Cyrene went over to Kael and wrapped an arm around his waist. She slung his uninjured arm over her shoulders. “Let’s go.”
He hobbled forward despite the immense amount of pain he must be in. But he was a survivor, just like her. He wouldn’t let a shoulder injury stop him.
“Is she going to make it?” Kael asked.
The rumbling was getting louder. Suddenly, they heard pop, pop, pop. As if explosions were going off beneath their feet.
Cyrene’s eyes widened in alarm. “She’d better.”
Vera was at their side in an instant. “There she is.”
Sarielle pulled in close and looked uncomfortably at the five people on the balcony.
“Can you carry us all?” Cyrene asked.
Sarielle counted them all again with her eyes. We’ll make do. Hurry.
It was a race against time as they helped Avoca and Kael onto Sarielle’s back. Halcyon and Ameerath were still too far away to make it to them in time. Dean boosted himself up next as the terrace began to splinter. He helped Vera up onto Sarielle’s back and then reached for Cyrene.
The terrace began to crumble beneath her feet. Suddenly, she was just standing on air. Then she was falling. She dug deep into her depleted magic and pushed herself forward on air. Reaching, reaching, reaching for Dean’s hand.
But she didn’t have enough magic to sustain her flight. Even hovering took immense concentration and magic. And she was officially out.
She screamed as her body plummeted.
She was weightless. Her stomach in her throat. Terror stretching into long seconds as she disappeared beneath the balcony. Her body moving at lightning speeds, being dragged down toward the ground below.
At least she had ended it.
Stopped Malysa.
Tricked her at her own game.
And now, the world could continue without her influence.
Then Cyrene saw a large shape shooting toward her.
But it was too far away.
It would never make it in time.
Not before she splattered onto the stone below.
Yet this dragon was moving at speeds Cyrene had never witnessed. Or perhaps she just hadn’t seen it in so long. The dragon had been made for speed, made to catch flying objects out of the sky.
Just as Cyrene had done with Avoca on Tavry’s back.
The purple dragon reached one clawed paw toward her. Cyrene stretched out, holding out her hand as far as she could. Hoping against all hope.
Then Tavry plucked her out of the sky.
Cyrene’s arm ripped out of its socket, and she screamed again in pain.
But Tavry had stopped Cyrene’s fall.
She hadn’t died.
Tavry looped back upward, veering away from the castle. Suddenly, a small hand was reaching down toward her.
“Cyrene! Give me your other hand.”
She glanced up to see none other than Kerrigan Argon staring back at her. Cyrene painfully swung back and forth a few times before throwing her hand up. Kerrigan caught it within hers and heaved her up onto Tavry’s back.
“Hello, Cyrene,” Helly said from the front of the dragon.
“Hi. Nice save,” she said. She patted Tavry. “Nice flying.”
I fly with the speed of the wind. Nothing is beyond my reach.
“I’m glad for that,” Cyrene said, cradling her arm against her chest.
Tavry circled high, coming in close to Sarielle. And they watched as the Nit Decus castle came down. Explosions happened over and over, all over the place. Stone by stone, the entire thing collapsed in on itself. Until it lay in a heap with only sections of the once great castle still standing in ruin. The inside had caught flame. A fire that Cyrene guessed would last a long, long time.
And strangely, she felt a great sense of relief.
This had been the seat of power for the world for so long. Byern had guided all of Emporia from its high seat first as the Doma court and then the Dremylons. The Nit Decus castle had seen so many atrocities. It had delivered so much vengeance. So much death.
It was only fitting that, on the day it had all ended, the castle came down with it. Time to start fresh. Not painting over the old and hoping the paint didn’t chip and show the ugliness through. But a real new beginning.
And then something happened on the ground.
Malysa’s forces threw down their arms.
They got to their knees with their hands up.
They were surrendering.
All of the soldiers that she had assembled were surrendering to Cyrene’s army. They had seen the castle come down and the dragons take down the Voldere. They knew what that meant for their fight. It was over.
“Let’s head back to camp,” Cyrene said.
Tavry circled once more before swinging back around. They flew to the campsite, landing easily next to the portal Cyrene had created.
Cyrene slid uneasily off of Tavry’s back. “Thank you again,” she said, touching her with her uninjured arm.
It is always good to assist you, Cyrene of the Doma.
Cyrene smiled and then waited for Helly and Kerrigan to jump down. Cyrene threw one arm around Helly in a hug right away. “It is so good to see you.”
Helly laughed. “You too, Cyrene. Let me look at that shoulder.”
“It’s fine. It will fix itself.”
“You have depleted your reserves. At least let me reset it.”
“There are more important concerns.”
Kerrigan stepped up without comment, braced Cyrene’s arm, and then knocked it back into place. She gasped as the bones realigned and shot a watery look at Kerrigan.
“Thanks.”
“Action seemed better than arguing,” Kerrigan said with a shrug.
Cyrene nodded before turning back to Helly. “I need you to heal Avoca.”
Helly raised an eyebrow. “Again? What is wrong with her?”
Sarielle landed next to Tavry, shooting the other dragon a flirtatious look. Then, Dean helped Avoca down from her back. He carried her to Helly since she was still passed out. Cyrene lifted her blackened arm. She could see that the black had risen all the way to her elbow. It looked dead and useless everywhere the black touched.
“The dark goddess hit her with some kind of physical darkness. Avoca used her knives to deflect the blow, and it dyed them.” She showed Helly the knives that were now black as night. “It looks like it hit her arm and is spreading. Can you save her?”
Helly blanched. “This is…horrible. I’ve never seen this before. Do I have somewhere to work?”
“Take Lady Hellina to the healers tent right away,” Cyrene barked at the closest page. “Use anything you need.”
Helly nodded, but she was already in healer mode. And, from her expression, it wasn’t looking good. Helly followed Dean and Avoca away to the healers tents, and Cyrene prayed to anyone who would listen that Helly could fix her. Because, if Helly couldn’t do it, then no one could. She was the best healer in the entire world. She had to be able to do it.
Cyrene bit her lip and then realized Kael Dremylon had managed to get off of Sarielle. He looked weak from blood loss. He could barely stay on his feet.
“We need to get you to a healer, too,” Cyrene said.
“If anyone finds out that I’m here, they’ll kill me,” he got out through gritted teeth.
Cyrene knew he was right. “Not on my watch.” She looked to Kerrigan, who was already taller than Cyrene. “Your cloak. Quick.”