Page 9 of The Dragon Queen

Mystomachdips,andIhugmyarmsaroundmyself.

Eventhebeautyofamoonlitnightistarnished,rightnow.RooksaidthatKingErembourwouldcarryouthisplanontheDragonMoon--barelymorethanamonthfromnow.He'llwedAriaandbegethisdemonspawnheir.He'llusepowerful,darkmagictostealthepowerofeveryotherdragononthisearth.

Irubmywristagainandswallowadimghostofalaugh.

TheoneupshotoftheShadowBracershatteringisthatatleastErembourcan'tgethishandsonitnow.Thatwon'tstophim,butmaybeit'llslowhimdownabit.

Notnearlyasmuchasit'llslowme,though.

Thepainofthelosshitsmeagain,myribstightening.Despitethefreshair,Ican'tseemtogetadeepbreathin.

Iturn,mygazedartingeverywhere.Awhite,stonepathleadsforward,awayfromthecastleandintolushgreenery.Ifollowitallbutblindly,notsurewherethehellI'mgoing,butonlythatIhavetogo.

IstumbleonforIdon'tevenknowhowlong.Beautifulflowersandtoweringwallsofgreenleaveslinethepath,butIcan'treallytakethemin.Atugsomewhereinmygaspingchestpullsmeforward,andforamoment,itremindsmeofthedrawIalwaysfelt,backwhenIwaslivingintheAirKingdom.Theonethatledmesouth,andeventuallytoUnity,tothebracer,tomymatesandtomydestiny.

Iwanttolaugh--ormaybecry.

Wasitjustaday--andoneepicallylongnap--agothateverythingseemedsowritten?Mylifehadbeendecided,andI'dembraceditall.

NowIfeellost.AndnotjustbecauseI'vebeenrunningaroundbarefootinaforgottengardeninanabandonedkingdom.

Thepressureonmylungsfinallybeginstoease,andIslowmypace.Ilookaround,thedarknessandthestillnessandthesilenceseepingintome.Floralscentsperfumetheair,andIbreatheinmoredeeplynow.Aboveme,thestarsareout,beautifulandshining.

Andstill,there'satug.

Ifollowitwithmorecarefulstepsnow.Iglancebackovermyshoulder,confirmingthatI'mwanderingfartherfromthecastle,butit'sallright.NowthatIhavemybearings,I'mprettysureIcanfindmywayback--andevenifIcan't,comedawn,someonewillcomelookingforme.Ofthatmuch,I'msure.

AslostasIfeel,myconnectiontomymatesremainssecureandstrong,glowingwithlife.They'restillresting,thetetherstyingmetothemlooseandrelaxed.

Groundedbythoseshimmeringbonds,Icontinueon,untilfinallythepathleadsmetoagleaming,vine-coveredgate.Atleastfromtheinside,it'sunlocked,andIpassthroughit,onlytofindmyselfontheedgeofacliff.

Andthere'sthatedgeofmaniacallaughter,lodgingitselfinmythroatagain.

Greatjob,me,decidingnottoheadouttotheroofofthecastle.Thisisobviouslymuch,muchbetter.

Itisn'tastraightdrop-offoranything.There'sabitofscrubbygrassandarockyoutcropofstonethatextendsafewdozenfeetbeforejuttingoutoveranabyss.Inthedarkness,Ican'tseemuchofwhatliesbeyond,butitlookstobeasteepdescentdownintoavalley,whereariverflowsthroughovergrowntreesandabandonedhomes.

Offinthedistance,thefirstredraysofdawnbegintocreepoverthehorizon.

Andthatcan'tbeacoincidence,canit?Thetuginmychestfinallyabates,leavingmehere,onastoneoutcrop,overlookingasteepdropintonothingbutair.Waterrunsfarbeneathmyfeet,though,throughavalleycloakedinshadow,whilethefireofthesunisjustbeginningtoappear.

Stone,Air,Water,Fire,Shadow.Allfivekindsofdragonstirinmyblood.Theirmagiciswhatgotmehere.

TheShadowQueen'sBracermayhaverejectedme.Butthatdoesn'tchangewho--orwhat--Iam.

Pushingawayallofthedevastationandloss,Iforcemyselftobreathedeeply.Centeringmyself,Iclosemyeyes.

Focusingoneverythingthat'sgonewrongisn'tgoingtohelpmedefeattheShadowKing.Mysensesaretruncated,theeasyflowofmagicgone.ButIcan'tsurrendersoeasily.

Iwon't.

Iopenmyeyes.

Withoneleg,Istepback,adoptingthestanceHighPriestessFangtaughtmebackattheGrandStoneTemple.IworktoaccesstheStoneDragonmagicthatismybirthright,feelingfortheheavysolidityoftherockbeneathmyfeet.

Whenitfailstorespond,Irefusetogiveup.

There'slittleheattoworkwithinthepre-dawnlight,butIsummonthepowerofflames,tracingaFireDragonsigilagainstthedarknessofthenight.Ireachoutintothevastnessoftheskyandfeeltherushofwind.Itrytoraisetheriver,willingthewaterstobendtomywill.

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