Page 130 of Ashen Wings

The female Blightfang unfurls her tail, revealing only the opalescent egg. The others in her clutch remain tucked under sharpened spines and thick, leathery armor. I don’t blame her for the suspicion. Even after leading us safely out of Sea, I’m not certain I trust Saphine either, but there’s no other option. We’re surrounded by wolves, teeth sharp and drooling.

Saphine stills when her eyes land on the Astralwing, now almost completely of stone.

Astora, please let us not be too late.

She approaches Niaxa, careful not to move too quickly. The Blightfang dips her head toward Saphine, fangs glistening in the moonlight.

“Holy shit…I can’t believe it’s real.” Saphine’s voice quivers.

“I don’t know how this works but try touching the egg. See if it responds to you,” I tell her. My eyes don’t dare wander from her outstretched hand. Isra and Roe fall in line beside me, watching with bated breath.

Then, Saphine closes her eyes and brings her palm to the egg. My fingers twitch over my dagger.

I’m not sure if I expected a shockwave of power to explode from their connection or a crackle of energy from the skies, but my eyes, too, squeeze shut as I ready myself for the resultant force.

Everything stays quiet.

Birds still chirp.

Hatchlings still rumble.

Life carries on without any indication of the guardian bond snapping into place.

“You know, for a moment I convinced myself it’d work,” Saphine mutters, rising from her knees. She wipes the grassy dirt from her trousers and shoves her hands in her pockets. Her violet eyes land right on me and my body goes numb. “I’m sorry, Nova.”

The mercenary retrieves something small and ivory in color from her trousers and holds it out for us to see. Is that a rune of some sort? “I hope one day you find it in your heart to forgive me.”

“What are you doing, Saphine?” My heart lodges in my throat. Isra’s eyes widen beside me, and he unsheathes his blade.

The object falls from her open palm.

Niaxa roars and curls over her eggs, shielding her babies with guarded wings.

There’s a quiet stillness throughout the meadow one moment. Then the next, there are only flames.

52

Adeafening ring blares through my head as I claw at the smoldering earth. Dragons screech and wings boom to the skies. Soot, ash, and burning leaves fall around me, lighting up the night in violent shades of gold.

“Isra? Roe?” Their names sear up my throat. My arms are stiff and coated in grime. Agony blooms in my right calf. What the fuck happened? Was that rune some sort of fire magic? Only Scorath offers that kind of blessing…Holy fucking hells.

“Tenebris? Niaxa?”

Pained roars pierce the flames. A hatchling darts between the crests of the fiery sea devouring the grounds, its little wings singed and burning.

I fight my own damned body and rise to my feet. Time stops as I take in the carnage.

My silver strands billow in the heat rising from the burning earth and an obsidian body lays all too still beside me. The Blightfang’s jaws are open, blood pooling between its fangs.

My chest cracks wide.

Another dragon is sprawled beside its partner, a hatchling tucked under what remains of its wings. I run to the little dragon and shove its mother’s weight off its body.

The hatchling nips at my fingertips. It’s alive…thank Astora. The relief is short-lived when I witness the terror in its eyes and the weak little growls pouring from its jaws.

“Go to the caves,” I cry, holding the hatchling’s head in my palms. It locks its gaze on me and I grit my teeth to keep from shattering. “Please, go now, you’ll be safe there.”

Its little, bloody body slowly shudders and a tear falls from my eyes as it glances toward its mother with a small whimper. If Saphine survived the explosion, I’m going to shred every inch of her skin until her insides feel the flames.