Page 70 of Three Scorched Kingdoms

The heat singes my clothes, my fingers. The smoke steals my breath, clogging my lungs.

The library is burning, the ancient tomes turning to ash in the flames.

“Aries, stop!” I cry, but he’s beyond hearing, his dragon’s rage unleashed in full force. I can see the anguish in his eyes, desperation driving him to destroy.

A beam above my head breaks loose, crashing to the ground near my feet.

The library is collapsing around us, the very foundation of the Athenaeum crumbling as the fire consumes it. Constantine, though wheezing, laughs—a chilling sound that echoes through the burning chamber.

“You think fire will stop me?” he sneers, but there’s an edge of fear in his voice now, his eyes flickering with uncertainty as the flames close in on him. His shield is weakening.

My magic surges as it returns to me.

He’s stopped draining me at last.

This is my chance.

Before I can attack him, another beam falls from the ceiling, this one larger, structural. It crashes down between me and Aries, cutting off my path to him. The heat is unbearable, the flames licking at my skin, and I know that if I don’t move, I’ll be trapped.

But there’s nowhere to go. The fire is everywhere, closing in, suffocating.

And then I see it—a shadow moving through the flames, coming toward me. Constantine’s eyes gleam through the smoke, his hand reaching out, and I know that this is it. I’m out of time, out of options.

Just as his fingers brush my skin, everything goes white-hot, and I scream as the world around me explodes in fire and light.

18

ARIES

The flames roar around us, a living, breathing entity of destruction. My dragon fire, once controlled and precise, now rages unchecked, devouring everything in its path. The shelves, the books, the very heart of the Athenaeum—all of it is being consumed by the inferno I’ve unleashed.

But none of that matters as I watch Constantine move toward Paige.

She’s lying on the floor, her body limp and fragile amidst the chaos. Smoke swirls around her, and beneath the smudges of soot on her cheeks, her skin is pale, too pale. My heart thunders in my chest as I realize she’s unconscious—vulnerable. And Constantine knows it.

With a wicked grin, he reaches down, his hand glowing with dark magic, ready to take what’s left of her for his own—ready to finish what he started.

“No!” I roar, charging forward, but the flames slow me down, the intense heat forcing me to shield my eyes. I swing my sword, sending a wave of fire toward him, but he’s faster. He darts to the side, avoiding the flames as he grabs Paige by the arm, pulling her up like she’s nothing more than a rag doll.

“Such a waste,” he sneers, his eyes glinting with malevolence. “You could have been so powerful, little mage. But now, you’ll die like the rest of them.”

My fury knows no bounds. The dragon inside me roars, demanding blood, demanding that I tear Constantine apart for daring to touch her.

But I can’t get to him—not with Paige in his grasp.

Constantine’s grip on her tightens, and I know he’s draining her, his magic pulling the life from her soul. Her head lolls to the side, her eyes closed, and a sickening fear grips me. She’s not moving. She’s not fighting back.

The mate bond flickers.

I have to end this now.

I summon every ounce of power within me, feeling the dragon fire course through my veins. The flames around us intensify, the heat so intense that the very air shimmers with it. The library trembles, the walls cracking under the pressure.

With a final, desperate roar, I hurl myself at Constantine, my sword blazing with dragon fire. I aim for his heart, determined to rip it from his chest.

But he’s faster than I expect. He shifts Paige in front of him, using her as a shield. I pull back at the last second, the blade only narrowly missing her flesh as I yank it away.

Constantine laughs, a cold, heartless sound that makes my blood boil. “You can’t save her, dragon. You can’t save any of them.”

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