It couldn’t end like this. It couldn’t. He was the High King. The baddest, meanest asshole ever born.
And his mother was the queen of the damned. How could he be defeated by something as small as his sister’s stupid horn?
There had to be something one of them could do. Some magical trick or secret. Lifting her head, she looked at eachof them in turn. “Don’t you have anything to help him? Do something!”
“There’s nothing they can do, Dragon.”
Tanis gasped as she heard Dash’s voice. Not from the unicorn she was holding, but from behind her. Turning around on the bed, she saw a shimmery image of Dash, less than two feet away.
“Dash?”
“Only in spirit.” He jerked his chin at his body. “I’m stuck there.”
“Are you in pain?”
He didn’t answer, which told her that it must be excruciating. “I’m sorry, Dragon. I promised I wouldn’t leave you. I didn’t mean to.”
She turned back toward Ryper. “What is the lore of the golden horn?”
He frowned as if he didn’t understand why she was asking. “It’s the most powerful of all.”
“Can it heal?”
The grief instantly left Ryper’s gaze. “Well… yes, it can.”
That renewed her hope. “Then her wand can undo this, yes?”
Ryper looked to his mother who had stopped crying. “We need that horn. What happened to it?”
“Bring me that centaur bitch! Tell Kyran I need the horn.” Naomi’s yokai armor left her at those words and headed for the door while Naomi remained in the room, dressed in a tunic and pants.
“Meara still has the horn?” Tanis asked Naomi.
His mother nodded.
That was all she needed. She turned to Ryper. “Where’s Marthen?”
“Outside.”
“Take me to him. Please.”
Dash followed them. “What are you planning, Dragon?”
In short, to throttle a centaur herself. “I’m going to get your sister’s wand.” And most likely shove it someplace that would make Meara regret ever coming after Dash.
He tried to pull her to a stop, but his hand went right through her body. Dash cursed.
For once, Tanis was going to get her way.
When they left the palace, she saw Dove speaking with Marthen. They both turned toward her with a frown.
Marthen’s scowl deepened as he saw Dash’s ghostly spirit trailing behind her.
“Make me a dragon again,” she said without preamble.
Marthen cut a nervous stare toward Dash. “May I ask why?”
“I need to be intimidating.” Tanis held her arms up to show him her body. “Something I’m definitely not as a human.” If she were a dragon, however, she’d be able to back the centaur queen down and kill her if need be.
