Page 67 of Between Fear and Favor

What I’d done to Irses had been exceptional. As he roared, breathing shadows and protecting us in their embrace, I couldn’t regret it. I hadn’t known what I was doing when I’d funneled my divinity into him, but I’d allowed it to move freely, doing what felt right. And it had worked. If the Nythyrians couldn’t see us, they couldn’t properly aim, and that gave me the illusion of safety—even if I knew there was still a chance I would be harmed in this fight. As the shadows making up Lux’s saddle strained against my control, I worried my own divinity wouldn’t be enough.

I’d need to rely on the two dragons I’d gifted power to, who I’d formed by hand with memories of the man I loved and the sister I lost.

“Flames, Lux,” I commanded, wanting to make it clear to those on the ground what was to come. If our soldiers still fought in the streets, they would need time to flee. Though my divine fire had seemed to only spread where I wanted it, I wasn’t sure I trusted it. So, I warned my people with her divine flames. Because there would be no survivors after I finished setting the Wend alight, ridding Astana of the blight that was the Supreme’s army.

I didn’t allow myself to think of anyone who might have refused to evacuate. I’d warned them, hadn’t I?

As Lux roared, dipping beneath Irses’ shadows to exhale more of the divine fire which would save my husband, I placed my hands on her flesh. Each iridescent scale was bigger than my hand, and as I felt the divinity leaving her, I willed what little was left of my own to take its place.

Before I had a chance to direct Irses to fall back, he did as I wanted, and I had to wonder if they didn’t need me to command them at all. He flew below Lux, his striking presence protecting us from sight, as we circled the pit.

I knew what they wanted from me. They were using Rain to bargain, that much was clear, but I couldn’t give them what they wanted. Rain was right. If the Supreme took my blood, by force or by gift, it would endanger the rest of the Three Kingdoms. And I couldn’t allow him to use it for whatever vile favor he’d implore from the gods. Even if it meant deserting my kingdom—for the fate of all three—I would have to follow after him.

The Supreme certainly knew that. Would he demand an exchange? Could I forsake the man I loved for the lives of thousands? Tens of thousands? Hundreds?

I already knew the answer.

Irses circled below, breathing shadows for cover, but I hadn’t realized just how quickly dawn was approaching until it was too late. The shadows might have been helpful when it was darker, but as Irses roared in pain and my arm felt as if it snapped in two, I realized they weren’t enough. I groaned, biting my lip to dull the harsh ache in my bones. Doing my best to hold onto Lux, who veered upward at great speed, I leaned over to watch as Irses struggled with the rope attached to the end of the spear they’d launched.

It had pierced the membrane of his wing, and the barbs had caught onto the long bone extending from his shoulder.

“No,” I gasped, as the rope went taut, and they began to drag my beautiful dragon to the ground.

Lux dove.

Using her divine fire on the rope, the clever beast released Irses from its deadly grasp before launching herself upward. I thought I was going to be sick—from the quick movement, from the pain, from the proximity to death. I held on tighter, watching Irses list to the side, his wing desperately affected by the weight of the spear still embedded in his flesh.

Behind me, I heard the cry of another dragon, and my eyes widened. With the newly massive size of Irses and Lux, I hadn’t been able to open a rift for them, and instead had shifted the ground to open the Dragon Hollow into the courtyard. We would be lucky if the palace didn’t collapse before we returned to it, but that was a problem for later. I’d told the other dragons to stay put, as I hadn’t yet given them stronger scales, but considering the pitch and frantic sorrow of the dragon’s cry, I was certain it was Ryo.

The smallest—and least obedient—of my dragons chased after us. For once, I wasn’t annoyed with his impulsive behavior. The two of them were bonded. The ever-patient Irses had claimed Ryo as his own, and it seemed Ryo had done the same. So much smaller than Irses, he soared beneath his injured wing. The two moved in tandem, their connection filling me with longing—for Elora, for my husband, for my twin. Ryo took on the weight of the weapon, helping Irses stabilize, and my heart ached.

I needed that wretched thing out of him. I couldn’t heal Irses at this moment, but my own arm relied on it.

Irses cried out, the sound trembling in the air between us, and he rolled. Tipping his body to the side, he slammed into Ryo just as another bolt flew past them. Irses screeched in pain as he flapped his wings, trying to catch himself. Ryo shrieked, abandoning Irses to find the source of the attacks.

“No!” I screamed, just as Irses let another earth-shaking roar.

My stomach dropped as Lux shifted, plummeting earthward. At that moment, I knew we were connected, and she had felt my fear. Because she moved with purpose, ready to do what was needed to protect Ryo. Tucking in her wings, I was shielded from some of the wind as she sped toward the ground.

Ryo faltered, pulling out of his dive and returning to Irses, but Lux dropped beneath him. All murderous intent, I didn’t stop her as she flew low over the city wall. Though I’d just seen Irses get hit with one of their weapons, and then narrowly evade another, I felt invincible on dragonback. Nereza’s icy shield of shadows had been left behind to cover the archers and the soldiers manning the ballistae. Even with most of our soldiers responding within the city walls, they still didn’t want to risk us moving to attack them from behind.

We’d managed to keep them from building siege towers, but without my dragons as targets, kept hidden because of Rain’s fear, there had been no reason for their soldiers to use these horrendous weapons—thank the gods. They weren’t prepared, but if they’d all responded at once, this might have gone very differently. As it was, Lux would have to swoop lower to destroy their weaponry. It was a risk, but I didn’t care. She would manage.

“Now, Lux. Don’t hold back,” I ordered as I watched the soldiers struggle to load a bolt into a ballista.

As the soldiers tripped over themselves to launch their bolt at Lux, she soared above them, destroying the shadowed protection we hadn’t been able to penetrate. Her flames made Nereza’s divinity crumble. Like shattered glass beneath her divine fire, the crashing sound it made was deafening.

And with her long tail, she toppled the ballista—along with the soldiers who’d been trying to harm her.

Though I’d been feeling Rain’s emotions—albeit muted because of my own worries—rage and grief built along our golden bond. And when I watched soldiers beneath us stumble and buildings shake, I knew it was his divinity. I wasn’t sure what was happening, but it certainly wasn’t anything good.

As Lux turned, leaving our destruction behind us, I urged her faster toward the city. “More flames,” I said, hoping it would be enough to take out the remaining ballistae, but even if it wasn’t, we’d run out of time. I knew I should have gone to Rain sooner, but thought the Supreme wouldn’t risk damaging his collateral.

Because if Rain was gone, I would have no qualms eviscerating every single person who stood against us. I would raze everything to the ground, and gladly die doing it. Three kingdoms and the prophecy be damned, vengeance against those who would harm him would be the last thing I’d ever do.

Lux did as I wanted, knowing exactly what I wanted from her. The throbbing in my arm had abated, and I hoped that meant Irses was all right. I was able to painlessly grip the saddle as Lux flew faster, the jostling no longer causing pain. Scorching a path outside the walls, she did her best to take out the weaponry threatening her and the other two.

Glancing above me, I sought Irses. When I finally found him, I was both relieved to see the spear gone from his body and dismayed at the hole in his wing. He favored it, letting out the sharpest of whines every other moment, and I didn’t know what to do. Silently, I tried to communicate for him to fall back, to let me handle this with Lux and Ryo. If something happened to Irses, it was likely I would die. With something that sounded strikingly similar to a frustrated sigh, Irses turned back toward the palace. Ryo dipped lower, but stayed just above us, using Lux’s bulk to protect himself.

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