Page 173 of Blood of the Stars

Excitement kept everyone up later than usual, and if the rustling indicated the others were tossing and turning as much as Aeliana, she assumed hardly anyone slept that night. They all rose early and broke camp while it was still dark. The Sun soon cast light across the sky, but the canyon kept everything hidden for a little longer. Despite the lack of sleep, everyone was in high spirits, eager to join the troops. It made the long climb out of the canyon feel shorter. A few miles from the canyon’s edge, the hills parted once more, but this time for a rolling valley filled with trees, grass, and thousands of troops.

A grin split Aeliana’s face, making her realize how long it had been since she’d truly smiled. She hadn’t been able to imagine a crowd this size, and now that she looked at the waves of people milling about like ants, she still couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

“We’ll stay together and make camp on the northern edge,” Sylmar said. “They’re on our side, but we have a slightly different agenda, one they can’t all know about in case Mayvus has noetics in her fortress. This morning I’ll—” He cut off as a dark shadow briefly fell over them, making the horses twitch.

Most of her companions drew weapons, but Aeliana’s limbs went numb as she turned to the sky. Durriken made a circle high in the sky above them before diving straight at them.

Several of the others loosed arrows, but Aeliana could only stare as Durriken swept past them, his gaze locked on hers. He came close enough for her to hear his snort and feel the rush of air from his wings—close enough for her to see a new black brand darkening his paw.

“I freed you,” she murmured. “You’re supposed to be free.” How had she not considered the possibility of him being rebranded? Mayvus likely had stores of his blood, ready to use at any moment.

The beast turned toward the valley, his wings glinting in the Sun, and then he breathed fire across the scattering troops.

Aeliana slid from her horse with a cry, dropping to her knees as hundreds of men were killed in an instant. Those in the center received the mercy of instant death, but those on the edges ran, tripping and falling as the flames licked their boots. Screams tore through the air, reaching Aeliana with an eerie delay.

“Holm, Iris, Jasperus, take her back into the canyon,” Sylmar said.

“No!” Aeliana forced herself to stand. “I’ll go with you. He won’t hurt me.”

“You’re right,” Sylmar said. “He won’t. And I find that just as concerning. I’m not letting him take you straight to Mayvus.”

“That’s where we’re headed anyway,” Aeliana argued, pulling herself back up onto her horse. “If you find my mother, you’ll find me. But I’m not letting all these men die if she sent him after me.” She kicked her horse’s sides, relieved that the mare didn’t balk at the chaos she aimed for.

Durriken made a second pass and annihilated dozens more. The soldiers scattered, tripping over each other, but there was nowhere for them to hide. Most ran toward Aeliana, toward the canyon, knowing the walls were too narrow for Durriken’s wings, but they would never make it in time.

Hooves pounded behind her, and Aeliana hoped her comrades were coming to help her instead of stop her. Her mind raced right alongside her mare, debating her options. She wanted to rescue the soldiers, even if it meant sacrificing herself, but was there a way for her to free Durriken again too? Was it worth it if Mayvus would just brand him again?

As the crowd of troops surged around her, she was forced to dismount to keep making her way closer to the center of the camp, closer to the place where Durriken might see her. She lost sight of Sylmar and the others, swarmed by a sea of strangers. She pressed her hands together, drawing the power up from her center and out of her starlock, letting it build until even her clasped hands couldn’t contain it.

The glow that extended from her hands was the biggest light shield she’d made yet, extending on either side of her almost a dozen feet as well as above. The wall of light moved with her, passing through soldiers whose mouths dropped in awe. At first, they fled from the shimmering light, but as they watched her pass through smoldering tents to snuff out flames, a horde gathered around her, desperate for the shield to protect them too.

Initially, she welcomed them. That was the whole point of the shield—to keep people safe. But as the crowd grew, her shield couldn’t contain them all. Durriken turned in the sky, headed back for another pass over the troops. He lazily scanned the people until his gaze locked on Aeliana’s shield. It drew him in like a beacon, and too late, Aeliana realized the people who could have been fleeing were now fighting each other for a prime spot behind her shield.

“Run!” Her gaze caught on the soldiers at the edges of her shield, their panic making them climb on top of backs or shove down people caught off-balance.

Durriken was nearly upon them, the majestic flap of his wings like the iridescent curve of a seashell. He opened his mouth, his massive chest expanding with inhaled air. In moments, he would breathe fire, knowing Aeliana was safe, knowing he would annihilate everyone outside her shield.

All these people would die, their lives snuffed out in an instant.

Aeliana dropped the shield with a groan, the effort of reversing her magic dizzying. Her knees started to give out, but she reached for a soldier beside her, desperate to see what Durriken did.

The beast’s eyes widened, and a strange choking sound left his throat as he held back his flames. His chest nearly brushed the tips of the soldier’s swords and shields as he passed, the wind of his wings knocking everyone to the ground.

But they were alive.

It took Aeliana far too long to stand again, but she couldn’t help grinning. As long as she was with the people, they were safe. Durriken wouldn’t harm them. She tracked him once more, wondering how she could use that knowledge to her advantage, and her smile fell.

Orange flames poured from his mouth like liquid fire dropping down on another faction. She hadn’t saved lives; she’d merely exchanged who lived and who died. As long as Durriken was here, he would keep killing. Not because he wanted to, but because he was compelled by Mayvus. Aeliana needed to stop him, not just to save these people, but to save Durriken.

The people around her resumed running, forcing her back as she stubbornly stood her ground, watching as the dragon circled once more. Elbows jostled her side, and people yelled at her for blocking their escape. She ignored them, raising shaking hands far above her head.

“Come and get me,” she whispered. “It’s me you want.”

Once again Durriken scanned the crowd. Aeliana let a burst of light leave her hands, a pathetic attempt at a shield, but exactly what she needed to draw his gaze. She might have imagined it, but she swore she saw sorrow in his eyes as he approached.

The people around her screamed and scattered, leaving Aeliana out in the open. With a touch far gentler than she’d anticipated, the great beast’s paws wrapped around her midsection, and her feet left the ground.

CHAPTER 70

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