Page 83 of Taloned Heart

“I do.” Tanis’s tail lashed in the air behind her, then dipped over the edge of the cliff. “Your children do not know how to fight. And neither do I. If a battle is what awaits us, then it would be foolish to throw them into the mix without trying to teach them and me how best to use our abilities. A dragon is formidable until it is grounded. Do you understand me?”

His first thought was that he would protect them. He’d turn the world into a blazing inferno before the humans would ever ground one of his children. But he also knew that was a foolish response when her fears were warranted.

“Indeed. But there is very little we can do about that,” he replied.

“There are still crystals left in Umbra. Ones that are not connected to my own.” She swallowed hard and then eyed him as though her plan was bound to anger the dragon before her. “I suspect you’ve had the same thoughts and have banished them. But perhaps it is time that we sacrifice a few memories to keep the few dragons alive.”

She wished his children to absorb more memories. Memories of war and bloodshed and battle.

He shook his head. “The greens and blues have never fought alongside my kind. They cannot take the memories of crimson crystals, can they?”

“Perhaps, and if those memories are not of battle, then you can. You can find more memories and take the knowledge of a thousand dragons inside you. You can lead them, while they can learn what it is they do best. Then you will listen to your children, and we will all decide how best to fight in this battle. Do you hear me?”

He shook his head. “They still stay beside me.”

“And they will likely die.” Tanis’s eyes welled with tears, those violet eyes staring directly into his soul. “We must protect them, Abraxas. And this is the only way.”

By all the dragon gods, he hated this. But he knew she was right.

“How can we even find them?”

“I am the last Memory Keeper,” Tanis said, her wings tucked tight against her sides as she lowered her head to the ground. “I will find them. And we will teach your children to battle.”

CHAPTER32

She would never forget the words when they came.

“Lore?” Zephyr had said, poking his head into her room. “They’ve agreed to fight.”

She had no idea what had brought about that swift change in opinion. Perhaps Zephyr had done an amazing job of convincing them. He was their rightful heir to the throne, and perhaps they thought there was some bit of control they could grasp. Or maybe it was the magician, famed and powerful, who had once ruled the kingdom at the side of Zander and Zander’s father. The man who now sat with Lore while watching all the mortals with disapproving eyes.

A magician who had been surprisingly kind throughout his stay here. He’d not even flinched when the Ashen Deep pressed grimdags to his throat and threatened him for the truth of why he was here.

Shockingly, he told them everything.

Lindon had never been a liar, he claimed. He’d told the king all that he wanted, and all that he planned on doing. Both of the kings he’d served under enjoyed his ideas and wanted to see him put this kingdom on its knees.

And when he’d explained why he’d done it, how the power had consumed the good man he once was and he was all too comfortable to bend to it, his eyes had watched Lore. As though he knew what the power could do to her. What she could feel underneath her skin every time she used it.

But Lore was not Lindon. She could feel the compulsion to take. How the frustration rolled in her belly and up into her heart because she knew she could end this at any time if she so wished. But this was not entirely her battle. It wasn’t a war meant to be fought by a goddess, who then took what she was owed.

And Lore would. She had no interest in giving up what she’d won for herself. Thus, the fight had to be battled by human and creature alike. They needed to work through their issues with each other, or this would never stop without the hard hand of a powerful goddess guiding them.

She did not want to remain here for long. They would not trap her in this position when she did not desire it.

Now, they needed a place to put everyone. At first, it had only been a few dwarves who showed up because Algor had requested their assistance. The Ashen Deep had very quickly told Lore that this was unacceptable. There would be no dwarves in their hallowed halls.

Then a handful of humans approached, also told to stay out in the cold forest because the deepmongers refused to provide any other suitable housing for them. This issue quickly grew out of hand.

Now, there were people pouring in from all areas of the kingdom. Zephyr and his people had attempted to build temporary housing, but the Ashen Deep refused to allow any tree to be cut. This meant they could only build with materials that the Ashen Deep had on hand, which were few and far between. Most materials were made of metal and stone.

Thankfully, the dwarves had some experience with this material. But the human builders wanted nothing to do with the dwarves, and now the arguing was giving Lore a headache.

Lindon stood next to her, his hands on the knotted pommel of a staff he’d brought with him and used like a cane. “How long are you going to let them struggle with this?”

“As long as I need to. They have made it very clear my intervention is not welcome.” Lore pointed at the gathering of humans, one of whom was the Baron with the loud voice and mistrustful eyes. “In fact, I believe I was told that dark magic has no place in human dwellings.”

“Dark magic,” he snorted. “Is that what they think your power is?”

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