Page 99 of Eluvonia
“Then we will die together!” I scream, my hands trembling as they clutch at Kaida’s scales. “You don’t get to make this decision for us!”
Declan’s expression softens for a fleeting moment, his eyesfilled with something I can only describe as love—and regret.Baby girl,he says softly, the words slipping into my mind like a gentle caress. The tenderness in his voice breaks me.You’re stronger than you think. Stronger than me and Kaida. But you have a purpose—a future. Don’t waste it here. Don’t waste it on me.
I sob openly, shaking my head as my entire body trembles. “No. Don’t you dare say goodbye to me. Don’t you dare!”
Kaida growls in frustration, his voice tense.Dec, there has to be another way—
There’s no other way!Declan snarls, cutting him off. His golden wings flare wide, his bloodied neck turning to face Kaida and me one last time.You have to protect her, Kaida. Promise me.
Kaida hesitates, his chest rumbling with resistance. But then, his jaw tightens, and his voice comes through with grim resolve.Dammit, you know I will.
“No!” I scream, my throat raw and aching. I twist on Kaida’s back, trying to leap off, to reach Declan, but Kaida’s tail knocks me back, pinning me in place.
Declan’s gaze softens again as he looks at me, ignoring the approaching horde of Dragons.You’ll understand one day,he whispers into my mind.I’m so damn proud of you, Aeris. I’m glad you stumbled into my life. You will always be my girl.
“Declan!” My voice is broken now, shredded by the pain ripping through me. “Please! I can’t do this without you!”
But he doesn’t answer. With a deafening roar, Declan turns and speeds toward the oncoming Dragons, his massive form glowing like the sun itself.
Kaida lets out a feral growl, his entire body vibrating with fury as he turns sharply, his wings tilting to fly the oppositedirection.
“What are you doing?!” I scream, pounding my fists against Kaida’s back. “You’re going the wrong way! We can’t leave him!”
Kaida doesn’t answer, his muscles taut with strain as he forces himself to fly faster, the wind whipping tears from my cheeks.
I twist around, desperation clawing at my chest as I search the skies for Declan. And then I see him. His golden scales gleam in the moonlight, a beacon of defiance against the swarm of Dragons descending upon him.
“No,” I whisper, the word catching in my throat.
Declan unleashes a massive wall of fire, an inferno that roars and crackles as it devours the first wave of Dragons. Two brown Dragons and a red are consumed by the flames, their lifeless bodies tumbling into the sea below.
For a moment, hope flickers in my chest. But it’s short-lived. The rest of the horde is undeterred.
A Dragon dives at Declan, its teeth sinking into his back. His roar of pain reverberates through the air, a sound so raw and full of anguish that it feels like it’s being torn from my own chest. He twists violently, his claws tearing through the Dragon’s throat. Blood sprays into the sky, and the beast falls away.
But then another red Dragon slams into him from the side, the impact so fierce it sends them both tumbling. I cry out, my hands gripping Kaida’s scales as I watch Declan struggle to right himself.
“Declan, fight!” I scream, my voice hoarse and breaking.
Another brown Dragon dives at him, its claws raking across his chest and carving deep, bloody gashes into his scales.Declan roars again, his fire blazing as he scorches the beast, but more Dragons close in, their combined weight dragging him downward.
“Kaida, turn around!” I shriek, pounding on his back with fists that are numb from the cold air. “We have to help him! Please, Kaida!”
Kaida growls low, his wings slicing through the air with precision, but he doesn’t look back.It’s too late,he says, his voice tight.
“No!” I sob, twisting again to watch Declan. His movements are slowing, his once-brilliant golden glow dimming under the onslaught.
But he doesn’t stop.
With one final, earth-shaking roar, Declan breathes a last torrent of golden fire. The flames sear the air, consuming the Dragons closest to him in a dazzling explosion of light. For a brief, fleeting moment, he is a star burning bright against the sky.
And then, his wings falter.
Time seems to freeze as his massive body begins to fall. He plummets toward the sea, his roar fading into silence as the water rises to meet him. The sound of his impact is like a thunderclap, and waves ripple outward, swallowing him whole.
“DECLAN!” The scream tears from my throat, raw and broken, the sound of it echoing in my ears even as the world seems to tilt around me.
Kaida pushes harder, his wings beating furiously as he flies us farther and farther from the swarm of Dragons. The wind rushes past, but it feels distant, muffled,as though I’m underwater.
