Page 40 of Stone Sentinels

“Where will you run, Cambion?” he taunts. “Where will you go that I won’t find you and make you beg for mercy?”

My heart thunders in my chest, matching the ferocity of the storm above us as my brother gives chase. I heard what Eilish said. I know the Theren who pursues me isn’t the real Theren, or at least not all of him.

A loud roar drowns out the sound of boots splashing through puddles and clashing soldiers, and shivers race down my spine as I turn my eyes to the sky. The great beast of old, a creature of legend and mythos... a dragon.

It blends with the dark sky, obsidian wings slicing through the air with devastating strength and speed. A deafening bang shakes the forest as the beast lands in the clearing. Glowing emerald eyes larger than my head stare through the trees. Soldiers scream and spirits scatter. A voice whispers in my mind:Wynroth.

I stop running, and so does Theren. The dragon inhales deeply, expanding its great chest before it bellows a stream of roiling fire from its mouth, setting the trees aflame. And in the light of the fire, I see him clearly. Bat-like wings flap, fanning the blazing inferno around us and burning the ground asunder. Baron and Kolvar attack in unison, trying to pierce the tough scales of the muscular beast, but its skin is as hard as diamond. Theren grabs me and drags me towards the portal.

Lightning strikes, hitting the dragon, and he turns to a sapphire blue. Fear stops us both in our tracks once more.

“What is that?” my brother gasps.

“Anelemental. His name is Wynroth. I thought him dead long ago.”

The dragon rears its head back before bellowing once more, but instead of fire, streaks of lightning send an electric current through the air. In an attempt to get away from the beast, I run as fast as my feet can manage and I throw myself through the portal, landing on the ground just in time to avoid the rush of shocks that charge the air we breathe. Theren collapses behind me.

He stands instantly and reaches for his shard of mirror.

I struggle to roll over, but when I look up, I’m staring into the eyes of my sworn enemy. Variant squats down and slaps my cheek condescendingly.

“You look tired, old friend. I hope you don't mind if I kill all your allies.” His laughter causes me to flinch.

He stands and steps over me toward the portal, but Aima jumps through, knocking him down and crushing something in her hand that closes the portal. Variant shouts and drags her across the ground.

“Do you have any idea what you've done?!”

“Yeah, I do. I stopped your plan. Get used to it. This won't be the last time it happens,” the crazy woman chuckles. She lands a heavy punch against Variant’s jaw. “The Rebel Lords of The Vindication send their regards. I’m sure Dragan would have loved to be here to knock that smug grin off your fucking face.”

Unseelie soldiers descend on Aima with a vengeance. They don’t take kindly to those who kill their brethren, and she just fought against hordes of Unseelie in the name of our cause. Whatever hesitancy I felt in allowing myself to trust Aima, Kolvar, and the others vanishes in that moment.

A biting grip yanks me from the ground, and we’re escorted to the dungeons, where the binds around my wrists are cut. I’m shoved into a cell so hard, I bounce against the stone wall. Aima is just behind me. The soldiers slam the door closed to our cell, leaving us in mostly darkness.

Aima spits blood into the corner and hisses through her teeth. “I hope the others survive fighting against that fucking dragon. I think Kolvar wept with joy”

“Joy?” I repeat.

She nods. “He’s been talking about meeting a dragon since the day I met him. His clan practically worships them.”

“You seem calm about all of this.”

“Don’t let this smile fool you. I’m going to beat your ass as soon as my ribs heal. Sit tight, Cambion,” she says with a smile.

I slide down the wall and sit beside Aima. “Do the others hate me?”

“Hate’s a strong word... but you’ll need something a little stronger to describe how Pyre and Dragan feel about you at the moment.” She wipes her sleeve across her mouth and shrugs. “I’ve never seen Pyre so upset. The mirror you took belonged to the woman he gave his soul to save... it was all he had left of her, and in the end... it was the thing that brought destruction to his home.”

“I never wanted this.”

“Doesn’t change the fact that it’s happening and… you’re at fault.”

“So, that’s it? I’m no longer one of you then?” I hang my head and brush the wet strands of hair from my face. “One fucking mistake, and I’m going to spend the rest of my life regretting it. Dragon must be dying to rub my face in it.”

“One mistake?” Aima snorts rudely. “You’re at the center of it all, Cambion! If you hadn’t taken Eilish’s memories, we probably wouldn’t be in this mess to start with. She knew what the threat was before her family was killed. Now, we’re scrambling to make flimsy connections with unfinished prophecies. This is justanothermistake on your part, not the only mistake.”

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DRAGAN

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