by J. D. Monroe
Vicha spoke as she led them toward the stairs. “Arvelor has fallen. A legion in red cloaks calling themselves the Chosen overran the city, with their white nightmares raining destruction from the skies. Many Kadirai fell in the initial onslaught. Some fled, escorting refugees into the Ashflight lands. Queen Udezari was escorted safely from Thunderhold, but her entourage was ambushed before they made it to the Gate in Natar. The queen and several of her guards were struck by a weapon that forced them to change, and her protectors had to descend, unable to fly with her in that condition. There are another dozen people with her, but they will not leave her.”
Marlena’s stomach churned. White nightmares. The white dragons were supposed to be harbingers of justice. Why were they slaughtering people from the skies and destroying cities?
The stairwell ended in a cool, stone-walled basement. An archway carved from dark stone stood in the center of the room. Glowing runes embellished the smooth curve of the archway. Light shimmered in the opening like a curtain, reflecting in a pleasant cascade across the floor. She stared in wonder at the Gate. How strange that it had taken being captured by the enemy and attempting to earn his trust to finally see one.
A dozen people milled around the stone chamber. Two guards were posted on either side of the archway, while the team from Skyward Rest laid out bags and changed into loose clothing. Racks of bladed weapons hung on the wall, with notable gaps among the displays of swords and spears. And standing in the corner of the room was a strange device. It appeared to be two massive steel doors on hinges. Wickedly sharp spikes protruded from the interior surface of each plate.
Vicha stood in front of the Gate, its rippling light playing over her sharp features. Deep shadow ringed her warm brown eyes. “Our most recent scouting report indicates that one white dragon is still patrolling. It’s a few miles northwest of the city, trying to find the queen and her entourage. They’re hiding in a ravine that gives them a bit of cover. We know they’ve got a couple of wind dragons keeping them concealed, but—”
“They can’t keep it up forever. They must be exhausted,” Velati murmured. “How many others?”
“Scouts are placing it between five and seven additional Kadirai combatants with the Chosen. At least four with riders, and they’ve got several siege weapons with poisonous bolts. There were about two dozen human or hybrid troops on the ground, but we think they’ve been eliminated.”
“Velati, would you like the honors of dealing with the white dragon?” Dyadra said. Rihz stepped up beside her and stole a nervous glance at Marlena.
Velati nodded. “I’ll draw it away from the city and the queen. If it takes the bait, I’ll keep leading it away as long as I can and buy you time.”
Dyadra beckoned to the gathered soldiers. “You, you, and you. You’ll deal with whatever aerial attacks we face.” She gestured broadly. “Left to right as we leave the keep. Understand?” She pointed to several of the others. “You’re with me. We’ll go in stealthy to the queen and get her out.”
While the soldiers peppered her with questions, Velati led Marlena quietly to the corner of the room and gestured to her wrists. “This is it,” he said, pushing up her sleeves to unlock the manacles. With the cold metal removed, a thrill of power ran through her. “Let’s go.”
Grasping her hand tightly, he stepped into the shimmering doorway. Immense pressure enveloped her, knocking the wind out of her. A swirling rush of grayish-blue kaleidoscoped around her. Another doorway glowed brilliant white just an arm’s length away, but it seemed that her steps brought her no closer. She tried to protest, but she couldn’t draw a breath to speak. Her senses were overloaded. Velati’s cold presence surrounded her, pulling her through the doorway.
Power overwhelmed her. What was once a spark in her chest was a burning flame, the core of a volcano intensifying with each heartbeat. She felt like she would split at the seams from it. Her skin ignited with flame. Cold hands pressed to her cheeks as a distant voice said, “Hey! Look at me. You gotta breathe.” An icy hand slapped her cheek lightly. The voice was suddenly crystal clear. “Marlena. Breathe.”
She sucked in a ragged breath. Oxygen poured into her lungs, granting sweet relief. The heat diminished, but she still felt like there was too much of her stuffed into her skin. She dimly realized Velati held her face gently, his crystal blue eyes wide in concern. A thin white scar marked the outer corner of his top lip. He was so close that she could kiss him, at least if they weren’t enemies who were both waiting on the other to kill them. It was still tempting. “I’m fine.”
Without even trying, she sensed the tendrils of his mind floating freely. With a snap of her fingers, she could dominate his will. This place was incredible. Each breath sent a tingle down her spine, like the very air was stoking the flame inside her. He released her face and offered a hand to help her up. “First time?”
“Yeah,” she said, hoping he didn’t sense how much stronger she was now.
On this side of the Gate, pairs of guards in green and gold uniforms patrolled a large stone chamber. A colorful mosaic of glass glittered in a soaring dome that reminded her of an old cathedral. Velati led her toward the far wall of the chamber. Two guards with jagged spears stood at the exterior doors, but they parted to let the entourage through. Again, she heard reverent murmurs of Arik’tazhan. The term was spoken with awe and wonder, not horror as she’d heard among the Chosen.
Cool air greeted them as they emerged into a bright morning. Based on the tales she’d heard of Ascavar, Marlena had imagined breathtaking mountains, beautiful castles of stone and glass, and of course, dragons soaring overhead. Instead, she saw a war zone. Screeches and roars echoed through the morning. Thick plumes of smoke rose from the city and transformed the sunrise to hazy orange.
In the city, wrecked buildings jutted up from the land like broken teeth. In the street just at the foot of the stone stairs, two bodies lay still and naked, with wicked black spears jutting from their chests. Their hands were outstretched and clasped, like they’d spent their last bit of life trying to comfort one another. Shattered glass glittered in the dust all around them.
“What happened here?” she murmured.
“War,” Velati said. “Isn’t this what the Chosen wanted?”
“We were supposed to make things better,” she said. Tears stung at her eyes as she looked beyond the bodies at the ruined city. The stench of death pervaded the air.
“Better for who?” he asked. “I would—”
A deafening roar rumbled, impossibly low and loud. Velati’s head whipped around at the sound. She followed his gaze to the distant silhouette of a dragon moving across the sky. White scales reflected the sun in a blaze of light.
The Aesdar. Her destiny. She had never seen one of them fully ascended, but she knew without a doubt what she saw. It should have been beautiful, affirming somehow.
And yet…was this what they intended for her? To destroy cities and leave broken bodies in the streets?
A cool hand grasped her shoulder. “We have to go.” Velati took the leather bag from his shoulder and held it out to her. “You’re in charge of this. You protect me, I’ll do what I can to slow that thing down. If you can help take it down, do it. If not, just keep me safe. Got it?”
“Got it,” she murmured. “What should I do with…” she trailed off as he peeled off his jeans. She had wondered from the first time she saw him how much of him was covered in ink. Now she had her answer and the visual proof to back it up. Intricate patterns intertwined like thorny vines along his spine. Twisting spikes followed the lines of his ribs over a flat, chiseled stomach, and down toward his groin. Even his legs were marked with long, sweeping lines that accentuated the thick muscle, snaking over powerful quadriceps and broad calves. He looked like a Greek statue come to life. Heat surged between her legs as the masterpiece was seared into her brain.
“Are you done checking me out?” he asked wryly. He drew a deep breath, and all at once, the dark inked lines glowed fai
ntly.
Her cheeks flushed. “I wasn’t…”
He chuckled and crossed his arms over his chest, then peeled them away like he was ripping away his human skin. Cold air buffeted her, and there was an audible snap as his body reformed itself amidst a flash of light. It was like nothing she’d ever seen. She’d seen dragons change at Haven. Even the strong ones struggled through it, taking a few seconds at the very least. Not Velati. In one breath, there was a naked man standing on the steps. By the time she exhaled, he was gone.
In his place was a huge dragon armored in overlapping layers of scales so pale blue that they were nearly silver. The early morning light filtered through the thin membrane of his outstretched wings, casting a tinted shadow almost like stained glass onto the steps. The dragon still had his familiar, bright blue eyes with long, slitted pupils.
She stepped toward him, but a hard grip closed around her arm and hauled her back. She whirled to see Dyadra glaring up at her. “Look at me,” she said quietly. “If he doesn’t come back on two feet, then you better find yourself a nice place to die out here, because whatever happens, it’ll be better than what I do to you. Got me?”
Marlena’s heart kicked against her ribs, and she instinctively felt for the woman’s mind. Don’t tempt me, she thought.
“Dee,” a low voice rumbled.
“Just giving her a pep talk,” the smaller woman said, releasing her arm. As she walked away, she glanced back at Velati. “Be safe, serani.”
Marlena stared up at Velati’s massive form. “So, I just climb on, huh?”
He let out a quiet, chuffing noise that could have been a laugh. “Climb on,” he said. He stalked forward like a jungle cat, then crouched low to the ground. Even then, it took an awkward jump to climb up his side and onto his back. Hard scales bit into her legs.
Once she was balanced, he bounded down the steps and leaped into the air. His powerful wings kicked up a cold cloud of dust. Her stomach plunged as he rose rapidly, then wheeled out of the city. Behind them, half a dozen other dragons sprang into the air, splitting into neat formations.
The flight toward the desert took them over the city of Natar, which lay in ruins. She could see broken glass and gleaming metal that hinted at the city’s beauty before disaster had struck. Hundreds, if not thousands of people must have died in the chaos. War was always costly, but was this worth it?
Who are you making it better for? she heard, in Velati’s quiet, accusing tone.
Another deafening roar vibrated into her bones, coming from the west. Her power swelled again with the sound, like the Aesdar was calling to its kindred. The white dragon slithered across the sky, its alabaster scales partially obscured by smoke. Its eyes gleamed like dying stars through the haze.
Below them, the red expanse of desert was split with a dark seam, like a blade had sliced through the earth. Velati growled, a rumbling sensation that shook her entire body. In his glacial aura, her breath materialized like smoke from her lips.
The air ahead of them shimmered and parted like a curtain around a pale gray dragon. It spun in the air and tossed its head. There was a faint whistle like a blade slashing through open air. Marlena tucked herself against Velati’s neck, and his body jolted with an impact, rattling her jaws together.
“Turn,” she shouted at him. As he turned his side toward the gray dragon, she locked onto its golden gaze and grabbed its mind. Shock and surprise lashed back at her, but she already had its will. “Drop,” she commanded. The dragon’s wings went rigid, and it plummeted from the sky. Velati dove after it and flipped the helpless dragon onto its back. Sharp black claws ripped into its belly, sending up a hot spray of blood. Her head snapped back as he launched himself back into the air, leaving the gray dragon dying below him.
“Good,” he growled.
The white dragon roared again. Its voice was like thunder echoing in her brain. Marlena gripped Velati’s scaled neck tightly, extending her power over him. It was a strange thing, to protect instead of attack. Rather than narrowing her focus to find the weakness in his defenses, she spread it wide, like wrapping him in a blanket. At first, he pushed back, his spine arching beneath her. His resistance felt like claws scraping inside her skull.
I won’t hurt you, she thought, trying to send the thoughts of assurance to him. I have you.
The resistance melted away, leaving a sense of unity, like his energy flowed along with hers instead of against it. She wove herself around him and into him, bolstering the massive power contained in his body. His emotions flowed through her, entwining with hers like tangled roots. Anger. Determination. Fear. It was a head rush like she’d never experienced. Sheer physical pleasure radiated from her center. She tightened her grasp on the armored scales, hoping that particular side effect didn’t get any more intense.
Velati growled as the white dragon grew closer. A blinding beam of light poured from its massive jaws, splintering into a crackling web of lightning. She gripped his neck with all her strength, closing her eyes. Her muscles ached with the strain of holding on as he tilted his body, then righted himself again. He closed the distance and roared back, releasing a volley of ice shards at the creature.
Its head slowly turned toward them, eyes flaring like spotlights. High on its head, a third eye gleamed bright between curled silvery horns. Fear gripped her as she stared into its eyes, trapped in that familiar magnetism. Velati’s body trembled beneath her. The smooth connection became tumultuous, sending a cold wave of nausea thorugh her. Gritting her teeth, she forced her power on him, digging deeper into his psyche. It won’t hurt you. I won’t let it.
The scouts from the Stormflight had called this thing ‘the white nightmare,’ and with good reason. It was bigger than any dragon had a right to be, easily ten times his size. It was too big to fly on those wings, and yet it did. The air around it stank of blood and death, and each slow pulse of its wings sounded like a crack of thunder.
When it turned toward him, its gaze struck him like a battering ram slamming right into his brain stem. Fear gripped his heart. Through the rising panic, a prickling warmth surrounded him. In the back of his mind, Marlena murmured I won’t let you fall, her voice barely perceptible through the roar of blood and confusion.
Velati dove under the white dragon, then craned his neck up to release another volley of ice spears, each as thick as a man’s thigh and wickedly sharp. Several glanced off its armored jaw, but a few found purchase in its soft throat. It screamed, and he darted out ahead of it to catch its attention.
Don’t let me die out here, he thought. It was as much a plea for Marlena to prove him right as it was a prayer to the Skymother. He knew it was foolish and naïve, but the look of horror in her eyes when she saw the ruins of Natar gave him hope.
He spared a look back. The white dragon had altered course to follow him. He banked slightly, taking a path perpendicular to the ravine. Dragons skirmished in the skies above Natar, and in the distance, two of them disappeared beyond a shimmering barrier. He hoped that was Dyadra, preparing to make her stealth run toward the ravine.
Long ago, he’d learned that he couldn’t control the whole battlefield. Splitting his attention guaranteed distraction and risked deadly failure. He trusted Dyadra to accomplish her objective, just as she trusted him with his.
A fist pounded against his neck. “Up!” Marlena bellowed.
Without hesitation, he flew straight up. Searing pain burned into his tail, and he let out a screech of pain as fire crackled along his scales. With an arcing turn, he descended to face the white dragon.
Its glowing blue eyes found him, and for a moment, he was frozen. His wings faltered, not responding to his desperate command to fly. The white dragon loomed in his vision. Those eerie blue eyes and the blinding third orb overwhelmed his conscious mind. The smell of blood and death filled his lungs.
Velati! a voice whispered in the back of his mind. You have to fly! We’re falling!
He noticed the sickening rush of falling a split
second before he slammed into the ground, flat on his belly and wings splayed uselessly. The air rushed from his lungs. Sand rained down on him. The white dragon cast a grim shadow over him.
Marlena’s heels pounded into his sides. An unpleasant prickling ran down his spine, then jolted directly into his heart. “Get up!” she shouted. “You have to trust me.”
The prickling sensation seeped under his scales and into his muscles, like a thousand needles piercing his skin. The pain of it grounded him in reality. He surged into the air, flying opposite the white dragon until he reached its hindquarters. Then he jackknifed in the air and landed on its back. He ran along the creature’s spine, gripping tight with sharp claws as the white dragon twisted under him. The creature was much too big to maneuver quickly.
Velati perched on one thick wing joint and exhaled a frosty breath over its pale wing. The membrane hardened into brittle glass. With a roar of triumph, he slammed his tail down onto the stiff wing and tore through the delicate membrane like paper.
The white dragon screamed in pain, already plummeting as Velati froze its other wing and shattered it. He darted out of the way, but a flailing talon caught his back leg and pulled him down. White-hot pain raked down his flank, but he ripped away at the last second, splattering red onto the sand below.
The huge white body crashed to the desert floor amidst an explosive burst of sand. Its bellow of agony was deafening. Blood poured from its mangled wings. It writhed on its back like a stranded turtle. That was a tactic he hadn’t used in over a century, and one he reserved only for desperate times. It was agonizing and utterly cruel, but it was all he could think to do in the face of such a massive enemy.
Velati dove for the white dragon and landed on its chest. He ripped into its throat with both his front talons, shredding the soft flesh. The white dragon shuddered, letting out a pitiful cry of desperation.
“Look,” Marlena said, slapping at the side of his neck with a percussive thump. Behind them, two dozen dragons flew toward Natar in tight formation. Two in the center carried humanoid figures in their front limbs, while at least four bore riders. “Is that them?”
