“Master Roule is terrified,” Rosomon says. “Can you tell Nyxarious to land?”
Do you think that’s wise, my love?I ask her.We should give Xendus and Treacher more time to rescue Saxon. Nyxarious’s rider has the power to thwart our plans.
“But does she need to scare him like that?”
Ahead of us, Nyx is performing tight barrel rolls, and from the way her rider’s reacting, I feel certain she’s loosened her knot, and possibly released the tendrils of magic which would normally secure him.
Based on this man’s thoughts,Nyx says,I should drop him this moment.
I chuckle.Sounds like he deserves it. I’ve never known Nyx to be this angry or vengeful, but she knows better what her rider has been saying and thinking. And she knows more about what he’s done.
Surath leads a large group of the dragons away from the main buildings, and they paint the fields and the walls around the prison with fire. I keep close to Nyxarious and her rider as she makes another pass across the courtyard.
Nyxarious flips to her side. Her rider drops.
Rosomon screams, and Roule lands, impaled on the statue’s spire.
“Why did she do that?” Rosomon is frantic atop me. “Roule didn’t deserve to die!”
I’m less sure about that, but my immediate concern is for Nyxarious. She can no longer see properly. I’m not even positive she can stay in the sky.
Careful Nyx, I call out to her.I’ll guide you down.
We fly next to her, and it’s not hard to see her terror, or hear her regret. Her words and thoughts are faint in my mind, now she has no bond with a mortal to enhance her powers.
Be calm, I tell her.Swoop to your right. Lower now. That’s the way.
I tell the other dragons to clear a safe space for her to land in the field.
But instead of following my instructions, Nyxarious heads toward the barrier mountains that lie between us and the veil. Does she plan to cross on her own, so she can shift? I doubt she’ll have the strength to part the veil.
I must follow her,I tell Rosomon.
“I understand,” she says, and I feel her concern. My wife does not agree with what Nyxarious did but doesn’t want her to die for it.
Nyxarious blocks my efforts to communicate—either that or she no longer has the ability—and she flies recklessly. At least she hasn’t fallen from the sky. In all this time with no access to Darkness, none of us could lift off the ground without a rider, but Nyx has answered the question of whether or not we can stay in the air unmounted.
I fly around her, trying to guide her to a safe landing. But she veers toward a mountain peak.
Stop, I shout. I could fly past her and cut her off, but I can’t do that without risking Rosomon’s life and my own.
“What is she doing?” Rosomon asks.
She can’t see properly.
Nyxarious smashes into the side of the mountain and then tumbles down its rocky slope. I shut Rosomon out of our enhanced senses to spare her the graphic sights and sounds of Nyxarious’s crunching bones as her body descends.
CHAPTER 43
Saxon
Ipress my prone body up from the damp stone floor, and my arm muscles shake with the strain. Before I was imprisoned, one hundred and sixty-three days ago, I could do hundreds of press ups without tiring, but every day I’ve been in here and consuming so little food, every movement has become more difficult to perform.
At least I’m still alive. At least I’ve not been sent to stand before the Prime Klerick. That’s something. My only wish is to see Rosomon one more time before I die. My only wish is to die knowing she’s safe.
Sounds come from the hall. Treacher. Today’s bread and clean water will soon arrive. He only brings food and drink as a ploy, but I make use of it. Without it, I’d be even weaker.
But no matter how many days my rival brings food, I will not answer his questions. I won’t betray Rosomon and the others. I won’t do anything that could risk the freedom of the dragon shifters. And I’d rather die in this cell than do anything that might hurt Rosomon.
