Page 421 of Kingdoms of Night

Her back sparked with heat and her wings appeared again, expanding past the borrowed cloak. It felt oddly familiar in a way similar to her bond with Viridi. She held one wing aloft to study it. The rest of her was still human, if not a little scaled here and there. The moonlight passed through the wing, turning the deep green to the hue of the sea under the summer sun. A thought occurred to her and she grinned.

“I like that grin,” he said. “It looks like noble power.”

She let the compliment sink in, relishing the feel of having power for once in her life. “I will fly over that arsehead’s ship and see if I can light it on fire. You transform and use your power to defend and grab Nico while they are distracted.”

“But what if I lose control?”

“You won’t,” she said.

“You don’t know that. I don’t know that.”

“I don’t know if I will either. I’m a dragon, for stones’ sake. What in the name of all the gods am I supposed to do with this?” She laughed hysterically. “I just know that for some reason the Source has granted the both of us with these wild powers, and I aim to use them to kick some sense into the world. Listen, I believe in you. I feel your strength…” She touched the spot over her part human, part dragon heart. “Right here. Rouse the monster in you and put it to work, Prince.”

He kissed her again, his lips somehow strong and soft at the same time. “My Lady of the Sun. Your fire inspires me. Let’s go change Nico’s fate.”

CHAPTERTWENTY-NINE

VIRIDI

Night wrapped the island tightly and the jeweltrees began to whisper again.

Feed, Thorned One. Rise and feed and draw the energy from all. This is the path of your fate. Do not turn your back on us.

The voices sounded sharper, and the words came more quickly, racing through his mind almost too jumbled to understand.

You must. Before it is too late. Must. Must. Destroy. End them. We will reign. No fire. Fire. Fire. Yes.

He frowned and rubbed a palm over his face. The trees weren’t even making sense any longer. They were arguing among themselves and jumbling the old prophecy with their orders to him. He wished he could pry their voices out of his head, and it saddened him to feel that way. Trees were a dryad’s life force, their twin life. Brushing his thorned fingers on an oak as he passed by, he grieved the hate his heart held for them.

Stars twinkled above the Brunes’ ship, and the sound of arguing rose into the air. A woman’s voice and a man’s. With the waves lapping the shore, it was impossible to understand them.

Then Isa—half dragon and all his—soared between the ship and the crescent moon.

A smile stretched his lips. She was magnificent.

She’d not changed into her full dragon form, but instead flew with dragon wings on her human body.

Would she be able to summon dragonfire in this form?

She was such a wild, brave thing. After her first fear of what she was had passed, she had thrown herself into this new existence. She owned her true self.

Something stirred inside his chest. Envy? A gentle envy as he loved her so, the fated bond between them unshakable. And he was so very proud of her as she veered over the ship once more, a silent predator, confident and powerful.

A fine, fine mate.

Though he was cursed with his position as Thorned One, the Source had also blessed him.

The dangerous shape of Isa filled with light and then fire erupted along the lashed-down mainsail. Chaos ensued. Voices rose in alarm and suddenly numerous humans were dashing this way and that in efforts to put out the fire.

Viridi kept to the cluster of oaks at the very edge of the beach, his boots dampened by the sea. He allowed himself to shift into his more powerful form, but then he stopped, pulling the magic deep inside again. His stomach twisted, the resistance nauseating.

His mind was filled with images of the village in ruins. Of the bruises and cuts he’d inflicted on his people. Of the horror in their eyes.

No. He would save Isa’s Nico using his base dryad elf magic. That would have to be enough. He couldn’t trust the Thorned One writhing just under his skin.

Breathing deeply, he drew energy from the earth under his boots and from the oak where his hand rested. Sparkling green magic flickered around his thorned fingertips, disappearing as the spell came to life.

The oaks’ roots slithered across the rocky edge of the beach and grew quickly across the deep water at this side of the island. They stretched over the ocean cavern that he had once visited on a dark day, then the roots slid up the side of the Brunes’ ship.

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