AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I thought they were alive,” I croak. The throb of excitement and victory is wearing off, and I start to shiver. “I thought my family were home.”
The pitchfork drops from my fingers and clatters on the cobbles, and I wrap my arms around my suddenly freezing-cold body. Esmeral hurries over to me and pushes her head into my shoulder. I gaze around at the bodies on the ground and the people stuck up on spikes. So much death. When is it going to end?
Esmeral rests her jaw on my shoulder and trills softly.
I reach up and stroke her neck, whispering, “What are we going to do now?”
30
Zabriel
There’s an almighty roar beyond the War Room, and every wooden piece on the map of Maledin rattles. An enormous shape blocks out all the light for a few seconds. My dragon has flown up to the castle, and he’s more frantic than he has been in five hundred years.
I run out to the terrace and Scourge swoops past and bellows yet again, and I’m blasted with so much confusion and fury that it nearly knocks me off my feet.
Esmeral.
Isavelle.
Where are they?
“What do you mean, where are they?” I shout, and Scourge snarls and hurtles toward the dragongrounds. I don’t wait to watch him land. I run out of the room and down the corridor.
As I cross the stone bridge and enter the dragongrounds, I see that it’s shrouded in mist and Scourge is stomping up and down, hunting among the flare for his mate.
“Isavelle. Esmeral.Isavelle,” I bellow, but no one answers me.
Someone comes running toward us through the mist, and I see with equal parts anger and relief that it’s Stesha. I hate the sight of him right now, but he has been keeping an eye on Esmeral. He wouldn’t let a precious Omega dragon run loose.
“Where’s my mate? Where’s her dragon?” I demand.
Scourge snorts and glares at Stesha, as angry as I am with the white-haired Alpha.
Stesha glances around. “They were both right here. I thought they were still here. I was tending to a Beta at the other end of the dragongrounds.”
He took himself far away from my Omega, which is what I wanted, only now I’m furious about it because my mate is gone. “For fuck’s sake. They can’t both be gone. Why didn’t you keep a closer eye on them?”
Stesha’s eyes flash. Because I threatened to strip away everything he cares about for getting too close to Isavelle.
“Where were her bodyguards?” Stesha snaps. “Where was Scourge? Where wereyou? You and he are their Alphas.”
Scorn fills his cold expression. He would have kept a closer eye on his Omega. He wouldn’t have let her out of his sight. His judgment makes me want to punch him twice as hard as last time.
I whirl around and press my hands against Scourge’s flank. “You can find Isavelle, can’t you? You always have before. Or search for Esmeral. Dragons can seek their mates.”
Isavelle has been in distress before and called to Scourge. Is she calling out to him now?
The minutes stretch out, and finally, Scourge opens his jaws and roars in frustration. My heart sinks as I realize he can’t hear either of them. Esmeral and Scourge aren’t mated yet, so their bond isn’t strong.
Stesha is searching the misty skies. “You wanted your mate to bond with her dragon, and she is impetuous. This may be their first flight, and there may be no reason for you to worry.”
“There is every reason for me to worry,” I snarl at him. “She could be lost. She could fall. Esmeral has never had a rider. They’re both so…” Innocent. Fragile.
Gone.
I shove my fingers through my hair. This can’t be happening. This is too much on top of every terrible thing that has happened in Maledin. I can’t lose my mate and her dragon as well.
As little as I want to ask for Stesha’s help, I say to him, “Summon the dragonriders and wingrunners. Send every—”
