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I had a terrible feeling I knew exactly what, but there was no time to explain now. ‘Can you walk? Should you?’

‘Yes. Being on my feet makes me stronger.’

Shaking my head slightly, because I still couldn’t quite believe what had happened, I turned back to the clearing—and immediately saw Cali, her arms outstretched on the ground toward me, and her forehead on the dirt.

“Cali,” I said shortly.

She struggled upright, and I averted my eyes from her awful wounds as she sat back on her heels and bowed her head to me. “Yes, Dominus?”

I had to bite back the urge to snarl at her not to call me that. “Was the queen in attendance tonight?”

“I believe so, but I haven’t seen her since the Circle was formed.”

I scowled and lifted my voice to reach the others. “Your submission is noted. Rest here. I’ll have servants bring a healer to help you.”

She frowned as if she didn’t understand. It was eerie. I’d seen men walk away from battle with mortal wounds, feeling no pain, unaware that their lifeblood poured from them. Was that what happened? Was Cali dying, and her body protected her, in shock? Was she truly unaware of the terrible burns? I prayed so. But she also didn’t move.

“Stand. All of you. Stand, but do not move.”

The crowd of Cruors—former Cruors?—straightened, pushed to their feet and looked toward me, eyes darting left and right, wringing hands, some watching the skies. They had all drawn to a halt a good fifty feet away, eyeing Kham and Koa behind me, battle-triumphant, and looming over all of us, their scales gleaming and glowing in the rosy dawn light.

Because it was dawn. The sun would soon be visible over the mountains, and reveal who knew what.

The overwhelming nature of what was before us hit me, and I wavered on the edge of fear again. But my beautiful mate gripped my arm and leaned against me. I touched her precious face, then turned back to the crowd who had all lined up, watching us.

“I need an urgent messenger—healers are needed for any who survived. Run. Bring a team for Calliope, and others to help any that are collapsed, but still conscious. We take them back to the castle—bathe, clean sheets, and a physician for injuries.” I pointed at two of the younger men. “Go. Now. Run.”

When those two hared off, I returned my attention to the others. “Has anyone seen the Queen of Fyrehold?” I barked.

But no one spoke. They eyed each other and looked behind them to see if anyone else raised a hand.

Shit.

Selecting two of the older men, who looked pale and shaky, but otherwise uninjured, I sent them back as well. “Find guards. If she lives, take her to the audience chamber and keep her there until I can speak with her. Go.”

The men jogged away and I turned back to Cali. “I’ll have them prepare a chamber for you in the same wing as ours. We need to speak.”

Her eyes were still glazed, but she nodded, and thanked me in hushed tones as I turned back to consider what the fuck I was supposed to do with the remaining Cruormancers. All of them adults. All neck-deep in dark magik, and the greed and selfish ambition that came with it. They’d taken a blow tonight, and they were in fear. But was their power dramatically reduced? Or only wounded? Would they heal?

Right now, they were afraid. They believed they’d seen me overpower their former Dominus and kill her. They believed they’d seen me keep dragons at my beck and call.

The dragons…

Kham heard the thought and groaned in my head, showing me images of their battle with the two dragons my mother had summoned.

I winced.

Mindless. Controlled. Ruthless. Emotionless.

I felt sick. We had to figure out how they were doing this to dragons. But I had to get Grace to a healer I could trust!

“Things are changing,” I said darkly. No one moved. “In two hours I will call Conclave. Every Cruormancer who remains alive—ranked, or not—is required to attend. Don’t attempt to evade. You saw what happened when she defied me.” I tipped my head toward my mother’s body. Let them chew on that. “If you don’t attend, you’ll be the next target. If you try to deceive me, you’ll be removed. If you attend, and offer the truth, you will be spared, no matter how ugly the truth may be. Take these instructions to heart, and send your servants to relay them to any Cruor who did not attend tonight, and remains alive.

“This is your only chance for a clean slate. Whatever grievances—petty or otherwise—that were held by the Dominus prior are smoke in the wind. Whatever crimes, or plots were in play, are forgotten. You can report the truth and accept new instructions, and live the life you choose. Or you can attempt to evade, or deceive me, and pay the consequences. Consider that as you return to your chambers.”

There was a short, silent moment, before all of them bowed or curtseyed, then turned on their heels and fled back to the castle.

When they were out of sight, I carried Grace to Kham, mounted with her clinging to my chest, then let our dragons fly us back to the castle.