Page 106 of Three Dark Kings and the Gilded Serpent

I gave everything today.

I’ve used up my power.

At my strongest, it would take all I had for my frost to reach Thyra at this distance.

Roaring with effort, I wrench myself onto my feet, balancing on Nara’s back as I stretch out my hands, digging deep.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Thyra

Every muscle in my body tenses, my mind screaming at me to move.

In that moment, I’m conscious of gripping Maxim’s arm and his desperate wrench to get free of me. A dark rune races across the back of his hand as he flexes his limb away from me.

Then the heat of a volcano hits my cheeks, the ends of my hair catch on fire, and I don’t have time to scream before⁠—

A heavy body crashes into me.

My surroundings fill with golden scales and a thrashing tail and soft hisses, and I can’t keep up with what’s happening as I’m knocked backward and wrapped up in a curling, slithering body.

The golden serpent.

He’s shielding me!

But the fire…

Flames strike across the air above us, visible only through the small gap the serpent leaves at the top of the cocoon he’s made around me with his twined body.

He isn’t wearing that saddle anymore and the flames must be hitting his side…

Oh, no.

Somehow, his big head has ended up nudged against my cheek.

Slowly, his eyes close.

“Thyra!” Maxim’s roar bursts through the buzz in my head. “Why?”

The serpent gives a quiet hiss before his body begins unfurling from around me.

I reach for his head, trying to hold on to him as the sickening scent of burning scales fills my chest.

The serpent’s unwinding body reveals Maxim crouched opposite us, his flames doused, his hands extended toward the serpent. “No.”

I can’t breathe. I’m barely aware of the woman kneeling on my far left, huddled beneath the serpent’s leathery saddle.

Or the rush of air as two figures race toward us, coming up behind Maxim.

Stellen and Antony.

Stellen leaps from Nara’s back, deftly scooping me into his arms and pulling me away from the serpent, while Antony, fully clad in black metal armor, crashes into Maxim.

“What did you do?” Antony roars at Maxim as Stellen whisks me away. “If you hurt her, I swear to the Goddess, I’ll fucking end you.”

I try to keep them in my sights, but Stellen blocks my view. He rushes me away from the fight, my surroundings blurring again before he crouches to the ground with me, his frantic hands running across my face and shoulders and arms. “Where are you hurt?”

I gasp. “I’m okay.”