I haven’t had one in so long that it becomes harder to withstand its vicious attack. My clammy palms shake uncontrollably, and my breaths come out in disjointed waves. It feels like I’m hyperventilating and not breathing all at once.
Killian crouches next to me, touching my face gently until I look at him.
“Baby, baby, breathe. In and out, in and out, slowly.”
I try to focus on his voice as I force my lungs to work.
“That’s it, little umbra. Tell me something you can see, something you can smell, you can touch.”
“The, uhm, midnight blue shade of your raven hair.” I take unsteady gulps of air as I pour every ounce of control I have left in my body into the grounding exercise. “Your iron-laden scent.” It breaks my heart a little that he remembers the tricks that help me recover my mind from my demon’s clutches. “The feel of the cold sand under my knees. The sound of K’haram’s scales brushing against the cave walls.”
My breathing is returning to normal, and the dispersed puzzle pieces in my mind have formed a complete picture. I vividly remember my vision from when I gained my powers.
The Gods.
The prophecy.
Ereshkygall telling me to find her. To bring Killian.
“What the fuck did you do to her, you overweight lizard? I’ll rip your scales off one by one, do you hear me?”
Kahlya’s gasp bounces off the cavernous walls just as K’haram bares his monstrous fangs, a rising wave of heat coming from his scaly throat.
Did Killian just ensure we’ll die a gruesome death by dragon fire?
I hold my breath and close my eyes, facing the inevitability of my demise, but no purging flames emerge. Instead, a loud cackle, like a thousand brass bells clanging together, fills the cave. I wince in pain, my ears straining at thunderous dragon laughter.
On second thought, maybe death would have been better.
“Charming like a dirty claw. Some things never change, I see,”K’haram says between cackles.“But also fiercely loyal. That I can respect.”
The dragon bows his head to Killian, taking everyone by surprise.
“Are you unhinged, Vampire King?” Celine asks, recovering from her stupor. “You could have killed us all.”
“K’haram is not offended,” I interject before things can escalate further. “Weirdly impressed, even.” I turn my gaze to Killian, who is still metaphorically throwing daggers with his eyes at the beast. “He did nothing malicious, Killian. He helped me unlock a memory I was struggling to recall. A vision I had in my comatose state after Aurora’s attack.”
Killian frowns as he takes in my words. “What vision? You never told me this.”
“We weren’t on speaking terms back then, were we?” I ask ironically, raising my brow at him.
“Just more things you kept from me, then,” he grumbles under his breath as he lets go of me and stands.
The tentative softness between us from mere moments ago vanishes like a candle flame blown away in the wind. I’m prepared to give him an earful for being the same stubborn motherfucker as usual, when K’haram speaks again.
“Go find her, Omri. She holds all the answers you seek. It will all make sense once you both talk to Ereshkygall.”
“Where is she?”
“That I do not know. I was sent away to safety before the final moments,”he answers, guilt and shame heavy in his voice.
What crucial information does he harbor that he can’t share because of this stupid blood oath?
How are we supposed to find an ancient Goddess’ hiding place with no clues to begin with? It feels like we’re being sent on a fool’s errand while the looming threat of Morweena’s war grows ever so closer.
“And the alliance?”
“I give you my word, Omri, as my life is yours, so is the human’s allegiance. They will fight in the war. They will die to save this realm from its wretched fate. So shall I.”
