My teeth grind while my trembling hand brushes against the puncture wound of my thigh. The blood seeps through my fingers, and I know I won’t have much time left. But at least Koen is safe.
As long as he stays the hell away from the Kingdom.
He will live.
I let out a pained scream as I wrap my fingers tightly around the arrow.
One.
Two.
Thr—
Before I can think anymore, I rip the arrow out of my leg and shriek. Everything around me blurs, and tears pour out of my eyes as I fall back to the charred ground.
I hear a sinister snicker echoing in the slight breeze. A vibrating growl rumbles in the throat of her dragon while her boots kick rocks towards me before she squats down in front of me.
My elbows dig into the warm ground, groaning in agony as I try to rise but fall once more.
“And to think the God of Fire choseyou.” Her voice twists into disappointment. “I feel they chose wrong. So weak. Just like Mother.”
Her fingers grip my hair tightly, yanking my head up to meet her narrow eyes.I don’t even recognize her.
The blue hues in her eyes are gradually being replaced with a crimson-red hue, matching the fire darklings, and my stomach twists into knots. As I meet her gaze, my teeth grind with the thought of taking all the strength I have left and shoving the dagger that is attached to my pants into her throat, butI don’t. All I see are memories.
All I see is the sister I once knew, and it breaks me to see her like this.
My eyes shut to remember the girl she once was.
FIREFLIES SPARKLE AGAINST THE SKY as we cuddle with our blankets on the top of a hill, far away from the lights of the Kingdom.
The sounds of dragon wings whip in the breeze as their shadows darken the sky while they soar over us.
“Just to thinkMotherwants us to learn how to ride one.” Tilly rolls to her side, elbow digging against our cream, stitched blanket. “She says we are too young right now, but I say, give us a few more years and she is going to make us.”
I rise, chin lifting high to the dark sky. “I feel it would be quite magical to soar in the sky.” I stretch my arms up, closing my eyes to let the wind trickle between my fingers.
A strong shove against my shoulder followed by laughter makes me snicker.
“You’d fall off of a dragon, I know it.” Tilly snorts, lifting her knees to her chest. “All I know iswhenthe God of Fire chooses me and one day I become Queen, I’ll make sure the dragons leave Eekatia, including the shifters.”
My brows pull inward. “Why would you want them gone?”
She leans closer, shoulder bumping against mine as she whispers. “I had a vision once, of a time where we ruled and not the dragons. A time where they no longer had the powers of the stones, but we did.”
“You mean you had a dream?” I let out a breathy laugh.
“It was a vision, from the Gods themselves!” Her voice drops to a serious tone. “I promise if you follow me, I shall always protect you, dear little sis.”
“You’ll make a great Queen one day.” I shove my body into her, eyes lifting to continue to watch the stars flicker from bright to darkness. “But, I don’t want the dragons gone. They are a gift from the Gods. Mother has always told us that.”
She leans in closer, whispering against my ear, “Mothers can lie.”
MY EYES ROLL, FLICKERING OPEN.
“Dying already?” she grunts. “Where is the fun in that?”
Her head cocks to the side while the wind catches her white hair that glistens a golden hue from the sun setting. “I mean, look at you!” She cackles, shoving my face back down to the ground before standing. Her hands slap against her raven, leather pants, dusting off any ash and dirt.
