The face of the Dragon replaced my own.
A shockwave of magic immediately swept over me, and the bands locked on their own around my head. My eyes ignited brighter than they ever had, causing the two large crystals to glow so strongly that it projected from them, bathing Evie and Imogen in shimmery golden light…
And then a hundred chilling voices exploded in my ears, shocking me to the core.
Dropping the sword, my hands flew to my head, trying to wrench the Dragon Crown off me as hot blood trickled from my eardrums to my neck. Even with the sword’s crystals no longer in my hold, it wouldn’t move. The Dragon Crown seemed fused to my face.
The voices grew impossibly jarring against my ripped eardrums, the unnerving sound becoming unbearable.
“Get it off me!” I bellowed, desperately fighting to remove it.
Imogen jumped on me, her hands gripping the horns and tugging while Evie ran out of the room, calling for help. The floor shuddered under my feet, blood slowly soaking my shoulders as it steadily fell.
“It’s doing something to Braxton. We have to get it off him!”
Following Evie’s orders, Asher grasped the bands behind my head, and he, Imogen, and Evie all yanked. Nothing.
When the room shuddered once more, I realized it wasn’t the floor moving under me. I was tumbling, the blood loss affecting my vertigo.
Enough!
A roar exploded from my throat, and my Dragon strength took over, wrenching the crown off my head…andeveryone else. The screeching sound of metal ripping echoed around us, though I could barely hear it. Asher and Imogen fell against the ground, my arms catching Evanna before she could hit herself.
The Dragon Crown hurled across the room, plunging horns first into the stone wall from the force.
Heart thundering against my ribcage, I felt my healing instantly come to the surface, restoring my eardrums until no more drops fell on my shoulders.
Evanna’s stunned gaze settled on me, fear and shock engulfing it as she, too, fought to breathe. “Are you alright?”
“What happened?” Asher panted at the same time, helping Imogen to her feet.
It took a moment for my wildly thumping heart to settle, my piercing gaze travelling to the golden crown now lodged into the far wall.
“I heard them,” I rasped. “I heard them all.”
“Your family?”
“The Elders?” Both Evie and my mentor asked, stunned by the possibility.
Still distraught, I slowly nodded. My arms tightened around Evanna, an unnerving tremor coursing through my spine.
“Why was that bad?” Asher added, and I dragged my attention away from the Dragon Crown, my eyes boring into his instead.
“Because I heard no words… Only their tortured screams in the dark.”
21
“I rise in happiness and health for the Skyborne Princess and the Dragon Master!” The heartfelt wish came from a woman at the back of the dining room, and many joined it, cheering for us and lifting their wine cups in celebration.
“Thank you!” I offered in return, lifting my cup too while Evie smiled next to me, her hand resting on my thigh.
“I rise in prosperity and abundance for our princess and the Harbinger’s son!” A man added, joining many others who had expressed their “rising wishes” along the course of our lunch.
It was the first time I’d ever heard someone share their well wishes for a couple that way, and it was beautiful. In essence, the sentiment expressed our happiness, prosperity, or whatever they wished for us, would uplift their soul, because seeing us receive those gifts was a blessing to them.
“Yeah, well. I rise in healthy bellies and plenty of babes running around for the Skyborne Princess and the Dragon Master!” A young woman offered from the left side of the hall, making everyone laugh.
The other thing about “rising wishes” was that they became playful bets in a way. A friendly competition, so everyone tried to one-up each other in what they were wishing us. The best wish won.
