Page 197 of Of Blood and Banes
She lifts her chin.“Because I did not bond him. I bonded you.”
“Then you know how I feel. Remember? You told me that back in Arterias. I shouldn’t have to say it. You know what he means to me! You know I lov?—”
“Is everything alright?” Melaina calls behind me and rests a careful hand on my shoulder.
“Cole’s gone,” I murmur, numbness creeping throughout my chest as I’m still locked into Daeja’s white, slitted eyes.
“I thought I noticed a horse was missing but…” Melaina glances to the distance where the other dragon riders had disappeared. “What do you want to do? It’s your call.”
Breaking eye contact with Daeja, I look to Melaina. “You all move ahead. Daeja and I have to search for him. If we don’t find him by tonight, we’ll circle back and meet you at Everden.”
Daeja and I fly south in silence. A cold, bitter wind whips my hair back from my face, my cheeks numb and chapped. Even with Marge’s gloves protecting my hands from the cold, it still pierces through to my bones.
“I’m sorry…”Daeja whispers.“I only wanted to do what’s best for you.”
I reach forward and pat her neck.“I’m sorry, too.”
“I couldn’t stop him. I tried. He wouldn’t listen to me.”
“He didn’t listen to me, either…”
We fly hours south until Dragon’s Back Ridge rises from the cloudy gray distance, my eyes scanning the ground and forests for that blasted red hair, my heart sinking deeper and deeper the more time stretches on.
There’s no sign of him. Not even hoofprints of the horse he stole treading through the frost-tipped grasses.
When I see a glimmer of several wild fire dragons gliding off to the left of us near the mountains of Eldire, I tell Daeja with a defeated sigh,“Let’s return.”
“Are you sure?”
No, I’m not sure. But one thing’s for certain.“Even if we find him, we won’t be able to convince him to come back with us. He’s made his decision. The best thing we can do is try to convince the council and our group to come with us so we have the numbers to take the King down before he gets there. And given the fact you and I are prophesied to save this realm, if they listen to anyone, they’ll listen to us.”
As soon as we land at the northeastern outskirts of Nightfort after the sun has dipped beyond the horizon, I unhook myself and drop to the ground. If we leave in a few hours, we’ll be able to catch up to the rest of the group heading to Millton, and it’ll give Daeja a bit of time to rest.
“Who said I needed rest?”she retorts, then settles to the ground anyway, tucking her front legs underneath her chest and folding her wings.
Despite the exhaustion weighing on me after having flown for an entire day, I immediately press my palms to the ground and close my eyes. The rush of energy sizzles beneath my hands, lying in wait for me.
I’m praying to all the Gods above someone will meet me on the other side. Someone who can guide me to what I need to do to fulfill the prophecy and take down the King before he gets ahold of Cole.
“What are you doing?”Daeja asks with a pointed stare.
“I have to try and get answers. Something.”I lower my head and pull until the pain floods my body and unravels me into a senseless, blank white. The cold fades from my body, along with the stinging pain from channeling the ley lines until I feel nothing. The White hangs around me like a fog, and I scan every direction.
My heart stops in my chest as a shadow emerges from the mist, transforming into the outline of a human.
CHAPTER 62
THE LIGHT IN A TRUTH
As if in slow-motion, a man appears. His pale skin is flecked with freckles across the bridge of his nose and dirty blonde hair swept back neatly. When he smiles, my chest caves in. Because…
Because it looks just like mine.
“Hello, Katerina. It’s so nice to finally meet you.”
“Father?” I cry.
I race to him and am suddenly stopped by an invisible barrier. Though the sensation of feeling and touch is gone here, I’m encompassed by warmth, safety, and an overwhelming torrent of love.
