Page 110 of The Dragon Queen

Andtherewillbesomuchtodo--halfthedragonworldwillneedtoberebuilt.TheShadowKinghasbeenspreadingfearandhateforsolong.Itwilltakeyearstoreuniteourpeople.

Butrighthere?Inthismoment.We'vewon.

IsagintoStorm,andhepullsmedeepintohisarms.Thestressofbattleisfading,leavingmejitteryandshaking,buthisstrengthshoresmeup.

Rafebarrelsintousboth. "Holyshit,Ember,holyfuckingshit."

Ilaugh,butthesoundiscutoffashecrasheshismouthtomine.Ilethimsweepmeawayinthekiss,hisfirebreathinglifebackintomyworn-outshell.

"Youweremagnificent,"Jianyusays,reachingpastRafe,whoreleasesmewithafilthytwistofhistongue.Jianyu'skissisgentlerbutnolesspassionate.Ourgazesmeet,andtheloveinhiseyesbowlsmeover,andhowisthatpossible?HowcanIstillbestruckwithawebythesemen--evenafterwejustbroughtdownthemostvicious,malignantevilofthedragonworld?

Maliktugsatmyarm. "Thankyou."

Thatgriefisstillaliveinhisgaze.Hetrulyloved--loves--hismother.Butherrulehascometoanend.

Meanwhile,oursisjustbeginning.

Andthat'safactIcan'tescape,whenRhiannonandRookcomeintolandjustbeyondus.

"Ember,"Rooksaysgruffly,thereliefinhistonereachingrightintomychest.Butthenhestopshimself,histhroatbobbingashebeginstobow. "Imean--Yourmajesty."

Ishakemyhead,holdingoutmyarms. "Oh,no.We'renotdoinganyofthat."

"Youmaynothavemuchchoice,"Rhiannonsays,onebrowarched.

Dragonsdolovetheirtitles,theirhierarchies.

Theirwealthandtheirdominionovereveryonetheyseeaslesserthanthemselves.Evennow,thepowervacuumleftinErembour'swakeisapalpablevoid.

"Uh,"Amyinterrupts.Hereyeswide,shepointstotheskybehindus.

Andthat'swhenweallturnandseeit.

TheDragonMoon--thefullwhitecircleoflightrisingoverthealtaroftheShadowQueen'stomb.Itreachesitsapex,andahushfallsoverthecrowd.

AndI'malreadyawashintheglowofvictory.ThedeepmagicmymatesandIjustsharedisstillthrummingthroughmyveins,theCrownOfCindersinfusingmewitharushofenergyImayneverfullygetaccustomedto.

Butitdoesn'tmatter.

Freshwavesofpowerflowoverandthroughme,drawingmetothealtar.ItakethefirstfewstepswithoutentirelyrealizingwhatI'mdoing.Stormholdsontomyhand,followingme,butalsoslowingmedown.Islipmyfingersfreeofhisgrasp.

TheremnantsofErembour'sritualarealllaidoutontheebonystone.It'sagruesomearrayofmaterials;iftheydidn'tradiatemysticalenergy,theycouldbemistakenforpropsfromahilariouslyover-the-top,stereotypicalhorrorfilm.

Butno.They'realltooreal.

Ablackironcauldronemblazonedwithhideouscaricaturesofgargoylesbubbleswithasickly,swirling,purple-greenbrew.Besideitsitsthemangledcorpseofapoorrodentandthemutilatedwingofanowl.Therearedragonscales,too,andthebloodgleamingontheirsurfacesmakesmystomachthreatentorevolt.Anancientscroll,weighteddownbyobsidiancrystal,glowswithcrampedscript.

AndtheinstantIgetcloseenough,theyallgoupinpurpleflame.

Iflinch,butbeforeIcanstepback,I'myankedrighttothealtar'sedge.TheCrownOfCindersignitesatopmyhead,andI'mnotburned,butthehotembersblurmyvision.

Thevoicethatspokethroughmeearlierisnowabeating,pulsingpresenceinmychest.

Ours,itbreathes.

Ilookdownintothefierycauldron.

Iseemyselfinthereflection,gloriousandbeautiful,mypracticalclothesreplacedwithaglitteringblackgown.Myeyesgleampurple,andthestreaksinmyhairareripplingwithmagic.

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