Eltanin roared again, and his tail flicked instinctively, swiping at my ankles before I could jump or avoid it. I went tumbling into Nyte, who was also thrown off balance, and we went crashing to the ground. The glass vial of Eltanin’s tears flew out of Nyte’s hand and broke against the stone.
Right over the painting, which absorbed it instantly. The ground beneath us rumbled, and the black lines shimmered. I was too awestuck to move but thankful Nyte had his senses as he leaped to his feet, dragging me up clumsily. He pulled me into a run as the painting started coming to life, and we took cover at the tree line.
The black dragon emerged as though pulling itself out of a deep grave. It grew taller and taller, and Eltanin became so anxious it filled me with fear.
“By the gods,” Nyte said in disbelief. It was rare for him to sound so stunned and maybe even fearful himself.
The black dragon with leathery wings finished awakening, and its roar trembled the ground, so loud I had to cover my ears with a pained wince.
Eltanin tried to back away, crashing into trees as the bigger dragon turned its head to him.
“What is happening?” I cried, shaken and not knowing what to do.
“It’s… it’s Eltanin’s father.”
That slammed me with shock. Then complete confusion.
“It doesn’t look like a happy reunion,” I said, observing the duo that looked primed to fight, which could turn devastating for everything in their surroundings. There were villages nearby.
“Dragons are very primal and territorial. Do you remember how we found his mother long ago? She was wounded very badly, and while I think the wing clipping was done by humans, I’d bet many of her wounds were from fighting. Despite being his blood kin, this dragon doesn’t accept Eltanin. In thedraconic hierarchy, his father should rank below Eltanin. Celestial dragons are royalty. I think this is him challenging that rank. If he kills Eltanin, even though he’s not a celestial dragon, the others will recognize his father as their king in his place.”
“We can’t allow that.”
“I won’t,” Nyte said, his tone so set and determined.
Both dragons drew breath at the same time, and I reacted out of instinct. I couldn’t stop them attacking each other, but I had totryto prevent the catastrophic blast of their colliding power from obliterating half of Zephyr’s province.
As they let go of their breath, I let Lightsdeath surge to the surface.
My wings shot me high, and a gale of light expelled from me, creating a dome around the small forest the temple was within. The dragon’s dark power slammed against my shield, and, in a second of panic, I thought it would break easily.
Lightsdeath wouldn’t let the darkness win. It reinforced the shield with more light, and I trembled with the velocity of the magick and the strength it took to hold it against the battering resistance of dragon breath that rippled ferociously against it.
When the dragons ceased their collision, I let go of my magick for a moment to collect myself. I didn’t know what to do, how to stop the powerful beasts from destroying each other.
We couldn’t lose Eltanin.
Nyte was on the ground near the battling dragons, and my protective instincts flared for him. I dropped down by his side. He scanned me over for injury.
“Eltanin won’t leave. He’s staying to protect us against his father,” he said.
My chest pained for the smaller black dragon. So selfless and brave. The bigger dragon’s jaw opened and it lunged for Eltanin, and I screamed, casting out a flare of light. My light stuck the bigger dragon, but though it spared Eltanin from its jaw, its front claws ripped across Eltanin’s chest instead.
Both dragons emitted ear-piercing screeches. I winced, folding into myself. Then I remembered…
Edasich…I’d been able to stop her from attacking me after I’d killed Auster.
Straightening, I didn’t know how that command had come out of me then, but I knew I had to try to find the voice again.
My fingertips clasped in front of me as my eyes slipped closed. I took a long, stilling breath, which cancelled out the chaos around me. I didn’t know how I was doing it, but I let my instinct guide me. Eltanin wasn’t bonded to me, but I could communicate with him. Even with Athebyne there were times I felt her emotions though I’d never had need to intervene with her.
I had a connection to dragons like no one else had, and it was from that acknowledgement, my acceptance of this power, that I found what I needed.
The black dragon’s name.
My eyes opened, and a tone that was new to me echoed over my voice as I spoke.
“Rastaban.”
