Page 149 of House of Embers
Cyrene didn’t think this was an enemy they could fight.
“It’s on my magic,” he growled. “What monster has come for us?”
Cyrene didn’t have an answer for that, but her intuition blew through her. It had not been that long ago that she had seen Kerrigan in that other world. Walked her through her Doma entrance and seen her recover her magic. She had known there would be repercussions. Had waited for them day in and day out.
All magic came with a price. Cyrene and Dean knew that well enough.
Was this the price?
She gasped as the secondclickbrought her to her knees. “Sarielle!”
Her dragon.
Her dragon bond was…gone.
“Kerrigan, what have you done?”
***
Alura was in another damned council meeting about this forum. The thing had lasted for hours now. She wanted to stop listening to the other council members droning on about the importance of hearing the populace’s requests.
They didn’t really want to do that.
Or if they did, it was a select group of requests—the nobility, full Society members, full Fae only. At best, full Fae business owners only. The whole thing was a sham. It was to show that things were back to the way they were. Just like the ball was supposed to show.
Didn’t exactly work that way when Gelryn had been killed along with several Society dragons in the middle of the city of Kinkadia.
There had been a lot of arguments about whether to burn Gelryn’s body. Bastian hadn’t wanted it done. It was an honor after all, and Gelryn was a war criminal. The dragons had taken matters into their own hands. Bastian hadn’t liked that either—a solid reminder that hehada dragon. He didn’tcontrolthe dragons.
But he continued onward as if it was all normal. Meanwhile, curfew still existed in the city, guard patrols had doubled, humans and half-Fae were practically being hunted. There were war crimes being committed by the government, and nothing could stop that from being true.
All she wanted to do was return home to Venatrix.
Her mother was in mourning. Kivrin’s death had blown out the last light left in her chest. She was being watched day and night by Arelina. Alura should be there.
She should be there and with Arelina, who she had spent many years courting. The knowledge had made her father furious. She had done it partly because of that. And to remain undercover at the mountain, she’d had to part ways with Arelina.
A means to an end.
She had to remember that it would be worth it. It would be one day.
Aclicksounded in her chest.
Everyone fell silent. Alura’s eyes were panicked. Had Kerrigan begun the attack? It was too soon. They were all still in the mountain.
People were shouting, demanding to know what was happening.
Alura’s eyes latched on to Bastian, who sat at the head of the council room. He had frozen to stone, his hand on his chest just as the rest of them were. It was affecting them all.
It hit Alura then what had happened.
“She’s done it,” she whispered.
Kerrigan had found the metal crown. She’d used it. She was going to change the bargain. Holy gods!
Then the bond was ripped from her.
The room filled with screams. Some of the council members had had their dragons for hundreds of years. Two Fae fainted entirely, unable to pull themselves together at the absence.
