“I can handle this,” he whispers against my head.
My head subtly shakes. “No. Not with the flame controlling you.”
“You are going to die!” he growls, feeling his fingers dig into my skin. “You will not die for me.”
“That isn’t your decision,” I snap, taking my hands to rip his off of me. “You have no say in this.”
“Serene—” he breathes out, stepping closer towards me, and I close my eyes. His head rests against the back of my head for a split moment before I walk towards my sister.
How I wish I could have stayed in that moment.
A moment in time where life freezes, pauses, for just the two of us. How I beg the Gods for that.
How my heart longs for that.
But, I move. Even if everything inside me screams to run back towards him and flee.
She won’t stop until I am dead.
And that means, Koen will never be free.
One step after another, my boots beat against the charred ground, and my chest heaves.
My blood trickles in my boots, and I prepare myself to run towards my sister to stop her.
Towards death if I must.
As long ashelives.
“Where is Alice!” I rip my dagger from my sheath, gripping the handle tightly.
Tilly’s dragon drips lava from its mouth, wings stretching wide as if it's ready to launch its way towards me.
“She is safe.” Tilly’s eyes roll to the side before licking her lips. “For now, at least.”
I stride forward even with the sharp, piercing pain of my flesh feeling as if it's ripping apart all over again.
My eyes widen, burning as I glare at Tilly. “How the hell did she travel through the stones!”
“There was another pendant. They were made only for us Royals and now look at what has happened.” Her chin lifts. “She was foolish to follow you through the stones. Lykia could have had her killed, all because you led her right here.”
“There should be only two pendants!” I hear Theon shout, arm stretching wide towards Florian who hunches over. He must still be in pain. “One for the King and Queen of Azure.”
“Wrong,” Florian growls, tossing his hair out of his face as he catches his breath. “Three were made from the God of Fire. Two were sent with the sisters when the Gods sent them away from the Realms for their protection. I have the third. Rumor has said the pendants are a protection from the Gods, no one shall die if they wear one.”
I glance over my shoulder, noticing Koen standing in a close distance near me with a firm grasp around his dagger.
“Where is she!” I beg for Tilly to answer me. “Let her live! Let her go back through the stones!”
“I don’t think so.” Tileatha snaps her fingers and the sounds of the darklings’ claws begin to screech in the air. She runs back to her dragon, climbing up on its back as she watches the darklings crawl over the mountain down towards us.
Koen hustles up to me, grabbing my arm to wrap around his shoulders as we race towards Theon and Kaine.
“What’s your plan!” Theon shouts, eyes widening at the fire darklings that are now walking up on the ledge. Their crimson eyes locked onto us all.
My lip trembles. “I don’t know!”
Koen grabs his chest, grunting in pain as he falls to his knees.
