Total pages in book: 119
Estimated words: 116396 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 582(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 388(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116396 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 582(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 388(@300wpm)
Still breathless, he stepped back, his sword held loosely in his hand.
I took gentle strides forward, my sword relaxed at my side. “Think of all the men you’ll save. You’ve already lost both dragons you brought with you. Don’t lose more life than you have to—including yours. I’ve defeated the Three Kings of Necrosis.” I stopped, my stare burning into his. “You’re nothing.”
“What do you want with the dragons?”
“For them to be free.”
His arm had gone slack at his side, the sign of surrender obvious. “You’ll use them for your own benefit.”
“I can’t use them if I don’t need them. Unlike you, I can take care of my own shit.”
He looked away for a while, observing the smoke in the sky, listening to the cannons fire back and forth. “You do all of this…and expect nothing in return?”
“I made a promise to Pyre and Storm.”
His eyes darkened as if he recognized their names.
“They fought for me—now I fight for them. And it wouldn’t be for nothing, because if you try to invade our lands again, I know they’ll fight for us. Any attacker that comes to our lands will be defeated by our allies. So, I guess it’s not for nothing after all.”
He stared at the rubies in his sword before he returned it to the scabbard.
“I need to hear your surrender.” I wouldn’t let him off that easily.
He forced the words past a clenched jaw. “I surrender…”
“Withdraw your troops from my land. When you return, tell your dragons they’re free in my lands. If you keep any, I will know.” I didn’t waste another minute with him. I sheathed my sword and took off at a run.
FORTY-ONE
Ivory
It was black.
Ivory, can you hear me?
Darkness.
Ivory.
I felt my mind come into consciousness, felt the air in my lungs, was aware of the orientation of my body. I lay on something hard, maybe the ground. Pyre?
His voice grew louder in my mind. Ivory!
What’s happening?
You were hurt. Ryker and I took you to a healer outside the city.
Ryker…? Where’s Huntley?
He’s here. I just told him that we’re speaking. Can you wake up?
I’ll try. I tried to push my mind out, tried to open my eyes, but nothing happened. I can’t…I’m too tired.
And then it was black again.
Ivory?
I heard the echo of his voice. I’m here.
Can you wake up?
How long has it been?
You’ve been sleeping for three days.
Oh…are you sure I’m alive?
Yes.
This isn’t a dream?
No. Please wake up.
What’s happened…? The ground felt less hard now. But I couldn’t feel my arms or my legs.
King Dunbar surrendered. What was left of his fleet left the Capital yesterday. He agreed to free all the dragons in his captivity when he returns.
How do you know he’ll do it?
Because Huntley threatened to sail across the sea and kill all his people if he doesn’t.
I tried to push my eyes open, but they were so heavy. I tried repeatedly, until finally, I saw light. My eyes opened to the morning light directly above me, along with Pyre’s snout. “Pyre…?”
Ivory! He dipped his head and rubbed his snout into me, his scales hard and smooth against my skin.
I blinked a couple times before I reached my hand up and felt his muzzle. His hot breaths fell across my skin, warm and moist. I felt his scales, felt his warmth.
I asked them to keep you outside during the day so I could watch you.
“You’ve been here the whole time?” I asked in a hoarse voice.
Yes. There’s nowhere safer than at a dragon’s side.
“Where’s Huntley?”
Restoring the Capital. I’ve let him know that you’re awake, and he’s on his way here now. He lifted his snout and released a loud growl.
“What’s wrong?”
Just getting your brother’s attention.
“Ivory?” Ryker ran over and kneeled down on the cot. “You’re finally awake. I’ve been waiting for days.” His face came into my view, and his palm immediately went to my forehead like he was checking my temperature. “Your fever finally broke.”
A dragon streaked across the sky, and then a loud thud erupted a moment later. Huntley ran to me and kneeled, sliding across the grass slightly as he came for me. His arms pressed into the cot on either side of me as he held himself over my face. “Baby, you alright?”
“Yeah…I think so.”
He grabbed both of my hands and guided me to a seated position.
“Her fever had broken,” Ryker said. “I think the infection is gone.”
Huntley checked the bandage around my midsection. “Looks like the bleeding has stopped for good.”
“What happened?” I asked, not remembering the events of that day. I was on Pyre one moment, and then…everything went dark.
“One of Dunbar’s dragons sliced you,” Huntley said. “He hit Pyre hard, so you flew out of your seat. Pyre caught you before you hit the ground, but the impact must have knocked you out cold.” His hands went into my hair as he kneeled in front of me, pushing the oily strands back to look me straight in the face. All the worry was written there, all the stress, all the terror. “I’m so glad you’re alright.”