Page 40 of Devastation
Are you all settled?
Glancing back to make sure, I answer, "Yes, thank you, Cadmus," and with that we rise up and away from the cave. My hair blows around wildly as my eyes tear up from the brisk wind hitting me. For a moment, I consider closing my eyes to stop the stinging, but I also want to remember every moment of flying through the shifters' sky.
From what I remember as a child in my first life, dragons seldom let anyone ride with them. Once I had gotten over my fear of the dragons, I had gone up to a group of them jumping around and asking for a ride in the sky. My mother, Zaria, had swiftly pulled me away and informed me of the shifters' feelings on such things. It made them feel like tamed animals, so for Cadmus to offer to take us to the vigil is something I did not take lightly.
Leaning back against Zedd's chest, I stare breathlessly around and take in the spectacular view. Peaks as high as what I would picture Everest being back on Earth are littered through the skyline as far as I can see, emerging through the thin layers of clouds.
Dusk is upon this realm, giving the sky a beautiful orange and purple hue. The only sound is the steady thrum of Cadmus' wings beating in the air. Up here, it's easy to forget the weight of everything and just soak in the serene beauty of this realm.
I won't allow anyone to destroy these realms like what has begun to happen on Earth. I will lead us all to victory against Erebus so that families and friends don't have to be ripped apart and forced into slavery, like what happened to the fae. I will ensure that the beauty of these realms remains unscathed for centuries to come.
There are so many reasons to fight, and I'm done being fearful of what could happen if I fail.
Because damn, the future is bright for us all if we succeed.
That's what I will focus on in this fight: a future in which we're all able to live and love freely.
We slowly descend through the clouds and toward a massive gathering of shifters who are facing a tremendously large tree with what appears to be gleaming scales, feathers, and fur entwined with the trunk.
These are our most sacred grounds. For every shifter that passes, the tree will mold a piece of them into its base and preserve it for eternity. We visit our loved ones here when we want to speak to them, knowing a piece of them will always reside here.
"Wow," I breathe out, completely in awe of the sacred tree that looms above us like the largest skyscraper back on Earth as Cadmus touches down on the ground.
A vast array of colors are embedded into the tree's warped trunk and branches that spiral out in every direction. It's as if the piece of the shifter that is accepted by the tree is completely preserved as the day it was put in, holding the same qualities it would have if the shifter were alive. Bold colors, soft fur, and shiny scales stare back at me, and the beauty of it is so profound that I feel a tear roll down my cheek.
Emotion clogs my throat as I take in the hundreds of shifters holding each other and crying near a circle of white candles lit around the tree. There is a mixture of shifters in human and animal forms, and my breath catches as I glance to the side and see a lone figure shadowed in a corner.
Instantly my soul sings to me and my nerves light up like they're vibrating as tingles spread through my body.
A bright orange tether flares between us, and I know she feels it as her head lifts and, through the shadows, her orange eyes flash as they meet my own.
The new queen.
Chapter Sixteen
Ash
I slide down the long expanse of the shifter's leathery wing and wait for my brothers and Lana to join me. The air is heavy with grief, and I find myself wallowing in it right alongside the shifters. Erebus' destruction knows no bounds.
The simmering rage I feel toward him demands that I kill him myself when the battle finally comes, but the rational side of me reminds me that I have to follow the plan. I can't just run off on some murderous rampage against one of the oldest gods in existence and expect for that to go well.
But after everything we've seen...after everything I saw in the fae realm while I was trapped with Anshar...that rational side of me is getting quieter and quieter.
Finally, all my brothers are on the ground, but as soon as Lana slides down, she runs toward the dragon's head and asks him, "Cadmus, who is that shifter sitting off to the side over there?"
He speaks only to her mind, so we're left glancing around trying to figure out who Lana's talking about. My eyes quickly narrow in on the small girl huddled in the shadows, trying to shrink away from any eyes, yet simultaneously wanting to be a part of the vigil.
A soft spot in my heart thrums, and I'm reminded of my quiet and reserved ways as a child. To this day, I allow the others to speak more often, while I listen intently and observe. Being whipped as a child for speaking will do that to you.
Even from this distance, I see a piece of myself in the girl. Her spirit is broken.
Without understanding why I do it, I find myself walking toward her while Lana converses quietly with Cadmus. I skirt around the gathering until I'm within a few feet of her. A twig cracks beneath my feet and her gaze snaps to mine, bright orbs of fire flashing dangerously in her eyes.
Her body tenses and she jumps to a crouched position, ready to defend herself from an attacker with her palms up and seemingly burning from under her skin. Her dragon’s fire was simmering beneath the surface.
"I won't hurt you," I soothe softly, my hands held out placatingly while I take slow and gentle steps closer.
A low snarl is her response, and I decide to sit down where I am, giving her the space she needs to not feel threatened. A piece of me is desperate to show her that she isn’t alone in her pain, and that it’s possible to come out the other side of this with happiness.
