Page 72 of Betrayed By Dragons

"It can augment all kinds of spells." Amy starts counting things off on her fingers. "Telekinetic, telepathic, transportation, mind control, incapacitation--and that's just for starters."

"In this case," Freya continues, "your mother believes it was used to intensify and target the explosion, and possibly even to remotely telepathically trigger it."

Amy shakes her head. "This still doesn't make sense. The Shadow Dragons were defeated. They're all gone--right? No one's seen or heard from them in a decade."

My throat catches at the tremor in her voice.

Amy has no idea that her mother is a Shadow Dragon. That she and her brother are both half Shadow Dragons themselves.

That my magic first began to manifest itself when the Shadow Queen's Bracer leapt out of a crate and fastened itself around my arm.

I shiver, unable to control my reaction.

There's also the matter of the Shadow Dragon lurking in this very castle. Speaking into the Fire King's ear.

As if he can read my thoughts, Rafe looks to me and arches a brow. "Do you want to tell her? Or should I?"

Sweat breaks out on the back of my neck.

I dropped my bombshell about Gethen back at the Emergence field. I'm still not entirely sure Rafe believes me, but we agreed that we had to tell the others about my suspicions. We just hadn’t found an opportunity.

This feels like the worst possible time, but he's right. We can't keep this to ourselves.

"What?" Amy asks, turning in her chair to glance between me and Rafe. "Tell me what?"

"This afternoon." I put my hand in my pocket in a mad attempt not to fidget under the weight of everyone's stare. "In King Aeden's study. I'm pretty sure--his new advisor..." My throat is suddenly dry. My vision flashes to those deep, black eyes that seemed to peer through me, and I shudder.

Rhiannon is a Shadow Dragon. Amy and Jett are half. I bear the power of the Shadow Bracer. It chose me, and all it's done so far is protect me.

But whether or not all Shadow Dragons are evil, the fact remains that the man behind the king had darkness in his heart.

"He was a Shadow Dragon," I manage to choke out.

It's silent for a beat.

And then chaos erupts, everywhere all at once.

"What?" Jianyu growls, his face the same shade of purple Rafe's turned when I told him.

"No way." Amy shakes her head.

Jett clenches his hands into fists, his usual unflappability tested as invisible flames flicker around him; he may be half Shadow Dragon, but his other half is Fire, and it's never been more evident than now. "Here?"

"I couldn't sense him," Rafe admits. But he isn't trying to undermine me here. "He did seem sketchy, though."

"'Sketchy?'" Jianyu's composure is slipping, just like Jett's.

We've all been told the same story Amy has. The Shadow Dragons were defeated at the end of the Great War. Victory came at a terrible cost, but it was absolute. We won. Dragonkind was saved.

But was it? A twisting sensation spirals in my gut.

I've had longer to get used to the idea that Shadow Dragons still walk among us than the others have, but there's still something about the hatred and fear in their eyes that strikes a painful chord inside of me. I can't explain it. I don't even know how to try.

Amy pulls at her hair in distress. "Moonflower crystal residue in Unity, a Shadow Dragon here. This is crazy."

"Is it, though?" Jianyu asks, and there's a new edge to his tone as he looks to Rafe.

Rafe's eyes narrow. "What are you implying?"

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