Page 183 of Crown of Briars
And perhaps that was enough.
The female waited expectantly for me to make my decision. The vial could easily contain poison. But somehow, I knew she could be trusted. I wasn’t sure how, but I knew.
I reached forward, my paw awkwardly taking the vial from the female’s grasp. My lips parted, and I downed the contents.
Immediately, shivers rippled over my body. I hunched over with a tortured groan, pain setting my blood on fire. My bones snapped and mended, my skin stretching and shrinking. The thick, coarse fur along my body vanished. My paws lengthenedinto fingers. My rumbling roar of agony melted into a bellowing howl. All I knew was fire. All I felt was pain. My body was breaking, one piece at a time, and reconstructing itself.
When it was over, I collapsed in a heap on the ground, my body trembling and covered in sweat and blood. I didn’t know if it was mine or not. The memories of my time as a beast flooded my mind, making me weep.
How many had I killed? How many of my own soldiers had I attacked in this state?
An anguished wail poured from my lips. I slammed my fist into the ground as broken sobs overcame me.
I was a monster. A demon. I had killed my own people.
“Varius,” Tislora whispered, her hand pressing into my bloodied shoulder.
I flinched away from her touch. I did not deserve to be comforted in this moment.
“She took the stones to the shadow storm,” Tislora said.
I stiffened, my memories returning with frustrating sluggishness. It took several moments before comprehension dawned on me.
Sybelle.The bloodstone and shadowstone.
She was going to sacrifice herself for me. For the kingdom.
I stood, my arms and legs throbbing from fresh wounds. Dizziness clouded my vision, but I couldn’t stop. I had to find her.
If there was one last thing I could do with my pitiful existence, it would be to save her. My kingdom deserved to be ruled by someone who loved them. Who gave their life for them.
That was Sybelle. Not me.
I would save her. And then I would leave this court, never to show my face here again. I was a murderer. I could not come back from the crimes I’d committed against them.
The ground rumbled, and energy rippled through the air. In the distance, an echoingboomsounded.
Heat tingled up and down my body. I hunched over, shuddering from the intensity of it as magic coursed through me in violent waves. Across from me, Tislora cried out in pain.
The earth continued to tremble. The castle walls quivered. Shouts and screams rang out, but I didn’t know if it was from my people or Orla’s.
In an instant, the earthquake stopped, and the magic receded from my body. I glanced over myself, expecting to find fur and paws again.
But nothing had changed.
Gasping for breath, I looked at Tislora, who seemed as stunned as I was.
“What the hell was that?” I asked.
She shook her head, her mouth opening and closing. She stared at her hands as if expecting them to transform. “I—I don’t know. I’ve never felt magic like that before.”
Heavy wingbeats approached. I glanced skyward, thinking it might be Zorben, my alpora.
Instead, a figure much larger than any alpora floated above us, its shimmering dark scales blending in with the midnight sky. It slammed into the earth before us, making the ground tremble.
I stumbled back in shock and fear.
It was a dragon. Sybelle’s dragon.
