Page 137 of Of Blood and Banes
“Why?” Sethan asks, then follows the chains up until it disappears into the black ceiling, answering his own question and snapping his gaze to me. “You can’t.”
“Ican.”
“Who do you think you are to deny direct orders?—”
“Remember what you told me the days before the blood pact? It could have been anyone else, but for some reason, it’s me. I’m the chosen one, whether or notyoulike it.” I turn my attention to the closest hook and inch over to it.
“Why is A’nala telling me you’re doing something stupid?”Daeja growls.
“Just trust me,”I whisper, then unsheathe my dagger with my right hand and grip the chain with my left hand.
“Hard to do that when she’s saying you’re putting yourself in danger.”
“Do you remember when we were flying for the first time here in the Dragon Lands and you asked me to trust you?”I grunt, apologizing under my breath as I saw the blade between the bottom of the hook and the dragon’s muscle.
“Yes?”
“And admittedly, I didn’t?”
“And you’re acknowledging this now…why?”
“Just reminding you that you’re better than me.”I grin, waiting for her to take the bait.
I swear I can envision her eyes narrowing.“You think you can so easily manipulate me by stroking my ego?”
I chuckle, and she interrupts,“Do go on. You must have more to say. Examples aplenty.”
“We can continue this conversation later once we’re together…”I slice through the last inch of the dragon’s flesh, and the left side of the dragon’s body swings down limply. I cling to the chain with both hands, waiting for the swaying to slow before moving to the next hook.“But thank you for trusting me.”
She grumbles,“Not like I have much of a choice right now anyway.”
Sethan whispers something where he’s gathered with everyone else, and Cole elbows him quiet, motioning to let me have complete silence.
I keep my eyes glued on the scales beneath me, slinking over from hook to hook and slicing them free. Every hook I sever makes the next exponentially harder to release, until I stop with two left: one at the nape of its neck, and the other at the base of its tail. I free the one at its tail first, and the back half of the dragon’s body drops to the bridge, shaking it violently beneath us. I climb back up the dragon’s back to the last hook between its neck and head. I saw through it until the dragon’s head drops free, and I cling to the horns on the back of its head, praying I don’t impale myself in the fall and tucking my head down into my chest.
We land. No horns through my torso, but then the next test starts.
The bridge jumps with a wooden shriek, shaking until it eventually mellows out. Releasing a breath, I drag my head off the cool scales and find everyone at the entrance of the staircase watching with a mix of awe, pride, andI-damn-near-shit-myself.
I hop off the dragon’s neck onto the bridge, take a few steps, and freeze when a gust of warm air brushes against the back of my legs. I turn and backpedal in one swift motion, trippingover my own boots and falling back as the dragon’s eyelids slide open to reveal eyes as black as any moonless night. Its shoulders rise in one solid breath, sucking strands of sweat-slicked hair forward off my head and blowing it back as it exhales.
A glimmer of light catches on one of the hooks hanging with chunks of the dragon’s flesh. A blue shine gleams across the metal as it spins…
Dragonblade.
I flick my gaze back to the dragon and scramble backward. The dragon lifts its head weakly off the bridge, eyes burrowing into every inch of my soul, before it begins to stretch toward me. I freeze, lost to its soulless black eyes.
“Wait! I didn’t do this to you! I only freed you,”I call toward it as I throw out a hand as if to stop the advance, recognizing I won’t be fast enough to run.
It proves me right, instantly closing the gap between us and pressing its warming nose to my palm. As if its name is wrung around me by an invisible bell, it’s clear as day, echoing in the shadows of my mind.
Vue.The sun dragon.
“Katerina Blackwind…” it murmurs, voice like a whisper of wind. “Thank you.”
Two hands snatch my shoulders, pulling me back and away as Vue rears back. A blinding light explodes from Vue, capturing every inch and crack of the cavernous expanse until we are drowning in an ear-ringing blast of white. I throw a forearm over my face, squeezing my eyes shut as if it’ll stop the glaring brightness.
“Secrets never die, they’re just buried in a grave,”his voice melts from a whisper to silence.
