Page 114 of Merciless Is My Crown

It was long past dawn when we landed in front of Stormfall.

Crash landed was more like it, but gods, we’d all made it back alive.

This time, Simon didn’t have to struggle to keep up with us. We were dragging from exhaustion.

My magic was barely fumes when I landed, shifting the second my feet hit the ground, transforming so fast bones cracked and flesh tore. I ended up down on all fours, head hanging like a dog, trying to piece myself back together.

Someone high in the turrets shouted.

Zephryn’s legs gave out the second he hit the ground, his bulk cutting a deep gouge through dirt and snow, his head flopping, eyes closed. Blood still seeped from a hundred wounds, the missing patch of scales on his side still dripping green venom.

Simon shifted, too, tossed the pendant in front of me, and limped toward Zephryn, climbing up to peel an unconscious Torin off his back.

From here the seer looked dead, arms and legs flopping limply as Simon stumbled toward the fortress with her in his arms.

I looked up in time to see Anaria meet him halfway, her eyes wide, mouth moving, not that I could hear what she was saying over the roaring inside my head. Then she was headed my way and all I could do was shake as she ran her hands over my body, wrapping her cloak around me.

“Tavion’s coming,” she whispered. “Hang on, Tristan, while I check on Zephryn.”

“Don’t touch him. Too much venom. Get contaminated.” Gods, my voice was nothing more than a rasp. “Take the pendant.” I managed to shift my eyes to where the thing lay half buried in the snow. She picked the red stone up and slid it into her pocket, then she was gone, crunching through the snow toward the dragon, magic gathering at her fingertips.

I must have passed out because when I opened my eyes, Zephryn was in his Fae form and I was on my back, one of the witches…Bella…checking me over, a heavy layer of blankets covering me. “Torin?”

“We don’t know yet.” Bella shook her head. “She’s suffering from exposure and has enough venom in her system to kill a…well, a dragon.” Her gaze shifted over to Zephryn and her face fell.

“Vesper and some others are working on her. Were you bit or stung?”

I shook my head and the entire world tilted.

“You’re nearly burned out. But other than that, you and the owl seem to have fared the best. “Can you tell me what did this?”

“Never seen them before. Like…giant centipedes. Lots of legs. Pincers. Three eyes.” Every word was like spitting out broken glass.

Bella went perfectly still. “Our people have seen those before. After Adele went to Caladrius and the Shadow King sent his soldiers to exterminate us. We headed north, deeper into the mountains, thinking we would be safe here, but we ran into a nest of…those. We lost many good witches that day.”

“Were they birthed from a shadow?” Bella nodded before she tipped a flask against my lips. I swallowed, then choked on whatever hellfire she’d poured down my throat.

“Sorry, sorry, it’s only a healing tonic. You have hypothermia. This will bring your body temperature back to normal.” Her smile turned wry. “Don’t hate me. I would have warned you, but you would have refused to drink, so…”

“What about Zephryn?” Four witches were over there working on him, and so far, I hadn’t seen him even open his eyes. He was still breathing, though.

“He’s full of that venom. Full of it. And we don’t know much about dragon physiology, but I do know this. If that was a witch, or a Fae, or even a normal shifter lying there, they’d be long dead.” Bella gazed down at me. “How are you feeling now? Can you get yourself back inside?”

I didn’t know if I could raise my head, much less get to my feet.

Bella was right. I’d pushed myself to the very edges of my power. It would take me days to replenish my magic. “I’m good.” I grinned, though my face felt like it was made of ice. “Go see to Zephryn.”

Fuck, if we lost the dragon…

“I’ve got him.” Tavion towered over the tiny witch, his eyes raking over me before he gave me a forced grin. “I suppose I should thank the gods I have paws and not wings. Looks like you flew straight into an ambush.” He held out his hand and hoisted me to my feet.

“Raziel’s in shite shape, too, so don’t feel left out.” Tavion’s grin turned slightly evil. “You two can convalesce together. I’m sure Anaria will enjoy fussing over the both of you.”

“Oh, fuck you, wolf,” I muttered, trying to get the world to stop spinning. “See how well you do against bugs as big as horses.”

“No thank you. I can’t even stand bees.” He eyed me, swaying on my feet. “You want me to help you inside, or would you rather face-plant and have me throw you over my shoulder and carry you like a sack of potatoes?”

“I’m all good,” I repeated, even though I was about an inch away from dying.

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