Evie and I hugged again, happiness overwhelming our being as my golden fog surrounded us. We reappeared outside the Crimson Fortress to find that Ignis’ embers had kindled the palace with flames, consuming it.
We ran towards our people, and the moment Asher came into view, alive, I rushed towards him.
“Thank you, Terra…”
Relieved to find me alive, he hurried towards me too, and we crashed, squeezing the life out of each other. Evanna hugged Elijah, and Hanna, moving onto Skylar and everyone else even if they hadn’t come back to life by the grace of theSky Gods. Confusion gripped their minds, none of them remembered actually dying. Their memories stopped when they became seriously injured, so no one said a word, preferring to explain later. It was a lot to take.
I hugged Imogen, truly grateful to have her back, but my gaze caught Kingston on the other side with Willow, and I immediately walked to his side. “We won, Chief.”
“You did this,” he admitted, his voice hoarse as he pulled me in for a rough hug. “I know what you did for me. I know you saved me…” he whispered. “Thank you, Son.”
“Don’t mention it,” I answered, clearing the emotion from my voice before embracing Willow. I was taken aback by her inner strength. She was a hell of a warrior, not that we ever doubted it.
Glancing all around me, I noticed the Dragons’ eyes were no longer green, along with a few of the warriors Lachlan had betrayed. The rest had perished but at least these were safe, and with us.
“Lachlan?” I asked the chief, who shook his head at me.
“He did not make it.”
I guessed he wasn’t found worthy.
Spartan’s form shook next to us, getting the wetness off him like a dog would, and we all laughed as mud splattered over us.
“Stop it,” I chided, but lifted a hand to him, glad to see him alive.
Our family tree suddenly became alight, and I breathed deeply once more, seeing every branch, every leaf filled with their brilliant essences. My Dragon family was all there. A new branch extended towards me then, but its light was too dim to fully take hold or reach me. A pang of pain travelled straight to me, piercing my heart.
Whirling around, I searched for the source. Whoever the Dragon was, he had been gravely injured. He needed me. His soul was calling out for me.
My frantic gaze halted over Azazel’s form, cold dread capturing me. His body collapsed at the volcano’s base with Tharion standing over him.
No…
I began to run towards him, disappearing and reappearing only a few yards away. Assessing his condition, I went to him, slowing my pace even when my heart began to pound hastily against my ribs.
Azazel rested on his side; his heads spread along the ground behind him. Severe burns covered one of them, lying awkwardly as his chest struggled to rise and fall. The other heads had no light in their eyes, their gazes lost somewhere in the sky—where theCelestialshad vanished. Only one head remained alive and focused on me, the main one, his one good eye intently following my approach.
Jagged slashes spread across his body. They were deep but blood struggled to pour from them. He didn’t have much left to spill, yet something told me it wasn’t a result of his battle with Tharion. Stopping before him, I lifted a single hand, seeing him lower his head for me to touch him. We finally connected fully.
His gaze glowed a dull gold with my touch, and an assault of pain, sorrow, and regret poured into me. Images flowed into my mind, no longer restrained by his magical shackles. Unlike before, these revealed everything Raithian had ever put him through or forced him to do.
Anguished roars marred every memory. The cries of Azazel’s soul, trapped in the body of the monster Raithian turned him into. One after the other, I saw him burn entire families down, their shelters, the Castle of Dragons, and even terrorize innocent people during Raithian’s horrid games. All while he desperately tried to fight against doing it. It was a battle he could never win because that wasn’t him. Azazel was possessed by a force bigger, stronger than he ever was… Raithian’s wrath.
Agony sliced through me, tears burning my eyes while I witnessed his merciless suffering for so many years. Every kill. Every atrocity. Azazel lost part of his soul because through all of it, he was still there, trapped, perfectly aware but unable to stop it.
Tears slid out of his eye, splashing the ground while we held each other’s gaze, sharing everything like soulmates did. It destroyed me that I never knew. That I was never there for him… that I wasn’t able to save him from Raithian.
His memories suddenly lightened, and the one of my mother in the lake, caressing her belly, returned. An overwhelming swell of love accompanied it. The love he felt for me extended to my father as the memories evolved, showing them flying together, training together, fighting for our people with Tharion, Knight, Storm, Nocte, and Ardor.
Honor coursed through him when he fought alongside my father. He was proud of the good he’d done for our kingdom, and so was I. Azazel loved my family as much as he loved me because they were my family, and we were connected.
My jaw strained to contain my emotion when that terrible night appeared in his mind. The night my father died. The agony that flowed from him and into me was so overpowering that I could barely breathe. Like the others, anguished roars filled his memory. It was the sound of Azazel’s cries while he fought against Raithian’s disturbing command, but he was unable to resist it.
His green fire engulfed the man who had been his friend, the one he loved and fought beside of for me.
“Forgive me…”Azazel begged.
Sharp pain threatened to cut my being in two, but I didn’t let it out, I couldn’t, or I feared it would destroy me. Forcing a settling breath through my lungs I looked up at him again, my hand caressing his rough skin.
