Page 51 of The Void

Then, Moros was gone somehow. He’d been lifted clear up into the sky and was hovering more than half a mile above him. He heard him cry out in pain. Saw the dragon body twist and writhe in agony.

To Lucas’s surprise, the long snake-like body twisted until it was tied in knots while still hovering high above the city. Even the general and his men stopped shooting at it.

Lucas shifted back to his normal form and watched as Mia floated towards him surrounded by a bright blue light. Her eyes were focused on the dragon, which was still screaming in pain.

“This is my world,” Mia said in a calm voice, which somehow echoed loudly throughout the city. “And you are not welcome in this realm.” She held up her hands.

He’d seen her fireball trick a couple of times now, but this time, the ball of flames she shot at Moros was an even brighter silver color. So bright that he had to shield his eyes.

He heard Moros scream in pain. Heard the cheers from the men stationed all around the walls.

When he looked again, the dragon was curled up in a ball of fire and falling towards the city.

Mia raised her hand again and another ball shot towards the massive body, heading right towards the building that housed everyone in the city. This fireball shattering the creature’s body into a million shiny silver pieces, like stars. Instead of raining over the city, they rose high up into the night air.

“This isn’t over.” Moros’s voice echoed as a dark smoke floated where the dragon had been. “Soon you won’t be able to stop me. My power grows stronger.” The last words were nothing more than a whisper in the air.

Lucas watched as Mia floated towards him. The moment her feet touched the ground in front of him, he engulfed her in a hug.

“Are you all right?” they both said at the same time.

He chuckled. “Wow, that was some show. Why didn’t you do that to begin with?”

“You’re okay?” she asked, running her hands over his neck. “I saw…”

He smiled. “I didn’t lose my head,” he assured her. He frowned down at his hand and held it up. Thankfully, he’d lost his ring finger instead of his head in the fight. “Just a finger.”

She gasped and then took his bloody palm in her hands. She closed her eyes and gripped his hand tightly.

Watching his finger grow back was… well, really gross. First the bone appeared, followed by the veins, tendons, muscles, and finally the skin.

“Let’s hope you never have to do that again,” he said, wiggling his new digit.

She hugged him, and suddenly they were very aware of the cheers that surrounded them.

When they landed back on the rooftop next to Lei, who was smiling at them both, everyone had gathered in the garden area.

She ran a hand over herself and Lucas, changing them back into outfits fit for a celebration in Atlantis. She wore a long silver dress with intricate teal gems embedded all over the silk. Her hair was braided in a circle around her head, and she made sure she included her golden crown on top. The sword hung on her side on a thick leather belt. It too was a symbol of her power.

Lucas she put in a black suit that had deep-yellow accents along his cuffs, waist, and necktie, which matched his eyes perfectly.

Seeing this, the crowd’s cheers doubled.

“Aynah! Aynah!” everyone cheered.

“Who is Aynah?” Mia asked Lucas quietly.

Lucas smiled back at her. “You are. Queen of the djinn.” He motioned to the throne. Everyone had cleared a path to the golden seat. “You’ve delivered them from darkness with your light.” He nudged her towards the throne, but at the same time, the crowd started pushing Lucas towards the front with her.

Stopping at the base of the stairs, she frowned at the single throne. Turning, she lifted her hands and the cheers stopped just as the general and his men all appeared.

“This battle is won,” she said loudly in the old language. “Thanks to the bravery of the general and his men.” She motioned to the warriors. Cheers rose up in support of the men. When they died down again, she turned to Lucas. “And to Lucas, Helios, the sun god.” More cheers. When the cheering died down, she turned and, with a wave of her hand, a duplicate of her throne appeared next to the original. This one was slightly different, more masculine. Its gems were a deep yellow to match Lucas’s eyes. With a smile and a flick of her wrist, she made a golden crown with yellow jewels appear on his head.

“Helios! Helios!” the crowd cheered.

Lucas chuckled and shook his head. “You’re sure about this?”

“For now.” She took his outstretched hand.