The rider dismounted and walked toward her, the ground smoldering even more with every footfall the strange being took. His steps were heavy and slow. Lexi wondered if it was because of his thick armor. He pointed at her face. “Ye are the scarred one.”
She proudly lifted her chin higher and pulled the bandana farther down so more of her scars would show. “You didn’t answer my question. Why would you side with someone you cannot trust?”
“Do ye know who I am?”
“Can’t say that I do.”
“I am Incendium. Overlord of the Fae of the Fires.”
“Be wary of him, she of the prophecy,”the dragon quietly warned.“He delights in cruel traps.”
She gave the beastie the barest nod, then glared at Incendium. “Why would you side with someone you cannot trust, and why do you have to be cruel to this dragon?”
“I trust no one, and cruelty moves mountains.”
“Mountains crumble. True loyalty never dies.” She widened her stance and blinked the sweat out of her eyes. The overlord gave off enough heat to melt the Arctic. “Release him from his harness and shackles, and I’ll prove it to you.”
Incendium laughed with a sickening gurgle that sounded like thick, boiling liquid. He held out his trident. Its silvery surface gleamed brighter, and the crystal at the center of its three prongs sparked as though eager to unleash more lightning. “I shall make ye a bargain, scarred one. Release him by touching this crystal to the medallion on his breast, and ye may prove that loyalty can control this creature born of cruelty itself.” He held up his gloved hand, his fingers smoking. “But know this, if ye fail to free him, I shall kill him where he stands, and summon another from my many dragons to replace him, and then I shall kill ye.”
Lexi smelled a trap. Even through the mask of his helmet, Incendium’s smugness was unmistakable. But she had little choice now, because she wasn’t about to let that poor dragon die. She reached for the trident. Her palm sizzled as soon as she touched it. Pain ricocheted up her arm. “Dammit!” She threw it down. The thing was as hot as the handle of a pan straight out of the oven.
Incendium roared with laughter.
“It is all right, she of the prophecy. Death is a welcome release. I do not fear it, and neither should ye.”The dragon’s calm, quiet acceptance broke Lexi’s heart.
“I’m not done yet,” she said. She shed her backpack and Mammaw jacket. Mammaw would win this day. She wrapped her hands in the jacket, grabbed up the hotly gleaming spear, and charged over to the dragon before the overlord could stop her. She touched the crystal to the beast’s medallion. Every shackle, harness, and restraint fell away, dropping into a pile around the beast.
“Destroy the crystal. It focuses his power.”
She whacked it against a boulder.
“No!” Incendium roared as he lunged for her, but his heavy armor slowed him down, making him easier to dodge.
Lexi beat the crystal against a larger stone until it shattered, then she threw the staff in front of the dragon. “Melt it! Hurry!”
The mighty creature reared back with a deep inhale, then blew a mighty blazing breath that engulfed the overlord.
Lexi turned away from the unbearable blast of heat, crouching with her head covered. Her burned hand throbbed, but she ignored it, staying low until the dragon’s incinerating explosion ceased.
“It is done.”
She stumbled to her feet and stared at the pile of smoking char that had once been Incendium.
The dragon took a step back and nodded down at the silver trident.“Keep it with ye. It proves ye are now the overlord of the Fae of the Fires. Yer title won in battle.”
“You should be the overlord, not me.” She cradled her blistered hand close, searching the smoky landscape for Aylryd. The cat was mighty, but he wasn’t built for this. “You are obviously an expert when it comes to fire,” she told the dragon.
“Bring yer wounded hand closer, she of the prophecy.”
Eyeing the magnificent beastie, she did as he asked. “You can call me Lexi, if you like.”
“Lexi?”
She nodded and held out her hand. “Lexington Elizabeth Vine is my full name, but I’d rather you call meLexi.As a child, I associated my full name with being in big trouble and about to be punished.”
The dragon hovered its mighty head closer to her hand and blinked, allowing a teardrop to splash into her palm.
The throbbing ache of the burn immediately stopped. Lexi fluttered her fingers and flexed her hand, opening and closing her fist. “It’s completely healed. Thank you. I had no idea dragon tears could heal burns.” She smiled at the glorious beast. “You are amazing, and I can’t believe I finally got to meet a real, live dragon.”
