From behind the orange dog, Gideon steps out.She throws the sword at him, and he snaps the hilt from the air.“We’re both trying to help you, Liz,” he says as he slams the sword into some kind of prepared slot on...I can’t quite tell what.“We’re always trying to help you.”
I jump toward him, but he presses a lever down, and the ice spear shoots.I recall what he said before I escaped, that they planned to use my swords against the blessed.The ice spears haven’t ever worked—they’re not strong enough to penetrate the flame blessed scales—but with the blade of my sword strapped to it, the spear slices right through the hide on Hyperion’s chest and disappears.
“What did you do?”I ask.
“Actually, I should be thanking you,” Gideon says.“Without your sword, this would never have worked.”He’s smiling.“I plan to tell them all that you voluntarily handed it over.That should get you the pardon you deserve, and if you die when the bond shatters this time, I’m ready to bring you back again.”
“Gideon.”
He reaches for my face, his hand soft.“You’re a victim.I don’t blame you Liz—I’d never blame the victim.”
Hyperion’s body slams into the ground beside us, writhing.In the center of his belly, there’s a bright blue spear, pulsing with no way out.
He’s shaking now, and I think that, although I missed it when Azar died, I’m about to see, front and center, what it looks like when a flame blessed explodes, opening up a massive chasm in the ground like the one I saw with the red scales wedged into it.
Liz!A portal opens on the ground next to Hyperion.Get your mom!Let’s go.Azar’s talons curl around Hyperion and he yanks, dragging his brother’s massive, convulsing body through the portal.Now!
“I don’t have a mother,” I say.“As far as she’s concerned, I died in the womb.”I slam Gideon’s hand away, and launch into the air.But just before I pass through the portal, I turn back.“You may not care about me, but you should care to hear that your son bonded Gordon Earth Blessed, and your daughter Jade bonded Asteria Strike Blessed.Your daughter Coral—she has even bigger plans.Looks like I’m not your only monster.”I flap my wings intentionally hard, blowing wind in her face.“I guess we all take after our mother.”
Then I pivot and fly down through the portal to Selfoss, watching with a smile while Azar closes the hole on Mom and Gideon’s upset faces.
21
Axel
From the moment I hatched, Hyperion was a legend.The prince who would doom us.
While I would save us.
You’d think it would be demoralizing.
Other than Euphrasia, I’m not sure anyone believed that prophecy.Dad might have, but even he didn’t want it to be true.Mostly though, I was a reminder to everyone that the blessed needed to be saved.
Hyperion grew up in the midst of mocking and taunts about being our people’s doom.
I grew up with the opposite.
Neither of us had it easy.The difference is that I hadhimto make it easier.When I drag his body through the portal...It hurts, watching him like this, limp, prone, and pulsing with unhealthy, ominous blue light.
Hyperion.
Liz wings her way through, and I close the portal.If I’d come sooner—checked on them instead of getting everyone else through, but I never thought Hyperion wouldn’t be able to...
“It was Gideon,” she says.“My mom and Gideon.”She closes her eyes and shakes her head.“They used my sword.It’s my fault.”
It isn’t,Hyperion says.You wanted to save your mother—what they did was smart.It was one of the first smart things I’ve seen the humans do.That Gideon isalmosta worthy opponent.He can’t help being so small and weak.
And now Hyperion’s convulsing again.
“I don’t know much about dragon anatomy,” Liz says.“But this looks bad.Really bad.”
We have to get that spear out,I say.If we can’t...
“His body can’t heal while it’s in there.”
Liz.Hyperion opens one great eye and stills.His legs are twitching a little, but he’s clearly trying to stop.We talked about this.It’s time.
Time for what?I ask.
