My eyes widened. “And if I don’t exist…”
He nodded, pleased that I was figuring it out. “Yes. The barrier flickers from existence, too. It was the perfect moment for me to enter.”
I was crushed by dread. All that effort was for nothing?
“Let us go now! I’ll defeat you in a real fight, one alpha dragon versus another!” Kass snapped.
“Enough,” Zenon said, his loud and deep voice making Silas straighten up. “I’m not interested in that one.”
Kass tensed at being referred to asthat one.
“Of course. What should I do with him, master?”
Zenon grunted. “Leave him for now. I wish to examine my prize.”
A cold shudder ran down my spine. He was talking about me.
Silas tried to smile but it was weak and tinged with jealousy. “Of course, master. Shall I remove him from the cage?”
“Yes.”
Silas unlocked the gate. I remained where I was, glued to the far wall, as far away from them as possible and with no desire to close the distance.
“Get. Out,” Silas demanded. “Now.”
The dragon behind him stood as still as stone.
Stone…
I gasped as the realization hit me. When I’d discovered Silas frozen in stone, he told me someone else had put the spell upon him.
“The earth magic,” I muttered, staring at the dragon. “Was it you?”
Silas’s eyes widened, and looked like he was on the verge of slapping me for my insolence, but the sound of rumbling laughter from the dragon stopped him.
“Clever,” Zenon said to me. “Yes, omega, I was the one who orchestrated that scenario.”
He seemed pleased that I’d figured it out, and that unnerved me even more.
“Come out of the cage, please.”
I didn’t move.
Kass strained against the chains binding him. “Don’t listen to them, Halo! I can get us out - ”
The dragon’s tail whipped across the cavern floor, knocking Kass aside. It happened so quickly I barely blinked. Kass lay on his side, groaning, a few feet away from where he originally sat.
“Kass!” I cried out. “Are you okay?”
“Fine,” he muttered. I guessed his pride was more injured than his body.
“What did you say this man’s relation was to you, Halo?” Zenon asked suddenly. The curiosity in his voice was laced with danger, like he clearly knew the answer.
“You already know,” I asked. Kass had even said it out loud a moment ago.
Silas scowled, like he wanted to hit me, but without Zenon’s blessing all he could do was stand and listen.
The tone in Zenon’s voice made it clear he wasn’t going to ask again. “Answer the question, please.”
