Underneathher fingers, sparks engulfed the gem, andIcould hear cracking.Thepower laced throughPallas’ hand, but she held it there, unwavering.Isaw her blue magic flare, and the enchantment on the door faded again.
“Hurry!”Ididn’t need to be told twice.Iducked through with everyone else following me.
Wespilled into the room, andIturned in time to seePallassliding past the opening, her hand still pressing the sparking gem into the wood.Nosooner had she stepped through when a hugespark flashed, and the gem shattered.Pallasstumbled back, and the enchantment flared to life, trapping us inside.Avlynrushed to help her up as she cradled her burned hand.Theyfussed, butPallasjust gave it a gentle shake and moved towards the center of the room.
Thespace wasn’t much larger than any other in the palace, but the floor sloped downward from all the walls like a great weight pressed the stone down.Ishielded my eyes from the dark crimson ball of fire that hovered above its center.
Everyonestood beside me, equally entranced.Pallaswas the only one to move, carefully walking down the sloped floor.Shelifted her hand towards the glowing heart, and the orbiting glyphs sparked and flew around her but did not cause pain.Jungrabbed my hand and walked with me down the slope. “Guessit’s our turn.”
Idon’t knowhow much time passed asJunandIsat forehead to forehead, that bright white light glowing between us as we slowly worked at untangling the enchantment around the heart.Ijust knew that my back, ass, and legs ached from sitting, and it was breaking my concentration.Ilost focus and pulled the wrong strand, and the whole enchantment tightened again.
“Fuck.Pallas, this is taking too long.”
Ablue tendril of magic slid in along ours. “Allwe can do is keep working.”Shewas right.Irolled my shoulders and went back to focusing, probing at a new side of the lock.Pallaswas a natural, to my mild annoyance, and soon the lock shifted apart, its outer layer opening.
“Good, now we just need to—”Pallas’ voice cutoff as the enchantment started shifting on its own.Layerafter layer lurched, just like the tumblers in a lock.Moreof the enchantment fell away, but as one particularly large portion dropped away, a jet of deep red flames sprayed out.Ithrew myself overJunas the flames licked across my back.Iyelped as the pain cut through me, even asIfelt my skin already regrowing itself.
Malech’sheart was fighting back.Theflames were cutting through the enchantment, but it didn’t care what else was destroyed in the process.
Weare not your enemy.Itried to talk to it asIwouldAbraxas, but now red flames burst across the room, andIcould feel the temperature rising.Sweatbeaded at my brow, andIsummoned flames to combat the heart, but you can’t fight fire with fire.
“Tori.”Jun’svoice was so soft. “Don’tfight it.Can’tyou feel his pain?”Mybrother was right.Malechhad been trapped byHadeon, just likeJunandPallas.Acornered beast couldn’t be reasoned with, and a fight would only end in death.IheldJun’shand tighter and focused on sending mana through him.Whitelight shimmered around us both.
“You’regoing to be alright.”Iheard the words, but they were more, andIfelt them deep in my very soul.Theheart stopped fighting.
“You’regoing to be alright.”Thelight between us grew.Ichanted it withJun. “You’regoing to be alright.”Icould hear everyone shouting our names, butIdidn’t dare stop.IfeltJun’sfingers cinch mine, and allIsaw was white light.
Iawokewith my face pressed into soft grass and the smell of home.Agentle breeze stirred the blades, so they tickled my nose, andIopened my eyes to seeJunlying next to me.Weblinked at each other and pushed up to find ourselves on the cliffs outsideXyr.Thesound of the ocean waves crashed far below us, andIdared to lean over the sheer drop.Blacksand stretched out below, just as it had before our departure, but the sky beyond was broken.Greatcracks cut through the noonday blue, a deep darkness lacing through it like mud baked in the sun.Ilooked atJunand he shook his head, when a great rumbling behind us caused us both to spin around.
Curledup like an enormous, sleeping kitten was a dragon.Hismaroon scales glimmered in the sun, and the rumbling was his great breath, his nose tucked under his tail.Hiswings rose and fell gently asIstood, the grass compressing beneath my feet asIapproached him.
Iknelt down beside his long face, placing a hand on his snout, just asIhad done withAbraxas. “Malech?”
Agreat ochre eye snapped open, andIstumbled back as he unfurled himself, nearly knocking me off the cliff.Iput myself in between him andJunas he stretched his wings skyward before locking me in his gaze again.
Itseems two little pests have found their way into my prison.Howvery interesting.
Hisscaled lips pulled back as he revealed every one of his glimmering fangs, the shortest longer than my hand.It’sbeen so long sinceIhave had any entertainment.
Hemoved towards us, his mouth widening as he approached untilIcould see straight down his throat.IpushedJunbehind me and wove ribbons of dragonfire around my arms.Malechfroze in place.
Whatblasphemy is this?Howis it you controldragonfire?Evenin my mind, it was a hiss, his eyes burning an even more heated red as he bore down on me.
Isaw his eyes widen, but he still moved closer until his nose nearly pressed against my chest.Heinhaled with such force it nearly toppled me.
“Theyare a gift from my mate.”
Lies!Allfae do is lie!Heinhaled sharply, and a burst of deep red fire shot from his mouth.Ithrew my flames up between us and overJunand me.Hisred flames danced over my shell of green until they merged into sunshine yellow.
“Weare not your enemy!”Ishouted, but golden claws swiped at us, andIhad just enough time to push my brother and me down into the grass.
“Idon’t think he’s listening,”Junstated.
“Thenmake him listen.”
“STOP!”
Malechshuddered as he tried to fight the hold ofJun’smagic.Juncoughed beside me. “Itwon’t hold him long.”
