I was just a bystander, a ghost lost in the past, watching a nightmare that had already played out. Vespera stood atop a jagged hill, her voice weaving dark magic into the howling wing.
Dark magic was forbidden and dangerous, but clearly Vespera found a way to possess it.
A stone was around her neck, pulsing with an eerie, otherworldly glow, its sickly red light casting shadows overher face. The moment her incantation reached its peak, the sky trembled as the stone glowed brighter.
Dragons let out agonising roars as they began plummeting from the stormy skies, their mighty wings faltering mid-flight. One by one, they crashed to the earth, their dying cries ripping through the battlefield. My breath caught as I watched them collapse, one by one, swallowed by death. Their scales—golds, sapphires, emeralds—lost their shimmer, muted under death's merciless hand.
She was killing them.
Nobody knew who was responsible for the slaughter of dragons or how they had been brought down, but now the truth was seared in my mind.
It was her.
I hated that I was related to her, but my mother and I were nothing like her.
A cold ache settled in my chest as I thought about Xarothar. He was more than my familiar—more than a companion. Dragons did not simply belong to witches; they chose their bond, and that choice was sacred. It was a rare connection forged in magic and trust, one that could amplify a witch’s power. In the wrong hands, it could be catastrophic. Vespera had always wanted one, but instead she was given Nyx.
Now she was making them pay for it. I swallowed hard, forcing back the sting of tears as I watched the dragons fall, their final cries carving into my soul. The smell of death clung to me.
The edges of my vision blurred, shadows creeping in as a pull of reality began to drag me away. But even as the world around me dimmed, the echoes of their agony remained—something that I would never be able to forget.
Just before the darkness swallowed me whole, a raw, guttural scream tore through the air. It sounded a lot like the king, and it wasn’t the sound of power or command.
It was the sound of something breaking from pain.
Chapter 15
RAVENA
I opened my eyes, and this time, golden morning light streamed through the massive windows across from me. The city stretched out beyond the glass, bathed in soft hues of dawn, the world already awake.
I shifted slightly, testing my body. A dull ache settled in my limbs, the remnants of exhaustion still there, but the unbearable pain had dulled into something more manageable.
For now.
Movement caught my eye. The same guy from last night sat nearby, his messy ash-blonde hair sticking up at odd angles like he’d just rolled out of bed. His brows were furrowed as he tapped away at a small games console, completely absorbed.
I pushed myself up, wincing slightly, and the moment I did, his head snapped toward me. His eyes widened briefly before a grin spread across his face. He tossed the console onto the chair he was on and stretched.
“Well, well, sleeping beauty finally decides to grace us with her presence,” he said, annoyingly chipper. “I was starting to think I would have to kiss you awake.”
I glared at him. “I don’t even know you well enough for you to be joking with me.”
He grinned again, completely unbothered and then plopped down at the edge of the bed. “Oh, but you will,” he said. “I’ve got a feeling we’re going to be the best of friends.”
His tone was dripping with amusement, but there was an easy confidence in how he said it, like it was inevitable.
I narrowed my eyes at him, unimpressed. “Doubtful.”
“You say that now, but give it time. I grow on people.”
I huffed, crossing my arms. “Like a rash?”
His laugh was loud and genuine. “Exactly.”
I shook my head, scanning the room. Everything was neat, almost painfully so. The bed was impossibly soft; I could stay in it forever.
“Raven, you, okay?”Relief loosened the tight grip around my chest as I heard his voice.
