The skies rippled with heat as the sun broke free from the clouds. All eyes turned upward as Foran’s shadow swept over the grounds. His wings beat heavily, a noticeable limp in the right one, but he landed with steady grace. The moment his talons touched the stone, the wind shifted, dragging smoke and salt across the grounds.
Zander and I moved first. Dorian slid from Foran’s saddle with a grunt, his armor scorched and half-buckled, the edges of his crimson cloak blackened. He looked like a man who’d been through the very worst of hell, and wasn’t sure he’d made it out.
“Dorian, where have you been?” I asked, eyes scanning the faint bruising along his jaw. “Why hasn’t Foran kept in contact with the horde?”
Dorian glanced around, lips pressing together. “It’s not safe for me to remain here,” he said quietly. “Foran’s lost his link with the horde.”
“What?” Zander’s voice was tight. “That’s not possible. Siergen can fix it—we’ll call him now?—”
“No.” Dorian held up a hand, his tone clipped. “Foran won’t attempt to speak with his kin. He’s afraid whatever was doneto him… it could spread. Until we know, we’ll remain apart. We won’t put the horde in danger.”
The ache in Zander’s expression mirrored the one forming in my chest. “Then why come back at all?” I asked.
Dorian’s eyes darkened. “Because your dragons aren’t flying.”
I stilled. “What do you mean?”
“I was hoping to intercept a patrol,” he said, wiping the sweat and soot from his brow. “But almost every unit on this side of the continent is holed up inside Warriath’s walls.”
Zander cursed under his breath. “Theron’s orders.”
“He’s a fool,” Dorian snapped, lifting his gaze to mine. “There’s a human armada coming. They are moving from Grenthia toward Moustal. They aren’t coming for peace.”
Zander’s jaw clenched so tightly I thought he might shatter his own teeth. His fists balled at his sides, and he looked like he wanted to punch straight through the stone walls of the courtyard.
“How come there haven’t been any reports?” he snapped.
“I’d be surprised if there weren’t,” Dorian replied grimly. “Theron holding you all here means he knows. He just won’t split his forces.”
My stomach twisted. So this was calculated silence. Not ignorance. Not oversight. Just more of Theron’s twisted games.
“We’ll inform the squads,” Zander said, his voice quieter but no less resolved. “War is coming. They need to be ready.”
Dorian’s eyes dropped briefly to the ground, then rose to meet ours. “I must find a safe place for Foran to… rest,” he said. “He tires easily now.”
My throat tightened. “Is it the same poison that was used on the king?”
Dorian hesitated, then gave a slow nod. “It’s possible. The traitor had access to my gear. I saddled Foran myself… and theinfection leached into his scales through the leather. I didn’t notice the change until it was too late.”
“And you?” Zander asked, tone hollow.
“I was contaminated as well,” Dorian admitted, brushing a hand across his side, where his armor sat loose and too big for his frame. “But not to the same extent. The worst of it went into him. But our life force… it’s intertwined now. When he falls?—”
“You’ll fall with him,” I whispered, the words tasting like ash.
Dorian didn’t deny it. “That’s why we’re staying away. If Theron’s supporters knew how weak I was…” His voice trailed off, then steadied again. “They’d seize power before my body hit the floor.”
Zander took a staggering step back, his expression drawn. “You should’ve told me. We would’ve?—”
“There was nothing to be done,” Dorian said softly, reaching out and laying a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “I’ve made peace with it. But Zander… if I fall, it will be up to you to rule. The dragons will not accept Theron. Not now. Not ever.”
Zander stared at him like the sky had just landed on his chest. He didn’t speak.
Dorian squeezed his shoulder. “I’m sorry, brother. I know you never wanted this burden… but you may have to accept it.”
Zander stepped forward, his hand gripping Dorian’s arm just before he mounted Foran.
“It won’t come to that,” he said, voice low but firm. “You’re not going to die. We’ll find the one responsible for this. I swear it.”
