by Judith Leger
He nodded to reassure her. His gaze wandered to the
wings and he asked. “How?”
She reached up and back, touching them. “Oh...they came
out. I don’t know how to make them go away.”
“Ah,” he smiled, understanding her dilemma. “Come, let
us tend to Ren then I will show you the way to dispel them.”
“What about Bask? I saw him fall.”
The mention of the fallen wizard’s name brought a return
of his pain over losing the man and Lior. He shook his head.
“He is gone. As is Lior.”
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She gasped, a hand going to her mouth. “No. Oh, no. He
died because of me.”
Her comment sent anger coursing through his veins. Not
so much because of her self blame, but she believed this
battle her fault. He imagined the turmoil in her thoughts. If
she had remained on Earth then none of this would have
occurred. “Don’t. He died defending our way of life. Do not
assume this battle was solely because of you and Legion.”
“How can you say it isn’t?” Tears sparkled in her eyes. He
wanted to reach out and smooth them away, but wasn’t sure
she would accept his comfort.
“Arcane has been planning to annihilate the humans and
dragonseeds for thousands of years. You are a tiny part of
this. Whether you were here or not, he still would have tried
to destroy all the humans on Avaris. Do not place the blame
on yourself. It doesn’t belong there.”
Without waiting for her to answer, he moved past her.
They started down the steep incline into the tunnel. Ren
remained silent during the conversation and continued to do
so.
A shocked cry came from Seren. He looked over his
shoulder. She stood, staring at his brother.
“What are you doing here?” She placed her hands on
hips, glaring at the younger man.
Throat working, Rylen looked at him.
“Seren, he’s here with me. Arcane’s shadow no longer
falls on him. It is not our place to judge him.” He started to
say more, but Ren interrupted him.
“I am going to bleed to death if this leg is not seen to.
Seren, leave him and come with us. I helped with Legion’s
birth, now it is time to return the favor.” The wizard nodded
at the inner tunnel. He tilted his head closer and murmured
low so she wouldn’t hear. “Hurry, before she realizes I have
distracted her.”
They proceeded without waiting for any of the others to
follow. Paladin took Ren to his quarters where the wizard
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stripped off his pants. Paladin helped him recline on the cot
and covered his hips with a blanket. When he finished, he
looked up to find Seren standing in the doorway.
“I ordered hot water to clean it. Who’s going to stitch him
up?” She moved nearer, eyeing the deep cut. Swallowing, she
glanced at him. “Don’t expect me to. I don’t know how to
sew.”
“Sew?” Paladin frowned at her. Her strange ways amazed
yet confused him at the same time.
Ren repeated the word. “No one is going to sew me up.
Why would you think that?”
She shrugged. “That’s what we do on Earth. We stitch
severe cuts with sutures. How is it done here?”
The wizard chuckled, an expression of relief passing over
his face. “We use magic. Only magic. The wound will be
healed from the inside out. This, sometimes, takes several
days to complete. Largin will take care of it. I’m sure he’ll be
very busy over the next few weeks.”
“That’s a relief, I was beginning to worry you wanted me
to do it. I’m sorry, I like you, but I’d end up hurting you
worse.” She smiled down at Ren. “Do you want some water
or maybe something stronger for the pain?”
He waved her away. “No. Paladin, take her away. Show
her how to dispel those wings. She’s leaving feathers on my
floor.”
Neither argued with Ren. She followed Paladin out of the
small room into the larger central cavern. He took her arm
and led her a short distance away to a quiet, sheltered alcove.
Facing her, he placed his hands on her shoulders.
“Concentrate on your wings.”
She closed her eyes. Her face screwed up into a
thoughtful frown.
“In your mind see yourself with the wings. Now think of
what you look like without them. That is all you have to do,”
he said, watching her face for any sign of confusion.
After a few seconds, a whitish aura radiated from her.
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The wings dissolved from her back, some of the feathers
falling at their feet.
She reached to feel. Her eyes lit with excitement. “They’re
gone.”
“It is a simple matter to call them and then dispel them.
You’ll become adjusted to it.” As soon as the words came out,
he regretted them. She would never grow accustomed. She
intended to leave Avaris. He had no idea whether the magic
in her blood would work on Earth.
“Thanks.” The sweet smile he loved to see slipped over
her lips. Her gray eyes rose to meet his stare. “Are you all
right? Truly all right?”
“I took no wounds. There will be many arriving who are
injured. I need you to help tend them, Largin will show you
how. I have to return to the battle to make sure all ends the
way it should.”
“What do you mean?”
“The white dragon clan must know I have accepted
Rylen’s surrender. I have to make sure all of them are aware.
If not, more innocent lives will be taken and I refuse to carry
that burden.” He touched her brow. “I will return.”
She licked her lips, the skin glistening, and nodded. “I
don’t want you to go, but I understand. Just make sure you
come back.”
“I give you my word.”
He strode away from her, determined to remain strong,
and never allow her to see how he had hardened his heart in
preparation for her departure from Avaris.
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Chapter Twenty-Eight
The heat from the palm-size green crystal pressed
between her hands built to a tolerable degree. Seren swept it
over the open gash on a black dragon clan soldier’s head,
holding the stone an inch above the cut. The poor man’s face
carried a deep purple bruise on the left side. He groaned.
Thankful Largin took the time to show her how to heal
the wounded humans and dragonseeds, she concentrated on
healing the man. The process astonished her. Energy in the
emerald stone passed into the injury, restoring health to the
flesh. How many people on Earth would benefit from one
stone with this type of magic in it? Illness, even severe
injuries would fade into healthy bodies. Many lives would be
saved. But Paladin mentioned the dragons who traveled to
Earth had died, unable to survive because of the lack of
>
magic there.
She finished healing the soldier, straightened, and
glanced around. So many men and women lay injured. Most
of the serious had been taken to the city. The wizards at the
academy used more powerful methods to tend them. The
worst cases, the ones not able to travel the distance,
remained for Largin to take care with her assistance.
Standing, she stretched and scanned the room. Paladin
hadn’t returned. They would have told her if something
happened to him. Or would they? Her head started to throb,
the painful pulses banged against her brow. She rubbed her
temples. Eyes half-closed, her gaze caught on the spot where
Rylen sat on the floor across the cavern from her. He’d
helped with the healing earlier, but now he sat, knees drawn
to his chest, his arms draped over them. His head rested on
his arms.
Still upset with him, she thought about Paladin. Rylen
was his brother. This reason made it difficult for her to
ignore him. Moving with slow steps, she walked to the young
man, zig-zagging through the wounded stretched out on the
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floor. He’d threatened her life and Legion’s. Memories of her
time with him worked their way through her mind to taunt
her. She should turn her back and not bother with him.
Putting her emotions aside, allowing her resolve to
harden, she reached the spot and eased down next to him,
resting her shoulders against the wall. The muscles in her
back twinged with exhaustion. She shifted to find a better
position. He lifted his head and looked at her. She met his
gaze. He averted his eyes.
Good sign there. Guilt ate at him over his actions.
The silence between them outweighed the moans and
quiet comforting voices echoing throughout the cavern. She
tried to think of something to say, but nothing came to mind
so she waited, wondering if and when he would speak.
The serving woman she left to watch over Legion
appeared in the doorway to her room, carrying a blanket
wrapped bundle. Even though she saw Seren and who sat
next to her, the woman headed straight for her. Seren
wanted to scream at her to stop. The man had threatened
Legion’s life. Didn’t the woman realize this?
Yet, Seren waited, keeping silent, to see how Rylen
reacted. This test would prove Arcane’s influence no longer
controlled him.
The dark skinned woman halted before them, leaned over
and handed Legion to her. “Pardon, my lady, but he is
fretting.”
Clasping her child against her breast, Seren lifted the
blanket from Legion’s face. The scrunched features surprised
a laugh from her. She murmured thanks to the woman and
glanced over at Rylen.
He stared at Legion, an expression of wonder on his face.
He lifted a finger to the baby, but stopped. His throat worked
and he looked away.
When he spoke, his voice, so similar to Paladin’s, cracked
with unshed tears. “You will never forgive me. I do not blame
you.”
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Uncomfortable and unsure, she blurted out. “It’ll take of
lot of proving on your part for me to trust you.”
“I understand.”
The meekness in his answer fanned her ire. “Understand?
Yeah, right. You don’t understand anything. You tried to kill
me and my baby—your own nephew. He’s your blood
relative. Explain that to me.”
He shook his head, averting his eyes. “I do not truly
remember a time when I wasn’t under Arcane’s spell. I was
seven when he attacked and placed his spell on me.
Afterward, I only recall bitterness and hatred for Paladin, the
brother I had always loved with all my essence.”
“Why didn’t you fight against the spell?”
Resting his brow on his arms which were still folded over
his knee, he hid his face. “How was I to fight against an adult
dragon’s dark magic? I had not yet grown into my wings.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
He rolled his forehead across his arm. “My wings would
have given me more power to repel his attack. As it was, I fell
to him.”
“What now? Are you going to fall to another dragon if it
decides to make the world a wasteland like Arcane? Do you
have the ability to stop it?” She had to make sure.
His response came low and quiet. “I do not know.”
Legion laughed. The sound surprised her so she looked
away and smiled down at her son. He actually laughed loud
for only five days old. She glanced at Rylen. He lifted his
head and stared at his nephew, amazement evident on his
face.
Taking a chance, hoping she wasn’t wrong, she said,
“Well, he seems to think you do.”
Rylen met her gaze and crumpled. Tears filled blue eyes a
shade lighter than Paladin’s. He tried to speak, but just a
breathy gust escaped. After several attempts, he managed to
speak, his voice no higher than a whisper. “I’m sorry, so
sorry. I never meant...”
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“Hush, it’s over with. Paladin believes you’re back to
normal. I’m not comfortable with that, but I trust him. Why,
I don’t know. He wasn’t honest with me either.” She reached
out and smoothed a hand over the back of his head. “You’re
his brother. I can’t change that.”
Not sure how it happened, whether he tilted or she pulled
him, but he ended up with his head against her shoulder,
sobs breaking free from his chest in deep heart-rending
gasps.
Tears sprang to her eyes. Quiet forgiveness entered her
heart. She offered him no words, just gentle pats and low
comforting murmurs. Voices, louder than earlier, came from
the entry to the large cavern. She glanced over to see what’d
happened. Paladin stood several feet inside the room. His
gaze centered on her and his brother.
For him, she soothed Rylen. For him, and him alone.
* * * *
The sight of his brother sobbing against Seren’s shoulder
forced Paladin to stop. Warmth bloomed in his chest. His
love for Seren grew to a higher level than he’d believed
possible. She put her anger aside and opened her heart to his
brother.
He drew in a deep breath, steeling his mind for what he
must do. Requesting this boon from her would sever all her
ties to him. She would despise him. He moved in their
direction, halting once he reached them.
She said Rylen’s name. His brother lifted his head,
swinging around to meet Paladin’s look.
She shifted Legion in her arms, worry clouding her eyes.
“Is it over? Are they gone?”
“No.” Frightened, torn by what he must do, he knelt on
the other side of her. “The rogues refuse to surrender. Legion
is the only one they will obey.”
Her eyes widened with comprehension. She shook her
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head. “No. I’m not sending him out there. He’s a baby. What
can he do?”
Clenching his teeth, Paladin rubbed his brow. “Seren,
even though he is an infant, he is still the one dragon king.
They must obey him.”
“And if they don’t? What then? Will they kill him?” Terror
edged her words, her body trembled. Her hair shook even
though she stiffened.
He met her gaze and held it. “I would die protecting him.
He will not be taken from you. I have given my sworn oath. I
will stand by it with my last breath.”
She shook her head, over and over, tears welling in her
eyes.
He reached for his son, slipping his hands under the tiny
body.
Legion cooed, blowing bubbles.
She tightened her hold.
Paladin gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, searching for
the strength and wisdom to make her understand. “If he is
not shown to the rogues, they will overrun the world. We will
return to the way it was five thousand years ago. You did not
come to this world for that purpose, and Legion was not born
to destroy, but to preserve. Please, let your faith in me return
once more. I swear I will keep him safe in my arms.”
She sniffed, sucking in shaky breaths. With gentle care,
he took Legion from her. Her hands covered her face,
shielding her pain from him, but her sobs stole through,
shredding his heart.
Unable to witness her despair, he stood and turned,
striding to the entrance. Resolve melting under grief, he
hurried, seeking distance to strengthen his mind for what he
must do.
Light footsteps followed by heavier ones, trailed behind
him. He glanced over his shoulder. She came, tears
streaming down her face with Rylen fast on her heels.
Paladin reached the mouth to the cavern. Largin waited
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ahead to open the barrier. He nodded at the old wizard who
spouted the spell. The gap appeared. Paladin went through.
Heat, dust and sparkling motes met him on the other side.
Continuing across the desert, he came to an abrupt halt.
The six clan leaders landed, surrounding him. He turned in a
circle staring at each one, studying them, waiting for their
guidance, hoping if any within this battle would keep him
and Legion safe then they would.
* * * *
Unable to drag in a deep breath, Seren wrapped her arms
