Page 135 of The Last Dragon
He scoffs. “Trust me, Zel, it’s better for me to owe you one than for you to owe me one.” When I stay silent, he grabs me by my shoulders. “You want to take the Corps down, kill Grogol. This is the way to do it. You can save Nida. And I’ll help you. You’ll need an army to lead.”
“What—an army that consists of these people?” I scoff. “They’re notsoldiers, Valous, they’revillagers. Elderly and children, and men who are frail. They don’t know how to fight a war.”
“Do not compare them to those rats.” His voice hardens, low and dangerous. “These people havefirein their veins more than what those Corps scum ever had. They’ve survived worse things than Grogol, even suffered from his hand. And they’ve waited long enough. They’re ready to bring him down. They aremorethan just soldiers.”
I stare at the crowd again. Faces streaked with soot, eyes burning with a quiet rage.
Valous leans closer, voice dropping to a whisper. “You think the Corps cares about strength? They care about control. Fear. These people? They want to fight. They want freedom.Realfreedom. Not whatever shit Grogol throws your way and pretends it’s for the sake of humanity. He lies. Betrays. Clips fucking ears!” He’s livid.
My fists clench. Freedom. The word tastes bitter. I think of Nida, trapped somewhere in that nightmare. I think of the home we lost, of the ashes still smoldering in my mind.
“I have an army. I have those who will follow. I just need someone to lead them,” Valous says, his grip tightening around my shoulders just enough to remind me he’s serious.
The air feels thick, heavy with possibility—and with danger. I can feel the weight of a choice pressing down on me.Again. The roar of the burning tavern fills the silence between us. Flames lick the night sky.
“No. I’m not going to let more people,villagers, die because of me,” I say, stepping away. “Once this is all over, I’ll make sure your homes are rebuilt. But I’m not going to lead a rebellion.”
He steps back, releasing me. “People are going to die anyway,” he says, voice bitter. “Dragons will swarm this place, and Grogol will let it happen. If you go in there alone, you’ll die.”
“Then let it be me instead of them,” I manage.
“And then what?” He scoffs, jaw clenching with impatience. “He’s going to kill everyone.”
I stay silent, shaking my head with the little strength I have—my head spinning, muscles tensing.
“Come on, Zel.” He closes in,his breath in my face. “You can’t actually believe the fires won’t rise again.”
I look up at him. “What is that supposed to mean?”
He bares his teeth, shaking his head.. What does he expect me to do? Lead another fucking expedition against people? Humans? Some are innocent. Some have no idea what Grogol has done. They deserve a chance to learn the truth.
It’s like I’m splitting into two. Maybe. Maybe he’s right. But I need to find Nida first. Eryca, Sam, Ilian—they’re still in the Third. Valous’ eyes flash as if he’s reading my mind, as if he knows I’m considering it.
“I have to go to the Third,” I say, breathing heavily. “I have to get to Nida, to my unit.”
“Snap out of this!” He bellows.
The air between us tightens. My pulse roars in my ears. I want to scream at him—for not understanding, for almost being right. But I don’t. I draw in a slow breath, tasting ash and regret. My voice is low when it comes.
“You want a rebellion,” I say. “I want her back.”
“With it, you will get her!”
“Not if more people have to die for it.”
He doesn’t answer, and I don’t give him the chance. I turn on my heel and start walking toward the Third.
“You know where to find me, Zel,” Valous calls after me. His voice echoes, full of fire and certainty. And that’s what bothers me most—the confidence in it. As if he knows something that I don’t.
But I don’t look back.
CHAPTER 48
Rain lashes from a darkened sky, soaking through me, turning the earth beneath me to slick, sucking mud. My boots are heavy with it, each step a strain—but I’m close now. Minutes from the Third. My heart hammers like war drums in my chest, but all I can think about is her. Not the guards. Not the plan. Just her. I don’t care how I get in—only that I do. But recklessness won’t save her. Dying here won’t change a damn thing.
Breathe, Zel. Breathe.
I press my back to the cold stone ruins scattered along the path, lungs burning as I try to slow my pulse. A sudden rustle splits the air. It’s close. I spin, grabbing the nearest shard of rock, fingers white-knuckled around it like it’s a blade. A small shape pushes through the bushes the dry shrubs. Then a sound. That familiar screech. My heart stutters.
