The clearing went quiet.
The wind died.
Then the dragon Norven had identified as Alteth stepped forward. Her eyes locked on Siergen.You are the gold. The ones these humans call the Unifier.
Chapter
Sixteen
Iturned to Siergen, my pulse still thudding in my ears. “You’re the Unifier?” My voice rose in disbelief. “The actual freaking Unifier? Are you kidding me?”
Siergen let out a long, low sigh—ancient, weary.That was a long time ago.He flicked his tail once, as if shaking the dust of centuries off his words.I took this form after my rider died. It has been… a blessing. Until now.
I gawked at him. “That’s why the dragons always defer to you. They all know, don’t they?”
Of course they know,he said, without an ounce of arrogance.I am their leader. My size has nothing to do with my power.
“Fuck me,” I muttered.
I’m sure Hein’s rider would be happy to carry out your wishes,Siergen deadpanned.
I gave him a long, droll stare. “You’re a dragon, not a donkey.”
From across the clearing, Alteth, the gray-scaled Clubtail, tilted her head toward Siergen, her eyes gleaming with something more than curiosity.I vote we make the pact. The human passed the test. She declared her truths.
Olzar, the Swordtail, had been silent until now. His voice was low and cautious.I believe we need more time to investigate this horde and their riders.
But Norven’s gaze never left me.I agree with Alteth. The pact will be made.
The three dragons lifted off in unison, silent and graceful despite their size. The air stirred around us as they rose, disappearing into the mist one by one.
When they were gone, I stared after them for a long breath before turning to Siergen. “What now?” I asked.
Siergen’s gold-flecked eyes watched the fading mist like it whispered old promises.Now,he said,you carry the weight of a pact older than your kingdom. And hope the dragons come when you call them again.
My shoulders felt heavier already.
Siergen watched the mist where the lost horde had vanished, his posture regal but tired, as if the centuries had finally caught up to him in the last few minutes.
I need you to keep what you’ve learned to yourself, he said quietly.
I turned toward him, blinking. “I’m telling Zander. It’s not fair to lie to him. He?—”
I am very aware how Zander feels, Siergen cut in, his voice heavy with something that sounded too much like grief to be anger.I went six hundred years without a single human looking twice at me. But that little prince…He exhaled slowly.He begged me to be his dragon for years.
I swallowed. “He loves you. He said you practically raised him. Him and Elara.”
Siergen’s eyes flinched at the edges, the barest crack in his composure.His father was a fool,he said.He wanted a powerful child. A weapon. Wanted to be in control of the DarkFire wielder… But once he saw Zander’s lavender eyes, his guilt got the better of him.
My stomach turned. “Did the king ever hurt Elara?”
No.Siergen’s response was immediate.Elara was a gift to his wife. A hope to mend something that had already shattered. But Zander…He looked off toward the castle.Zander was an obligation. One the king never let his son forget.
I didn’t know what to say to that, so I didn’t try to fix it.
“Thank you,” I said instead, my voice low. “For protecting him.”
Siergen was silent for a long moment before he added,I grew fond of that little prince. There was a time I almost forgot I was the dragon leader. When I would curl up in his room and tell him stories of the past—he thought them entertaining. But I knew. I knew who he was, what he’d become. That he would be crucial to our survival. Still…
