Page 215 of The Kingdom's Reckoning
Kage had lied—or at least partially. Domitius had not left the fire in Borgania unscathed.
Along the side of his face, a burn mark trailed around his hairline to the back of his head. The skin was red and raw, healed yet scarred from the flames.
"Lift his head," Kallie said quietly.
With a weary glance in Terin’s direction, Moris did as she asked and lifted Domitius' head up.
With shaking hands, Kallie placed the mask around Domitius’ mouth and over his jaw. As she snapped the lock in place, his eyes sprang open, and he screamed in fury as he reached for her.
Terin yanked her off him before Domitius could grab her. Yet Kage swatted at the air, enraged. Realizing his screams were muffled, he grabbed his face and felt the mask. He clawed at the metal with a mix of desperation and madness.
Kallie took a step back as the man before her came undone.
She tried to find a trace of the man she once knew. The man she had cared for. But the man lying on the ground was no morethan a stranger to her. And not because of the fresh scar, but because she finally saw Domitius for who he was.
"It’s over, Kage," Kallie whispered.
Anger flooded his countenance, and beneath it, for the first time, Kallie saw true fear shining within Kage’s brown eyes.
"What do you want to do with him?" Terin asked.
"Me?" Kallie asked. "You have more power here."
Terin shook his head. "What happens here is your choice, Kals."
Kallie hesitated. Kage had made her into a weapon, and she wondered if killing him would only prove he was successful. More than anything else, Domitius craved power. He wanted to rule the seven kingdoms. He wanted to steal the powers of the Pontians because he wanted to feel like he was a god. Dying here today would not be the punishment he deserved. He deserved to wallow in his self-destruction. He deserved to know what it was like to lose everything.
Kallie took a step back. "Keep him detained. Death would be a mercy."
She looked over her shoulder, finding Graeson and the other dragon in a stand-off, a cloud of smoke swirling between them.
As if sensing her gaze, Graeson turned away from his father and looked at her. He glanced at the king at her feet, his lip curling in disgust.
The other dragon said something, but Graeson only huffed and headed toward Kallie. When he was close enough, Graeson dropped his head to her height.
Kallie lifted her hand and laid it on his cheek, the scales rough and hot beneath her palm. "Let’s end this."
When Kallie looked downas Graeson hovered above the capital, the streets were teeming with thousands upon thousands of people, the battle still raging. Their friends and allies were still holding their ground.
She spotted Medenia and Ophelia locked in a dance of combat as they fought their opponents, the song never ending. Nearby, Ellie fought valiantly, her hair matted with blood and grime. Dani’s father was in the thick of it, his weapon slashing violently. In the air, she spotted a pair of white wings barreling toward a hoard of drakonises with a dark shadow alongside him. Somewhere, Rian tried to end the battle that had ripped his kingdom in half.
But the soldiers who fought against them? They were not their enemies. They were brothers, fathers, sons.
Kallie gripped the dagger Myra had given her years ago, her fingers flexing around the worn hilt. She didn’t need the dagger for what she was about to do, but the familiar weight gave her strength, the words etched into the blade empowering her.
She tilted her face toward the sky. With strands of hair that had fallen from her ponytail whipping around her face, she let her power fill her. She gathered it, as though she was taking a deep breath and filling her lungs with air. Then, lifting the dagger high above her head, she released her power, letting it rain down upon the capital.
The war of fires and lies would end today.
Chapter 92
GRAESON
As Graeson watchedthe soldiers collapse all across the capital, he was left in awe of Kalisandre.
If the gods could read Graeson’s mind, they would scorn him for what he was thinking. But he did not care.
Part of him wanted to call Kalisandre a goddess, to claim she had been blessed with more of Sabina’s blood than anyone could have thought possible.
