“Release him.”
Gyrak lifted his paw, then slumped with a sigh. He twisted his neck, dark and sinuous, bringing one golden eye level with mine. Judgment burned there.
I ignored it and fumbled into the saddle. Ronan muttered a curse and climbed fast, scrambling up Gyrak’s side like an islandmonkey. His hands moved over my thighs, firm and controlled. Straps tightened. The stirrups cinched close. Leather bit into my skin, anchoring me in place as he secured every buckle.
Gyrak lunged into a run, earth shuddering beneath his weight. His wings snapped wide and Ronan slammed into my back as we lifted, his arms locking around my waist. Pain flared white-hot along my spine. Shadows darkened the edges of my sight, thick and hungry, threatening to pull me under.
We flew hard. Gyrak stretched long and lean beneath us, body pulled taut as a drawn bow. His wings beat without pause, each stroke carving through the sky as we sped northwest.
Smoke found us first.
Dark plumes twisted upward beyond the trees, streaking the horizon in bruised gray. Between the rhythm of Gyrak’s strides, I caught glimpses of it, rising in steady columns. The scent reached us a heartbeat later: char and oil and scorched flesh.
If there was smoke, it meant the dragons had fired—hopefully on Tallon.
Urgency thrummed through my veins, a fever under my skin. My skull pounded in time with Gyrak’s wings. He had to be alive. He couldn’t tear me from the brink of death only to fall into it himself.
Gyrak skimmed the treetops, claws nearly brushing the vibrant leaves. His breaths turned ragged, heat blasting back against my calves. Each wingbeat demanded more, like a war mount pushed beyond reason.
Then the trees broke.
The battlefield opened beneath us.
Terror locked my fists tight as Tsunami hunted Kallias across the clearing. Dyre and Breon thrashed nearby, necks snapping skyward, wings striking dirt in frantic bursts. Tsunami and Artorious were a knot of talons and flashing teeth, bright scalessmeared with crimson. Erwin clung to his dragon’s saddle, small as a fleck of ash.
“He’s got more than Tsunami!” Ronan shouted against my ear as Gyrak climbed, banking hard toward the clouds.
“That bastard isn’t just using their blood!” I twisted despite the fire ripping through my back. “He’s using mine.”
“Then he can control you too!” My brother shifted with Gyrak’s movement, boots slipping against bare scale without the saddle’s brace.
“I have to try. Their power runs out. They burn through it, then purge to take more. He can’t hold them forever.”
“Long enough to gut you!”
“Gyrak, down!”
“If he doesn’t kill you, dragon’s above, I will.” Ronan’s arms crushed my ribs, pain rippling torn skin. He shoved me forward as Gyrak rolled, then dove.
A streak of dragonfire seared past our flank before Gyrak slammed into the clearing, dirt exploding beneath his claws. He landed between Matalino and the gleam of Kallias’ golden armor.
Straps bit into my thighs as I fought them, fingers clumsy and numb. Matalino reared high, maw snapping at Gyrak’s throat. The gold’s eyes had narrowed to molten slits, bronze swallowing any trace of reason.
Gyrak ducked beneath the strike and lunged, ramming chest to chest with another dragon. Their massive bodies struck with a sound like splitting stone.
Then he faltered.
“Hurry!” Ronan’s dagger flashed, slicing through leather. Gyrak shook his head, movements loose, unfocused. Ronan shoved me off, sliding into the saddle in one fluid motion. “Seconds, Nienna. That’s all.”
I fell.
Unable to slow my descent, the ground rose to meet me. My shoulder hit first, shock punching the air from my lungs. Grass tore beneath my fingers as I clutched at it, damp earth pressing cool against my palm. Darkness clawed at the edges of my mind. I held on.
A shadow fell across me.
Golden boots planted on either side of my body. The ground trembled with each dragon strike, roars splitting the air until my ears rang. I rolled onto my back, forcing breath into my chest.
Kallias stood over me, spear lifted.
