“No,” the leader says, “Thorne reassured us that the king wasn’t in his right mind when he made this peace agreement, and that he’ll honor all of us for our devotion to the crown in his time of weakness.”
“Open your eyes!” I yell, voice shattering. “The king wants peace! The princes?—”
“And they’re wrong!” he shouts. “They’re mad!”
They’re not listening. There’s nothing I can say to change their minds. Their hatred for the Hollowborns surpasses everything, including logic. All Elder Thorne did was give them a reason to keep the war going, and they snatched it right up.
“You and your Hollowborn asshole are going to die,” the leader growls.
I pivot on my heel and spit in the ringleader’s eye. He reels back, and for a second I almost get free, almost. But one of them jams his elbow into my gut, right where the rib’s broken, and I black out for a moment. All my fight is gone.
When I come to, they’re holding me by the arms, dangling me like a sack of trash. The ocean screams below. The rocks glitter wet and sharp.
They’re going to throw me over the cliff. I love you, Ebron. I love my men. Tell them for me.
“Any last words,Princess?” says the ringleader, mock bowing.
I bare my teeth. “The second the princes find out about this, you’re all dead.”
He laughs. “Enjoy the swim.”
And then they let go.
I fall.
The wind rips the scream from my throat before I can make a sound. For a moment, there’s only the pounding of my heart and the icy winds tearing at me. The water rushes up like a promise: black, bitter, and final.
I wonder if Sevrin’s already dead. I wonder if my princes will be able to save him.Closing my eyes, I brace for the crash.
I expect cold water and oblivion, but what hits me is a slab of wet, reptilian muscle, so solid it nearly breaks my teeth. For a second, I don’t know up from down. Then I realize I’m alive, and that I’m wedged between Ebron’s horns, arms clinging to the horns of his head like a lifeline.
Screaming, partly from terror, partly from relief, I cling to him tightly. Ebron’s wings snap open, catching the wind before we crash into the surf. The force flattens me to his skull.
You saved me.
I will always save you.
We soar up from the rocks and to the top of the cliff. I adjust, trying to ride Ebron’s head more gracefully. The claws of his forelimb snap up and catch two of the dragon riders who had just watched me fall; they don’t even get to scream before he uses his teeth to crunch them in half and flings their bodies into the churning sea.
Ebron launches himself upward, jaws open wide, and breathes a stream of flame that melts the cliff face, sending stone and soldiers tumbling in a black avalanche. The rest of the dragon riders scatter, howling curses and prayers, but Ebron isrelentless. He lands with a quake that shakes the bones of the world, bellowing so loud it cracks the air.
I curl up between his ears, shaking. My coat is shredded and soaked through, and my side is a hot, throbbing mess. Every movement costs me a mouthful of pain.
They hurt you, Ebron thinks, and the words buzz my skull, gentle and immense.
“I know, but I’m okay. You just can’t let them hurt Sevrin,” I wheeze, voice raw. “They’re going to kill him—please, please, find him?—”
I will. And I will tell the others to search for him.
He launches skyward, an arrow of rage and darkness. My vision streaks with tears and wind and blood, but I hold on as he banks toward the fortress. The ramparts are alive with dragon riders, some scrambling to arm the ballistae, others just running for their lives. Ebron’s jaws snap up two more men in a single pass, and the sound is sick but satisfying.
I hear screaming, not just from the humans, but from the dragons above. I squint and see a trio of them, Sylvara, Verdraxa, and Nythera, circling high, wings flashing in the moonlight. They’re attacking the dragon riders’ dragons, fighting with teeth and claws. A thread of relief moves through me. If they’re fighting, they’ve already told the princes what’s going on, and they’ll be here to help soon.
“Find Rosanthra!” I yell, not sure if my voice will reach over the wind, but Ebron’s mind is already searching. “Tell her to find Sevrin.”
She has him in her sights. But he is weak. Hurt.
My stomach flips. “Go!” I choke, pounding his scales.
