by E. L. Todd
She stepped out of the cave and watched the brilliant red dragon fly over the crags and disappear. Sunshine hit her in the face, offsetting the cool temperatures, and she closed her eyes as she felt her cheeks absorb the warm comfort. Mist Isle provided peace in a unique way, not like it did in Eden Star, but still physical on the skin. It was quiet, even with wild dragons in the skies, and it was one of the most beautiful places she’d ever seen.
Flare came into her mind. You need to tell him, Pretty.
Her eyes opened, her peace gone. Tell who what?
Rush.
Her eyes moved back to the place where she’d last spotted those red scales. He seems fine to me.
He may seem it—but he’s not. If you aren’t going to change your mind, then you should tell him the reason.
Why?
Because it’ll be easier for him to move on.
I don’t want to hurt him…
You can’t hurt him more than you already have.
“It’s been a few days.” Cora stood outside of the cave, her arms across her chest, looking up into the sky. The green dragon was visible far away in the distance, soaring over the sky before dropping out of sight. “Do you think he’ll come?”
Rush stepped out and joined her. “Dragons are immortal, so they take all the time in the world to ponder anything. We may not hear from him—”
Thud.
Ashe dropped down like a cannonball, landing directly in front of them, shaking the island with his immense weight.
Rush instantly moved back, taking Cora with him. “Okay…maybe not.”
Ashe righted himself and stared at Cora, black eyes in a dark face. Come with me. He stays.
Rush looked at her, asking for translation.
She turned back to Rush. “He wants me to go with him.”
“Where?” His hand remained on her forearm, ready to drag her out of harm’s way.
“He didn’t say. But he wants you to stay.”
Rush turned back to Ashe. “No. Where she goes, I go—”
“ROAR!”
A windstorm hit them both in the face, making them shield their watering eyes.
He. Stays.
“Rush, I’ll be fine. If he wanted to hurt me, he would have done it already…”
“Then why doesn’t he want me around?”
Because I despise you.
Cora digested the insult and kept it for herself. “He just wants some privacy.”
Rush looked her in the face, unable to let her go.
“I’ll be fine.” She grabbed his hand and squeezed it before she let it go.
“All you have to do is call—and we’ll be there.”
“I know.” She gave him a final look before she approached the massive black dragon, the scales that burned like hot coal, the teeth that could carve stone out of the mountainside. “You want me to climb on you or—”
Do I look like a mule?
“No. I just meant—”
Don’t insult me like that again.
“I’m sorry. That was not my intention—”
The intentions behind your actions are irrelevant. If your actions are offensive, they’re offensive. He opened his claws and revealed his open palm.
She stepped inside then sat down.
The last thing she saw was Rush’s pale face before the claws closed around her, blocking out all light, leaving her in the darkness of his scales.
She took in the sight of the meadow, yellow daisies and orange poppies in the sea of grass. It was high up in one of the mountains, offering a stunning view of the ocean in the far distance, the wall of mist beyond.
A cliff was behind the meadow, part of an enormous mountain that stretched high into the sky. A large cavern was in the wall, a shadow hiding the contents.
Ashe walked away, every footfall audible in his movements. Once space was between them, he regarded her.
She took in the surroundings, unsure where Rush and Flare were in comparison to her position. It was a large island, not just in diameter, but in height. The unique mountain terrain gave various levels to the land, like a castle with multiple floors. “Is this where you live?”
Yes.
“It’s nice.”
He took a seated position and looked at the breathtaking view, the breeze moving over his scales.
“I thought dragons didn’t like to be underground, but you guys live in caves.”
His eyes flicked back to her. That’s a myth. The only dragons that don’t like to be underground are those that have been in captivity, locked in dungeons deep underground where light can’t penetrate.
“Oh…”
He looked at the ocean again, still and poised. Unlike Flare, he showed his age, showed his wisdom in just his mannerisms. His words were clipped and short, and his mind felt different too. It was bigger, like a deep chasm that had no end and no beginning. It was a circle—unending.
Cora remained quiet, letting him speak to her when he was ready. She was content just to stare.
Minutes later, his eyes changed targets. He regarded the small woman down below, standing in the field of flowers. You’re strange.
“Um…thanks.”
Neither a compliment nor an insult. Just a fact.
She stared into his eyes, seeing the sun’s reflection in the black orbs.
Half elf. Half human. And young. Perplexing.
“I know who my father is but not my mother, if that’s where this is going.”
It is. Tell me.
“Tiberius Riverglade.”
He stared for a long time, his eyes narrowed.
“That needs to stay between us.”
Why?
“Because I don’t want Rush to know.”
Why?
“Because…he killed him.”
If he slayed your father, why do you allow him to breathe?
“Because he’s not that person anymore. It was a long time ago.”
Doesn’t matter how long ago a crime was committed. The effects of violence are eternal.
“But if we don’t put the past behind us, we’ll never move forward. And that’s what we all need to do. Heal this broken world.”
Then you ask me to keep a secret.
“Yes.”
Perhaps humans do love differently from dragons, but there should be no secrets between lovers.
“He’s…he’s not my lover.”
He lowered his head slightly to get a better look at her. Let me be clear. Dragons have a long memory, especially when it comes to betrayal. Lie to me, even once, and that will be the end of this arrangement.
“I’m not lying.”
He straightened again. You were right to deny his affections. Even if his allegiance has changed, it doesn’t change what he’s done. He’s committed unspeakable crimes against both dragons and elves. The only reason I allow him to live is because he intends to take his own life when his mission is over.
Anytime the thought of that happening came to her mind, it made her physically ill. “I hope he changes his mind. It says a great deal about his character that he went against his own father and has dedicated his life to this new cause. He could have just stayed in his comfortable castle and lived a life of luxury, but he loves his dragon too much. I think he deserves a second chance.”
He regarded her in silence, the spikes around his neck and along his jaw, the intricate connection of the scales fusing his armor together. The muscles underneath his exoskeleton were immense, his wings large even when folded against his sides. Tell me, Cora. Have you forgiven him for what he’s done to you?
She held his gaze, her breath speeding up.
His eyes narrowed further.
“No…”
Then don’t expect that from me, the dragons, or the elves.
“I haven’t forgiven him yet…but I will.”
Unlikely.
“In time—”
You can’t forgive someone without confronting them first. And it’s clear that y
ou have no intention of doing that.
“What do you want with me?” She sat in the meadow beside him, the sun passing in the sky and approaching the horizon of the wall of mist. The farther the sun sank, the colder it became.
To understand you.
“There’s nothing to understand. I’ve stated my intentions.”
As I’ve said before, actions and intentions are very different.
“Watching the sunset together isn’t going to tell you much.”
I see more than you understand.
“If I were your enemy, Rush and I would have come here with a fleet of ships. I know you know that we’re—”
I see a young woman who is the first of her kind—elven and human. I see a woman who carries the burden of loss in secret, choosing to bear it alone instead of putting it on the shoulders where it truly belongs. I see a woman who has unique powers that no other living person possesses. I see a woman in the company of a very violent dragon, but who drops her shoulders like she’s in the presence of peace. I see a naïve young woman asking for help from her enemy—and foolishly expecting to receive it.
“You aren’t my enemy.” She turned her head and looked up at him, seeing him towering over her. “And you know I’m not your enemy either.”
I used to know things. Not anymore.
“Then what can I do to prove it to you?”
Proof isn’t the issue.
“What is?”
I cannot give you what you seek.
Disappointment dropped into her stomach.
I will not risk what remains of my kin. Nothing you say will change that.
“Then why do you want me to stay? Why are you talking to me?”
Another long bout of silence passed, continuing until the sun sank behind the wall of mist. To earn the trust of a dragon is a marathon, not a sprint. Even if you were immortal, there wouldn’t be enough time. Don’t expect to ever earn it from me—because you will be disappointed. However, I can’t deny your unique qualities and the impact they may have on Anastille.
She felt the shiver up her spine, both from the cold and the impact of his words. “What does that mean? I don’t understand.”
It means that I believe you have a chance, Cora.
“You…you think we could overthrow King Lux—”
And that means I should help you.
Thirty-Two
The Few for the Many
Ashe set her on the ground and immediately took off.
Rush emerged from the cave seconds later, heading straight to Cora with urgency. He gave her a quick glance over, checking for signs of injury. “You okay?”
“I’m fine.”
He lifted his gaze and watched Ashe fly off, barely contrasting against the darkening sky. “What happened?”
“We just talked, basically.”
They both entered the cave, where Rush had a fire going. Rush took his usual place on one side, while she took the other. “About?”
“Nothing, really…” There had been so many long pauses between words that it had taken a long time to have a full conversation. “My powers, you, stuff like that.” The secret she kept weighed on her differently now, a lot more profound than it did just a few hours ago. “He said he would never leave the island to help us.”
“Then this has been a waste of time. We should leave and regroup.”
She watched the fire for a while. “Actually, he said something else…”
He rested his forearms on his knees and watched her over the flames.
“He said he thinks we have a chance.”
Rush’s tight expression narrowed even further.
“So, he’s considering helping us…”
“In what way?”
“He didn’t say.”
Rush looked away, dragging his palm over his thick facial hair. His blue eyes were bright in the light of the fire, but they possessed a darkness to them at the revelation. He continued to rub his jawline, his mind thinking. “If you managed to convince him of that, then maybe you can convince him to fight with us.”
“I didn’t convince him of anything. He volunteered.”
“That’s still more than anyone else would ever be able to do. When Bridge and I were here, I did everything I possibly could to convince him, and nothing worked. I even allowed him into my mind, and that changed nothing. And that proves his point.”
“What point?”
“That we have a chance—because of you.”
“Did he ask to enter your mind?” Rush walked in the lead, his pack across his shoulders, his sword at his hip. He hugged the cliffside and made it down to the next level, glancing behind him to make sure Cora wouldn’t slip.
This was easier than the vines to her tree house, so she walked down with ease, planting her foot at the right times so she wouldn’t slide. She reached the bottom at the same time as Rush. “No.”
“Your balance has gotten better.”
“It had to—otherwise, I’d fall on my ass all the time.” She approached the quiet stream, the water originating from a waterfall that cascaded over the edge of the closest cliffside. It was an overcast day, clouds blocking out the sun and causing a cooler temperature than usual.
Rush came to her side and dropped his pack. The lid of his canteen was removed, and he dunked it into the water to replenish his depleted supply. He gazed at the mountainsides as he drank, pops of color visible in various fields.
Cora did the same.
Their relationship felt the way it used to, but she realized it was coated with a superficial sheen. Flare was right—Rush wasn’t the same. In the quiet moments, his handsome face turned brooding, and he was far quieter and more contemplative than he used to be. His witty comebacks and sarcastic remarks were forced and unnatural.
She didn’t notice before—because she didn’t want to notice.
He shoved the cork into the lid before he dropped the canteen on his pack. When he noticed her stare, he met it.
Frozen in place, she couldn’t look away. Ashe’s words were a constant echo in her mind, resonating with an innate truth. Avoiding the conversation spared her pain, but it was a shortsighted plan, more of a procrastination. “Rush…there’s something I need to tell you.”
He inhaled a sudden breath, an involuntary jerk of his body.
“The reason why…” She dropped her gaze, knowing this was harder than she’d ever imagined it would be. Various explanations moved through her mind, but she never found the right one. She just went with the truth—the simple truth. “Tiberius Riverglade is my father.”
Stunned by the revelation, he had no reaction. All he did was breathe—in and out. His eyes started to shift left and right, understanding the consequences of his actions, understanding the significance of her words.
His face tinted red.
His jawline tightened.
Anger flushed into all the features of his face.
He grabbed his things then marched off without a word.
She stayed at the cave alone.
Days passed, and Rush never came back.
Whenever she reached out to Flare, there was a stone wall in the way, a deliberate attempt to keep her mind at bay.
After that, she didn’t try again.
A vibration shook the ground beneath her as she sat in front of the fire, and she recognized that vibration after she’d felt it so many times. It was the landing of a dragon, but it wasn’t Flare. She could feel the difference between their two sizes.
She took her time getting to the entrance of the cave, seeing Ashe sitting with his typical regal poise. Jet-black eyes bored into hers. His scales expanded when his powerful chest drew breath. Every breath that left his snout was slightly audible, like gears in the wheel of a wagon.
Where is he?
“He’s not here.”
I know he’s not here. That’s why I asked.
“I’m not sure where he is.”
Ashe opened his palm to her.
She
stepped into his talons and lay down, her body cocooned once his claws closed around her. She was in flight a moment later, shifting with the momentum but perfectly safe.
You told him your secret.
Yes.
You should be the angry one—not him.
He’s not angry at me. He’s angry at himself.
A moment later, they touched down in front of Ashe’s cave in the meadow.
She was still slightly sick every time they took flight because she couldn’t see their direction. It was much easier to ride between his shoulders, but she wouldn’t ask that question ever again.
Why did you tell him? He sat upright and still, his powerful arms planted in the earth before him.
“Because you were right. I want to forgive him…and this is a step in the right direction.”
He killed your father, your kind. There is no obligation to forgive him.
“No. But I want to.”
Why?
“Because I care about him. And I don’t want to live that way.”
He watched her, disagreement in his dark eyes. I don’t understand you.
“I know he’s not that man anymore—”
You’re an orphan because of him.
“I’m not an orphan. I may not have parents, but I have people who love me, and that’s good enough for me.”
Still.
“Everyone in this world is angry at one another because of what happened in the past. The elves hate you, you hate the elves, the elves hate the humans, and the dwarfs probably hate everyone. I didn’t live through that, so I get it. I didn’t know my father, so I didn’t lose him in the same way as if I had. But all I know is, if we continue down this road, we’ll never be successful. We need to forgive and move on.”
Never going to happen.
“Not with that attitude—”
Even if you’re right, it doesn’t matter. The elves lost half of their kin. All the more devastating because they reproduce so slowly. All of this happened—because of my foolishness. I don’t deserve their forgiveness, so I’ll never ask for it. General Rush—
“Just Rush.”
