My stomach dropped. I caught the subtle shift in Rhodes’s posture—the clench of his jaw, the way his hand stilled on his knee.
“A gray?” I whispered, keeping my voice low, not wanting to interrupt the laughter still bubbling from Cleo and Tatum. “They never leave the northern territories…”
Davis nodded once, eyes darkening. “From what I heard—overheard, actually—from Professor Lamport and a soldier near the cafeteria… it was every bit as ruthless as the legends claim. It took three of Arya’s dragons to bring it down.”
His gaze flicked to me, and he added grimly, “And it didn’t have a rider.”
A chill swept my spine. Gray dragons were almost never seen outside Dragon Valley—and even there, they were rare. If a gray hatched, it didn’t stay. It migrated north within weeks and never returned. Legend says they’re drawn to Tyrian bonds, but even then, they don’t fully accept a rider. Grays are wild, untamable—loose cannons, creatures of instinct and chaos.
If one crossed into our territory… it didn’t just stray. It had a purpose.
Rhodes finally spoke, voice cold and even. “If a gray’s broken its territory, more will follow.”
Davis nodded. “Exactly. Kalluri and the other commanders think it was scouting—testing our defenses.”
Rhodes stood, tension radiating off him like heat from a forge. He paced a short distance away, running a hand through his hair as the weight of it settled over us.
No one spoke for a long moment.
“They’re after the Mareki,” I murmured, almost to myself. “They all are. And now that the Grim’s plan failed, they’ll try to take it by force.”
My gaze shifted to Rhodes. His stormy gray-blue eyes met mine and softened, sending butterflies spinning in my stomach.
What would happen to the Mareki’s Curse if Tyria got the Gem? Would it retaliate again—ripping open a new realm just to restore balance to magic? And if it did… what would happen to the current realm that was created to balance the essence after the Battle for Mareki? The Forgotten Realm that Rhodes’s life was tethered to.
Either I take part in sending him down with the Forgotten Realm… or I sit back and let Tyria do it for me. Too bad for fate, neither was an option.
Either we reverse this curse—or I go down swinging with it.
The sound of metal clanging against metal ripped me from my dreams. I groaned, pressing the back of my hand against my eyes. I had been tucked snugly between Cleo and Tatum, somehow managing to fall asleep despite Tatum’s relentless snoring—but that sharp, metallic crash was enough to pull me fully awake.
Carefully, I crawled out from under the bedrolls, trying not to disturb my friends. My fingers brushed the soft fabric as I moved, grounding me, before I peeked through the tent flap. The night was dark, shadows flickering from the campfire. I grabbed my boots and slipped them on.
Rhodes slept on his side, facing away from the fire, unaware of the disturbance. River and Nook lay curled between our tent and Fallon’s, while Nash’s tent rested on the opposite side of the flames. The camp was still. Too still.
The roaring fire dwindled to embers, leaving the campsite in flickering shadow. On the far side, a figure knelt. I moved closer, steps silent.
My stomach dropped.
Her brown curls were tangled and matted, but what I first thought was dampness revealed itself as a sickening crimson sheen.She wore the same leathers I’d last seen her in, now shredded and torn where thorned vines had cut through her chest.
She struck something repeatedly, the harsh metallic clang echoing like blade on flint. I couldn’t make out what she whispered to herself. The firelight revealed a hole torn through her upper back, jagged and cruel. The ends of her curls weren’t damp—they were soaked with blood.
A cold knot of dread tightened in my chest. “Laney?” I choked.
She froze. The metal clanging ceased. My own breath seemed too loud as I stood perfectly still.
Then she whispered again—three words I could almost make out.
“Laney? Is that you?” My voice came out hoarse.
“Don’t… trust… them.”
Chapter 30
Stepping within the Hollow’s wards was a strange relief—like surfacing after being held underwater too long. After two relentless weeks of ducking through forests, sleeping in tents, and breaking into Mageia, the sight of the Hollow’s jagged peaks felt like coming home to a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. My latest dream of Laney was nothing short of a nightmare.
Lakota grew more restless with each passing day, itching to soar but grounded so he wouldn’t be seen. Rhodes had said Noemi was the same—dragons weren’t meant to be kept from the sky.
