Sid took a deep breath. “But you know how to use your swords and you will. To save your life and others who might be in danger.”
“Of course,” Hazel said. “I don’t like death.”
Sid gave her a sad smile. “None of us do.”
No one said anything as they began the long walk down the passageway. Sid thought of the prophecy and all that hadn’t happened yet. How long would this battle wage? It would be only the six of them and the witch. Who would live and die? Would this be the last time they were all together? Sid shivered.
They marched deep into the cave, past the sapphire studded walls, and into the pit where the council usually met. It was eerily empty. The six of them were alone. Aspen unsheathed her swords. “Something’s not right.”
Sid agreed, but he couldn’t figure out what.
Skye spun around. “Shouldn’t she be here?”
A crash sounded behind them, and everyone froze. “It came from behind that boulder,” Hazel whispered. They all huddled together. Maybe they should turn into dragons. But he didn’t want to let go of Aspen’s hand.
“That boulder isn’t big enough to hide a fully grown arctic dragon,” said Val, and Sid suddenly felt silly.
As one, they snuck cautiously to the boulder. A bright red head poked out, and Sid jumped back.
“Hi,” Runa said, grinning from ear to ear.
Sid’s heart clenched. “You need to leave. Right now.”
She shook her head. “No. I want to help.”
“You’re going to get killed. Plus, you promised.”
She glared at Rowan. “That was before he locked me up.”
“This is dangerous,” Rowan said.
She lifted her head high. “I know. But I can help.”
“No. You need to leave.”
A whoosh came from the front of the cave, and all their heads turned.
“I think we have company,” Sid said. “Runa, you need to hide. Don’t come out for any reason, unless you want to die. That’s an order from your king.”
Runa scowled at him and flew high up in the cave. He hoped she would hide somewhere good. If she stayed out of the way, then she might survive.
The kings transformed into dragons, and Aspen, Hazel, and Rowan unsheathed their swords. The fight was coming to them.
Six white dragons flew into the cavern and landed in front of them.
“I thought you were alone,” Rowan said.
So much for Freddie’s software. Although maybe she had been alone and called her companions when she sensed the kings were on the way.
Oh, you think I would come alone. You are foolish. This will be an easy fight. We are the only ones left of our race. We have nothing to lose.
“Neither do we,” Aspen said, stepping forward, swinging her sword.
Candide snorted, and big poofs of white smoke came out. Oh, you all care for each other a great deal. I dare say you have a lot to lose.
Everyone stared at each other. Six giant dragons on one side, three humans and their dragons on the other. No one moved. It was eerie. Sid didn’t know what the first move would be, and he didn’t even know where to begin. The entire cave seemed to be holding its breath. Candide’s magic was unpredictable, and they were being cautious.
Aspen’s voice filled his head. Rowan, Hazel, and I are going to start this thing. We’re going to surprise them and behead three of them before anyone realizes what has happened. That should give you, Skye, and Val a clear shot at Candide. Let’s end this quickly.
Sid closed his eyes. He didn’t want her to start this, but it was a good plan. If it worked, Candide would be dead in minutes. The ease of it worried him. Nothing was ever easy.
Okay. Be safe. He had to let her do this. The battle would start with or without him.
Love you.
Love you too.
Rowan clanked his swords together, and the three humans moved at the same time. Aspen hit her dragon first. She used both swords to slice at the neck, and the head came off, bathing Aspen in bright red blood. Rowan seemed to have just as much luck, except he managed to avoid the bloodbath. Hazel was struggling. The white dragon she went after had her pinned under his foot.
“Rowan,” Aspen screamed and ran for the dragon. She went after the leg, and Rowan went for the neck. He lobbed the head off and Aspen pulled Hazel out from underneath the claw. Sid was shocked at how fast and efficiently they worked.
They ran to the kings, and all three climbed up. But none of them took flight. Sid was too horrified by the sight in front of him.
Bravo, you brave humans. Look at what you have done.
The three headless dragons weren’t white. They were all gold. Sid’s stomach fell. One was Raja, his sister’s beloved and another was Jonathan. The third he did not recognize, but these were his tribe, not arctic.
Candide, what have you done? he asked. He could barely get out the words. He still couldn’t believe what he was seeing. They’d killed their own dragons. Sid’s chest filled with rage.
Ah, dear Obsidian, I couldn’t find five additional arctic dragons. They’re all dead. So I borrowed a few of yours. You don’t mind do you? The enchantment was rather easy. Now. To business. You’ve killed my people. Now you must die.
Without warning, Aspen flew off his back. Sid saw Rowan and Hazel on the ground as well.
“Sid, watch out!” Aspen screamed.
Candide hovered right above him. Her jaws opened wide, and she snapped at his head. He took to the sky knowing he fought better in the air. Candide nipped at his ankles. Sid flew higher and felt Val and Skye join him. They were about thirty feet above the white witch.
Her two minions still stayed on the ground. He didn’t want to kill them on the off chance that they were his friends and family.
Candide circled below. He dove, and at the same moment, so did Val and Skye. They slashed and bit and fought with her, but they could not hit her. She did not attack. Her focus was on the fight below.
Sid backed off and let Val and Skye continue to fight. He wanted to see what was going on in the fight down below since Candide seemed so fascinated by it.
Rowan and Hazel went for one dragon, while Aspen circled around the other one. The dragon Rowan and Hazel went after backed away from them cowering, almost as if he was waiting for them to kill him. Both Rowan and Hazel said something to Aspen that Sid couldn’t hear.
The dragon reached down and snapped at Hazel’s head. She ducked in time, and Rowan sliced off the head. When it fell to the ground, Sid was mortified to see that it was yet another royal dragon. Silver this time. He didn’t want to know who. Aspen’s dragon took to the sky, but she managed to slice at its leg.
Sid dove and dropped on the ground next to Aspen.
Climb on. Hazel and Rowan too. You can fight in the air.
Sid went after the remaining arctic dragon. He fought fiercely and with purpose, like he wasn’t in some stupor. Sid went after it with his claws, and the three humans on his back slashed away. They jabbed at the dragon, but they couldn’t get any deep shots in.
A flash of black fell next to Sid. Skye was plummeting through the air.
“Skye,” Rowan yelled. She landed in a crumpled heap on the floor. “Go. You have to go to her.” Rowan beat on Sid’s back with the butt of his sword. Sid landed hard, and everybody climbed off his back and ran to Skye.
“Are you okay?” Rowan asked, patting her body.
She cracked her eye open. I can’t move.
“Can I heal you?” Aspen asked.
You can try. But she paralyzed me. It might be magic, not a true injury.
“Let me try anyway.”
Aspen looked up at Sid with panic in her eyes. “It’s not working.”
If it’s magical, there is nothing we can do. I need to get back up in the air. You three st
ay here and protect Skye.
Sid flew up to help Val. The second white dragon was in sorry shape, bleeding from several spots on his flank and one on his neck. The swords had made their mark, but they were still far from taking his life. If the spell Skye was under broke, they could all heal, and as long as her injuries weren’t too bad, she’d be up and fighting in minutes.
The white dragons flew in front of them. The other arctic’s breathing was heavy. He was struggling. If they got rid of him first, then they’d only have one dragon to fight. He should be easy.
Then they would need all their efforts to kill Candide. She snarled in front of them.
Where were her injuries? How could they not connect with her?
Val circled back around both dragons, and he attacked the injured dragon with his claws out and his teeth bared. Sid flew over Candide and landed on the other dragon’s back. He dug his claws into its flesh and tore a chunk out of the back of its neck. The stench of blood stung his nostrils, and he gagged on the metallic taste on his tongue. He preferred to fight with only his claws, but the teeth were more effective. The dragon gave a mighty shake, and Sid felt his grip loosening. He gave another jerk, and Sid let go. As the dragon fell, Val got in one more slash at its wings, shredding them.
The dragon dropped to the ground. Candide’s eyes went wide, and then she spun on them and roared, letting out white hot flames. She lunged after the other dragon.
Sid and Val dove as well and landed in front of their queens.
Are you okay? Sid asked.
Yes. The spell broke when the other dragon fell. As soon as I could move, Aspen healed me. I’m ready to kill Candide. This has gone on long enough.
Candide stood in front of the injured dragon, whose head lay heavy on the floor. His eyes were closing, and he wasn’t long for this world. His injuries were too great. Sid almost attacked, but he didn’t feel right going after Candide when her back was turned. She seemed so vulnerable.
Val jumped on her, but she threw him away. He flew high up in the air and crashed against a wall. Hazel ran after him. It was almost as if Candide had a force field around her and couldn’t get hurt.
Candide spun on Sid. You know how to heal. Heal him.
Sid snorted. He couldn’t believe she had the nerve to even ask. You have all this magic, but you cannot heal? Why should I heal this person after all the death you’ve caused?
I have no power to heal. This is my love. I have protected him throughout the entire war, and now he will die unless you heal him. Do it now, or I will kill you all.
Sid was about to tell her no way in hell was he going to heal him. But out of the corner of his eye he saw Aspen, Rowan, and Hazel sneaking around behind her with their swords held high. Always the warriors. He needed to stall Candide so she didn’t notice. To give them a chance to make sure they could behead him before Candide realized what happened.
Say I do heal him. Will you leave and let us alone?
Candide jerked. You’ll do it? The hope in her eyes was almost too much for him.
The three humans were close. He refocused on Candide. She could be unpredictable, and he couldn’t take any chances. Only if you promise to go hide in the arctic and never return. You’ll be together, but you will be banished from human and dragon presence.
He felt slightly guilty for giving her hope, but even if she agreed, promises meant nothing to witches like her. He could not have compassion for her. She would stop at nothing to kill them. But taking life went against everything in his being.
Yes, yes. I promise. Now heal him.
She backed away and turned to see Rowan, Hazel, and Aspen slice his head off.
Candide spun around in a rage. You promised.
Too late. You wouldn’t have kept your promise anyway.
Candide let out bright white flames as she jumped in the air and hovered over the dead white dragon.
She snarled at Sid. You took everything from me. You and your pathetic followers.
You started this. She was the one who wanted death. Not him.
No. You did. You never loved me.
We weren’t meant to be together. I was meant for Aspen.
Aspen, she spat, her eyes burning with fury. This was her fault. She killed Winerva.
Candide flung him up in the air about a hundred feet, and he crashed against the wall and stuck there, his body human. He craned his head around and saw Aspen on his right. Hazel was beneath her, and Skye was beyond her. To his left, Rowan and Val were plastered against the wall with their limbs in unnatural positions. All human.
Sid tried with all his might to pull his arm away from the wall, but nothing moved. He was trapped. He could rotate his head and wiggle his fingers, but that was it.
“Is everyone okay?” he asked.
There came a chorus of “yeahs,” and Sid let out a breath of relief. For now, everyone was alive. Beneath them, Candide wept over her lover.
“Any ideas?” he asked.
“How are we going to defeat her? Even if we manage to get out of this spell, we’re still going to fall and break our necks,” Aspen said.
Candide glowered at them with murder in her eyes. She let out another jet of flames, and Sid raced through the air again toward Candide. Air whipped through his hair, and then, just a few feet from Candide, he abruptly stopped, floating in front of her head, so close that he could feel her hot breath on his human form.
Her great icy eyes blinked at him.
We end this now, Candide said.
She released him, and his body changed into a dragon. It took him two seconds of free-falling to realize it. He spread his wings and felt a great deal of relief. He had no time to waste. He shot at her, going for the kill shot. But she stopped him in midair. Frozen in place. Again. At least this time he was a dragon.
She flung him up in air, and he found himself facing Aspen from about twenty feet away. He couldn’t move, and he hated seeing the terror in her eyes. For the first time since they arrived, Sid felt like they were about to lose. They would all die in this wretched cave, by magic they didn’t understand. Candide was in complete control of everything.
Candide flew up to meet him. You are responsible for the deaths of everyone I love. Now watch me kill everyone you love. This will be too easy. They are all humans. Fire works well. Don’t you think?
Sid strained against the bonds. This was impossible. Candide’s fire would kill them. Quickly too. Once she let loose her flames, they’d be in ashes.
Candide flew away from him and surveyed those in front of her. Sid studied them too. He could do nothing to protect them from Candide’s flames, and he wanted to remember them. Val’s quiet leadership, Hazel’s fierceness, Skye’s compassion, and Rowan’s bravery. He struggled again, but he couldn’t escape the magic. She was going to kill these people that he loved one by one and make him watch. In spite of all of the gifts the dragons gave him, he could do nothing to fight against her skills.
His eyes met Aspen’s. She knew she was about to die. Tears flowed down her cheeks.
I love you, he said. He needed her to remember that. He wanted those to be the last words she heard.
She sniffed. I love you too. Sid, promise me something.
Anything.
After we’re dead, and she plays this sick game with you where she gives you the illusion that you can win, by letting you go, kill the bitch.
I will. For you. For all of you. Sid’s heart wrenched, and tears escaped. He tried to hold them back, to be strong for Aspen, but the pain in his chest was too much. He couldn’t watch her die.
Goodbye, Sid.
Aspen squeezed her eyes shut, and Sid knew she didn’t want to watch her own death. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Candide open her wide jaw, smelled the sulfur that preceded the flame.
A wing tapped him on the head, and a bright blue
and yellow dragon flew in front of him. Runa. Not her too.
Runa, stop! Go hide.
She continued her flight. Sid could do nothing but watch. He hated feeling so helpless.
Runa flew in front of Candide, and Sid wondered what she was going to do. Dragon fire didn’t do anything to dragons. As the flame began to come out, Runa shot into Candide’s mouth. Her small form going into Candide’s throat, effectively cutting off the flame. Candide choked and fell from the air.
Sid felt his wings loosen. He swooped right for Candide. This ended now. No more hesitation. No more mercy.
Behind him, five thumps hit the ground. He’d forgotten them. How could he have forgotten them? If he had taken two seconds and went for the wall instead of Candide, he could’ve caught them. He spun around. Aspen lay on the ground, a trickle of blood coming out of her mouth. Her eyes were shut, and he couldn’t tell if her crumpled form was breathing or not.
Every fiber of his being wanted to go to her. Save her if he could, but he had a chance to kill the white witch that he would never get again. His moment to save had passed. They were dead.
He was about to make sure he finished what Runa started. With every ounce of self-discipline he had, he turned from Aspen and raced for Candide.
He landed on the floor next to her convulsing body. Coughing and spitting, she spun in circles and beat her wings. She gave a loud roar, and Runa soared out of her mouth and landed with a small thump several feet away.
Sid froze for a half a second, watching Runa’s tiny body. The dragon fire wouldn’t have hurt Runa, but she’d been in Candide’s mouth and throat. There was no telling if she could survive that. Aspen and the others were likely dead as well.
The prophecy said only one king would remain to reign. Was he destined to be all alone? He didn’t even want to reign if that was what it would take. He wanted Aspen by his side and Val and Skye with him.
If he gave up, he could die, and the pain would go away. It would be the easiest thing. Over half of all the dragons in the world had died in the last week. It wouldn’t be awful to join them.
The Kings: The Dragon Kings Book 5 Page 15
