaned. It only moved a few inches.
“Please,” Enya begged, pleading with me now.
“No,” I replied stubbornly.
“I’ve been worse,” she lied cheerfully, though sweat beaded her brow and her breaths came shallow. “Don’t fuss. You’ll only irritate me. Don’t … irritate … your Elders.”
Another quake rattled the cavern. Pebbles rained down like tiny pieces of sky falling.
I tried again.
“AAAARRRGHHH!”
It lifted another inch, and I tried to throw it to the side. It barely budged.
I was too weak. I wasn’t strong enough.
I went still, unable and unwilling to accept such an unshakeable, undeniable reality.
No. I was Veskor, champion of the fighting pits. I would not be defeated by a stupid rock! I—
“Veskor. Come here.”
I came around and knelt by Enya’s head. Her hand reached out, seeking mine. We twined our fingers together, tears running down her face.
“I’d wanted to help Queen Wren bring the newest draken generation into the world,” she whispered, voice full of despair.
“You will,” I fervently told her.
Her smile was sad.
“YOU WILL!” I screamed, shoving my claws and hands back under the rock.
“Veskor–”
“YOU WILL!”
I pushed and it lifted. I refused to set it back down, or rest. I ignored the pain. I ignored the pressure. I pushed harder with my legs.
“VESKOR!”
“YOU WILL!”
My muscles screamed, my body bled, but the rock didn’t fall back down. I shook. The rock shook. More. I needed more room.
“Please, just–”
“YOU WILL!”
It moved a few more inches.
“YOU. WILL.”
I tried to find one more burst of strength but my legs gave out and I crumpled, still holding onto the boulder.
Miraculously the rock lifted higher, and Enya rolled out from under it.
Dust and pebbles flew as the rock slammed back down into the passage, with my tired, worn out body falling on top of it.
We all coughed in the aftermath, and I realized we weren’t alone anymore.
Canavar.
Nasi.
They’d lifted for me when I couldn’t anymore.
“Hurry! Come!” I could only gasp for air as Canavar wrapped me up in his arms like a drakling and ran out of the cave. Nasi grabbed Enya, who cried out in pain but hooked her arms around the golden draken’s neck.
We ran.
BOOM. BOOM.
The lava tube was collapsing behind us.
I stared at the light at the end of the tunnel. How could we possibly make it? The earth roared at our backs, the light growing larger and larger, until finally we emerged, tripping and falling into the grass as the tunnel collapsed behind us with a mild whumpf.
I rolled onto my stomach and glanced up, Benedict and Kieran staring at me.
“Did it,” I vaguely pushed out, and threw up.
Enya let out a weak laugh. “You did. Now we just have to get further away from here.”
“You will,” I whispered to her and passed out.