Page 51 of Ash and Burn

"Well, I'm happy it's you," Essin continued, her small hand resting against Arvid's collarbone where the mate mark lay hidden beneath her blouse.

They finally reached the surface door where Dorn was holding it open. Sunlight streamed through, along with the sounds of combat—shouting voices and the clash of bodies engaged in battle. Arvid stepped through the doorway and immediately assessed the tactical situation with military precision.

Ryx and his enforcement team were engaged with at least a dozen rogue dragon shifters in human form, creating a protective perimeter around the medical buildings. The rogues fought with the efficiency of mercenaries—well-trained, well-equipped, but lacking the coordinated loyalty of Ashvorn's defenders.

Where is Calix?

The mate bond pulsated with sudden urgency, and his voice filled her mind with crystal clarity.

The breach was a diversion. The real threat is at Ashspire. They're trying to breach it and extinguish the Undying Flame. I'm going there to protect it.

Ice flooded her veins. The Undying Flame—the symbol of everything Calix had sworn to protect, the proof of his ability to lead Ashvorn. If Cevryn managed to extinguish it, he wouldn't just be striking at the kingdom's heart. He'd be destroying Calix's legitimacy as king.

No. Not happening.

"They're trying to breach Ashspire," she told Dorn. "They want to extinguish the Undying Flame."

Dorn's weathered face went pale. "That would be catastrophic. The symbol of royal authority⁠—"

"Can you get all the patients to safety?"

"Yes." His response was immediate. "Go protect your kingdom, my queen."

The patients who had gathered near the doorway—forty-nine sick dragon shifters who should have been focused on their own survival—turned to look at her with expressions of trust that nearly broke her heart.

An older woman with silver hair and tired eyes stepped forward, reaching for Essin. "I'll protect Essin," she said firmly, taking the child. "You protect our future, my queen."

The words hit her like a blow. Not because they were unexpected, but because they felt right. These people weren't just asking her to save their king. They were asking her to save their kingdom. And somehow, impossibly, she wanted to.

Arvid sprinted toward where Ryx was locked in combat with two rogues, her brown eyes going flat as combat instincts took over. A third rogue spotted her approach and broke away from the main fight, charging her with a wicked-looking blade.

Wrong move.

She sidestepped his clumsy attack, grabbed his wrist, and used his own momentum to drive his face into her rising knee. The satisfying crunch of cartilage accompanied his collapse to the ground. She relieved him of his weapon—a well-balanced blade that felt familiar in her grip.

"Ryx!" she called out as she approached. "We need to get to Ashspire!"

The commander finished his opponents with brutal efficiency, then turned to her with grim satisfaction. "I was wondering when you'd stop playing healer and start being the warrior I knew you were."

That was the highest compliment coming from him.

They began running toward Ashspire, the estate visible in the distance like a pyrestone fortress against the volcanic landscape.

Ryx's voice cracked into his communicator with military authority. "Half of you stay here and defend Hearthring! The other half, get to Ashspire now!"

As they ran, Arvid reached out through their mate bond, pouring her determination, strength, and fierce protectiveness into the connection.

I'm coming to protect our kingdom with you.

The response came back immediately through the completed bond—his surprise, gratitude, and something that felt like relief mixed with terror. Calix didn't want her in danger, but he understood that this was bigger than his need to protect her. This was about protecting everything they'd chosen to build together.

Our kingdom.

The thought sent fire through her veins as they raced toward whatever waited at Ashspire.

TWENTY

CALIX