“Kill him!” I screamed, agony pounding behind my eyes.
Egath’s palm crushed over my mouth. His knee drove into my chest, forcing the air from my lungs in a violent rush. “Hush now, Nienna.” He pinned my wrists above my head, weight grinding me into the stone. His gaze fixed on Tallon with something close to reverence.
Tsunami went silent.
Not the tense quiet before attack.
Something worse.
Cold dread wrapped around my throat. No, they couldn’t control my dragons. Not Tsunami. She bowed to no one.
I thrashed, nails tearing into Egath’s skin. Blood welled beneath my fingers. He swore and pressed harder, distracted by whatever unfolded beyond the doorway.
Then she wailed.
The sound was not fury. Not dominance. Not outrage.
It was agony.
Raw. Shattered.
He was hurting her.
I didn’t understand how, but Tallon was breaking Tsunami.
Egath let out a breathless laugh as the bastard prince staggered back to us, face pale, sweat slicking his brow.
“Good job. Let’s move.” The Velli hauled me upright with brutal strength and slung me over his shoulder. Blood rushed to my head. “Be quick about it. They’ll track that foot.”
“It scorching hurts!” Tallon snarled, limping.
My stomach lurched as the world tilted and spun. Stone blurred. Walls smeared into shadow. The air felt thick, warped, as if we moved beneath deep water while the world flowed above us.
I screamed into Egath’s back, nails slashing, clawing for purchase. My teeth snapped at cloth and skin. I writhed and thrashed with everything I had.
His grip did not falter.
Iron bands couldn’t have held tighter.
Hope slipped through my fingers like blood across stone.
Tallon captured me.
Chapter Forty-Six
Kallias
The dragon’s roar split the sky, a violent tremor that rattled my teeth and burst against my skull. Air shook. Stone quivered beneath my boots. I flinched and dropped low, spinning on my heel.
Greaves’ body flew through the air.
No.
My feet were already running. Hard stone jarred my knees. Breath tore at my throat.
Elohios, no.
Breon shrieked and dove for Greaves. The green caught his calf, a curved claw punching through muscle with a wet rip. Blood sprayed hot across the cobbles. It wasn’t enough. Greaves’ back slammed into the street of Sol, armor buckling on impact. His head struck the unforgiving stone with a sickening crunch that carried through the clash of steel and scale.
