“You might have forced Azazel to kill my father that night, yes. But you failed terribly in killing my mother… and she saved my life.” I jumped to my feet, disappearing into swirling gold smoke, only to reappear right in front of him.
“Impossible!” he gasped, stepping back to point his glowing staff at me. “You cannot have that power. Translocation belongs only to me and—”
“My family,” I answered simply.
New energy spheres surged from my fists, sending him tumbling backwards from the force. When he crashed against the blistering ground, I lifted the sand from the dunes, forming bands that wrapped around his body like chains. Raithian’s screams reverberated in the air, but I didn’t stop. One after the other I hurled the bands at him, trying to restrain him, and foolishly thinking that perhaps I could end him here and now.
No one else had to die.
“Aaah. Aaah. Aaah!” Sand chains burned through his shirt, searing his chest and arms, but his shouts transformed from pain to raw hatred. “You are not Keira’s son!” he assured, even as he shook from the pain. “She never had a child!” His voice echoed through the Desertlands, amplified by his fury. “Youcannotbe their son! That would mean you share—"
“Your legacy magic? Your claim to the throne? Yes, Raithian. I do!” I bellowed, straightening to my full height. “My name is Braxton Devenish Skystorm. I am Caelisium’s rightful king.”
For an instant, the breath seemed to stall in his lungs, until his face contorted with unsurmountable wrath, and he exploded.
At least it seemed like he had.
A green fire blast—too large and fast for me to stop it—spanned over the desert, heading straight for me. Crossing my arms in front of my face, I turned my head, attempting to somehow protect myself, but the sweltering, melting fire never burned me. Instead, the heat rushed over my entire body, swaying around me.
Heart thundering, I slowly lowered my arms to see that I was actually inside the blast. My golden magic particles overcame the green ones, swirling within the blaze. Soon, the waves of flames spread over my scales, causing red embers to shimmer along them when they absorbed the power. My scales consumed it whole until there was nothing left. Sweltering heat turned into a soothing warmth, which became pure energy redirected to my every cell.
My Dragon ability and Devenish magic had combined seamlessly, working as one.
Blood and power rushed through my veins in response; I’d absorbed Raithian’s fire blast, sort of like he once absorbed Venom’s mighty lightning.
Regaining my bearings, I quickly searched the desert, preparing for the Warlock King’s next attack, but he was nowhere to be found.
He was gone.
Opening the warp, I crossed back into Tharion’s lair.
“Raithian knows,” I announced, seeing him step out of the darkness and nod.
“Time to claim what is yours, my king.”
32
“The battle is here,” I informed Imogen and Evie, who sat in our room when I returned through the warp.
“What happened?” both asked in unison, alarm capturing their voices as they whirled towards me.
“Raithian asked me to join him. He wants me to help him find theEye of the World. To help him get through the portal so he can conquer the Mirror World. In return, he will give Caelisium to me to do as I please with it and our people.”
Sheer horror transformed Evanna’s features. “We can’t allow him to do that. We have to stop him, Braxton. The humans will suffer—”
“We won’t let him,” I assured, reaching for her arm, and caressing it. “I already made it clear that I’d rather die than help him. I would never do to anyone else what he did to our people, to our world.”
“I suppose that did not go over so well,” Imogen mused, crossing her arms over her chest.
A heavy sigh left me. “You assume correctly. We fought after that, and it didn’t particularly end well between us.”
“You fought Raithian alone?” Evie all but shrieked, thinking I was insane for doing that, and I couldn’t really refute it.
“I’m fine…” I assured, holding her hands to stop her from searching for injuries along my body. “I can heal, remember?”
She made a face, reminding me she couldn’t help but worry either way. Honestly, I would probably feel the same if the situation were reversed, but still.
“I thought you couldn’t hurt each other while bound to the Wizards’ vow?” Imogen asked, truly confused.
