Taking a deep breath, Lexi was determined to ignore the blood as she turned and sat on the hard, stone seat. At first, she kept her hands and arms in the air above the throne, but she slowly lowered them to rest against it.
As her fingers gripped the arms of the throne, a starburst erupted inside her head. A rush of brilliant lights unfurled before her like a galaxy swirling with stars as she hurtled through space.
The lights erupting from the throne pierced her until they joinedeverypart of her to the stone monolith. She joined the throne’s power, and hers joined it until they mingled and blended.
She suddenly understood why the throne had driven the non-arach rulers insane. This blending of magic was necessary. It kept one from becoming too powerful as it was a sharing, give and take that didn’t allow for corruption. When all the power flooded from one side to the other, without any return, it became too much for a non-arach to handle.
Fibers of magic wove in and out of her and the throne until they blended seamlessly together. Unable to resist any longer, she leaned her back against the throne. The second she was fully connected to it, something clicked into place, and she became aware of the dragons in the realms.
She didn’t know where they were or what they were doing but sensed if she followed each colorful thread joining her to the throne, she could connect with them. Then she gave herself to the power and opened her mind to the galaxy and dragons beyond.
“Stop!” she commanded.
Her voice, stronger than she’d expected after the events of this day and the sorrow still crushing her heart, carried through the air. “It’s over; enough death and enough fighting. This war is done!”
A shiver went through her bond to the throne and on to the dragons. Roars bounced off the mountains and echoed throughout the room. They didn’t sound angry but more celebratory as the dragons swooped and twisted over the open ceiling.
The ones within the room issued bellows that shook the walls as they stamped their feet like they were dancing. Some more descended into the throne room and settled amidst the remains. They folded their wings against their backs and sat with their necks proudly arched as they tucked their chins against their chests.
Alina swooped in and settled beside her with a rustle of wings. When she met Alina’s golden eyes, a smile spread across the speaker’s mouth. Lexi managed a small smile in return.
“Well done, child,” Alina whispered.
But none of this felt well done to Lexi. There was too much death, cruelty, and much that could never beundonewithin this blood-drenched realm.
Cole remained in the center of the room, staring at her as the smoke wafted away and the remaining flames died out. She opened her mouth to call him to her and beg him not to leave.
Before she could say anything, he gave a small bow of his head. The shadows swelled around him until his silver eyes vanished.
When the shadows cleared, it was as if Cole had never been there.
The plop of blood sliding down the throne and dripping to the ground was abnormally loud in the suddenly hushed room. Cole was gone, and he wouldn’t be coming back. There was no denying that awful, heart-wrenching truth.
He was gone, and she was to rule the realms. And there were still so many inallthe realms who would gladly see her dead.
She didn’t care about any of them; all she wanted was Cole back.
CHAPTEREIGHTY-ONE
Brokk was aboutto plunge into the portal that would take him and their remaining fighters to the palace and, hopefully, the end of this war.
Before he could enter the portal, the dragons bellowed as if they were one unit. The sound traveled through the mountains until it came from everywhere at once.
Some of the beasts soared higher into the sky as they released torrents of flames that blew apart the pink clouds and stood out vibrantly against the purple sky. Bones topped most of the mountains, but they knocked those bones from the peaks as they flew. It was as if they were cleaning up the land or reclaiming it.
The dragons rose into the sky, where they hovered for a minute with their wings spread wide. The sun’s golden glow illuminated their vibrant colors before they plunged back toward the earth in a rolling tumble that defied gravity. Others soared over the palace; they twisted and turned before vanishing through an opening.
At first, he didn’t know what to make of what was happening. Then he realized they were pulling back from the war, leaving the battlefield and the remaining massacre.
The surviving giants tipped their heads back to watch as the dragons cried outjoyously? But there was no other way to describe the noise they made, so the murderous beasts must actually be…happy.
It was nearly impossible to believe after the destruction they rained down for centuries, but they dipped and looped and played with magnificent grace. They swooped toward each other, sometimes coming together and tumbling through the air and, at times, barely missing each other.
He’d always hated the things, but now he couldn’t help being awed and a little moved by them. They madehimwant to be happy, and he was covered in blood, sore from battle, and so fucking tired.
“They did it,” Kaylia whispered as Orin limped up with his arm locked around Varo’s waist. “Lexi’s on the throne.”
Brokk started to ask how she was so sure, but he already knew the answer. The dragons wouldn’t be playing like this if the Lord still ruled. Some of them sounded like they werelaughing; he was certain they’d never madethatsound while the monster reigned.
