Dragonfireerupted from me like a meteor.Ragingemerald flames flew straight atLuxosand wrapped around him.Hisscreams merged with the crackling flames as they seared his flesh.Iran towardsAbraxas, ready to deliver the final strike, butLuxosdisappeared again.Whetherhe had been consumed by flames or managed to save himself,Ididn’t care.Iran my hands overAbraxas’ side where the dragonfire had hit him.Thearea was warmer, but no marks marred him.Hereally was fireproof.
Isighed in relief and lay my forehead on his haunch.Myrelief was short-lived.Thehand of death surrounded him.Itsdark shadows were strong.Ilit up my hands with dragonfire, but they didn’t cower.Ifanything, they seemed to laugh at me, hissing and stretching overAbraxas.Therewas no more time to wait.
“Spinner,”Isaid, as the little spider had crawled up next tome. “It’stime for you to go.”Hegave me an angry chitter.Isnapped, asIhad once seenAbraxasdo, and a single flame of green dragonfire appeared above my pointer finger.
“Ifone candle can burn away the dark,Iwonder what an entire forest fire can do?”Thegreen light reflected in all eight ofSpinner’seyes, andIthoughtIfelt him shiver.
“Well, you’ve certainly come a long way,” a weathered voice rang out behind me.Ispun and the fire flashed in my palm, burning my flesh.Ihissed as the light fell over an ancient, toothless face.
“You?Haveyou come to stop me?”
Theold crone chuckled. “Quitethe opposite, my dear.I’vecome to give you our blessing.”
“Ourblessing?”
Theold crone gave me that wicked, toothless smile.
“Wereyou ever truly the seer?”
“Oh, she came here long ago.Andwhen her body joined us, her spirit lingered, unwilling to cross the star bridge until she could earn her forgiveness.Sheis us, as we are her.Shetaught us much, and we gave her peace.Shetaught us that fae only seem to listen to their own kind, so it was best we approach you as her.Togetherwe have become more, something new.Notunlike you… and your brother.”
“Whatdo you—”Istarted, but the crone raised her hand.
“Notime for that now.Wehave waited for you for over a thousand years, but now we have no time.Makehaste,WorldBreaker.”
“Youknow whatIintend to do.Youwill be destroyed.”
Thecrone nodded.
“Justlike that?Idon’t understand.”
“Thosewho are young never do.Perhapswhen you have lived for millennia, you will feel the same.Forsomething to be reborn, something must die.Thisis the way of allthings.”Inodded.Hertoothless grin spread. “Notjust us, little beast.Thesmall creature you are now, she will die as well, but you will also be reborn.”
“WhatwillIbecome?”
“Thatis up to you.”Hereyes crinkled, showing the slightest hint of kindness. “Butthat is not the right question to ask.”
“WillImiss her?Thegirl thatIwas?”
Thecrone truly smiled. “Yes, in a deep aching way that will never settle.Youwon’t be given the time to mourn her.Youwill steal that time in the small hours of the morning and in the moments between the work that must come.Butshe must die if all is to change.”
“Iunderstand.”
“No, you do not.Noone can until they have gone through it.Butyou must do it, anyway.Andthe time has come.Nomore delays, little beast.MaySheguide you into what you will become.Correctthe imbalance,WorldBreaker.”Shestepped back into the shadows, andIheld up a hand of dragonfire.Shewas nowhere to be seen.
IsentSpinnerout,and many of the creatures that lingered here followed him.Theirsacrifice wasn’t needed.Thecave was quiet.Therewas only the much too slow rhythmic breathing ofAbraxas.Igrasped his snout in my hands, running my fingers over the ridges of his scales.Mynails met their hard surface, andItapped softly.Iran my hands over the slits of his nostrils, so that he might knowIwas there.
Ipressed my whole torso against the long line of his face so that my head lay between his closedeyes. “It’stime, myDragonKing.Noturning back now.”Igave him one more gentle squeeze, but he didn’t move.Iwalked to the edge of the forest, where the trees and underbrush obscured everything.
Iplaced my hand against the bark of the nearest tree, feeling the rough texture under my fingertips.Itwasn’t dissimilar to the feeling ofAbraxas’ scales.Iplaced my forehead against the tree and whispered, “Thankyou,” one last time.
Iclosed my eyes and reached down into the earth.Ithad become almost second nature to me now.Itflowed readily into the surrounding forest, soaked up by every root and leaf.Itwas life itself.Itdidn’t feel any different from whenIchanneled to a fae or a human; it was just as precious and unique.Ihesitated.WhowasIto trade this life for another?Abraxaswas mine, and more precious to me than anything in this world, butIwas just a woman.Justanother living on this world, like the men and women around me.WhowasIto defyDeathhimself?
Themagic of the earth curled through the forest, and every leaf and stem turned to me.Greatswirls of blue light rose from the spring and filled the cave.Itwove itself together untilLifeherself appeared before me.Shewas beautiful and larger thanAbraxas.Herperfect, snow-white wings scraped the roof of the cave.Hereyes glowed a beautiful deep blue like a flawless sapphire plucked from the heart of the deepest mine.Herheartfire glowed the same deep blue, and as she released a breath, every flower in the cave blossomed to life.
LifeandDeath.Thevery first dragons, the very first gods of the fae.Wasshe merely a vision, or had she risen from the depths of the earth to stop me?Myfists clenched, and my resolve was set.Iwould fight them both if that’s what it took to getAbraxasback.ButasIcalled some of the earth’s power into me, some of her power, she gave me a sad, soft look.
“It’stime,Tori.”
