Page 139 of Jeweler to the Blessed
We’d spent a night in each other’s arms. I was sure he had plenty stored. But he’d also held my ankle as we’d left the throne room. That feeling, when he took my fear to unleash nightmares, was different from our other connections.
I shook my head. There was no time to deal with this.
I couldn’t believe where we’d ended up—hated that I could read it all on his face. Maybe I had been free to choose my place as Eris’s Champion, but it seemed those around me were doing all they could to manipulate that choice. Hart, Mother, Alaric—even thinking his name was like a dagger twisting in my chest.
Hart held his hand out to me. “You can do it …”
I was sure he was about to tack on the nickname “Chaos” but stopped himself.
“Take some of my anger. I have plenty to share. Use it to open the door.”
What did he have to be upset about? He’d used me. All of this was his fault.
My blood boiled even as my heart twisted. This was a mess.I took his hand and let his anger flood me. I didn’t calm my own either, even if it made no difference. I was angry at him, at Alaric, at Mother, at the goddesses, and most of all, at myself.
I ripped the door from its hinges with a strength that shouldn’t have existed. I tossed it to the side and glared at Hart.
He raised his hands in surrender even though his gaze was reverent, something I noted was lacking with his goddesses in the throne room. I shook my head and stepped into the adamas cavern.
“Be careful,” Hart started, trying to angle before me as we entered.
After what he’d made me do, I gave him the glare that comment deserved. I couldn’t ignore the pulse of magic alive within me.
“Champion,”the voice called.
It was still in my head like it had been in the Oldwood. I couldn’t tell if Hart could also hear it. The words were soft in my head, but something rumbled loudly in the cavern.
“He’ll be weak,” Hart whispered. “He’s pure Chaos, and he’s been caged by Order for too long.”
“Chaos curse him again. I’m not too weak to burn him alive.”
I paused at that, even though the threat wasn’t directed at me. Something shifted in the darkness, and hot air blew toward my face. Hart raised the torch from outside the cavern entrance. I stepped back as I glimpsed my first sight of the captive.
As long as I lived, I’d never forget the wonder and devastation of the sight.
I hadn’t been far off when I’d likened the thing I’d touched to a snake. The light spilling from Hart’s torch showed scales black as night. The captive’s tail curved around the length of the cavern, and as we entered, Hart looked up. I followed hisgaze to see the captive’s wings spreading out and filling my vision.
A dragon. The captive was a dragon.
“Charon,” Hart said as if soothing a wild beast. “We’re here to free you.”
“Champion. Your uncle was here.”
The dragon’s words to me were soft, or as soft as I deemed the creature capable of as he bared his teeth at Hart.
I nodded stupidly, unsure how to respond to the dragon’s words in my head. Hart raised his hands in a gesture of peace. I should have been better prepared for this, the heat and magic birthed from the captive.
“Your fire—it makes the adamas?” I asked, unable to help myself.
Hart glared at me, hands still raised in peace at the dragon’s obvious displeasure. A claw swiped toward Hart, and he lunged away. “Not the time.”
“Yes, Champion, it’s my fire. I try not to expend it since I’ve been held prisoner, but I’ve been here a long time.”
An earthshattering roar was loosed in Hart’s direction.
More dots connected in my mind. “Hart—Sebastien—he’s why you’re here.” I was suddenly surprised the dragon hadn’t eaten Hart already.
“It’d be best to put your hand on him,” Hart said, ignoring my revelation.
