Page 57 of Tempest Rising

The streets of Dracara bustled with life as I made my way toward the Elder Council building.

The towering stone structure loomed ahead, its architecture unmistakably designed with dragons in mind. Massive arched entrances allowed for easy access, while intricate carvings of ancient wyrms coiled around the pillars, their eyes inset withglowing gemstones. Wide terraces and reinforced ledges jutted out at various heights, providing ample space for dragons to perch.

Dragons lounged in the courtyards or soared above, their immense wings casting shifting shadows over the cobblestones. Supes moved purposefully through the city, some engaged in quiet conversations, others carrying enchanted artifacts or consulting tomes that shimmered with arcane script. The air thrummed with energy, a constant reminder of the realm’s ancient power.

As I passed a communal well, a group of young Supes stood nearby, their voices rising and falling in hushed excitement. Snippets of conversation drifted toward me—mentions of the "human Dragon Rider." Tempest. Even here, her name rippled through the currents of power.

They whisper of her as if she belongs to them. Fools. We will tear them apart, strip flesh from bone, and reduce all who challenge our claim.

I breathed with resolve before refocusing on my path.

Ahead, stationed before the grand entrance of the Elder Council building, loomed a pair of ancient dragons. Their scaled forms, massive and unyielding, radiated power and vigilance. Guardians of the Council, they were more than mere sentinels—they were a living testament to the authority within these walls. Their eyes flared amber, heads tilting ever so slightly. The air hissed through their nostrils as they shifted, muscles coiling beneath their armored hides.

A pause. A flicker of awareness.

Had they sensed something?

Chapter 23

Ciaran

The corner of my mouth tilted into a faint smirk as I pulled shadows closer around me, not to disappear but to distort, to unsettle. Dragons prided their senses as sharper than any other species, but even their instincts were susceptible to a well-woven Shadow Fae illusion.

They stirred again, their luminous eyes scanning the space where I stood. Idly, I draped a thin layer of magic over my presence—just enough to confuse, to make them question whether the shimmer at the edge of their vision was real or imagined.

The larger of the pair rumbled—a low, tectonic sound that vibrated in my ribcage, but I didn’t break my stride.

You sense us. Good. Feel how powerless you are to stop us.

By the time their suspicion crystallized, I had already slipped past the glowing wards and into the mass of stone and etching that formed the Council’s entry door. The air trembled faintly as they resumed their vigil. If they had been aware of my presence, they were too unsure to act on it.

The crack in the massive doorway—a hidden overlook disguised with ivy—was right where it had always been. My fingersbrushed the grooves in the ancient stone until I felt the resistance thrumming beneath my palm. I leaned forward, lips brushing the faintest whisper of incantation. The door shuddered once, reluctant, as though it recognized me but disapproved. Then the magic yielded, the way it always had.

I stepped into the concealed corridor, letting the stone seal itself again behind me, any evidence erased. The hum of the wards outside faded into silence.

Towering, black stone walls rose on either side. I made my way deeper into the labyrinth the Elders called their inner sanctum.

This was for her. It was always for her.

Tess had too many enemies, too many secrets she hadn’t yet uncovered. If she needed me, I would be ready. I would have answers.

I would not fail her.

The secret library wasn’t far—buried in the heart of their fortress. Those who wielded knowledge always underestimated what determination could do.

Determination like mine.

The air itself seemed to change as I crossed the threshold into the library. Shelves carved from polished obsidian stretched high into the vaulted ceiling. Dragonfire orbs illuminated the room in a soft, flickering glow, casting long, dancing shadows. Crystalline artifacts lined the walls, each one thrumming faintly with the energy of the knowledge it contained.

I moved between the shelves, trailing fingertips lightly over scrolls wrapped in leather and glowing fragments of Flameborn Lore encased in translucent glass. I paused before one artifact—a shard of bone etched with swirling patterns. It pulsed faintly as my hand brushed near, as though testing me.

Not today,I thought, withdrawing my hand. My objective lay deeper still.

Navigating the labyrinth of shelves, I paused now and then to investigate. A scroll buzzed faintly under my touch, its enchantments protesting my presence like an irate fly. I flicked it open briefly, letting its contents flare in sparks of red glyphs before dismissing it. Another shelf contained what looked like a shimmering lattice meant to catalog crimes against the Elder Council—dull reading.

But then I saw it, glowing faintly, nearly hidden beneath layers of magical obfuscation—an alcove bathed in faint amber light.

Found you.

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