“She believed the lies he told. She hunted down monsters because he asked her to, never realizing the most wicked monster of all stood right behind her.”
From outside, Asha thought she heard murmurs turn to shouts. Thought she heard the crash of lanterns dropped on the stones.
“Bind them,” commanded the dragon king.
“But, my king, she hasn’t said the—”
“BIND THEM!”
The temple guardian stepped forward, her hands trembling as she did. She took the white silk and, as Jarek laced his fingers with Asha’s, tied it around their wrists.
“Your worst fear has come true, Father.” Asha stared down the dragon king. “I am corrupted. The Old One owns your Iskari. You have nothing left to use against her, nothing to make her do what you want.”
The guardian said the binding words. A moment later, Jarek ripped off the silk. It fluttered to the stones at their feet. He grabbed Asha and yanked her out of the circle of torches.
The sound of shattered glass erupted from above.
A thousand colored shards rained down on them.
Jarek let go. Asha raised her arms over her head, protecting herself from the falling pieces. She looked up, watching her father’s torn banner flutter to the floor.
A fierce wind howled through the broken window—or maybe that was the dragon.
With outstretched wings, the dust-red dragon swooped, circling downward, as out in the street, the screaming started. Asha could hear people pushing and shoving, running for cover.
Shadow landed clumsily on the stone floor before Asha.Gasps rose from the guardians behind her. Two of them fell to their knees.
Righting himself, Shadow’s pale slitted eyes flickered over her, checking for injury, before narrowing on the commandant and the king at her back. Shadow roared, and the temple shook with the sound. As if the Old One himself had woken from a too-long slumber, angry, ready to take back what belonged to him.
Atop Shadow sat Torwin, a bow slung over his shoulder and a knife tucked into his boot. Steely eyes met Asha’s. He wore a strange fitted coat and gloves, with a dark green sandskarf pulled up over his face, covering his nose and mouth.
You’re supposed to be gone,she thought.You’re supposed to be safe.
And yet her hope ignited at the sight of him.
Shadow hissed. Jarek stepped back, out of the circle of fire and away from Asha, his hands raised.
Her father yelled for the soldats. But the doors to the chamber were shut tight. Maya and a few of the other temple guardians were shoved up against them.
With Shadow’s gaze pinning Jarek in place, Torwin held one hand down to Asha. She rose and seized it, letting him pull her up. Asha hiked up the hem of her dress to straddle Shadow’s back. Torwin’s arm slid around her waist, keeping her tight against him. He clicked to Shadow, who hissed another warning and stretched his wings wide.
“Are you ready?”
Her heart thudded at the sound of his voice at her ear, slightlymuffled by the fabric of the sandskarf. He smelled like dragonfire and smoke.
“I’ve never been more ready,” she said.
His eyes crinkled. She knew beneath the sandskarf he was smiling the smile she loved best. One that involved his whole mouth.
“Hold on.” His arm tightened as Shadow beat his wings, shifting from foot to foot.
Asha’s stomach lurched as they sprang into the air.
In his leap for the window, Shadow knocked over a torch and her father’s crumpled banner caught fire. As they rose toward the window, Asha looked back to the flames, past Jarek, to the dragon king. Smoke twisted around him.
His eyes raged at her. But underneath the surface, Asha thought she saw the seed of a great fear.
Be afraid, Father. I’ll make you regret everything you’ve ever done to me.
