Wings of Flame (The Dragons of Ascavar Book 5)

by JD Monroe

  And though he was haunted by the look of anger in Sohaila’s eyes, he felt no remorse for leaving her behind. He’d gone to Velati early that morning, though he feared he would protest, wanting her close to help Marlena.

  “No way in all the worlds is she flying into battle with us,” Velati said. “Under different circumstances I’d fly her in and put a couple of guards on her.” He shook his head. “Not this time. I believe in our people, but this is going to be bloody and ugly. We’ll send for her when it’s safe.”

  And with that, he could fly into battle without distraction. Though he had fought battles to expand the Ironflight lands, driving out rogue remnants of dragons who resisted Tarim’s rule, this was the greatest battle that had ever darkened his path. And though he had no doubt about his own strength or the rightness of their cause, he was not confident that their goodness alone would be enough to defeat the evil of the Chosen.

  But he would try, and he would fight to his last breath. And maybe on the other side, she would be waiting for him. If that was not in his fate, he’d know he protected her to the very end.

  Legs tightened on his scaled neck. Azeria’s murmured prayers were barely audible in the whistling of wind and the thunder of wings all around him. The glowing warmth of Sohaila’s blessing still warmed his heart, like her small hands were pressed to his chest. He wasn’t sure if that was the magic, or simple longing. It was reassuring either way.

  The dark silhouette of the Azure Peaks loomed ahead, with the spires of Adamantine Rise slicing into the night sky. Two massive, white-scaled dragons circled over the city, their blue eyes like eerie comets streaking through the night. A third spiraled over the mountains to the north. Another lay in the middle of the city, its huge body sprawled over the crumbled remains of the stone plaza where he and Sohaila had danced a week ago, unaware that the threat they feared was already upon them.

  Ahead of him, Lotheraos braced one hand on Marlena’s scaled neck and threw his other hand out to the side. With an audible whoomph, a shimmering sphere radiated from him. Her huge form disappeared behind his shield.

  It was time.

  As one of the Aesdar ventured along the western edge of the city, it jack-knifed in midair. It bellowed in pain, spitting out a globe of crackling energy. The membrane of its right wing ripped open. The other wing froze, the joints rigid, then shattered. The Aesdar fell, twisting awkwardly as its deafening roar rang out. He could barely detect the shimmering outline surrounding Marlena and her riders, but Lotheraos kept the barrier strong.

  Noisy metallic clanging rang out as someone sounded an alarm. The second dragon patrolling headed toward its fallen companion, while the one in the park stirred and slowly rose on massive wings. All around the city, Kadirai with riders were springing into action, headed for the fallen Aesdar.

  Another of the white dragons twisted, this time arching as deep seams opened in its underbelly. It raked blindly with its claws, exhaling a beam of white energy. As its claws glanced over the barrier, the barrier faltered and revealed Marlena flying north toward the mountains. Then she disappeared again. The white dragon followed, trailing a rain of blood in its wake. The dragon from the park followed its companion, and they began converging on the same point beyond the city walls.

  With a snarling roar, a crackling orb of white surrounded the shimmering aura, exploding outward to catch the other Aesdar. They snarled, recoiling, but it didn’t knock them from the sky like it would have one of the Kadirai. As Marlena tangled with them, Kaldir surveyed the city. On the roof of Adamantine Rise, another of the Aesdar was transforming in a blinding display of light. Another flew from just over the mountains, headed for the city.

  One of Marlena’s pursuers fell, its huge white body crashing onto the mountainside as it bellowed in pain. But the third slashed blindly at the open space. The barrier shattered, revealing the two small figures on Marlena’s back.

  Marlena recoiled and snapped at her opponent. Crackling white flame licked across the top of her head and down her back. One of the riders tumbled off, his silhouette plummeting toward the ground. In a split second, a silver-scaled dragon appeared as Velati transformed and dove to catch Lotheraos, who was limp and unmoving.

  She’d done as much as she could alone.

  Kaldir growled to alert Azeria, then headed for the Aesdar coming off the terrace of Adamantine Rise. He growled, “Now!” With that, she took out the metal canister Marlena had brought and triggered it. The blaring noise nearly deafened him. At the sound, the Scalebreakers surged into action, splitting across the city.

  At least two dozen dragons had risen from the city, heading for Marlena. Thaleza and Rhiza zipped toward the Aesdar rising beyond the east wall, while the others hurtled toward the cluster of Kadirai.

  His target was focused on Marlena, who roared as she flew along the mountains. Kaldir took advantage of its distraction, landing at the base of its tail and running straight up its shifting spine. Heat seared along his limbs as Azeria released her own thin, searing beams of flame down into the creature’s back.

  It veered, writhing in midair as it realized Kaldir was on its back. It let out three clipped roars. The rhythmic sound was like a call. Sure enough, three dark green dragons rose from the terrace, eerie green eyes glowing bright as they hurtled toward Kaldir. Talons. Azeria’s heel kicked into his side.

  “Now it’s a party,” Azeria shouted. “Don’t worry about me.” Her voice was muffled when she spoke again. “Take them first.”

  He growled, launching himself off the Aesdar’s back. The Talons converged, and he released a blistering cone of flame as he flew over them. It caught one of them, while the other two split wide. His eyes were everywhere at once. One of the Talons flew up, trying to get above him. He smelled the acrid bite of its breath, but before he could react, it screamed in agony.

  “Fuck off!” Azeria yelled. It tore away with a long, scorched slash on its underbelly. He was as quick and nimble as he’d ever been, dodging the green-tinged bursts of fire, holding his breath to avoid it. He had only one thought: survive.

  Finally, he saw an opening and grabbed one of the Talons by the throat, his teeth sinking in deep. One of the others attacked with its poisonous fire, and he felt Azeria flatten against him, squeezing tight as she cried out in a mix of rage and pain.

  He threw off his dying prey and wheeled around to attack the next one. Before he could close the distance, a black-scaled dragon zipped past like an arrow shot from a bow. It tackled the poisonous creature in mid-air and carried it away from Kaldir. Another dragon, this one scaled deep red, dive-bombed the other, bearing it down to the ground in a tangle of limbs and fire. Both dragons bore a streak of gold paint on their throats.

  The Iron Blade was unleashed.

  With a growl, he whirled around to face the Aesdar. It had flown up to meet him, and when he turned, he was staring right into its eyes. Its gaze hit him like a punch to the face, seizing his spine and freezing his wings. The third eye on its forehead glared bright. Gravity seized him. His belly lurched.

  Azeria’s presence surged like flame into his chest. A hard, familiar voice shouted in his mind. Don’t you fucking dare! Move your wings!

  Dimly, he realized she was kicking his sides. Still half-dazed, he gave a powerful stroke of his wings and shot up and over the Aesdar, pouncing on its back again. Instead of destroying its wings, he planted his feet on its thick neck, then drove his razor-sharp talons down into its third eye. Its roar left his ears ringing, tremors wracking its body.

  “Throat!” he managed to growl as he maneuvered under it.

  Metal scraped as Azeria drew her wickedly sharp sword. Blood dripped on his back as she buried her blade in the soft place under its jaw. He flew along its underbelly, and she opened a long seam down its soft belly. Blood spilled out, and a hot lump of viscera slid off its wings.

  “Kaldir!” Azeria bellowed. “Move!”

  He twisted violently to one side, watching as the Aesdar faltered, with
a waterfall of viscera spilling out below in a rain of red.

  “That was the most disgusting thing we’ve ever done,” she complained. “You’re buying me new clothes.”

  Catching his breath, he surveyed the city. More dragons had joined the fight. One of the Aesdar had fallen in the middle of the city. Marlena was still fighting near the mountains, with two Aesdar lying dead below her. A dozen smaller dragons were harrying her, while Velati zipped around her, fighting them off.

  The city was crawling with activity as the dragons of the Iron Blade swarmed overhead, skirmishing with Chosen soldiers in red. Mounted on the walls of the citadel and atop the highest buildings in the city were siege weapons, shooting massive silver-coated bolts at dragons. As he watched, a red-scaled dragon took a bolt through the chest and fell.

  A shadow passed over the city, and he craned his neck to see another of the Aesdar rising high. Its scales seemed to glitter silver, like it was coated in gems. Then the glittering gems started to fall, glowing orange as they did. The dragon continued to fly, letting the small objects fall in a spiraling pattern.

  Fear lanced through him. One of the globes was falling towards him. He instinctively batted it away, and it exploded on contact. Molten silver burst from it, splattering his forelimb. He roared in pain as the fire seeped under his scales, finding the soft flesh beneath. An agonized chorus arose from the city as the tiny bombs fell, unleashing burning, poisonous metal onto the attacking dragons and the Chosen alike.

  Stick to the plan, he reminded himself, trying to shake off the pain. Thaleza and Miko were flying toward the weapon-carrying Aesdar. He flew up toward it as they arrived, and in tandem, they attacked its face. They could do this.

  With the last of the Aesdar wailing a death cry, Kaldir slammed to the ground just outside Adamantine Rise. The heavy metal doors were ajar. Whoever had been guarding them had already joined the battle.

  Azeria slid off his back and stood guard while Kaldir shifted back into his human form. Next to him, Miko and Shanti were doing the same. Like a choreographed dance, Azeria held out his clothing and equipment, helping him into it. In under a minute, he was dressed in loose pants and a well-oiled leather cuirass. The armor was rigged down one side with a clever set of buckles that could be opened by pulling a leather cord, letting him shift quickly when the need arose.

  They were headed into the depths of Adamantine Rise, where it would be far too tight for him to change. Azeria handed him one of the protective amulets, which he looped over his head.

  Fire and lightning streaked across the smoky night sky in a never-ending display of light. As they quickly prepared to enter the palace, two flittering shapes emerged from the haze, diving down to land on the ground in front of them. A dark-haired woman emerged from the shape of the black crow. Zahila raked her hair out of her face. “He…” She frowned, pursing her lips as if trying to remember the words.

  The other form was Vikosh, emerging from the tiny brown bird form. “He’s…gardens,” he said.

  “In the healing gardens?” Miko asked.

  They both nodded rapidly. Zahila let out a sound of frustration that sounded like a crow’s caw. “One…” She raked her hands over her bare arms, making swirling gestures with her fingers like she was tracing lines.

  “Aesdar,” Azeria said. “The ones with the tattoos.”

  Zahila nodded. “Purple dragon. And r-red.”

  Purple dragon and red… “He has dragon bodyguards?” Kaldir asked. Purple dragon. Adron had said Sidran planned to enslave Halmerah. Had he done it somehow?

  She spread her hands wide. “Big.”

  “Okay,” he said. He gently touched her shoulder. “You did well, Zahila. Go back up and keep watch for me.” She beamed with pride. Closing her eyes, she tucked her arms tight to her sides like folded wings. A sheen skated over her shrinking form as gleaming black feathers burst from her back. Vikosh followed her lead, and the two birds disappeared into the haze.

  Kaldir glanced over to Miko and Shanti. “Cut a path through,” he said. “The others will follow. Find Sidran. Keep him alive if possible. Stick to the plan.”

  “You need the stuff the sister gave us?” Azeria asked, wiping sweat from her brow. She tilted her head toward him, and he examined his forearm. Silver shards bristled from blistered flesh. It hurt, but it only made him angrier.

  “Not yet,” he said. “Are you ready?”

  “Oh, yes.” With a toothy grin, she handed him a belt equipped with his sword. The leather sheath was stained dark.

  “It’s dirty,” he said drily. His eyes swept over her. Beneath her leather armor, her linen shirt was spattered crimson. “I trusted you with my things.”

  “I told you to get out from under that thing. It’s not my fault you flew under a waterfall of Aesdar innards,” she replied. Fingering her sleeve, she raised an eyebrow. “New shirt.”

  He didn’t dare tell her there was a meaty red lump in her hair. “If we survive this, I will certainly buy your new shirt.”

  He glanced over to Miko, who had a short blade in each hand. Kaldir and Azeria tucked themselves close, and his shimmering barrier surrounded them as they crept through the front door of the citadel.

  He’d expected the foyer to be filled with guards, but it was empty except for a pair of soldiers in red posted at the entrance to the central stairwell. Kaldir tapped Miko’s shoulder. In a blur, the other man threw a powerful burst of wind at them. Like a massive fist, the wind knocked the two soldiers into the stone wall. Kaldir and Azeria darted forward, dispatching both of them with a blade to the throat.

  Behind the fallen guards, the stone archway opened into a huge spiral staircase that connected the entire fortress. Filing in behind Miko again, they descended the stairs, headed for the dungeon beneath the citadel.

  At the foot of the stairs, he found another pair of guards pacing the antechamber. A wooden platter of bread and cheese lay untouched on the rough-hewn wooden table behind them. Creeping in silently behind Miko’s shield, they entered the room undetected. Kaldir’s heart thumped as they approached.

  The female soldier looked up and frowned, wrinkling her nose. Her hand crept toward the blade sheathed on her belt. Lunging out from behind him, Azeria’s blade slashed through the air and opened a bloody tear in the woman’s chest. As she let out a scream, her partner lurched forward. Kaldir intercepted him and grabbed his head. The man’s eyes widened in terror as Kaldir snapped his neck, dispatching him cleanly.

  Kaldir took a ring of keys from the man’s belt. Among the heavy metal keys was a polished silver cylinder, nearly as long as his thumb. The end was carved into an intricate, star-like pattern. It was the key to the collars they’d used to imprison the dragons in Ironhold. Scowling, he held up the keys. “Let’s go.”

  Fading into Miko’s shimmering barrier, Miko and Shanti stepped forward into the first narrow hallway. Using the reclaimed keys, Kaldir opened the first cell and found a bedraggled-looking woman in a loose white shift, huddled in the corner with a silver collar around her neck. She shied away at first, then sniffed the air. “Kadirai?”

  “Can you fight?” he asked.

  Her chapped lips split over a vicious grin. “I certainly can.” He hurried toward her, gently pushing her head forward so he could unlock the cruel collar. The silver frame was lined with razor-sharp spikes that would tear into her throat if she transformed. Once he removed it, she let out a heavy sigh of relief and rubbed her neck.

  “Have you seen Viraszel Dawnblaze?” he asked.

  “Who?”

  “Looks like him, bigger balls,” Azeria said. He ignored her.

  “Haven’t seen anyone since they dragged me down here,” she said. “I tried to fight them off, but they got to Halmerah.”

  “Shit,” Azeria said. “What about the princess?”

  “She’s hidden somewhere safe,” the woman replied. She winced as she stood and stretched her back. “Point me in the right direction. I have a taste for blood.”


  “Just stick with us. You’ll get your fill,” Kaldir said.

  They returned to the narrow hall, opening cell after cell. His heart pounded as he breathed deep, searching for familiar scents. From the cells, he recognized several of the Scalebreakers that had been left here in the city, but none could tell him what had happened to Viraszel. One of the Scalebreakers, Evenir, had accompanied the Firestorm here to the citadel in an attempt to assassinate Sidran, but he’d been overwhelmed by the Elegy after the Chosen shot his rider off his back. He hadn’t heard anything else since.

  They cleared out every cell on the hallway, heading for the dank chamber where Kaldir had been interrogated on his last visit down here. Azeria touched his arm lightly, her face unusually gentle. “Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine,” he said. “Whether she is alive or dead, it changes nothing about the plan.”

  She stared at him, lips parted like she was going to argue. Finally, she nodded to him. “Okay.”

  The heavy metal door was still locked. He could hear quiet, strained breathing from inside. A familiar, smoky scent tickled at his senses. He unlocked the door but held his hand behind him to keep Azeria back. Easing it open, he nearly cried out with relief.

  With his arms chained above his head, chest bruised and slashed with dozens of shallow cuts, Prince Zayir was there. His dark hair was matted, his skin streaked with grime and blood, but he was breathing. Kaldir cleared his throat, trying to push down the lump of emotion. “Are you planning to just laze about while the rest of us fight?” he asked as he entered. “Typical.”

  Zayir lifted his head, his amber eyes sunken in shadow. Despite the pain etching his handsome features, he grinned. “It took you long enough to get here,” he said, his voice rough. A silver collar was secured around his neck. “You could have at least sent the pretty one in so I didn’t have to see your ugly face first.”

  “Azeria,” Kaldir said. “Help hold him up.”

  “Oh, please don’t—” Zayir groaned as the hybrid woman wrapped her arms around his waist and lifted. Reaching over the prince’s head, Kaldir unlocked the shackles. As she eased him down, Zayir’s leg buckled, and he took her to the ground in a clumsy tangle. “Sorry, dear woman.” He groaned as he shifted his shoulders, and there were several noisy pops of joints finding their way back into their sockets. His playful expression evaporated, going deadly serious. “Tell me about my family.”