“You sold me to The Dark One,” I whispered, horror gripping my throat, “in exchange for your curse?”
Alaric stared at me, unblinking, disturbingly resolved. “He’stoo weak yet to rise. That is why he needs you. Why his goons have been hunting you. As the goddess’s handmaiden, he can use you to siphon magic while remaining safe underground. Already, his army is on the move, tunneling beneath Carcerem. They’ll arrive tomorrow night.”
Tomorrow? My knees nearly gave out.
“One of his generals will be here shortly to collect you,” Alaric continued, casual as if arranging a shipment of goods—not selling me to the darkness. “As part of our deal, I’ve agreed to fly with them against Carcerem. I enjoyed dethroning the last king after he held me prisoner, but I’ve no love for the new monarchy. Even with Kronk and Drazen’s warning, they are unprepared to defend themselves. He’s promised to reward me.”
“So, you’ve decided to screw over your allies to partner with an evil monster?” My voice shook, sharp with disbelief. “And what makes you think he won’t do the same to you once he gets what he wants?”
Alaric smiled—a frigid, twisted thing. “Unlike my brother, I know I can trust him to keep his word because it’s not the first time we’ve done business together.”
“What do you mean?”
His emerald eyes sparked with madness, shadows swimming in their depths. “You’re not the only one willing to do anything for freedom. The night Pyrrhus fell...” He leaned close, his breath hot against my ear. “Who do you think let him in?”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
THORNE
My brother was free.Just thinking the words had my heart soaring. He’d spent a lifetime trapped as a beast. While I had spent a lifetime chained to his side. I’d begun to think he would never shift again. That he would die as a dragon. And then—a miracle happened.
Serafina happened.
In more ways than one.
And I was humbled. Unworthy. Last night I’d shared parts of myself I’d never revealed to another and been accepted. Not judged. Not shamed. And I felt lighter for it. As if I’d been blessed by the goddess herself.
Alaric claimed she had broken his curse, though Serafina had some doubts. Regardless, my brother was finally free. As was I.
Almost.
Flarking Alaric. Up to his old tricks. When he’d emerged from that pile of ash, I’d never been so happy to see my brother’s face. A stolen kiss later, I wanted to smash it in.
Hardly on two legs for a day, and already he was ordering meabout, making demands. All I’d needed was a moment to tell Serafina I would return in a couple of days. Instead, he’d ordered me out of the castle with a push of his damn alpha power.
Now here I was, flying into the night to meet some king I’d never laid eyes on to warn him about The Dark One. It wasn’t like Alaric to care so much for anyone outside of his own kingdom. Several times, I’d caught him staring into shadows as if they whispered secrets only he could hear. The strange cast to his eyes had left me unsettled.
The cool breeze gusted beneath my wings. Moonlight kissed my scales. Normally, I’d stretch out my neck, revel in the freedom of flight. But tonight, my body was taut, my muscles locked. Every mile I put between myself and Sera felt like a hundred.
I’d never known anyone like her. While forced into the worst circumstances, she’d emerged stronger for the experience. I wasn’t sure I could say the same for Alaric and me. Serafina was more courageous than both of us combined.
Despite all she’d been through, she was fierce, brave, and loyal to the ones she loved. Not once did she surrender in her quest to save Speck. That devotion was something I’d never experienced myself.
Flark me—I’d grown attached.
I’d judged her harshly, treated her worse.
Tied to Alaric, I didn’t dare to want more. To dream of a future. Now that the curse was broken, I finally had a chance to claim something that was mine. Have a life of my own. A life I wanted to share. With Serafina.
The two of us needed to talk. To figure out tomorrow. I just prayed she felt the same. A lifetime enslaved by Alaric’s mistakes had taught me what mattered. When I returned, she would know how much she meant to me.
Shadows shifted on the rolling hills below. A metallic gleam snared my attention, out of place in uninhabited land.
The twang of a thick bowstring rang out, along with a high-pitched whistle. From the corner of my eye, I caught sight of a speeding arrow. Flark! I twisted, dodging the first. The second slammed into my shoulder. Pain ripped through me, my roar splitting the night.
“Direct hit!” voices shouted from below.
Hunters.
