PROLOGUE
“Isthis really the only way?”
The dragon princess clung to Einar’s arm as the three figures stood within the heart of Mount Furian, a slender bridge of stone the only thing separating them from the lake of molten lava below. Violent winds generated by the open portal waiting behind her whipped around the inside of the volcano, yanking her long red hair out behind her like an angry banner. But the golden crown on her head did not budge, and neither did her resolve to find some way,anyway, to bring the most beloved of her kin with her to the realm beyond.
“You already know that it is, Ylena.” Einar gently pried the princess’s hands from his tattooed forearm. Stylized flames swirled up his arm and wrapped around his bicep, nearly identical to the ones on her own arm. Pain shimmered in amber eyes that had witnessed far too much death and anguish, but he masked it behind an encouraging smile. “My blood is a small price to pay for the safety of our people.”
“But why does he have to stay behind?” Ylena whipped her body toward the third figure, anger blazing in her golden eyes. “Why can’t he give you some of his blood to seal the portal and then come with us? Haven’t we already lost enough?”
The third figure spread its arms, white robes fanning out behind it like wings. A soft white glow emanated from its body, shielding the true nature of its face, and even whether it was male or female. Such was the nature of Radiants. Though they watched over Ediria, they were not of this world, and existed in a place beyond the understanding of those who lived here.
“You wish me to give you a loophole that does not exist,” the Radiant said in a voice like a clear bell. “All magic requires sacrifice, Princess Ylena, and the portal is no exception. Einar must stay behind, or the shadow creatures will be able to follow you into your new realm.”
Ylena’s eyes hardened as she looked to the mouth of the cave. Beyond lay Hearthfyre, the kingdom her people had fought for millennia to keep. For thousands of years the dragons had successfully fought off the fae, and they’d been so close to achieving peace between the races. Her brother had been sent to marry the fae princess—hadmarried the fae princess, and should have been blissfully enjoying his honeymoon with his bride now.
Instead, he’d been murdered during the wedding feast. In retaliation, the dragon queen—her mother—had beheaded the fae king, and any hope for peace had crumbled beneath a tide of violence and a thirst for revenge. The fae king’s successor had not wasted any time, drawing on a new, evil power that allowed him to wipe nearly all the dragons from the face of Ediria.
There were less than a hundred left, and if they did not seal the portal soon, there wouldn’t be any survivors at all. Not with the monstrous shadow creatures that now infested their land, poisoning everything that had once been good and bright and wonderful.
“I miss him too, Ylena.” Einar took the princess by the shoulders and turned her to face him. His eyes were hard, his jaw like granite. “Daryan and I were brothers in all but name, you know that. Neither of us will ever get to see his smile or hear his jokes or feel the warmth of his fire again. But I know that if he had still been alive, it would have been him staying behind to ensure our people’s future. It is my job to do that for him now, just as it is your job to lead our people into this new world, and take advantage of this chance the Radiants have given us.”
Ylena gave a shaky sigh. “I know,” she said softly. Looking down, she unclasped a golden cuff from around her bicep, then took Einar’s left hand in hers.
“Ylena, no.” Einar tried to pull away, but the dragon princess held fast. “You need—”
“Hush.” She fastened the cuff around his wrist, and the large, ruby-colored stone flashed as the piece of jewelry clasped shut. “You need this far more than I do. As a link to our people, as a reminder for what you’re doing and why you are doing it. And Daryan would have wanted you to have it.”
She gave him a watery smile, and Einar had to clear his throat against the lump that had suddenly formed there.
“May your flame never go out,” he said gruffly.
“May your fire shine brightest in the dark,” she returned.
The warrior and the Radiant watched as the dragon princess took one step, then two, toward the portal. The winds kicked up even higher as she approached the enormous swirling circle, the pit beyond an inky purple so dark, it was nearly black. The Radiant could feel the dragon warrior’s longing, his burning wish that if he could not join his people beyond the portal, that he could at leastseewhere they were going, so he might dream about their new lives in the future.
“The realm beyond is a land of plenty,” the Radiant assured him. “Fields of green, vast, open oceans, fresh, clear skies. Plenty of room for dragons to hunt and fish and fly.”
“And predators?” Einar asked softly. “What enemies will they have to face?”
The Radiant wondered if he should tell the dragon warrior about the humans. Creatures shorter lived than the fae, and without magic, but with such ferocious intelligence and creativity that they had reshaped their world nearly beyond recognition.
Instead, he merely said, “There is nothing in this new realm that can outwit the cunning of a dragon. As long as Princess Ylena is there to lead them, your kin will be safe.”
Einar nodded, the lingering doubt vanishing from his face. Shoulders set with resolve, he unsheathed the dagger strapped to his hip, then rolled back the sleeve of his tunic to expose his forearm. Without a shred of emotion, he dragged the sharp edge of the blade along his skin. Blood poured from the wound, and the portal hummed in response, sensing the offering. A fresh wind kicked up around the warrior’s legs, sweeping the blood away before it could hit the ground and sucking it straight into the void.
A flare of violet light burst from the portal, and the warrior dropped to his knees, briefly stunned by the kinetic burst of energy. The Radiant raised its arms again, chanting in the language of the ancients. Each word reverberated through the inside of the volcano like a lightning strike, and the warrior gritted his teeth, trembling from the sheer force of it.
Finally, on the last word, the portal collapsed on itself. It disappeared with a sucking sound, leaving behind a deafening silence. Not even the magma below stirred. It was as if the world was collectively holding its breath, waiting to see if the portal would open again.
But it did not. The spell held. The dragons were safe.
Einar let out a long sigh. “Is this where you leave me?” he asked, turning his head up to look at the Radiant. The resolve and determination from before had fled, as had the raw anguish from earlier. There was only a bone-deep exhaustion left behind, the kind one saw in those who were on the verge of giving up on life.
The Radiant nodded. “I must. But I can give you one more boon before I go. Something to make you more comfortable.”
The warrior nodded. “Put me to sleep then. A long, dreamless slumber from which I cannot wake.”
The Radiant hesitated. “Are you sure? You do not wish even for dreams, then?”
