Page 19 of A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash

He is a wyverian.

We both bleed. We both love. We both cry.

And yet, they keep telling us that we do not belong.

Tabitha Wysteria

Mal dreamt of fire.

Not the cold blue flames of her homeland, but something wild, something untamed—an inferno of red and gold that swallowed the sky. Ash rained like dying stars, drifting through a world unfamiliar to her. And in the heart of the blaze, a man stood. His back was to her, his silhouette carved in embers, but the dagger in her hand whispered his name.

The one risen from the ashes shall unite them all.

She awoke with a gasp, her breath ragged, her skin damp with sweat. The sensation of the blade piercing his chest lingered in her bones, a phantom pain she could not shake.

Dawn crept over the horizon as Mal slid into her riding boots and hurried to the nearest window. The morning airkissed her skin, carrying the scent of the dark mountains and the whispers of restless wyverns. She gripped the stone pillar, leaning forward into the abyss beyond.

‘Nyx, venire!’Nyx, come!

A moment of silence, then a mighty roar answered, reverberating through her very core. Mal smiled. Without hesitation, she leapt into the darkness below.

Her stomach lurched before strong, scaled flesh met her boots. Nyx’s wings spread wide, catching the wind, lifting them higher into the morning sky.

‘Volare, Nyx, volare.’Fly, Nyx, fly.

She let the wind pull at her hair, let the cold bite into her skin, soaring for hours until the first blush of dawn spilt over the peaks.

When Mal finally returned, the castle's training yard was ready for the clash of steel. Below her, Kai was adjusting his black armour, readying himself for his morning drills. Nyx landed atop one of the castle roofs with a rumble that made him pause, his onyx eyes narrowing in mild irritation as Mal dismounted.

‘You look dreadful,’ Kai muttered, fastening the last buckle of his gauntlet.

Mal ignored him, striding to the weapons rack. Her fingers curled around the hilt of her short sword—black steel, forged in wyverian blue fire, unbreakable as the night sky.

‘What are you doing?’ Kai asked.

‘Training.’

‘Training?’ He scoffed. ‘In a few days, we leave for a royal wedding—yourwedding, might I remind you. Shouldn’t you be off selecting dresses and jewelry, rather than sharpening blades?’

His twin hook swords gleamed in the dim light, weapons as deadly as their wielder. Mal had once attempted to use them and hadfailed miserably.

‘You act as though I asked for this!’ Mal spat, swinging her sword without warning.

Kai reacted instantly, blocking her strike with effortless grace. She dropped low, sweeping her blade towards his legs, but he was quicker, leaping back with a smirk of annoyance.

‘You haven’t exactly screamed against it either, sister.’

The rage inside her coiled like a serpent. She lunged, striking with fierce determination. Her blade scraped his shoulder, drawing a shallow cut—Kai only chuckled, infuriating her further. Gritting her teeth, she kicked him, sending him stumbling back. A dagger flew from her fingers, but Kai rolled aside, the steel embedding into the ground where he had stood.

‘What am I meant to do, Kai?’

He had been holding back, but now his stance shifted. His swords flashed, obsidian arcs slicing through the air as he advanced. Mal danced away, dodging every strike, her movements fluid, precise.

‘You are meant to fight!’

The next blow was not aimed at her sword but at her body—he slammed her against the stone wall, his dark eyes searching hers, breath ragged.

‘Iamfighting, Kai,’ she whispered.

---