Page 8 of What Lies Within Blood & Heirs

“Where? You conducted the deal with Magnelis. By blood or name, he could not thieve powers which were not his, damning me to infernal torture by your bargain. You wish to escape your prison? Tell me where to find Allseeah, or I vow upon every Celestial I will keep Alora from Magnelis until we are old and dying, thousands of years from this day.”

Kerimkhar’s ten thousand voices hissed, “It will require more pain.”

“Goodbye, Kerimkhar. Enjoy your prison.” Garrik simply closed his eyes and allowed his shadows to gather.

Mercy lurched forward, outstretching his rotten hand as he cried out in defeat, “Wait!” Then paused, grinding his teeth before continuing, “My biggest betrayal never dwells in the same place. His movements are … widespread. Go to the ice mountain in which you were awakened. It is the last place I heard he dwelt. But be warned, Heir of Darkness. Destiny only changes once. You are wasting breath. The Daughter of Starfirewillseal Magnelis’s fate.”

With a wolfish grin, Garrik’s shadows swirled as he gloated, “Luckily for me, Allseeah prefers my company over yours, seeing as he trapped you in this mountain.” He turned toward the sea and closed his eyes once more, summoning his magic to release them from his memory.

“Oh, High”—his conniving, thousand-voiced mouth tsked at the final word—“Prince,” he elongated the ‘s’ sound as it hissed off his rotting tongue.

Garrik opened his eyes to find Kerimkhar’s hands rushing to his leathers.

Gripping them, and with unearthly force, he lifted Garrik off his feet, opened his rotting mouth inches from his face, and whispered, “She possesses the power to do great and terrible things. When stars burst, little can escape their ire.” Kerimkhar lunged forward, swinging his body and arms with the force of constellations colliding. “Better to snuff out her flames before she becomes your undoing.”

Garrik flew over the bloodstained balustrade and plummeted to the ocean below. Kerimkhar’s final words contained the power to devastate as he focused on one thought.

Too late.

The fog was too thick. But that wasn’t fog at all…

Shrouded over everything, a layer of smoke so heavy that Alora’s lungs screamed not to breathe as she hurdled over the sea of fallen trees. The bark scratched against her battle leathers with every step.

It burned—the air. So terribly did it burn. But it wouldn’t stop her.

And the smell.

Not the alluring scent of smoked dawnwood that was Garrik’s Smokeshadows but that of a fiery beast on a rampage. Hungry—ravenous for its next kill, no matter the devastation in its wake. But this smoke didn’t bring the smell of death.

Not yet.

Liquid clouding her eyes, nose burning, lungs screaming, Alora focused on the glowing green hue ahead. A hint of something utterly putrid laced within the burning aroma as she rounded a half-fallen tree, disturbing the wisps and tendrils of dust, ash, and smoke.

Then blood.

Shetastedthe iron in the air.

Sonic hissing shook the dirt. It sounded so deathly, so painful, she was certain the blood came from the shrieking beast.

The alternative wasn’t an option.

It couldn’t have been from Garrik. He was fine.He had to be.

Half-shredded membranous wings spread wide across the leveled forest. A disgustingly alluring green hue glowed against its intricate veins. Bleeding from multiple stab wounds and slashes, and impaled on four broken trees, it reared its seven-horned head as it laid on its back, thrashing its legs and barbed tail.

Alora ran into the carnage, sliding to a harsh stop.

A dragon—bigger than Castle Galdheir itself.

Fire erupted from its horns to its tail in waves, tracing every harsh line and curling around scales. The fire flowed like molten lava, danced its cherry glow in wisps of smoke from every bit of its body, and flared from its mouth to burn itself free.

A strangled groan had her jerking her head to the right.

Blood pouring down the side of Garrik’s face almost completely covered his hair. His fingers dug into the leather athis abdomen, leaning partially on a bent knee with his sword pierced into the dirt as he held onto the hilt.

Alora moved to shout to him, but a burst of splinters sent her scrambling into the trees for cover.

The dragon was free.

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