Page 52 of Wrath of the Dragons
“Because they’re entirely different elements. That’s like asking why the earth god can’t wield water. All fire is unique and incomparable.” Asena’s dark eyes flash to the flames when a log cracks. “People think the gods disappeared.”
“But you don’t think that?” I ask.
“Nothing that exists on this earth is ever truly gone. Life and death are inseparable. When a body is buried, it’s absorbed by the soil that life sprouts from. The God of the Sun was cruel to the dragons, and the Goddess of Flames challenged him to relinquish his claim as a fire god. Their feud is what doomed the gods. There aren’t winners in war, only survivors.”
“If nobody won, what was the outcome?” My palms moisten as I glance out the window to where some of my dragons are soaring above the trees, and others are sprawled out in the snow, their colorful scales creating a stark contrast. Nobody will take them from me. Not a god or a mortal. I’ll rip apart anyone who challenges me with my bare hands if I must.
“We speculate, but nobody knows.”
“But what do you think?” Saskia presses.
“I don’t think the end has come to pass. I think it’s been brewing for centuries.”
I flinch as thunder claps in the distance, and swallow the ridiculous sense of pending doom, focusing on the task at hand. “You say that I’m blessed by your goddess. Do you think that might give me abilities beyond the bond I share with my dragons? So that I could do more than simply ride them and command their loyalty?”
Asena weighs my words, pursing her lips and glancing into the fire again as if she’s searching for an answer within. “I think there are many possibilities that can come from being blessed by a god, and I don’t think you should dismiss any.”
I glance at Saskia again and shake my head. I’d rather not reveal unnecessary information despite her swearing she won’t. I’d be long dead if I trusted every person who gave me their word. Waking up dormant magic is a subject we can find in a book; godly lore is far more limited. “When you opened the portal for us you were speaking Ravarian.”
“The forgotten language of the gods.” She nods. “It’s passed down through members of the cults, but written accounts are rare.”
A talon-like sensation scrapes against my mind, urging me to ask my question. “How do you say dragonfire?”
“Zayèra.”
“Zayèra,” I respond, rolling the R as she did, and a pleased smile forms on her face when I pronounce it correctly. “Thank you, Asena, you’ve been very helpful today.”
“Of course, Your Majesty. I’m happy to help you in any way I’m able.”
“To repay you,” I begin, rising from the couch to escort her out of the office. “I’d love for you and Ophir to officiate the royal wedding. Your people are also welcome to attend.”
Her eyes widen and lips part before breaking out into a wide smile. “Y-yes, Your Majesty. We would be honored.”
“Asena, if you could just wait outside for a moment, I’ll walk you down,” Saskia says in a kind tone, and doesn’t continue until thepriestess takes her leave and shuts the door behind her. “The nobles will be in an uproar if you let a mage and a priestess officiate the ceremony. You’ve only just lifted the bans on magic.”
“Oh, I’m counting on it.” I drum my fingers over my lips. “Sometimes when a snake slithers into your garden, you have to seek it out before it bites you.”
Saskia’s brows rise, and a smirk lifts her full lips. “I like the way you think.”
“We have a week to prepare.”
“A week?” she shrieks. “You tell me this now! You don’t even have a dress.” She places both hands on her forehead, groaning as she looks to the ceiling. “The wedding of the century and you give me a week to plan it.”
“The dressmaker is coming tomorrow!”
“Oh, yes she is.” She rips the door open in a huff and stomps into the hall.
I slide my pendant along the chain, still laughing softly as I glance toward my dragons again. Born from the stars. Maybe that’s why I’ve always been so drawn to them.
Footsteps patter closer, but it’s not coming from the hall, it’s coming…from behind the wall. My palms prickle with nerves. I know the house is warded, but that doesn’t stop me from pulling a knife from my thigh sheath and gliding through the room without a sound. My back presses into the wall. I follow it and hold my breath as the gold-framed painting of a churning ocean with a stormy sky swings open, and a blond man dressed as a servant steps through.
The tip of my knife is pointed at his neck before he gets far, and his throat bobs as he swallows. He’s taller than me, but I latch my hand on to his shoulder, pressing the blade farther into his skin. “If I nick you right here, you’ll bleed out in seconds.”
“You move like an assassin.” He sounds far more impressed than a man in his position should be.
“Perhaps I am.”
The door to the office is shoved open and Cayden strides into theroom. My heart swells at the sight of him. “Don’t make me jealous, angel. Alexus is a good spy, and you know I don’t act rationally when riddled with that emotion.”
