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I reached out my hand.
He roared at me. Opened his huge mouth, lunged forward, and let out a thunderous cry. I saw the flicker of fire deep in his throat and acted on instinct. Summoned the forces of light from the Seven Stars and shielded myself.
The flames hit an invisible wall between us, shot back, and enveloped the beast. The flask ignited then exploded in a huge ball of flame. I watched in horror as the inferno consumed it – along with the great red dragon.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Drayke
My dragon had spied the flask and headed straight for it, like a beacon. But the moment he bent his head and breathed in the flames, I felt my human self burning away. The dark lord’s seductive whisper became louder, until it filled my head, drowning out every other sound. Every thought.
I took the flask and flew, guided by his voice.Guard the flask. Bring it to me and almighty power will be yours. Destroy all who try to stop you.
I landed in the clearing just as a ragtag band of soldiers rushed forward, swords drawn. My dragon acted instinctively to the threat. Shot a firebolt and incinerated the first to charge at him.
Then I turned and faced the woman. She, too, had a sword, but she laid it on the ground. I heard her speaking, but I couldn’t make out the words over the voice of the dark lord.Guard the flask. Destroy all who try to stop you.
She reached out her hand, threatening to take the flask from my grip. I opened my mouth and roared, prepared to reduce her to a pile of ash.
Then, as I looked into her eyes, another voice appeared in my head. A soft whisper.
I love you, Drayke.
My human self battled the dragon within me. Wrenched his head away at the last second and incinerated the flask instead.
When the ball of fire died away, I stepped out in human form. The shield of light had disappeared. Melisandre lay on the ground, sobbing.
I went to her, gathered her in my arms. “Sssh. It’s all right, my love. I’m here. We succeeded.”
She pulled away. Stared at me in shock as though I was a ghost. “No! It cannot be. I saw you die!”
“Fire can’t kill a dragon,” I said gently. “We thrive on fire.”
I tried again to pull her into my arms, but she resisted. I saw terror in her eyes.
“You were going to kill me.”
I sighed. “You’re right. My dragon was. You tried to take the flask from him.”
She started to cry again. “Why? I trusted you. I believed you. You promised you’d never hurt me. You said I had nothing to fear from you, whether in human or dragon form.” She wrapped her arms around herself defensively and huddled into a ball.
I sat beside her on the ground. “I’m sorry I frightened you, my love. I frightened myself, too,” I admitted. “What I told you before – it was a lie. I didn’t want you to fear me. I thought I could control the beast within. I hoped I could. But I’d never been tested. Until tonight.
“The Lord of Darkness is far more dangerous than I ever dreamed he’d be,” I went on. “I heard his voice tonight. He promised me unimaginable power, unlimited wealth. Showed me a future where I was king. Sitting on the throne, ruling the world of Seven Stars as both man and dragon. All the while, he fed the thirst of my beast with fire from the flask, until I was drunk on it. Every time I breathed it in, my human self slipped away a little more. Near the end, all that remained was the dragon. A wild, fierce, untamed creature.”
“But you’re here, now. How?”
“It was you, Meli,” I said simply. “You brought my human self back. At the last moment, I looked into your eyes and heard your voice whispering the words you said to me when you lay in my arms last night. ‘I love you, Drayke.’ My human self forced the dragon to turn his head and destroy the flask. The moment I did, the voice of the dark lord disappeared.”
I lifted her chin and kissed away her tears. “I know now I can control my dragon – with a power greater than the power of fire or the power of the dark lord. The power of love.”
She looked at me then. Looked deep into my eyes, as she’d done before.
I stood and extended my hand. “Will you trust me one more time?”
She rose and came into my arms. I kissed her. A kiss that held all the emotion mere words could not express. Her arms tightened around my neck and she returned the kiss.
I stepped back. Summoned my dragon. She climbed on, and we soared away.
