Page 29 of Mountains of Mist and Magic

Doria appeared almost instantly, before Esmeralda could even shut the door. “Can I be of assistance?”

“Could you draw her a bath?” Esmeralda asked, helping Selenia out of her boots. “She's positively frozen.”

Doria nodded and raced off to Selenia's bathroom, and then Esmeralda began searching through Selenia's wardrobe. Selenia shucked the rest of her clothes, and Esmeralda handed her a robe and then set a nightdress on the bed.

“No nightdress, I'm going to help with the dragons,” she said, walking into her bathroom. Doria patted her on the shoulder and left, no doubt to bring her something to eat.

“Are you sure, Selenia? You've been through so much already.”

Selenia let out a sigh as she slid into the warm tub. The hot water eased her aches and pains, but her skin tingled and burned a bit from the sudden change from freezing cold to piping hot.

“Yes. I'm in this too now.”

“I wish I was as brave as you.” Esmeralda's voice came quietly through the door.

“I'm not brave, Esmeralda. I just—I can't let Sion do these things alone. That's what it means to be fated. Wherever he goes, I go. Even if he goes to his death, I'll follow right behind him, gladly. I couldn't live with him gone. And—I wouldn't want to.” Selenia quickly scrubbed her body, not even bothering to wash her hair. The bath was meant just to warm her up, but she couldn't resist cleaning a tiny little bit while she was in there.

“I wish Phillippe felt that way about me.” Selenia didn't have to see Esmeralda's face to know there was great sadness etched upon it. How hard it must be, to be around her and Sion, Renya and Grayden. She once again felt anger rage through her, directed at Cressida and her dragons. She was sure the Murcurial could have done something for Sion and Esmeralda. But no. She died a tragic, senseless death.

Selenia rose out of the tub, grabbing a towel and quickly drying off. There was no more time for idleness. Every second counted, and she was determined to fix their world, no matter the cost.

But her determination would come sooner rather than later, it seemed. Before she could even slip her robe on, she heard a terrifying roar.

“Selenia!” Esmeralda cried, bursting into the bathroom. She passed Selenia her gown and helped her lace up the back.

“What do we do?” Esmeralda asked, picking up Selenia's boots and passing them over to her.

“We do whatever we can. Whatever we must.”

The pair rushed out of Selenia's room and down the staircase. They could hear servants screaming and shouting and saw the frantic and desperate looks on their faces. The entire lodge was in sheer pandemonium. Selenia watched Renya's aunt running towards the sublevels, and she nodded at Esmeralda and they both followed Agatha down the back staircase. Selenia took the stairs two at a time, and the roars got louder the lower they went.

They finally made it to the sublevel only to find more chaos. One of the dragons, the maroon male that Selenia recognized earlier, had partially tunneled through into one of the cells, and Renya's aunt was trying to restrain Brandle as he attempted to slip out of the breached cell. It appeared that Cyrus’s weakening magic was no longer a match for the power of three grown dragons.

“Renya!” Grayden screamed, as another dragon broke through the wall next to her. Renya's aunt instantly turned her focus to the new threat, and Selenia watched in horror as Brandle slipped through the small opening and outside of the lodge.

“Sion!” Selenia screeched, but he was already aware, heading out of the sublevels to make his way outside and after Brandle.

Selenia was torn, so much was happening, and she didn't know what to do or whom to help. Phillippe was trying to break into the cell, but his lack of magic meant that he was basically just hacking away at impenetrable bars with his broadsword. Grayden had his own sword drawn and was trying to conquer the largest dragon who had now worked its way into Cressida's cell, and Agatha and Renya were trying to use their magic to cajole the dragon who had breached Brandle's cell.

It took a split second to make up her mind.

“Esmeralda, go find Almory. See if he has anything to slow down or stop dragons. Find Dimitri too, we might need his expertise to heal anyone wounded.”

“Where are you going?” Esmeralda had to shout over the deafening sound of growls and snarls, and steel on steel.

“After Sion,” she said, turning her back and heading up the stairs as fast as her legs could carry her. Selenia had a pit in her stomach over leaving her brothers and Renya to deal with the dragons, but Sion…he was her future. And he wasn't fully healed, had no magic…he was no match for Brandle.

Selenia reached the main hallway and ran out back towards the gardens, where she imagined the dragons had tunneled. Sure enough, right outside of the tree line she could see monstrous pits and could make out the back end of the dragons. The sound of their talons in the frozen dirt made Selenia shudder, and she pictured the damage they had done to the Murcurial.

Her eyes frantically looked for Sion, and she could see him in the distance, running up a hill, assumingly in pursuit of Brandle. Selenia knew there was no way he would catch up to him, not in the shape he was in and with the head start Brandle had. But she knew what Sion had been through and knew he would take personal responsibility for Brandle if he escaped.

Selenia struggled up the hill, her boots filling with snow. Her hands were bare and quickly turning red, and the ends of her wet hair were freezing in place. The trees of the forest started to thicken, and a branch smacked her in the face, cutting a gash against her forehead. But she kept on, trying desperately to catch up to Sion.

Suddenly, another roar caused her to sink to her knees. Another dragon? Where in the world did this one come from? Selenia couldn't see the creature, but the sound came from up the hill. She looked behind her, only to see three dragons still trying to tunnel into the lodge. No, it must be a new dragon.

Sion suddenly stopped, but Selenia kept running towards him. Towards the roar.

If another dragon was there, and Sion was undefended against it, that's where she would be too. She'd die with him. Even if it was a horrendous death, it wouldn't matter. They'd be together for eternity.

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