Page 75 of Prince of Blaze and Embers
You're so close. You have to finish this. You can't let her win.
But she's so strong... How is she still fighting? I... I've got to stand up. I've got to find a way to keep fighting. Remember Cornelius' lessons. Focus on his words. You are strong. You are strong enough.
You've got to keep going... Stand up. Stand up Ash!
My boot got under me, but the pain was unbearable, and I fell onto my back, my hand clutched to my wound to slow the bleeding. I... I don't know if I can...
"Ash!" Cade shouted with a deep, guttural worry. "Ash, hold on! Hold on! I'm coming!"
The queen's dragon sped in, spewing dragonfire everywhere. It felt as if I'd been taken to the Infernal Depths, and this was what death felt like. A terrible mix of pain and the feeling of loss.
"You're mine, you bitch!" the queen shrieked, her words laced with disdain and bloody hatred.
As she spoke, a distant roar echoed through the sky, a sound that opened the floodgates of hope inside me. I could tell by the pitch that it was a small dragon, but as I turned to see dragon and its rider approaching from the south, its form silhouetted against the stormy sky, I knew instantly what it was. More roars joined it, the sound growing louder and more insistent as a dozen dragon riders of entered the fray, their shadowy forms dotting the red sky behind.
Hunter's voice rang out, filled with renewed vigor. "The Stormscales! They've come to aid us!"
The queen's expression darkened, her eyes narrowing as she took in the new arrivals. Hope welled in us, and a seething hate erupted in the queen. She glanced all around, overwhelmingly surrounded, knowing that she may not be victorious against suchnumbers. She shot me one last glance, as my vision wetted with tears from the pain. She said no words, but her gaze was so burned into me, it was a moment I knew I'd never forget. And as she mouthed the words, "You're all going to die," all my Gilded Radiance faded. The golden magical sword, the armor, and all of Eden evaporated in the storm. With a final, scathing glare, she turned Brigodon northward and retreated, the Stormscales in hot pursuit.
Cade, seeing the queen's retreat, moved to give chase, but his gaze fell on me, and his expression changed from one of determination to one of concern. I could feel the warmth of my blood dripping from the wound in my side, the pain and exhaustion finally catching up with me. My vision blurred, and I swayed on Errax's back, the world around me spinning out of control.
"Ash!" Cade's voice cut through the haze, filled with urgency and worry. I tried to stay conscious, to hold onto the strength that had sustained me through the battle, but the darkness was too powerful. I felt myself slipping, the world fading to black as I tumbled from Errax's back.
I fell. I fell, tumbling into the darkness. My fingers tried to grasp anything, but it was only air that slipped between my fingers. I felt I was going to die. I'd put up a good fight, I'd held my own against the queen, but this was the end. In that moment of utter helplessness, I felt strong arms catch me, cradling me with a gentleness that belied their strength. I opened my eyes to see Cade's face, his eyes filled with a mix of relief and concern. His handsome features were a beacon of hope in the chaos that surrounded us.
"You saved me," I whispered, my voice barely audible above the roar of the wind and the distant cries of the Stormscales.
Cade's gaze softened, a tender smile playing on his lips. "No, Ash," he murmured, his voice filled with a warmth that seemed to envelop me. "You've saved me."
And with those words, the world faded to black, the pain andexhaustion finally claiming me as I surrendered to the darkness, knowing that I was safe in Cade's arms.
As I drifted into unconsciousness, I knew that our battle was far from over. The Blaze Queen was still out there, her hunger for power and dominion unquenched. But for now, we had won a victory, a moment of respite in a war that had raged for too long. And with the Stormscales at our side, we had new allies, a new hope for a brighter future.
The journey ahead would be fraught with danger and uncertainty, but with Cade by my side, I knew that we could face whatever challenges lay ahead. Together, we would fight for a better world, a world free from the tyranny of the Blaze Queen, a world where love and hope could flourish.
And as I slipped into the embrace of darkness, I knew that I was not alone. I had friends, allies, and a power within me that would not be denied. I was Ashlyn Moonriver, and I would not be defeated. Not now, not ever.
Then the darkness fully took me.
CHAPTER 37
The descent to the sanctuary was filled with an eerie silence, broken only by the flap of the dragons' wings and the distant thunder that rumbled like the growling of a primordial beast. As we landed, the ground crunched under the mighty paws of the dragons, and the ancient structure of the sanctuary loomed before us, its ancient stones a somber and foreboding sight.
Cade, his face etched with deep worry, carried me in his arms as we entered the sanctuary. I could feel the warmth of his body against mine, but the pain in my side was overwhelming, each step he took sent a fresh wave of agony coursing through me. He laid me down gently in the throne of thorns, the vines creeping around, creating a nest of knots and red flowers, their scent a faint reminder of a forgotten spring. Blood poured down my side, soaking the throne.
Bella knelt beside me, her glacier-blue eyes filled with tears as she clutched my hand tightly. "Ash, you're going to be okay," she whispered, her voice trembling with fear and uncertainty.
Cade, his heart pounding audibly, tore a strip of cloth from his own tunic, pressing it firmly against the wound in my side.The blood soaked through almost instantly, and I could see the desperation in his eyes, the fear that he might lose me. "Come on, Ash. Stay with me," he urged, his voice thick with emotion.
I tried to offer a reassuring smile, but the pain was too much. "It's all right," I whispered, my voice barely above a breath. "If I die, at least I got to live free for a little bit. I got to ride on a dragon's back... I even got my own dragon." My voice faded as a new surge of pain washed over me. Wetness flooded my vision as I realized I was dying.
"Stop talking like that," Cade commanded, his voice firm but filled with anguish. "You're not going to die. I won't let you."
Hunter stood nearby, his brow furrowed with concern, his hand resting on Cade's shoulder in a silent show of support. The dragons moaned sadly, their low, mournful cries echoing through the sanctuary, a chorus of grief that seemed to envelop us all.
As the seconds ticked by, I felt the life ebbing from my body, the pain a constant, pulsing ache that threatened to drag me into the darkness. Cade continued to press the cloth against my wound, his hands trembling with the effort, but I could see the despair in his eyes, the realization that there was nothing he could do to stop the bleeding.
"It's all right Cade, it's all right Bella... at least I got the queen. I got her! She can bleed just like the rest of us!" I coughed, and blood spattered down my chin. The pain made my side feel like fire erupted, splintering hot nails into the deep muscle and bone. "You can do the rest without me. But Cade... I'll miss you. I'll miss what we could've had, but I'm grateful for what we did."
