Page 182 of Once the Skies Fade

Chaos unfolded before us as darkness engulfed the entire force. Screams escaped the dark cloud, choked off by shadow. Men spun around in futile attempts to fend off their phantom attackers. Blades clattered to the ground, followed by the satisfying thumps of bodies dropping. The tall man hadn’t turned but continued to stare at us, seemingly unfazed by the slaughter occurring behind him. Dropping his head to one side, he studied me curiously, and I could have sworn a smirk was attempting to pull through his stern expression.

An arrow escaped my shadows, whirring over the tall man’s shoulder, narrowly missing his ear as it arced straight toward me. Asher shifted his body to protect me, and the steel tip skidded off his scales and careened off to the side. I pulled my shadows back to give Asher a clear view, and more arrows and blades came flying at us. He swung his tail forward and wrapped it in front of us. He didn’t waste any time, immediately redirecting the spikes that lined the tip of his tail back toward our assailants.

The man stepped over the thrashing limb as if he were taking a leisurely stroll, a move so smooth and effortless—so inhuman—it distracted me long enough I didn’t notice another attackerrushing forward, dropping to the ground, and barely avoiding having his head lopped off by Asher’s tail. But it didn’t stop him from sending a blade whirling end over end toward my friend’s head.

I threw my hands forward, directing my shadows at this new target. Reacting instantly, the dark tendrils wound around the attacker’s head and yanked it from his body. Asher groaned painfully, but thankfully the dagger had merely grazed his eye, leaving a bloody gash from cheek to brow. Despite the blood pouring from his wound, he released a deafening roar and charged forward at the last remaining humans. Crushing the fallen humans under his taloned feet, he attacked those still standing. One man attempted to flee, but my shadows caught him, holding him still while Asher’s spiked tail sank deep into his chest. A pair of women lowered themselves into a crouch, their swords and spears readied as if they stood any chance against a dragon—injured or not. Asher lowered his head toward them. When he came within range, one threw her spear toward his good eye, but they had underestimated how quickly he could move despite his size.

The shaft had barely left her hand when Asher lashed out, his horned head darting forward and snatching both women up in his jaws. Their screams echoed through the canyon as he clamped his teeth down on them—crushing bones and severing limbs—before flinging them into the far wall.

I pulled my shadows back in just enough to see if any humans still breathed, but scanning the canyon—both in front and behind—I found no one, not even the man who had initially greeted us. Where had he gone? To call in reinforcements? To help Graham escape?

“Cal—” Matthias’s strained scream was cut short.

Without a second thought, I took off toward the sound, leaping over the dead, but my heart jolted as if I’d just beenkicked hard in the sternum. Skidding to a stop, I doubled over, my hand clutched to my chest. Where there had been a spark of hope in my veins, now lay a disheartened misery, an empty resignation.

Lifting my head, I peered ahead into the mist, to where my mate waited for me, dying.

He couldn’t die, not when I was this close.

With tears pricking my eyes, I pulled in a steadying breath and charged forward.

Chapter 90

Calla

Thick, cold fog pressed in on all sides, but still I pushed on, albeit slower than I preferred. Behind me claws scraped against the ground and a ragged breath matched my pace. Risking a glance over my shoulder, I calmed slightly at the sight of Asher chasing after me with his wounded brow already starting to heal and dried blood clinging to his scales.

A heartbeat, frantic but faint, caught my ear from somewhere to my left, and I skidded to a stop, craning my head to locate the source. Asher pulled up alongside me, snorting out a breath when I raised my hand in command to hold. A rumble of thunder thrummed in his chest, his nostrils flaring and lips pulling back over jagged teeth. He’d caught a scent. I nodded to him to take the lead. Crouched low to the ground with his wings folded tightly to his body, he crept forward, sniffing along like a hound. With another irritable snort, he swung his head back to me and gestured for me to catch up.

Nudging me with his snout, he thrust me through the mist, nearly running me face first into the black stone of the mountain that seemed to swallow up what little sunlight made it into this canyon. Gingerly I ran my fingers along the rock. What had Asher discovered? What was I missing?

I steadied myself, letting my eyelids droop so I could focus on the pulse I’d heard earlier. Ignoring my own pounding heart and the low growl still brewing within Asher, I listened for that rapid beat, but it had gone silent. Slamming my palm against the rock, I dropped my chin to my chest. I hadn’t come all this way and faced a horde of poison-wielding humans to wind up at a dead end.

An icy cold spread through my hand, caressing my fingers, as my shadows slipped free of their own accord. Glancing up, I struggled to make them out against the dark wall, but as they skimmed over the surface, I was able to track their movement enough to note when they disappeared behind an otherwise unnoticeable edge. Quickly, I scrambled to follow them, tripping over my own toes. Asher’s tail whipped around to catch me and help right me.

“Thanks,” I muttered, patting his scales as he pulled back.

My shadows led me into a narrow crevice in the mountainside where I caught the pulse I’d noted earlier. I started to dart into the opening, when Asher’s growl faded, replaced by a frustrated sigh. Turning back to him, I realized the issue: he couldn’t follow me while in his dragon form.

“Would you rather stand guard out here like this?” I asked. “Or shift and come with me?”

He answered by first shoving his snout into the fissure and sniffing quietly. When he emerged, he pivoted around, planted his feet, and scanned the surrounding fog. Without another word, I pulled my shadows back into my hands—not wanting to risk them giving away my presence any more than my pulse and scent might—and slipped into the mountain. The path twisted and turned a couple times before opening into a cave with sparse furnishings. The scent of leather, trees, and blood overwhelmed me.

Matthias.

He’d been here. Or he was here.

No sooner had I taken one step toward the doorway on the far wall than someone barreled into me from the left, sending me careening to the floor with a groan. My hip hit hard before I was rolled onto my back by a slight figure who quickly straddled my abdomen, pinning my arms down along my sides with their knees. Strong hands slammed into my shoulders, holding them tightly against the uneven floor.

“Ami?” I huffed out breathlessly. “Why?—”

The healer smiled darkly and squeezed her legs tighter around me as she curled her fingers painfully into my flesh. “Did you honestly think no one knew of your powers all these years? You think no one knew of your cursed blood? The queen should have listened to me and rid the world of you and your evil when it was first discovered. How many would still be alive if she had?”

My mind churned, mirroring my shadows as they swirled under my palms that rested against my thighs.

“You’ve wanted me dead my whole life?” I asked, my confusion twisting around my swelling wrath and pulling my brows low.

“The magic you harbor is pure evil that can do nothing but destroy and maim. You know this. It’s why you tried to hide it for so long. It wasn’t until you lost your stars-damned mind?—”

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