She clicked her tongue. “I’ve heard it all before.”
“Then you’ll hear it again. Don’t do this, Gabriela. I beg of you.”
“What choice do I have?” She waved a hand toward the river of green that bubbled in the crack in the floor. “Not even you can deny that the corruption is spreading.”
Zion shrugged. “We’ve managed to keep it contained for eons.”
No one knew precisely where the corruption had come from. It’d first appeared during the civil war, tiny rivulets of evil that would poison a river or taint a field so their crops would fail. Some claimed it was a punishment for the war. They pointed to the carcasses of the dragons who’d fallen to the ground and been left to rot. Not to mention the endless tears as their people mourned their families that had been mindlessly slaughtered.
When they’d finally realized the evil wasn’t going to go away, they’d combined their magic to contain it in this temple, far away from the dragons.
“We can’t keep it locked away forever. Besides, no one bothered to try and leash it,” she argued. “Regardless of the taint it’s still a powerful magic. Why waste it?”
“I haven’t finished my experiments. I’m certain I can find a way to cleanse the corruption without you being exposed.”
“It’s too late. There are too many younger dragons who’ve become convinced that they can use the magic to challenge my authority.”
The dark eyes regarded her with an unnerving intensity. This was one male who wasn’t blinded by her beauty and raw power. To Zion, she would always be the young hatchling who’d recklessly battled her way to the top.
“And you fear they might succeed?”
Gabriela sniffed, pretending that the thought of having her throne stolen wasn’t like a red-hot poker stabbing her in her heart.
“I fear their reckless hunger for power will destroy the shields that protect us.”
“Then we’ll face the threat when it happens.”
“Why wait?”
“Why hurry?”
She rose to her feet, the voice whispering in her ear warning her that this male was trying to stop her from her duty. Why? Was he plotting with the rebels? It wouldn’t be the first time he’d stood against the monarch. The last time had nearly killed him. This time he might hope for a chance to claim the crown for himself.
“If I can cleanse the magic, then they can’t use it against me.”
“Again, my queen, is this to protect your people or your crown?”
Fury raced through her. She was the ruler, not this interfering old lizard. “You can stand with me, Zion, or you can stand against me. The choice is yours.”
“As always I remain your devoted servant.” The male bowed again, his back stiff as he retreated from the cavern.
Gabriela waited until he disappeared before kneeling next to the crack. She hadn’t become queen by simply hoping for the best. She’d used her enormous power to grab the crown and never looked back. It was the same way she intended to keep the crown.
By doing whatever was necessary.
Calling on her magic, she held out her hands, watching the flames burst to life. They blazed pure white, burning at a temperature that could melt solid granite. No other dragon could match her talent with fire. One of the reasons she’d never been challenged.
Until now, the voice reminded her.With the evil power they will overthrow you and destroy the dragons.You have no choice.
Dismissing Zion and his nagging warnings from her mind, Gabriela leaned forward to plunge her hands into the river of pure corruption. The only way to banish evil was to absorb it and use the power for good.
Closing her eyes, she tried to concentrate on the fire that burned inside her. It was harder than she expected as the corruption surged through her, the greedy magic scouring away her very essence. Mine. She released a blast of her flames. Nothing could contest her raw power, she reminded herself.
Nothing.
The magic roared through her like a raging torrent, filling the cavern with an emerald glow. It was...majestic.This is what the power was meant to be, a voice whispered in the back of her mind. It wasn’t evil. It was a glorious celebration of dragons and their future without the petty rules.
She was Gabriela, Queen of the Dragons.
