Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 127722 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 639(@200wpm)___ 511(@250wpm)___ 426(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127722 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 639(@200wpm)___ 511(@250wpm)___ 426(@300wpm)
“But I would have helped you even if you refused to help me.”
Why should I believe that?
“Because I care about you, and you know that.”
He studied me in silence, his mood simmering. I’m not a ferocious dragon—not anymore. I can’t fight in wars. I can’t destroy armies. After everything I’ve been through…I just want to live in peace.
“Well, you could fly off and find another island somewhere. You and Storm could start over. But…would you ever be able to really find peace, knowing your mother is captive and everyone we know will be taken by Necrosis? It’ll just be mental torture, and you’ll never truly be happy. You can’t run from it.”
His eyes dropped down.
“I think you should help us.”
I told you. I’m useless.
“You are not useless,” I snapped. “You just need to get your confidence back. You need to remember who you really are. What you’re capable of. Remember that you can bite off the head of anyone who says a single damn thing you don’t like. You have fire in your lungs and teeth longer than a sword. I know you’ve forgotten what you are…but you’ll remember.”
He kept his eyes on the ground.
“You’re the single most terrifying thing in the world. Terrifying—and beautiful.”
He looked at me again. I want to save my mother. I want to save my sisters too.
“Good. I know you can.”
But I can’t do that alone. So, I do this for you…and you do something for me.
“Do what, exactly?”
Help me kill Dunbar. Help me release the dragons in his captivity.
“I…I don’t know how to help with that. I’m just one person.”
But if I help you take the Kingdoms and defeat Necrosis, you have an entire land under your rule. Sail your army to my lands—and help me defeat the king who has slain and imprisoned my family.
I held his gaze, not expecting the ultimatum.
Agree—or I won’t help you.
I could unify the entire continent under one rule, but then I’d have to send everyone off to a war that had nothing to do with us. It would be a terrible first decision as queen, but without dragons to help us now, we’d have no chance to succeed.
And Storm will never agree to help you—not unless he gets his vengeance in return.
Then I really didn’t have a choice, and Huntley would understand. “Alright. I agree.”
I finished Storm’s wings that night, and before he even let me climb back to the ground, he took off, flapping his wings hard to leave the island behind. I rolled off his scales and dropped down, but instead of feeling hard dirt, I felt strong arms.
Huntley pulled me back to my feet. “I knew he was going to do that.”
I looked to the sky and couldn’t even see him anymore. He blended in with the night, part of the stars.
“Now that they’re both ready, we need to leave.” Huntley kept his eyes on the sky, as if he could see the dragon even though he was practically invisible. “The outcasts will be on top of us any minute.”
Pyre emerged from his cavern and lifted his head to the sky. He seemed to know exactly where his brother was, because his head would turn slightly, as if following something.
“I figured out a plan, but I’m not sure how you’re going to feel about it.”
Huntley’s face immediately hardened at my announcement.
“Pyre agreed to help us take back the Kingdoms and defeat Necrosis.”
“There’s got to be more…because I don’t have a problem with that.”
“He wants something in return.”
“You mean getting his wings back?” he snapped. “Because we already did that.”
“I traded that in when he helped me save you.”
He gave a slight shake of his head. “Those debts aren’t equal.”
“Well, now he knows the only reason I healed him was to use him…”
“You would have helped him, regardless.”
“I told him that, but he’s right. The only reason I ended up here was because your intentions toward him were selfish, not altruistic. Anyway…he wants revenge against the man who did this to him and Storm.”
“I anticipated that.”
“His name is King Dunbar. I’m not sure where he’s from.”
Huntley didn’t have a reaction, and that made it seem as if he was unsurprised.
“You know him?”
“No. But I suspect he’s our neighbor to the north. The one I told you about.”
The one who would conquer us if we weren’t keeping Necrosis at bay. “He’s taken their mother captive. Forcing her to mate with his dragon. When she refused, he butchered Pyre and Storm. He threatened to do the same to her daughters if she didn’t comply.”
He looked away slightly. “And I thought your father was the definition of evil…”
The insult didn’t sting anymore, not like it used to. “We don’t have another choice, so I agreed.”
“He’s a very submissive dragon.” He turned back to me.
“Can you blame him?”
“It’s not about blaming him. But if I want to take back the Kingdoms, I need a dragon that’s not afraid to spill blood.”