Page 64 of Dragon Gods

The room was empty and he took a moment to simply wander through the aisles, scanning the titles printed along the spines. Many of the books were cheap parchment and linen, but others were leather-bound, their titles written in gold. He plucked one book off the shelf, its title gold and shining against brown leather:In Praise of Dragons and Monsters.It was filed under Dragonborn mythology and he flipped through the thick pages. His eyes widened at the rough illustrations along the edges, demented-looking creatures and warped animals.

“Fox!” The yell he recognized all too well had him snapping the book closed. He turned, eyes ready to look sorry as his brother stepped into the room. He expected annoyance, but there was something more in his brother’s stare.

“I told you to stay in the dorms!”

“I needed more books.” He gave a shrug, as if he hadn’t realized he’d ignored his brother’s instructions.

“There is a library in the dorms,” he snapped, moving forward. Fox wasn’t sure why, but he instinctually pulled back, tucking the book he was holding behind his back. He didn’t want to give it up.

“Fox,” his brother snapped, anger turning to something else—almost fear. “We need to go. You shouldn’t be here.”

“How did you find me?” His eyes narrowed.

“Ian saw you come in here. Now put the book down and come with me.” Fox ignored his brother’s outstretched hand.

“No.”

“King’s balls, you stubborn ass!” his brother cursed.

Fox’s eyes went a little wide at his brother’s language. He’d never heard those words from his brother’s lips. “I’m keeping the book.”

Leon looked at Fox for a moment like he wanted to argue. But then Leon grabbed him, pulling him forward and out of the library.

“Tuck the book under the jacket at least,” he said, not stopping to berate him as he kept walking, pulling him more than ever now.

“You’re hurting me!” Fox whined, his shoulder giving a sharp ache as his brother tugged him around a corner.

“I’ll do more when we get back to the dorms if you don’t shut up.”

They burst out of the front doors of the fort, the sun blinding Fox for a second as he balanced trying to keep up with his brother and gripping the book to his chest under the jacket. He knew he shouldn’t have taken it. His brother could get into serious trouble letting him read text about Dragonborn mythology. While it wasn’t technically illegal, these books were meant for king’s men who needed to know their enemy. Their family library had a few texts on Dragonborn tucked in the corners, but they were mostly children’s stories that Fox had practically memorized at this point. This was the exact type of book his father would beat him for reading.

Fox opened his mouth to apologize to his brother. He hadn’t meant to get him into trouble or threaten his place among the king’s men, but then the world behind them seemed to crack, the sound vibrating through Fox’s bones even as his vision went gray at the edges. His brother’s body went rigid as he turned, looking at something over Fox’s shoulder with a raw terror that had Fox stumbling. His brother moved, throwing himself at Fox before he could turn.

The world shattered into nothing and everything.

* * *

Fox wasaware of a ringing in his ears and the taste of his blood on his lips. There was only darkness around him, but it wasn’t an empty darkness. Stone and dirt and weight pressed in all around him. He tried to squint to see, but his head hurt too much.

“Little Fox,” his brother’s voice was a rasp, but it was so close. It was directly in front of him and as his eyes adjusted, he saw his brother, lying just above him, chest pressed to Fox’s own, the only thing between them the thin leather book. Something wet fell against his cheek and he tasted blood. Fox swallowed, throat moving.

“Everything hurts.” The words felt like gravel in his mouth.

“You’re going to be okay.” His brother’s words came out in gasps, but he felt Leon’s hand moving in the rubble, rough against his arm.

He tried to sit up. He wanted to find his brother’s hand and hold it in his own, but the world was too heavy. He couldn’t move. He could barely breathe. And all that he heard in the darkness was the sound of Leon’s shallow breaths. Eventually even that went silent.

Fox had no idea how long he was under the rubble. It was long enough that his brother’s hand grew cold against his skin.

When the stone that had lain on top of them was finally lifted, the light of dusk was blinding.

CHAPTERTWENTY-SIX

SOFIA

Sofia knew better than to question Fox in that moment. She ran, legs pumping through the rising water as best they could, even as it fought against her body. She lost her footing, propelled forward with the current of the river. Fox grabbed her arm, holding on to her tightly, but even he was struggling through the torrent, barely keeping control of his own legs.

And then the water hit them. A wall as hard as stone came from behind with a roar as it snatched their bodies up and threw them forward. Fox’s grip slipped from hers and her head went under. The air collapsed from her lungs as the icy water took her.

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