Page 65 of Kingdoms of Tides and Twilight

Even though the armor was light, the trip back up the three stories of stairs took her breath away. She was still so tired. If they made it through this, she would sleep for days straight.

The closer they got to the ground level, the louder the battle sounds became. Renya could smell the smoke of burning buildings, and she couldn't imagine what the damage outside must look like.

Once they reached the main floor of the castle, Grayden stopped her. He looked up and down the empty hallway, and then pushed Renya up against the wall, crushing his lips against hers. She was so surprised she didn't know how to react, but after a split second, she kissed him back fervently and with desperation.

“Renya,” he moaned against her, pulling her bottom lip into his mouth. He enveloped her in his arms, holding on to her like he would never let go. Their armor clinked together, and it brought her back to the true reality of this moment. She felt tears sting in her eyes, not ready for this to be the last time she might see him. The thought terrified her.

“I'll come back to you. I promise. Stay safe.” With another kiss, he made his way down the hall.

Renya took a few seconds to catch her breath and wipe away the tears. She needed to be strong for Selenia and Julietta. She knew they both must be terrified.

Renya walked into the throne room, and saw Julietta and Selenia still huddled under their shared blanket. Queen Kalora wasn't in the room, and they were alone except for a handful of guards.

“How are you both doing?”

Julietta looked down at her slippers. She was still in her night dress, a cream-colored satin robe cinched at her waist. Selenia had gotten dressed, but her hair was a mess, the red mane tangled and teased. Both girls were pale with fear.

“What does she want?” Selenia asked.

“The Shadow Queen? Me.” Renya felt a pang of guilt. This was all her fault. She shouldn't have come here. She'd endangered this entire kingdom. Bile rose up again in her throat and she steadied herself against the cold stone wall, trying to keep herself upright.

“Renya, it's not your fault,” Selenia said. “If she wasn't after you, she'd be moving against another kingdom. She won't be happy until she's conquered everything and stolen everyone's magic. It was only a matter of time.”

That was probably true, but Renya couldn't help but wonder if it would have been better if she had never come through the portal. How was she supposed to restore the balance when she couldn't use her magic without pushing herself to the brink of exhaustion? She needed a safe place to learn her magic, a way to buy them time. The idea hit her suddenly, with the force of a runaway train. She could open a portal and hide there. She could practice her magic away from Cressida. She would just have to figure out how to do it and how to close it behind her so Cressida couldn't follow.

Before she could plan anything, Kalora re-entered the room, in full armor, a sword at her waist. She looked fierce, with a large display of peacock feathers against her back and her crown perched on top of her head.

“They've managed to scale the walls. The dragons have torn through every protective barrier we've thrown at them.”

“How long do we have until they make it to the castle?”

“Not long, I'm afraid. I think we should head down to the armory, it's the safest.” Kalora looked over at Selenia and Julietta, and Renya knew she was concerned for their safety.

“I think that's a good idea,” Renya said quickly. “Come on, let's head down now.”

The guards exited the throne room first, with Selenia and Julietta directly behind them. Renya and Kalora followed, protecting the girls from the back. The sounds outside were deafening. Renya felt adrenaline from Grayden through their connection, and she could tell he was working hard and fighting. While his adrenaline mixed with hers and made her nerves pulsate and her stomach sick, she knew he was still alive. As long as she could feel him, he was safe.

She could hear the clash of swords and the sound of cannon fire. It sounded different than it did in the movies. The explosion was noisy, and then followed by silence before any other blast came. She could also hear the howls and roars from the dragons, the vibrations shaking the stone castle underfoot. Renya had no idea how they would be able to bring down the monstrous creatures.

As soon as they rounded the hall towards the spiral staircase, Renya heard screaming. She whipped around, only to see men in armor, blacker than night, hurrying towards them. They moved in a swift formation, like a line of ants making their way to a picnic. Julietta screamed, and their own guards turned, breaking to the front to face the Shadow Realm soldiers.

“Julietta, Selenia, run!” Kalora screamed, pulling out her sword. “Julietta, take Selenia down!”

Chapter Thirty-Three

Grayden's heart pounded as he raced through the castle corridors, the weight of his new armor and weapons barely registering. His mind was split between the impending battle and Renya's safety. He could feel her fear and determination through their bond, a constant undercurrent to his own tumultuous emotions.

As he burst through the castle doors into the courtyard, the full chaos of the battle assaulted his senses. The air was thick with smoke and the metallic tang of blood. Screams and the clash of steel against steel filled his ears, punctuated by the earth-shaking roars of dragons.

Grayden spotted Diggory, Orien's second-in-command, directing a group of soldiers near the eastern wall. He sprinted towards him, ducking under a volley of flaming arrows.

“Diggory!” Grayden shouted over the din. “What's our status?”

The battle-worn soldier turned, relief flashing across his face. “Prince Grayden! We're holding the walls, but barely. The dragons are making it nearly impossible to maintain our defenses.”

Grayden nodded grimly. “I've faced these beasts before. Aim for their eyes and the soft spots under their wings. And watch for the riders – they're as dangerous as the dragons themselves.”

As if summoned by his words, a massive shadow passed overhead. Grayden looked up to see a dragon, scales gleaming like polished obsidian, swooping down towards the courtyard. Its rider, clad in blood-red armor, directed the beast with practiced ease.

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