Between them, the Dragon King.
White hair slicked back. Beard clipped and sharp. Legs spread wide, he filled the throne as if it had been carved around him. His stare could chase lesser men into the sea. As I approached, his nostrils flared in unison with his beast.
He wore black like his daughter. Dressed for a funeral. The buckled leather armor hugged close, but I saw the clever seams—the fabric beneath for motion, not vanity. Draconis understood the need for movement beneath the strain of dragon scales.
No crown graced his brow. He rose, then descended the stairs to meet me.
Man to man.
Father to monster.
I reached inward, searching for the tether that bound me to Elohios. When my fingers closed around it, I lifted my chin.
“Kallias Sunspear. I’ve challenged you to a duel to the death.” His voice cut like steel drawn from a sheath.
A dragon shrieked above the landing.
My eye twitched, but I held his gaze. “You leave me no choice.”
He dipped his head, almost a nod, and extended his palm. A sword was laid into it.
My sword.
He gripped the scabbard and offered it forward. I reached past the hilt, fingers closing over his.
His glare deepened.
“I do this for your daughter,” I murmured, low enough to keep the words between us. He wanted a spectacle, but I’d still give him truth.
“As do I.” He yanked his hand back, sneering. “You broke a Draconis Blood Oath. Your death, or dragonfire, will cleanse it.” His voice rose, echoing through the chamber. “You’ve chosen the honorable path—taking your sins upon yourself.”
I clenched my jaw, holding his gaze.
“Any last words?” His hand drifted to the hilt of his short sword.
“I never broke the oath.”
“On Argos' call.”
Argos. His dragon.
He stepped away and drew his blade.
My heart slammed against my ribs, but I refused to look at Nienna.
Two paces back, I unsheathed my weapon and flung the scabbard aside. It clattered across the stone.
I cracked my neck, took a breath, then planted my feet, shaking out my sword arm. I would’ve killed for a spear—or a shield.
The dragon’s head snapped skyward, and its mouth tore open in a roar that drowned the world.
I bared my teeth and brought my blade up in time to block the first strike. He moved faster than any Velli. Magic. He used magic to sharpen his speed, to deepen each blow. I parried three times.
Then I felt it—warmth, familiar and wild, spilled through me.
I smiled, teeth bared. Nereus faltered.
Then the light of Elohios blazed through my skin.
