Page 23 of The Dragonrider and the Void
Venrick’s mind instantly flashed to the colossal creature they’d awakened now returning to destroy any and all life around the Northern town.We can’t fight this beast,he thought.
Venrick prepared to run, but hesitated. The closer the shadow came, the less it looked like the massive dragon under the Northern town. The way it angled down toward him was hauntingly familiar. He knew that black outline. He’d seen it before, on the day Tel Roan was slain while fighting Marcel.
No, not Marcel. It was Barrik who attacked them. Lark was trying to help,he thought.
“Wait!” Venrick shouted over the storm.
Cheyanne and the lead Morsythian turned back to look at him.
“Hold your positions!” he shouted.
Recognition spread across Cheyanne’s face, while the Morsythian troop leader snarled at Venrick. “You do not command us, orc slayer,” he said in a thick Northern accent.
“Stand down, Gravlin,” Cheyanne ordered the Morsythian.
Reluctantly, the giant orc with skin like the color of the ocean relayed the order to hold their positions to the rest of the Morsythian troop.
An instant later, the dark dragon broke through the storm’s curtain, coming into clear view. The dragon’s body flexed as he landed, his corded muscles taut under glossy onyx scales slick with melting snow. Two cream-white eyes ringed in gold locked in on Venrick as he folded his wings. He lowered his horned head just enough to reveal the figure in black brismil armor seated in the saddle.
Though the Morsythians appeared braced for a fight, Venrick knew the dragonrider wouldn’t attack. Even before she removed the brismil plate armor with a simple move of her scale harness, he knew this was Lark. Marcel’s signature armor vanished, revealing a familiar silhouette with umber hair and a stern, yet beautiful face. His gaze met hers, locking onto her sharp green eyes. For a moment, the blizzard seemed to still. He hadn’t known if he’d ever see her again. Behind the longing in her eyes,Venrick saw the pain of their absence, and his heart skipped a beat.
In a fluid movement, Lark hopped out of the saddle and slid down White Eye’s foreleg, landing in a puff of snow. Every instinct told Venrick to run to her, hold her tight and kiss her full lips.
Then Yarla slumped, the weight of her around his shoulders acting as a reminder of her presence. In that moment, as Lark stood there with snow swirling around her, Venrick saw Lark’s gaze drop to Yarla’s waist where he was helping support her. A dangerous spark flickered in her expression, her emerald eyes narrowing, the curve of her mouth flattening. For an instant Venrick thought she might turn again, like she’d done at the firestorm in the Everburning Forest when Lark seemed like she was going to attack Venrick. But any anger burned away in a blink of an eye. She straightened, a sense of relief seeming to come over her as she marched through the deep snow to greet them.
“You’re alive,” Lark said.
“And so are you,” Venrick replied.
They shared a smile, and Venrick felt the intimacy growing between them again, until Lark’s eyes drifted to Yarla as she clung desperately to him.
“I can’t believe you’re really here,” Venrick said, his voice rough with emotion. “I’ve been tracking you and White Eye ever since Red Lodge.”
“You were looking for me?” Lark asked.
“Of course I was,” Venrick said, her question feeling like a lance through his heart.
“But now you know who and what I am,” she said, chewing nervously at her bottom lip.
“Lark, that doesn’t change anything. That doesn’t affect how I feel about you,” Venrick said, his brows furrowing withremorse. He glanced awkwardly at Cheyanne, who stood with arms folded in judgement.
“We need to get to the caverns, this storm isn’t going to hide us forever,” Cheyanne said.
“Rimeshade?” Lark asked.
“A powerful one by the name of Lady Sanj. Seems Venrick chose to make an enemy out of her by waking their once-dormant dragon,” Cheyanne added.
Behind Lark, White Eye stiffened, his gaze peering out into the whiteout.
“We’ll catch you up on events soon,” Venrick said. “But Lark, you need to know, your dragon is wounded. I saw traces of Joc’s magic in White Eye’s blood. I think you’re being tracked.”
“I know,” Lark said.
“You do?” he replied.
“We found out when it was almost too late. Barrik and Killaborden found us, but luckily, we were able to fight our way free. The only reason we came into this storm instead of flying over was to ensure they wouldn’t spot us.”
“I had no idea. I was just following the signs and hoping I’d catch up with you. Lark, you must know I was never going to give up on you. I would never do that,” he said, breaking into a smile that matched Lark’s growing grin.
