Page 131 of Dragon Fires Everywhere
I skid onto my knees at his head. His eyes are closed, but his dragon chest rises and falls, so mine can too. I hear Emersonand Jacob in the distance, but I can’t pay attention to them now. Not now.
“Well, at least it wasn’t a fucking crow,” he says when I stroke my hand along his face. “This time.”
“No, Azrael. Not defeat.Hope.”
“Your witch Healers can’t fix this, Georgina.”
He opens his eyes and meets my gaze. He opens his mouth to say something I’m sure I don’t want to hear. Someone interruptsus first.
“ButIcan.”
I look up in the direction of the woman’s voice. It’s Melisande. She’s holding... Octavius? “We both can,” the mermaidsays, gently pushing me out of the way. She murmurs words I do not know, or maybe she’s singing them. Octavius curls up nextto Azrael’s rising and falling chest andpurrs. His eyes gleam bright. And slowly but surely, Azrael’s wound begins to stitch itself together.
“I am going tohateowing you a favor,” he mutters at her.
She grins. Then she gestures around us. “I think you’ll have quite a few favors to owe when this is done.”
“But...” I’m still staring at Octavius.
“He was only a baby when he was cursed,” Melisande tells me. “He never learned to communicate, but he’s not your average familiar.” She reaches out, scratches behind his ears. “Octavius is a fairy cat.”
“A fairy cat.”
Melisande nods. She gestures to someone, and Ellowyn appears with a mug that she hands to Azrael. With a huff, he drinks it,still in dragon form. Still healing as Octavius purrs next to him.
“Now that we’re uncursed, he’ll learn to talk to you,” Melisande says, getting to her feet. She glances at Azrael. “But bewarned, fairies and dragons have somewhat contentious relationships. Though thisparticulardragon should take an intense liking to mermaids and fairies, since he was saved by them.”
Azrael only grunts, but I’m distracted, because she saiduncursed. I look around and the war is still on, but it’s... different.
The crows have amassed in bigger numbers, in all their bird and human forms. There are fairies and centaurs. Basilisks, griffins,and the Fenrir from Sage’s spigot. Even thenachtkrappfrom the rug in Wilde House. Witches that I saw Zander and Frost help out of the cross fire have come rushing back with weapons.
Crystals, swords, and athames of their own.
But there’s only one way this could have happened.
Emerson and Jacob finished the vows. The magical creatures were freed—fabulae and crow.
We haveunited. Come together at last.
“It worked,” Azrael says in awe.
As if he didn’t quite believe it. But he fought for it anyway.
BecauseIbelieved it.
I want to sob. Ireallywant to take the longest nap ever, but it isn’t over yet. Carol is stillthere, even if her hair is startingto fall out and her zombie is smaller. She’s still hurling out desperate black magic, but she is... surrounded.
Because we came together—not just magical creatures of all descriptions, not just witches, not just crows.
All of us.
Even the high school graduates who we befriended on our way to Litha are here. They saved us once already this year with theirvotes, using their powers for good.
As Azrael and I join the circle, I see Gideon across the way. His leg is bloody, his face bruised—but he’s alive.
And he’s adding his power to the magic—good, bright, light magic—surrounding Carol now. On one side of him is the fairy frommy window growing up. On his other side are Ellowyn’s mother and her partner, Mina. Next to me is Emerson, with Azrael onthe other side. Witches, magical creatures, crows, and ghosts begin to surround Carol and her monster.
“Hope. Love. Unity,” I whisper to myself.
