Draven squeezes my hand. “Are you ready?”
I sweep my gaze over the broken and bloody bodies of the fae who followed me here. Rage rolls through my soul like waves of fire as I draw in a deep breath and nod. “Let’s end this.”
While Isera climbs up onto the back of one of the other black dragons, Draven and Diana shift again. Closing my eyes, I make a vow to every god and goddess that will listen. This ends now.Jessina dies now. No matter what it takes, I will watch her die before the sun sets.
As I climb onto Draven’s back and he launches into the sky, I open our union bond and then dredge up every last remaining smidgen of energy that I possess.
I will honor the promise I made to all of the fae who now lie dead on the ground. We will carry on this battle for them. We will take on their dreams and hopes and bring them to life in their stead. We will end this war. I will end this war and get our fucking revenge. For all of us.
Wind rips at my hair and clothes as Draven flies straight for the mountain that we had planned to sneak through. There will be no sneaking now. Part of me is glad for that. I want Jessina to see me coming. I want her to watch as death comes for her.
Galen flies up on Draven’s right while Lyra flanks him on the left. Next to her, Diana soars up while the two remaining black dragons fall into line on Galen’s other side.
“Oh, little viper,” Orion calls, a villainous smile on his lips as he looks towards Isera. “If you only knew how hot you look with the blood of our enemies splattered across your face.”
She lets out a short laugh and then flashes the Unseelie King a sly smile.
I sweep my gaze over the two of them and then turn towards Alistair and Fenriel on my other side. Words are unnecessary. They can see those words on my face, and I can read the answers in their eyes. So they all just give me a slow nod in acknowledgement.
My hair streams behind me as Draven and the other dragons shoot up towards the top of the mountain. I check that my dagger is secure in its sheath and get my magic ready. Red and golden light from the setting sun paints the gray stones below us the color of blood. Clenching my jaw, I grip Draven’s spikes hard as we soar upwards.
Then we crest the peaks and fly straight down behind enemy lines.
A massive silver dragon whirls towards us in shock.
I flash Jessina Iceheart a vicious smile as Draven lets out a battle cry that makes the very mountains tremble. Silver dragons shoot towards their empress to protect her as we speed straight for her.
Pale shimmering appears at the back of her throat.
My heart hammers in my chest.
Storm clouds spread out behind us like a fluttering cloak as Draven summons his powers.
Her forces fly towards us, trying to intercept us.
Jessina opens her jaws.
I draw in a sharp breath and brace myself.
Ice flames shoot through the air.
CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
Dragon fire roars across the heavens, spreading out like a flaming shield in front of us. Jessina’s ice flames crash into them, exploding into hissing steam. But the mass of silver dragons that is heading to protect their empress barrels straight at us from the side. I grip Draven’s spikes hard, bracing for impact.
A tidal wave of water crashes over the battlefield. White, red, and silver dragons cry out in shock as the mass of water hits them, soaking their wings and extinguishing the white and red dragons’ fire.
Gasping in a breath, I whip my head towards the left just in time to see a huge blue dragon shoot forward. Ejnare, the leader of the Blue Dragon Clan.
“Good thing he still knows how to follow orders,”Draven says into my mind, his voice smug.
“So that’s what your battle cry meant,”I reply with a grin.
Ejnare roars, and our entire army surges forward. Most of Jessina’s allies are forced to abandon their assault on us and instead desperately defend themselves as a horde of black, orange, purple, and blue dragons sweep across the heavens withthe fury of a thunderstorm. Ejnare sends another blast of his water magic crashing over our enemies.
But the ones closest to us still hurtle towards us.
“Draven!”I yell into his mind while Jessina opens her jaws again.“Left!”
