by Linsey Hall
The ether sucked us in, spinning us through space. I held my breath until we arrived, then gasped at the sight of the fortress.
I’d never seen it from this angle. Holy fates, it was big.
The structure was built of midnight stone and towered into the air. It was so huge that it looked like something from an alien planet. The fortress sat on an enormous stone mountain that sloped gradually upward. Lightning crashed in the dark sky, illuminating the golden crystal that spun with incredible speed.
Ana wasted no time in pressing her foot to the gas. I clung to the front railing of the buggy as it plowed forward, eating its way up the side of the mountain. Thunder boomed as lightning lit up the sky, making the fortress look haunted.
My heartbeat roared as we approached, a chill racing over my skin.
This was it—the battle that would determine our fate.
15
The Cyclopes and Centaurs thundered alongside us, ready to provide cover should we need it.
I was certain we would.
The wind blasted the hair back from my face, and I grinned, despite the fact that I was possibly racing toward death. Fear and joy combined, a strange mix. I’d always loved the buggy, and that was never going to change.
“Head toward the left side of the fortress,” Caro shouted. “The weak spot is there.”
Ana turned the wheel slightly left and zoomed toward our target. I looked back over my shoulder, spotting our army as it appeared through the portals. With every second, more people arrived, waiting to launch the attack.
I squinted up toward the fortress walls, looking for a sign of any guards. The golden crystal continued to spin, and as we neared it, something strange happened. It was almost as if I could feel the power of the crystal in my chest.
It was dark.
As dark as the magic that I’d shoved deep down inside me. It called to me, pulling on that dark magic, trying to drag it to the surface. I stiffened, gripping the railing tight, and looked away from the crystal.
Fight it.
As we neared the base of the castle, I swept my gaze over the top of the ramparts. I spotted the tiny figures right before the magic began to fly.
“Look out!” I shouted, just as a massive ball of fire hurtled toward us.
One of the Cyclopes—Arges, I thought it was—thundered forward, raising his shield and slamming it into the fireball. The flame ricocheted back toward the fortress. It smashed into the wall about halfway up, leaving a deep dent.
Chiron the Centaur galloped up to join Arges and raised his bow. The arrow that he nocked glowed a brilliant green, and he aimed with perfect precision, sending the emerald arrow sailing through the sky to land in the chest of the one who’d thrown the fireball.
“Wow, they’re a great team,” Bree said.
“Best backup you could hope for.” Caro grinned.
Another blast of magic hurtled from the top of the fortress tower. It gleamed a bright blue. Sonic boom?
Steropes, the other Cyclopes that I’d met, ran to meet this one. His footsteps shook the ground beneath the buggy. He caught the blast of magic against his shield, slamming it away just like Arges had. The power of the magic sent him to his knees, but he staggered upright. One of Chiron’s fellow Centaurs joined Steropes and fired an arrow at the one who’d thrown the sonic boom.
The figure had already ducked behind the black stone wall, but the green arrow pierced the barrier. I heard the faintest scream, and knew that the Centaur’s magical arrow had found its mark.
The fortress’s defensive assault came faster now. More and more blasts of flame and sonic booms. The Cyclopes did a good job of deflecting most of it, while Ana’s crazy driving took care of the rest. She dodged at least two fireballs and one sonic boom while the rest of us hung on for dear life.
The closer we got, the harder the crystal pulled on me. The darkness inside me was rising, nearly impossible to fight.
“Do you feel that?” I asked, the words nearly painful to speak.
“Feel what?” Bree asked.
“The crystal.” I pointed to it.
“I don’t.” She frowned at me.
“There are records of more and more people falling to the darkness,” Caro said. “Ever since they got the power source, they’ve converted people much more quickly. Maybe you’re one of them.”
I wanted to believe that I was just like everyone else. But I knew this was different. I’d been warned.
Fates, I hoped I had the strength to fight it.
“Nearly there!” Caro shouted. “Get your bombs!”
I dug out one of the bombs that Hedy had given us. They weren’t too dissimilar from my potion bombs, though they looked more like grenades than Christmas ornaments filled with liquid. Each of us had one, and we lined up so that we could get a clear shot.
“See the white paint?” Caro shouted. “Aim for that!”
I spotted it a second later. Caro had drawn a white X on the bottom of the stone wall when she’d been here last, and no one in the fortress had realized. Hell, they probably didn’t even realize there was a weak spot in the wall.
“On my count!” Caro raised her bomb.
I did the same.
“Three, two, one!”
We all hurled our bombs. One by one, they crashed against the stone wall, exploding in a fiery green blast. As the smoke dissipated, I spotted the hole that led right into the Titans’ fortress. It was at least twenty feet across and ten feet high.
I turned back to check out our army, which was now advancing. They sprinted up the side of the black mountain, Jude in the lead. She had one hand out in front of her, creating a massive shield. I’d never seen anything quite like it, and it was clearly taking up a lot of her power.
The guards on the wall shot fire and sonic booms at them, but they exploded against Jude’s shield. The Cyclopes and Centaurs filled the space between the army and the fortress, intercepting as many of the blasts as they could. Each one surely weakened Jude, so I hoped they stopped them all.
Ana pulled the buggy to a stop about forty feet from the fortress entrance. It was big, but not big enough. At best, twenty of our fighters could squeeze through at one time. The first ones to enter would be slaughtered immediately by the larger army within.
I looked at Bree, and from the look on her face, I’d bet twenty bucks she was thinking the same thing I was.
“We need to clear the way for them,” I shouted.
“We can fly over the castle walls and create a blockade.”
“I can do it with my fire.”
“I’m coming!” Ana shouted.
I looked back at her. She was turned toward the back platform. “One of you take the wheel!”
Maximus leapt off the platform and took the wheel from her.
“Don’t enter yet!” I shouted. “You’ll be outnumbered.”
He nodded, expression grim. “We’ll go pick up some of the army. The run up to the top can’t be fun.”
“Good.” I gave him a hard look. “Enter only with the rest of them when Ana gives the command.”
“I’ll fly down in front of the entrance,” Ana said. “Then you know you can enter.”
Caro clung to the platform, her gaze on us. “Good luck in there.”
I dug into my bag and grabbed the little golden vessel, then thrust it into Bree’s hands. “In dragon form, I can’t hold this. You’ll have to have it ready for the Titans.”
“When will that be?”
“I don’t know. But when I figure it out, I’ll fly in front of you and shriek. That’ll be the signal to get ready.”
“Works for me.”
“Right now, I’m going to hold their army back with my flame. You and Ana check out that golden crystal. See if you can break it.”
“On it,” Bree said.
I gave a two-finger salute, then jumped off the buggy, shifting into my dragon form almost immediately. It was easier now. Probably because of the practice, but also because I
didn’t have a choice. No way I was going to fail now.
Bree and Ana were already in the sky, silver and black wings carrying them high. I launched myself off the ground, surging toward them. My wings were strong, and I joined them quickly. The castle wall loomed above us, and we flew up over it, getting our first good view into the fortress below.
The massive black stone walls surrounded an enormous inner courtyard, just as I remembered. Hundreds of fighters milled around inside, waiting at the hole in the fortress wall.
I could feel the power of the Titans, but they hadn’t arrived yet. No doubt they would be here soon, ready to defend their horrible empire.
Bree and Ana broke way, flying higher to reach the golden crystal.
I swooped down, calling upon the fire that burned in my chest. I hoped that none of these cult members were innocent people who'd been dragged in by the Titans’ darkness. Hopefully not. The first people to fall had been the ones who wanted to.
And anyway, they would kill my friends if given half the chance.
I was nearly to them when I blasted my fire, sending an enormous streak at the group in front. They shrieked and fell back, creating a gap between them and the hole in the fortress wall.
I’d like to be able to sweep through and take out all the people in a massive burst of flame, but I could feel that I wasn’t strong enough. I didn’t have an endless stream of fire, and I’d need to save a bit of strength for the Titans.
I kept up my attack, clearing a path for my friends to enter the fortress in great enough numbers to mount a suitable defense.
My fire held steady as I flew over the crowd, holding them back. The screams of pain and fear were awful.
The darkness in my soul liked it—a lot.
But I didn’t. The true me hated it, and I clung to that. No matter what, I couldn’t lose myself to the darkness. It was difficult, though. The crystal tugged so hard at me that I felt like I could convert at any moment. But then I’d be on the wrong side.
I’m protecting my friends.
The thought was the only thing that kept me going.
Bree swooped down next to my head and screamed, “I can’t get the golden crystal. It is protected by the Titans’ magic.”
Damn it.
The crystal’s power still pulled at me, igniting the darkness within. I needed to take it out.
Finally, I’d created enough of an open space that our army could approach. Ana must have realized and given the signal, because soon, they were pouring in.
I killed my fire so my friends wouldn’t enter an inferno.
The buggy came first, driven by Maximus. Aerdeca and Mordaca rode on the front. Mordaca fired her bow at the enemy, her incredible aim taking out one after the other. Aerdeca leaped off the platform and sprinted into the crowd, her sword raised high.
Lachlan and Cade leapt off the back platform, shifting into their lion and wolf forms in midair. They jumped into the crowd of the enemy, claws and fangs tearing. Ali, Harris, and Caro sprang out of the buggy’s back seat and sprinted toward the fight.
Within seconds, Nix sprinted through the entry and conjured a barricade of sand bags for Connor. He ducked behind it, then threw potion bombs so fast his arm looked like a blur. His aim was perfect, and he felled enemy after enemy.
His sister, Claire, was already in the thick of it, swinging her sword with such ferocity that she beheaded a six-foot tall demon without appearing to exert any effort at all. Del, in her blue phantom form, fought at her side. Her sword glowed a bright cobalt, and she turned corporeal just long enough to stab demons straight through the heart.
Two griffons swooped through the air, their enormous beaks aiming straight for demon heads. Their claws glinted in the firelight, and their feathers gleamed a golden brown. Cass and her man, Aidan, no doubt. He was the Origin, the most powerful shifter in the world, and she could mimic anyone’s magic. Turning into a deadly griffon seemed to be a smart use of the skill.
I looked for a pocket of demons to attack with my fire.
“Oh, shit! The Titans are here!” Bree shouted.
I glanced up, spotting the Titans arriving in the courtyard. They were enormous, towering over the crowd as they approached. Cronos wore his enormous golden crown, while Crius’s horns shot toward the sky. Theia’s eyes glowed with a golden light that sent shivers down my spine. She’d be shooting fire at my friends any moment now.
As if Ana had thought the same thing, she dived from the skies. Her black feathers camouflaged her well, and Theia didn’t see her coming since she was attacking from right above. Ana clawed at one of Theia’s eyes.
The Titaness shrieked, blood pouring down her face as she reached up to cup the destroyed organ.
One eye down, one to go.
Crius, the ram-horned god, raised his hand. Lightning shot from his fingertips, headed right for the buggy.
I tried to shriek a warning, but the only thing that came out was a roar. At the last moment, one of the Cyclopes soared through the air, clearly having jumped from the top of the tower wall. He slammed his shield against the lightning bolt, sending it ricocheting away.
The lightning crashed against the castle wall and left a massive dent.
Cronos searched the sky, his giant golden crown glinting beneath the flashes of lightning. His eyes caught on me, and they brightened with delight.
“Rowan!” His voice bellowed through the night. “You are here. Join us. Complete your destiny.”
This was way different than the message he’d given me last time I was here. They didn’t want to kill me at all. They wanted me on their side.
But why?
I struggled to think as the crystal pulled at me and the darkness welled inside me. There had to be something about me that would help them fulfill their goal. I must be the final part of their puzzle.
I roared at him, and he laughed.
“You feel the pull even now,” he shouted. “Join us and complete the spell. It is your destiny.”
Complete the spell?
Did he mean that I was the last part of the spell that would turn the whole world evil?
He did. I could read it in his eyes. That was why they wanted me here. The crystal continued to pull at me, so hard I thought I might lose control of myself. It whispered dark things in my mind—dark things that I should do. Like attack my friends.
No.
I had to take out the crystal.
I flew toward it, beating my wings as fast as I could. I didn’t have much time—I needed to help my sisters with the Titans. But if I didn’t destroy this thing, it was all over. I knew it in my soul. I would turn to darkness and join the Titans.
The closer I got to the crystal, the harder it pulled. The evil inside me roared to life. It felt like black tar, filling up my insides and polluting my mind. Kill your friends.
I shook my head, trying to drive off the terrible thoughts, but they came faster and harder. I was nearly to the crystal. I could do this.
I raised my talons, reaching for the glowing golden rock. I’d crush it.
As soon as I collided with it, a massive force propelled me backward. I tumbled in the air but finally righted myself. I tried again, and it shot me back a second time.
It was pure evil, and it felt like it was rejecting the goodness within me. Every time I got close to it, I felt the darkness envelope more of my soul. On my third approach, it overtook me entirely. Evil exploded through me.
Kill them. Join us.
The urge was so strong that I looked down toward my friends. I nearly fell out of the sky when I saw that my scaled feet were now black. I turned to look at my wings. They, too, were black.
I had changed. No longer was I a silver dragon. My scales were as black as a demon’s heart.
More than anything, I wanted to join the Titans in their goal. I needed to join them. It was my rightful place.
Deep inside, a small voice screamed. Vaguely, I recognized it as my true self, telling me not to do this. B
ut I didn’t listen.
I turned and shot downward, heading for the battle. I was going to blast the Protectorate and the Amazons to hell with my fire. Heat rose inside me, and I let out an experimental blast.
The flame was black.
No!
I ignored the voice inside me and flew lower, searching for the members of the Protectorate. My gaze landed on Jude. Then on Hedy. Caro. Maximus.
No!
The voice inside me screamed louder. I ignored it.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of my sisters fighting. Crius’s hand smashed into Bree, sending her hurtling through the air to slam against the castle wall.
No!
My soul ached at the sight of Bree. When Theia struck Ana, something snapped inside me.
What was I doing?
I couldn’t attack my friends. This was evil. Pure evil.
And that wasn’t me, no matter what was inside my soul.
You can make the final choice.
Arach’s words echoed in my mind, blasting so loud that I couldn’t ignore them. I’d chosen good before, and I would do it again. No matter how hard it was, I could do it again.
I turned from the battle, flying back toward the crystal. It took everything in me not to fight with the Titans instead of against them. My scales were still black and I still felt like I was drowning in tar, but I raced for the crystal.
This time, when I clawed at it, the dark magic didn’t repel me. It embraced me.
So I used it. I gripped the crystal in both of my claws and squeezed so hard that it shattered.
The darkness drained from my soul immediately, sinking back down inside of me. It was still there, but it was truly part of me—more than it ever had been before. I felt like I had control of it now. It was a tool I could use.
I could breathe again. I could think again.
And my scales were silver again.
The darkness had tried to overtake me, but I’d chosen light. I’d used the dark magic to destroy the crystal, and now it could no longer take over my mind, dragging the darkness out of my control.
I controlled the darkness within me, and I could use it to take out the Titans.