Page 89 of The Dragon Queen

Iopenmyeyes.

ThemagicgrowingbetweenmeandEmberblooms,herdarknessmeldingwithmyfire.Isendoutbrightertracesofflame,andtheypullattheenergyfuelingtheconflagration.

"What--"Malikstarts.

Stormshusheshim,thanktheGods,becausethistakesallmyconcentration.

"That'sit,"Emberwhispers,andshe'srightthere,hermagickindlingoffofmine,andtogetherwedirectourflamehigherandhigher.

Fromtheoutside,itcan'tlooklikewe'redoinganything,buttheentireenergyoftheroomslowlyshifts.

Finally,ourtrapisset.

"Now,"Ibreathe.

Weyankasone,andallthepowerbehindthefireatthecenteroftheroomgoesupinsmoke,burnedtonothinginaninstant,andthat'sexactlyaslongasweneed.

ThecloudofflamessurroundingtheCrownevaporates,leavingtheblackcircleofgleamingmetalspinningslowlythroughthinair.Thereflectionofthefirestillcastsadeeporangeglow,though,andit'ssearedintomyretinas.

ThisiscalledtheCrownOfCindersforareason.Accordingtolegend,themotherofalldragonsimbueditwithherpower.Infightingamongthefivenationsbrokeherheart,anditbroketheheavens,andshecastthecrownintoawellofdragonfire.

Butitwasnotdestroyed.Itrose,imbuedwiththepoweroftheelements,andit'slaidinwaitforallthistime.

Waitingforus.

ForEmber.

Ember'shandtightensaroundmine,andIglancedowntofindpurplestarsinhereyes.Shereachesoutwithherotherarm.

Thefiremagicreverberatingbetweenusdims,theflamesdarkeningtoabandofblacklimnedindeepred.

Behindme,Stormdrawsinaroughbreath.

TheCrownOfCindersbeginstofloatthroughtheairtowardus.

Mypulseraces,exhilarationrushingthroughme.Mymate-bondwithEmberignites.WhenIflickmygazetohers,she'sglowinggoldenandredandpurpleandblueandwhiteandthedeepest,darkest,mostimpossibleblack.

TheCrownslipsitselfintoheroutstretchedhand,andasingletearslipsdownhercheek.Herlipscurlupward,purereliefwashingthroughourbond.

Butthegroundshakes.Thunderechoesinthedistance.

Andthenallthelightsgoout.

Chapter

Twenty-Seven

EMBER

Allatonce,everythingwithinmegoessilentandstill.

Iamnotafraidofthedark.Iknowitwellenough.

IgottoknowitonawholenewlevelwhenIwasimprisonedintheShadowKing'sCitadel.Theblackrockanddeepshadowmagiccontainedwithinthosewallsreachedintothefarthestreachesofmyheart,chillingmybones.

Buteventhere,Ifoundlight.Mariutzainthatprisoncell,pullingthedarknessasidesoshecouldseemebetter.

Thebrillianceoftrappedsouls,releasedfromtheirconfinement.

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