Page 81 of The Dragon Queen

JIANYU

Weplannedforthis.Weknewitwouldhappen,andwetrainedandworkedandstrived.

TheCrownOfCindersishiddenwhereitcanonlybereachedbysomeonewhocanaccesspowersoffire,stone,water,airandshadow.

Wethoughtwewereprepared.

We'renot.

Mypulseisagallopinghorseagainstmyribs.Rockcreepsfromeverysurfaceofthecave,descendingfromtheceiling,even.It'sencasingEmber.Rafeistryingtofenditoffwithfire--tomixedresults.Stormfloatsaboveit,butitclawsathim.Malikisalreadysinkingintodeep,blackobsidian,andit'spullingatmyfeet,butithasnopurchaseonme.

ButIhavenocommandoverit.

Ipushitbackwitheverybitofmagicinsideofme,butthestonerefusestoyield.It'spainfulandcold,deadinawaythattheliving,breathingearthhasneverbeenforme.

AndIrememberthis.

TheShadowKing'sCitadelwasblanketedinthesamerock.ItfeltwrongwhenIapproachedit.Itgratedatmymagicandmysenses;Icouldn'tpeerthroughitorfeelthestructurewithinitswalls.

Mypulserocketshigher.Ican'tgetinafullbreathofair.MybondtoEmberisblackandmoltenandripplingwithliquidfear,andIhavetodosomething--anything.

Againandagain,Itry,butEmber'sthroatisclosing.Ican'tthink.Malikisburiedtomid-thigh,Storm'shandslockedfromabove.TherockthatRafehasmeltedwithhisfirereformsaroundhim,andhescreams.

Thisisstone,butit'sstonecorruptedbyShadow.

ItcanonlybebeatenbackbythecombinationofShadowandStone.

Ilurchforward,andtheebonyrockaroundmyfeetchipsandfractures.

Itakeastepandanotherstep,andmyconnectiontoEmberisshrieking.Shecan'tbreathe.Ihavetomovefaster,butI'mwadingthroughstone,andpanicisn'tservingme.Iwon't.

Iforcemyselftoclosemyeyes.Takeabreath.

Everythinggoesquietandstill.

WhenIwasayoungerman,Iwasaccusedofbeingmadeofstone.Myfatherwantedmetobethathard,thatheartless.

Butinside,Iwasalwaysaninferno.

AllthatangerIkeptinsideroiledlikelavawithinmychest.Ifeareditwasaweakness.Ineededtokeepitcontained.

Ineededtoholdbackallofmyfeelings.

Stonedragonsarepatient.Analytical.Theywaituntiltheirmomenttostrike.

Thatmomentisnow.

Iopenmyeyes.

Iamnotcold.I'mnotheartlessorrepressed,I'mnotcalculatingorcruel.

Theburningfirewithinmeisnotfueledbyangeralone.

Alovesohotitcouldmeltthehardestgraniteflarestolife.

Allthoseyearsofholdingbackdisintegratebeneathmyfingertips.AndmybondtoEmberignites.

Sheawakenedmefromallthelies,andrescuedmefromthelonelinessthathadthreatenedsomanytimestopullmeunder.SheandRafeandalltheothersremindedmethatit'snottheStoneDragonsagainsttheworld.Wedon'thavetobehard,protectedbehindourwalls,pushingtherestoftheworldaside.

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