AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.
I glance up in time to see both dragons making a hardnose dive toward the ground. Venali pulls me backward, but they don’t land. A strong whoosh of wind pushes my hair back as the two dragons go toward the sky again. They’re a blur of black so fast that it makes my head spin.
Evander tenses beside me and I look up, trying to see what’s happening, but it’s all just a black blur.
“What’s happening?” I ask Evander.
“Ioza is using his elemental magic. Stellan barely got out of the way, but he’s doing good. He’s holding his own, despite Ioza’s advantage,” Evander answers, keeping his head up.
“It’s not always about the strength of one’s magic,” Venali says. “I’ve seen many elf warriors lose battles due to arrogance. Stellan is strong and he fights knowing his subjects stand behind him. He’s got powerful allies. This is the start of a new generation, one that is leaving old prejudices behind.”
Venali’s words encourage me. I lean closer to him, feeling much more at ease than I was moments ago.
Stellan’s got this. He comes from the royal line and there is a strength in that Ioza can’t match. Even if Ioza is the son of the man who was supposed to be heir, his father lost his magic, which makes his dragon shifter magic weaker by result. The advantage he has of being a hybrid isn’t enough.
“What about the other dragons?” I ask Venali, keeping my voice low. I imagine the other dragons are too far away to hear me if I talk low.
Venali glances toward the hoard of enemy dragons that are staying back to observe the fight. “How many do you think there are?”
I glance up, then shrug. “I don’t know. Maybe fifty?”
He nods. “With the other dragons, we could easily handle fifty.”
“You think?” I ask.
He turns to me, raising an eyebrow. “Wisteria, we’reroyalelves. We don’t have soulmates like other supernaturals and our bloodline has been bred for strength. We’re stronger now than we’ve ever been. In addition, you’re a hybrid, so your strength is off the charts regardless. We can handle this.”
We can.
I look up in time to see Stellan and Ioza crash into one another. They move in a blur, this time falling fast toward the ground. Venali pulls me back a few more steps as both dragons land in a heap on the ground. Ioza shifts back instantly, his eyes open and glossy. I look away quickly, not wanting to see anymore. My eyes search on Stellan. He takes a few more seconds to shift back. When he does, his eyes are closed. He’s bleeding heavily, but he’s still breathing.
He’s alive.
My heart races as I start to run toward him. Venali tightens his grip on my hand, keeping me from going forward. I wonder what he’s doing until I remember the horde of dragons. This fight isn’t over—I need to keep my head for a little bit longer.
My mouth is dry and my heart throbs painfully. All I want to do is run over to Stellan and make sure that he’s all right. I force myself to stand by Venali and look up at the horde of dragons. For several seconds, they don’t move. They just hover in the air, like they’re in a state of shock.
These dragons turned their back on the crown and swore loyalty to Ioza and his family. This is the moment they were waiting for, and it’s clear that none of them expected Ioza to fail. I watch in complete shock as one by one they turn and fly off. Nobody chases after them—they don’t need to. Stellan just showed them exactly how strongthe royal family is. There is no way anybody will come after him again. And once our children are born and they see how powerful the royal bloodline is, there is no way anybody will ever attempt a coup. It would be pointless.
As soon as the last dragon is gone from view, I let go of Venali’s hand and run over to Stellan. I kneel on the ground beside him, taking one of his hands in mine. I look at his chest and see it moving. There is still red blood oozing from his wounds at an alarming rate.
“Stellan.” I touch his face with my other hand, hoping to stir him.
“Wisteria,” I hear behind me.
I turn to see King Basilicus walking up. “Let me take him inside so the healer can tend to him.”
I move out of the way, allowing King Basilicus to lift him from the ground. I walk directly behind him as he moves toward the house. I hear somebody behind me, but I don’t turn to look. All my focus is on Stellan’s still form.
Once in the house, King Basilicus lays Stellan down on a padded bench. I kneel beside him once more, taking one of his hands in mine. Tears spill down my cheeks as I look at his pale face.
He’s lost a lot of blood.
The healer bends over Stellan, checking each wound. He stitches up what needs to be stitched and puts bandages over the wounds. I try my best to be strong and hold my head high, but it’s all I can do to keep myself from losing it.
“Is he going to be all right?” King Basilicus asks the question I’m too afraid to.
The healer hesitates. “Right now, it’s unclear. He has very deep wounds and he’s lost a lot of blood. He’s healing so fast, but I don’t know if it’s fast enough. We have to wait and see.”
