Page 100 of Dragon’s Rogue

Even if it finished her.

Because she knew now what would release the Seal.

Behind her, she heard the echo of footsteps. Too close. Was Silas tracking her magically? Or did he somehow sense the idol? It didn’t matter. As long as he was away from the others, as long as they were safe, that was all that mattered.

There it was—the corridor to the portal room. She dashed around the corner, getting a second wind. Just few more yards.

She could hear him getting closer.

Blaze ran down to the dead end and turned. Silas was standing at the far end of the corridor. “There’s nowhere else for you to go,” he said. “Bring me the idol.”

“Come and get it,” she said, and slammed her hand onto the sensor.

The door to the portal room rumbled open. Blaze dashed inside and threw herself across the room to the lever, wrenching it to the side. The wall shimmered; the portal appeared, and Blaze ran through.

The silence hit her like a blow. She stopped for a moment, then swung around to face the portal as she backed towards the brass star, the now-silent idol clutched in her hands.

For a moment, all remained still. Then there was a sound like distant thunder, or an underground train heading towards the station. It grew louder, shaking the cavern, and bits of stone and dust rained down from the ceiling.

As she watched, more cracks appeared in the floor, spiderwebbing over the dragon’s tomb. One huge eye opened a slit, and red light shot from it, refracting from the cracks.

The idol blinked its ruby eyes, and the gold mouth smiled. “Maia,” it said in its deep voice. “I knew you would come.”

Dark fog rolled out of its mouth and enveloped Blaze with its oily touch. “Give yourself to me, and we will be together forever.”

This time, Blaze didn’t fight back. She stared into the idol’s smug golden face. “Go ahead, sucker,” she said. “Make me evil. It’s only going to help me do what I need to do.”

Blaze opened herself and let the darkness come.

The portal shimmered and Silas stepped through, his eyes burning red in his misshapen face.

Chapter 45

Zane stumbled through the corridors towards the portal chamber. Every hallway seemed miles long. His body was out of his control, changing from dragon to bear to human so fast he kept falling, crawling on his hands and knees, trying to walk on two legs as a bear.

His bones broke and rebroke, shooting white-hot darts of pain through him every time he tried to take a step.

But he had to keep going. He had to get to Blaze in time.

His mind was filled with visions: Blaze lying hurt, dying from magic or a blade or the fiery breath of a dragon. In each one, he almost made it in time, failing at the last moment to save her, to protect her.

He couldn’t fail again. She was his heart, his most precious treasure.

Saving her was the only option.

He managed to hold his dragon form for a minute or two, dragging himself through the hallways. But he was too big for the hallway to the portal chamber, and Changing to human cost him almost a full minute. He had bear paws and a bear head, but he was running down the hall, and the doorway to the portal chamber was open. He didn’t need the palm scan.

The portal was closed, and he lunged for the lever. He couldn’t hold his shape; he went full-on bear again and now he was too big for the portal. He slapped the viewing panel with his huge paw while he focused on turning human.

He couldn’t, he almost turned dragon instead, growing and squeezing against the walls of the room. Agony. Agony. He had to be small. He had to be soft and human and small and vulnerable.

For her. For Blaze.

Blaze faced down the man in front of her. He’d been chasing her for so long, and she’d been running. Now, finally, they were face to face.

And she was strong. The idol had helped her remember all the things she’d learned, all the prices she’d paid.

Dark spells. Dark powers, lying dormant inside her for this moment.