Page 107 of Blood of the Stars

“We’re heading straight for Durriken.”

“We’re going east,” Sylmar corrected over his shoulder. “If the dragon gets in our way, so be it.”

“I guess it wouldn’t be the first time Aeliana took on a dragon,” Cyrus muttered.

“I did not—” Aeliana broke off, not wanting to waste the energy on such a pointless argument. As her thoughts turned to energy, the starlock around her neck grew warm, a reminder that she had more in her arsenal this time around. It might be a fairer fight.

But what good would stitches and basic healing do in the face of a dragon whose breath would make them ashes on contact? It made all their efforts to teach her seem like such a waste of time.

Aeliana’s anxiety grew as they moved slower and slower through the rubble, occasionally having to turn back to find a clearer path. The rumbles grew louder and the sky darker. When they finally reached the city gate, a thunderous crash resounded behind them. Aeliana fell against Lukai as she turned.

The dragon perched on a tower, some building that had once been a grand five- or six-story structure but was now crushed into the semblance of three, its base threatening to topple as the dragon rearranged his grip on the turrets. His wings spread out for balance, so thin that Aeliana could see through them to the hills behind them in the distance. Iridescent scales shimmered all over his body and down the tail that wrapped around the tower for stability.

The beast huffed, black eyes scanning the group with far too much intelligence. When his eyes landed on Aeliana, he snorted, holding her gaze with a strange combination of hatred and respect. Atop Durriken’s neck, a man clung to the spiked collar. The distance was too far to make out facial features, but the lanky form and dark hair was unmistakably Arvid.

Sylmar held out his staff, which took on its molten glow before rearranging into a metal spear. “Velden and Holm, head to the north side of the square to help block them off. Kendalyhn and I will stall them in the center. Iris and Lukai, get Aeliana and Cyrus to Jasperus and the horses.”

The others all split off to obey, Iris and Lukai dragging Aeliana and Cyrus with them. From the corner of her eye, Aeliana caught sight of Velden’s hands spinning, drawing in water from homes and the earth around him. Even amidst the danger, he grinned, relishing the challenge. If he survived, he’d turn his fight with the dragon into some tall tale that made Sylmar look the fool.

Or maybe not. A glance back showed Sylmar’s face lit up with fury by the glow of his staff. Kendalyhn and Sylmar stood in the center of the square as if beckoning the dragon to come down and take them out like he’d done to all the buildings around them. What if that was exactly what he did? Was that their plan? Stall by self-sacrifice?

Aeliana stopped running. “There has to be a better way.”

Iris tugged on her arm. “We’re not prepared to fight a dragon, love. So we run.”

“You wanted to fight him before,” she argued.

“When he had your blood,” Iris said. “Now the cost is too high for the reward.”

By this time Velden and Holm had made it to the north side of the square, and Aeliana and the others had reached the gate. Jasperus waited on the other side with the horses, but the dragon watched, his lip curling to reveal the hundreds of teeth Aeliana remembered from before. Arvid bent forward, as if whispering instructions to the creature.

She stopped again. “Arvid and Durriken will kill them all. Look at them. They’re devising a plan. They know what they’re doing.”

Tears streamed down Iris’ face, and she wouldn’t hold Aeliana’s gaze. She knew. She knew those who stayed behind were going to die, and she’d accepted it.

Aeliana refused to do the same. Arvid and Durriken wouldn’t win if there was a surprise they hadn’t factored in. How could she get the upper hand?

“Jasperus,” she shouted through the gate. “How far away can you project an illusion?”

His brow creased. “It’s best when I can touch you, like when we fought the winex.”

“But is it passable from a distance? Can you make it look like I’m standing with Sylmar?”

He glanced back at Sylmar and Kendalyhn, both adjusting their defensive stances as the dragon leaped down from the tower, scattering cobblestones in his wake. But then understanding dawned on his face.

“I could make Kendalyhn appear enough like you to the dragon. Maybe confuse Arvid. It wouldn’t fool Sylmar, and if Durriken got too close…”

“Good enough. Do it. Once Arvid or Durriken seems to realize she’s a fake, change it up. Make me be in as many places at once. They came for me. Make them find me.”

Without waiting for a reply, Aeliana scrambled into the building on her right, to the south of the square. She heard footsteps behind her as she rushed up unsteady stairs.

“What are you doing?” Cyrus caught up to her as she hunted for a window that might give her access to the roof. “This is insane.”

“I won’t let these people risk their lives for mine. If I die, I’m actually saving everyone the trouble of worrying about Mayvus having my blood. Mine is the only life worth risking here.” Finally, one window had a secure enough hold on the building’s facade for her to step out and hoist herself up onto the roof. The building trembled beneath her, and for a moment she thought the whole structure would collapse, but another shudder made her realize Durriken was on the move.

She distantly registered Cyrus calling her name, but she ignored him, crawling across the roof until she could look down on Arvid, who sat astride Durriken just beneath her, and Sylmar and Kendalyhn, who faced them from the center of the square. The creature’s eyes were wide with agitation, his snout dripping with water. From the north, across the square, Velden kept a steady stream, nearly drowning the beast before it could take to the skies or send flames on the others. Aeliana hesitated, momentarily reliving all the ways she’d almost died the first night she’d encountered Durriken.

But then Kendalyhn—who had a strange mix of Aeliana’s long hair and Kendalyhn’s petite frame—shrieked, a flame from Arvid’s hand igniting her cloak.

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