67
I strain with all my might to keep hold of Lucan’s thick scales as he launches himself skyward, away from the courtyard of the Grand Chapel of Mercy, but I cannot. Between the wind and swift movement of the wing, I lose my grip and am thrown.
The ashborn scream from Lucan’s back as a ribbon of deadly Etherlight from the cannon streaks between us. I stare up at Lucan’s dragon form as the Etherlight harmlessly dissipates.He’ll get away. They’ll get away, I think as I fall through the air and brace myself for impact.
But it never comes. With a roar, Lucan reaches a clawed hand down and grabs me right before I hit the ground. My body sags slightly in his grip, hair brushing against the stone where my head would’ve slammed.
I stare up at him for a breathless second that is nothing more than the time it takes for him to flap his wings once. Then we shoot into the sky. Wind swirls with smoke and sparks as Lucan’s powerful wings propel us higher and higher.
Even though I am little more than a rag doll in his talons, I cling to one of the four massive claws that are wrapped around me, as if I’m the one who’s holding him and not just along for the ride. The world below shrinks rapidly as we ascend. Cold air whips my cheeks, drawing water from my eyes.
Beneath us, it looks as though someone has dipped a brush into raw Ether and drawn it across Vinguard. Ancient streets illuminate pathways to the original towers, now embedded deep within the modern walls. The Grand Chapel is at its center, streaming Ether into the sky with a column of light.
Cracks split the earth as it rumbles once more. Slivers of Vinguard between the lines of Etherlight slip ever so slightly.Buildings collapse, people streaming out into the city just in time to avoid being crushed. But I know not everyone made it. They couldn’t have. And my heart sinks for those that couldn’t. Tears burn my eyes—of mourning, and of hate for the man that brought about this destruction for his selfish desires.
Vinguard’s greatest danger was never the dragons, not even the scourge, but the greed of men within.
I scream again, this time for Vinguard. The only home I’ve ever known. There is no right or wrong anymore, no good or bad. Everything has changed in an instant, and I no longer know what to believe.
Everything is out of control.
We soar higher, racing to get away from the chaos and destruction. The blighted lands unfurl beneath us like a quilt of shadowed ruins beyond the walls. The glowing metropolis of Vinguard is in stark contrast to a sea of decay that has left its scars across the earth itself. The walls that had once felt so…secure, soimportant, are reduced to nothing more than thin lines that carve out a city from nature. From this high, it’s almost pathetic to think we believed that brick and mortar might have truly kept us safe.
Another boom rattles the clouds around us.
“Left!” Pia shouts from atop Lucan’s back, fingers firmly grasping one of his dinner-plate-sized scales.
He banks hard, and another beam of Ether from a cannon punctures the night sky. I scan the towers below. More cannons and ballistae are readying.
Think, Isola. Think about all the times Saipha pointed out where the cannons were stationed. All the times Father mentioned where they were building new supports for the massive weapons.
“Right, Lucan! Next is right!” I shout.
He banks right before another cannon shot.
Tucking his wings, he barrels toward the mountains in the distance. At this speed, we won’t be in range for much longer. The cannon fire can only make it to the steep foothills.
My eyes water as I clutch the scales that line his talons. They’re softer than I would’ve expected, though copper dragons don’t have the steely scales of silver dragons.
Lucan is a dragon. The surreal notion races in my mind as I grip him tightly. Wonder dances with hurt in my chest. Anger tries to cut in. Lucan didn’t tell me. He knew, and he tried to stop me from saving Saipha.
The distraction has me looking away from the wall for a second too long. A cannon shot bursts from behind, and I barely have time to turn my head. We are nearly out of range—the hills below are turning to the rocky feet of the mountains. So close, and yet…
Lucan tries to dodge by wildly throwing his body. But it’s too late. His right wing is punctured clean through, nearly at its base.
We all let out a scream in unison. Lucan’s roar echoes off the mountains. The talon holding me unfurls, going limp. I try to cling on, but my fingers can’t find purchase. The scales are too slick, and my strength is still sapped. The safety of the dragon’s grip leaves me, replaced by open air.
I fall.
68
It’s such a surreal sensation that I don’t even let out another sound. An odd sense of calm overtakes me as the wind howls in my ears, and the chill of the mountain peaks envelops me.
Pia, Dazni, Myla, and Ember are all thrown as well. They are nothing more than dark shapes against the inky sky. Barely visible beneath Lucan’s massive spark-haloed form.
My heart begins to race faster and more erratically than I’ve ever felt. My skinripples. Every ragged, panicked breath feels like it’s tearing my lungs apart.
The world is spinning as we free-fall. What was down is up. Up is down. My skull is going to split apart long before it smashes on the rocks below.
