Page 7 of War Of Fire and Fortune
"Well, we are on an island with dragons just over the way there," he said, nodding toward the dense foliage. "I think you know exactly what to do."
He began to make his way to the tree line, the leaves brushing against him as though parting for royalty. "The rebellion is in the western mountain range in Woodhaven. If you leave soon, you could make it there in a day."
His words felt like a lifeline thrown into the treacherous waters that had been my thoughts.
"Why did you give me that information?" I asked, brows furrowing with suspicion. "I didn't fill your cap." Nothing came free from the Kappa, especially not information.
A slow, unsettling smile crept across his face. “Maybe the lynx and I have something in common,my jewel." He dragged out the last word, and it sent a shiver down my spine.
The Kappa's form, slick and glistening, turned from me and began to move toward the forest’s edge.
"Farewell, Peacebringer," he called.
"Wait!" The word escaped my lips before I could tether it. My hand reached out toward him. I saw his back, broad and draped in a cloak of dampened shadows, as he was readying to leave the sandy shore.
"You never told me your real name." My voice was steadier than I felt, daring to demand something so personal from a creature whose very existence was shrouded.
He stilled, and for a moment, all that could be heard was the gentle lapping of water against the shore and my own uneven breaths.
His head tilted slightly as he considered the request. Then slowly, he looked over his shoulder at me, a glimmer of something unfathomable flickering in his deep-set eyes.
"Names hold power, Emelyn," he finally started. “Especially for someone like me. My true name . . . is Awataro. You are the only living creature to know it from my tongue, so when you need it, use it responsibly.”
The silence hung heavily between us. I opened my mouth to speak, but before a sound could escape, he stepped forward. The ground where he’d stood rippled, turning into a dark puddle that seemed to reach up and claim him. In a blink, he slipped into the liquid shadow, disappearing without a trace, as if he had never been there at all.
Then, to my left, branches cracked and foliage gave way. My heart lodged itself in my throat. For a heartbeat, I didn't recognize this giant creature coming toward me. But then the dragon’s eyes met mine and they were so yellow, they almost glowed, piercing the darkness and fixing upon me with an intensity that felt familiar. When he exhaled, a plume of smoky breath cascaded over me, sending ripples through my damp hair and enveloping me in his earthy scent.
“Baetos . . . ,” I breathed. The dragon's recognition flashed within those bright orbs, and a low rumble vibrated from his throat, resonating through the clearing.
“Hello, Emelyn,” he said. He was no longer the little dragon that had slept in my lap not long ago. He was double, if not triple the size of Emeris now. He lowered himself to the ground in front of me. I instinctively moved to his side and climbed up his massive frame.
"I would love to catch up, but unfortunately there is somewhere I need to be," I said, and he rose and extended his leathery wings.
"We can catch up later," he agreed, and then he roared, a bellow so loud I was sure he was telling everyone of his departure as we took off into the skies.
Chapter Two
Ace
The pain was a living thing, with teeth and claws that dug into the flesh of my broken wing, my back, my leg—skies above, everywhere at this point. Every movement sent a fresh wave of agony through me. My arms had been wrenched cruelly above my head, stretching the taut muscles where my wings met skin. My left wing hung, broken from the cave collapsing. The weight of it hanging there made me want to scream. It kept sending ripples of torment down my spine.
Beneath me, my leg, distorted and gravely swollen, throbbed in time with the pounding of my heart. The bone I was sure was nothing but fragments floated within the bruised flesh. It was a useless limb now, another anchor chaining me to this hellish reality.
Emelyn is safe,I consoled myself again, the mantra I kept repeating when the depths of despair threatened to overwhelm me. Her escape was my victory. The sacrifice of my freedom, my very life, was a price I would pay willingly.
Luana. The name cut through my fog of suffering like the last rays of sunshine before nightfall. I couldn’t die. I had to keep my promise. I had vowed to return to her. But doubt crept in, because how the fuck would I get out of this before Valla decided to end me?
The enchantment in here had been designed to sap the strength of those within its grasp. My power was gone, leaving me hollow and defenseless without my bending. On top of being beaten and broken, I—
Crack.
The sound split the air. Then anguish cut off my thoughts.
Valla stood behind me, wielding her whip with precision. She lashed out again, the leather biting into my already mangled back. My breath came in ragged gasps, the edges of my vision blurring—whether from the blood that trickled into my eyes or the swelling that was starting to seal them shut from her earlier torment, I could not tell.
I wanted to beg, but my vow and pride kept the plea locked tight behind clenched teeth. Instead, a guttural groan of pain escaped my lips.
This dark chamber might end up being my grave. And yet, despite it all, the broken body, the drained power, the looming shadow of death, I clung to the threadbare hope that my suffering was not in vain, that Emelyn’s freedom would lead us all toward winning this war. Even if I might not be around to see it. She could do this—would do this. She would win. I believed in her more than anything else.
