"This man deserves death!" General Naziri screams, face reddening. Archers lining the stadium notch their arrows and point them at us.
"If you order his execution, it will be a declaration of war against me and my kin," I declare. Our allyship is suddenly on the brink of annihilation. "That is a war, you cannot win."
"You dare threaten me in my own city?" The General puffs out his chest, brows pinching together. "Because of your kin, we were forced to retreat to the desert!"
A lone arrow flies toward us. I'm not fast enough to throw up a shield. All my magic is channeling into healing Bastian.
A giant wall made entirely of sand slides in front of us, swallowing the arrow. General Naziri's mouth drops and he turns to stare at a nonchalant Hagar.
"You dare defy me, Hagar?" he questions his daughter, but his eyes don't remain on her long.
"Have you no honor?" I scream, my eyes shifting to gold, my magic pulsating through me like an angry river.
"Father, this is not our way," Hagar joins the conversation. "Fate decided – "
"Fate decided wrong!" he seethes.
"Attack and I will unleash hell," I promise. Standing with my hands stretched wide.
"Father – "
"Ready!" General Naziri yells and the archers nock and aim their weapons at us.
"You can still walk away, Nyx," I side-eye him and he shakes his head.
"I would rather die by your side protecting this asshole, than live the life of a coward who abandoned their friend." He stands tall, flexing his empty hands. "I wish I had my swords. Where are our dragons when we need them?"
"Father, please!" Hagar jumps in front of him, the first display of emotion I've seen from her. "Don't do this! You are a man of honor. This is not like you." Suddenly, a man I haven't seen before, grabs Hagar's wrist and tries to yank her back.
Nyx tenses, his eyes angry. Whoever the man is, I think Nyx knows him.
Helios steps up and rips the man's hand off Hagar. A menacing frown beaming down on the dragon rider.
"Aim!" General Naziri cries. "Last chance to stand down."
"Do your worst. I will certainly do mine," I snarl.
Helios grabs his father's shoulder, "Father – "
"So be it!" He slices his hand forward and the arrows launch.
"No!" Hagar shouts and sprints to us. She smashes her hands down on the ground and shoots them up into the sky. Sand erupts from all around us and turns into arrows aimed at the real ones. With a thunderous echo, each arrow aimed at us falls to the ground, no longer a threat. Helios and Hani stand on either side of Hagar, a surprised General Naziri staring his offspring down in fury.
"The beast fought," Hagar's voice is strained from the magical effort exerted. "He won. Fate decided he should live. Do not jeopardize your honor."
There's no answer because in the near distance a familiar screech bellows and draws my gaze upward. Wings flap, blocking the sun's rays, casting an enormous shadow upon the arena.
Forty - Nine
Shaye
"Seraxes!"
My dragon lands with a tremendous thud that shakes the ground, knocking some of the Naziris down. Tears well in my eyes as she puts herself between me and the Naziris. Her fangs glisten in the sunlight and when General Naziri slowly rises to his feet, his eyes wide in wonder, Seraxes roars for good measure. The crowd, though familiar with dragons, seem rattled when four more dragons perch alongside the arena. I spy one sand dragon but the other three are familiar and my heart nearly cleaves in two.
"Atlas," I whisper in relief as tears stream down my face. "Amma."
Corvex and Drexel growl and dive to join Seraxes, Vidarr hot on their heels. They form a small wall in front of us, and I fall to the ground in exhaustion.
