Page 19 of Court of Dragons and Ashes

Arden’s voice fills my head. “I can kill them. They won’t touch you.”

“No, let him go. He has a wife and a child. Time will make him forget and move past this,” I answer, watching Scathitine fly away with my new enemy.

Arden grumbles, flying in the other direction, back to the castle. “If he comes back to the courts, he’s dead. No second chances.”

Something about the look in that dragon’s eyes tells me I will see them again and I will regret letting them go. She is Terrin’s sister, and I can’t help the swell of disappointment I feel knowing she didn’t choose to fight for Terrin and me. She chose the tsar and his lies. Terrin will have to speak to his sister, make her see sense. I will ask him about it when I see him next.

We land back on the balcony, Arden shifting back. There is a guard waiting for us, and he bows to Arden. “We have news. The Earth Court is under attack from the gods.”

Grayson.

CHAPTER 10

LIVIA

Ithought being back on Earth, being back in my parents’ home, would make me feel settled. I thought it would make the horrors of the past wash away so I could make fresh memories, but it didn’t work. If anything, I’m itching,itchingto do something, to claw that bond to my dragon out of my chest that keeps begging me with every breath to go back to another world. I think I made a mistake, but how can I go back to that world now? A world where it is clear that death is only the parting gift. I rest my head back on one of the twin rocking chairs on the wrap-around porch in the back garden and look to the sun for a clue of what I should do.

My mum’s yorkie dog sits up and barks right before running around in circles, chasing something invisible. Sadly, my mum’s dog acting demented is the most interesting thing to happen in weeks.

“You look bored, mortal.”

I jump out of my skin, looking over to see a man sitting in the other rocking chair on the porch. He’s a man…but more. I’m utterly terrified as I meet his dark, dark eyes that flash between silver and black. They stay silver the longer I look at him. He’s gorgeous, absolutely stunning, but terrifying in equal amounts.His eyes are black pits of nothing, and I can’t look away as I’m trapped completely in fear. He looks away from me first, and it’s only then that I seem to be able to breathe. I lean back in my seat, clutching the armrests. “My name is Phobos, and if I wanted to hurt you, you would be screaming by now. Relax.”

“Phobos,” I breathe, the name familiar. “The god of nightmares?”

“Among other horrors,” he taunts.

“Ellelin talked about you. You’re her uncle, right?” I question, wondering what the heck he is doing on my mother’s porch.

“And you’re her friend,” he replies. “I need someone to go back to Ayiolyn with something. Something precious. Can you be of assistance, mortal?”

His voice is normal, but it still sends chills down my spine. I want to run from him, right into the forest at the back of the garden, and pray another god saves me. “I’m not sure.”

He looks annoyed. “I can convince you.” Dark shadows fill the bottom of the porch, and I snap my feet up on the chair.

“Phobos!” a woman shouts, sounding pissed. She walks through my gate and storms up to the god of nightmares, facing him down like he isn’t scary. “Did you leave me outside the front so you could terrify her before I came in?”

This girl is clearly mortal, about my age, and loves the colour black. She is wearing fishnet tights, a small black skirt, and a leather blouse. Her black hair is tied up in a ponytail, and she looks over at me, sighing and then rolling her eyes at Phobos before facing me again. “Hello, I’m Phobos’s mate, Nevaeh. I’m very mortal and not scary like him.” She offers me her hand. I shake her hand, unable to do much else. “I really hope he didn’t terrify you too much. He gets too much joy in that shit.”

I nervously smile at her. “You’re easier to talk to, that’s for certain.”

Nevaeh leans on the rocking chair, and Phobos snakes his hand possessively around her waist. “What Phobos is trying to say is that Ellelin needs this sword in the future, and it is dangerous to send it with a stranger. You’re friends, clearly, and we need your help. Phobos cannot go into that world; otherwise, he would go himself. So, this is his very creepy way of asking for help.”

“I wasn’t going to play nice with a coward who abandoned her friends and went home,” Phobos drawls, and I see red.

“I’m not a coward. I’ve been to hell and back in that world!” Oh my god, I’m shouting at a literal fucking god.

“Unless you’ve met Hades, you have not been to hell and back,” he quips. “That guy has gone on one male mission to being the most boring shit alive.”

My mouth parts. “Hades and hell are real?”

“Of course,” Phobos answers in a way that makes me think he believes I’m dumb. I don’t know what to say for a long time. Phobos cuts the silence by making a sword appear out of darkness. It’s covered up with a leather wrap from hilt to tip, and yet something is so wrong about the blade. “If you take this, you must not look at the uncovered sword. It’s only for one of my bloodline to wield. Do you understand?”

“I haven’t said I’m going back,” I retort.

“You have.” He waves his hand and, right before my dog, a portal appears. On the other side, I can see the Spirit Court castle. In the skies, the fields and everywhere are dragons. My heart leaps as my bond flares to life, telling me my dragon is close, and I stand.

Tears fill my eyes. “The dragons are there.”

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