Page 12 of The Dragon Queen

Sheshudders,thepainaphysicalforceIcanfeelinmyownwrist.

Idon'tknowifshe'sright,butshebelieveswhatshe'ssayingwithherentireheart.

Hereyesmistover,andhervoicedips,cracking. "Apparently,I'mnotgoodenoughtobetheShadowQueen'sheir."

Agrowlescapesme,andtheotherthreemenflinchandmaketheirownsharpsoundsofdisapproval.

"Impossible,"Jianyusaysfiercely.

"Ifanything,thebracerwasn'tgoodenoughforyou,"Itellher,andthatdoesn'tmakesense.Noneofthisdoes.

AndyetI'mstandingbyit.Thebracergaveherpowerandconfidence.Itprotectedher--andforallweknow,itledhertousinthefirstplace,soIcan'tregrethercomingintoitsorbit.

Butitalwayscast--forlackofabetterword--ashadowovereverything.Itwassneaky,hidinginplainsight,impossibletoseeuntilapersonknewthatitwasthere.HerdecisiontohideitfrommeandJianyunearlythreatenedtodriveawedgebetweenusall.

Sheseesitslossasadevastatingendtohermagic.

Butwhatifit'sjustthestart?

Shelooksdownatherwrist,hereyeswatery.Guileless,sheconfesses, "Ithoughtitwasmydestiny."

Stormistheonetospeakupthistime. "Theonlyonewhodecidesyourdestinyisyou,Ember."

Sheliftshergazetohis,andtheirhistoryaddsaheavinesstotheair.

Thenshelooksaway. "ButRookandRhiannonsaiditthemselves--onlyanobjectofhugemagicalpowercanallowaShadowDragontocreateportals,ordoanyofthekindofstuffI'vedone."

"ArewesuretheBracerisbeyondrepair?"Jianyuasks.

Sheletsoutanuglychuckle. "Itseemedprettyshatteredtome."

"WeshouldhaveRhiannontakeacloserlookatit,"Stormcounselsher.

Shenods. "You'reright.AndMariutzaandDelaynie."Shefrowns. "Rook,too,maybe.ThoughI'mhalf-afraidtoshowittohim."Shelooksfromoneofustothenext. "Afterallofthis,IguessIshouldtrusthim,but..."

"He'ssketchy,"Iagree. "HewastheShadowKing'sright-handmanforhowlong?"

Shetakesherlowerlipbetweenherteeth. "Hisentirelife,asfarasIcantell."

Maliktapshischin,hisgazegoingtosomeplaceinthedistance. "Therearescholarsineachofthekingdoms.IfourShadowDragonfriendscan'tfixthebracer,perhapsoneofthemmightbeabletohelp."

"Uh,notsureifyourecall,butwe'rekindofpersonanongratainallfourofthekingdomsatthemoment,"Iremindhim. "WhatwiththeShadowKinghavinginfiltratedthemandall."

"Butifwecan'tfixthebracer..."Emberfrets,worryingherhands.

"Wedon'tneedit,"Jianyuinsists.

Storm'sbrowsfurrow--likehedoesn'tdisagreewithJianyu,buthe'snotsoldonourbeingabletodefeattheShadowKingwiththepowerofoursheerawesomenessalone. "Therehastobesomethingelse.Someotherwaytotapbackintoyourabilities."

Andhe'sright,themotherfucker.Ofcourseheis.

"TheCrownOfCinders."ThewordsareoutofmymouthbeforeIcaneventhinkaboutwhetherornotit'sagoodideatospeakthem.

ButIfeeltherightnessinmychest.Thefire.

Everyoneturnstolookatme.Jianyufrowns. "Wedon'tevenknow--"

"Ifit'sreal?"Ilaugh. "Everythingthat'shappenedsofarherehasbeenstraightoutoflegendandmyth.Whynotthis?"

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