Still, I sprang between Twig and Hallewell, hammer at the ready.
“Hold on, Twig. I’m here.”
His breathing came in short, pained bursts, and his legs twitched. She’d gotten him good.
A roar split the air, followed by echoing calls. I looked up.
Dragons! As far as the eye could see, winging their way here fast, blocking out the sun. That couldn’t be only one clan, could it? I didn’t have a firm grasp on dragon social order, but that must be several clans. Shielding my eyes, I recognized the leader’s sky-blue and gold coloring. Maylanth ‘The Taker of Life.’ My mother-in-law. Holy handmaidens—and was that—Bill? Lounging in one of her talons. One second he soared high above, and the next, he’d popped next to me.
“Greetings, Quinn, Wielder of the Hammer,” he intoned with a grin. “Has a nice ring to it, no?”
I blinked before recovering. “You and your monikers. Quick, guard my back. I need to help Twig.”
“Well, hello to you, too. Thank you, Bill,” he sliced and diced two enemy witches. “—for saving my life. Again. Oh, no problem, Quinn. That’s what friends are for.”
I ignored him and scanned for a source of water. Although the center’s fountain sat nearby, I couldn’t summon the water from it. Not with Twig’s magic doused.
“Bill, can you heft Twig without hurting him? I need to get him into the water.” I pointed toward the fountain.
“What’s wrong with the bossman? He doesn’t look so good.”
“Candied hydra-bone powder.”
“I don’t know what that is—” Bill popped into the center of what remained of Hallewell’s personal guards. They’d tightened their formation and readied for an attack. His sudden appearance left them unprepared, and he made quick work of them, bone and blood splattering in every direction. Messier than a necrolight. At least he was on our side. He popped back. “—but it sounds vile.”
“It is. Hurry, please.”
Bill snarled, his voice echoing throughout the battlefield. Soldiers from both sides scattered. Red furies were predators of the highest order. Usually they were berserkers, killed and ate anything they came across. Bill acted quite civilized, until he didn’t.
“Sorry, Boss. I know this is undignified.” Bill grabbed Twig’s tail and dragged him along behind.
“Bill!”
“Hey, I don’t see you hefting him. You can complain about the rough handling later. Hang on.”
I’d just grabbed a hold of a powder-covered scale when we popped into the middle of the fountain.
“I didn’t say to drown him!” I hurried to lift Twig’s head, but it weighed a ton and now lolled in the water.
“Details, details. You know, you really can be a shrew sometimes.” Bill lifted Twig’s head like it weighed nothing. “Well, go on. Do what you have to do.”
“Put him under again. I’ll wash as much powder off as I can.”
Bill muttered about bossy wizards under his breath. Still, he did as I asked. He worried about Twig as much as I did. I scrambled to slosh water over Twig’s eyes and face. Bill lifted his head back out, then back under again, and we repeated the steps a few more times.
He jumped out to handle a company of soldiers who decided today was their day to die. The red fury didn’t disappoint. He popped back by the time I needed to lift Twig’s head again.
Twig coughed and blinked repeatedly. I hugged his neck, and after a moment, he nuzzled me back.
“You okay, dragon?”
Fine, now. Where’s Hallewell? Did you kill her?
“I think so.”
Or maybe I’d spoken too soon.
“What in demons’ demi-brassieres is that?” Bill lowered his glasses as if he’d get a better look that way.
Hallewell stalked toward us. Only her skin was peeling in long strips, one hand missing. No blood oozed from the wound. As the skin fell away, a creature made of gedodrite emerged. A statue—or ghastly—like the ones on the citadel. Large amethyst-colored wings burst from Hallewell’s frame, the remainder of human skin shed like a reptile’s, slithering down to pool at its feet. The creature that emerged had to be over fifteen feet tall.
It let out a howl, and the other statues on the citadel answered.
So not good.
The citadel ghastlies launched themselves into the sky, their crystalline wings somehow holding them aloft, and flying into the approaching dragons’ path.
Bill handed me his glasses. Then undid his bowtie, passing it over as well.
“Play time.” He charged Hallewell with a snarl. They met with a thunderous clap, their movements blurring.
I stuffed his items in my pouch before focusing on Twig. “Are you able to move?”
Of course. He stood, wobbled, splashed back into the water. In a minute.
Even as he lay there, I could feel magic flooding my system again. Bill came hurtling into the water, almost taking me out. He stood up. Growled low in his throat.
His eyes flared a bright red. All civility fell away. He roared, an ear-splitting noise that made chills run down even my spine. And then he hopped back into the fray.
Up in the sky, the dragons fought the ghastlies. Fire, claws, and teeth didn’t seem to do much to the creatures. Unfortunately, their gedodrite claws pierced dragon hide with surprising—and upsetting—ease.
Calling upon the hammer again, I pointed it at Bill and the gedodrite creature. What was it? What had happened to Hallewell? Perhaps there had never been a Hallewell. Maybe that ring hadn’t given her power at all. Could it have kept the creature cloaked in human skin? Allowed it to assume human form? My bracer hummed against my skin as if it heard my thoughts.
All other fighting had ceased. Bill and Hallewell tore up the courtyard, moving together with tremendous speed and power. A match for the ages.
Would the war hammer work on such a creature? Only one way to find out.
Light streaked forth, encompassing both combatants. I already knew Bill’s weaknesses, but as the hammer did its magic, I swore. Hallewell had been a front—a doppelganger of sorts—this whole time. The real Hallewell was long dead. This ghastly had borrowed her skin. Eww. Not an image I’d be able to unsee.
Yet even this creature made up only a small part of a larger whole.
Haatwurm, the hammer growled in the back of my consciousness. Creature of legend. Creature of darkness. Destroy.
An image came to me. A creature made up of crystalline worms. It spread across the ground in all directions, absorbing magic as it went, turning the vibrant scenery dull, even as its own colors deepened and it grew in size.
“Twig, those creatures aren’t in charge.” I pointed to the citadel. “That is.”
That? He squinted to see what I meant.
No, the whole citadel. The gedodrite. It’s alive. The hammer called it a haatwurm.
To give him credit, he didn’t challenge my mental fitness. How do we destroy it?
I looked to the magical weapon in my hand and almost laughed. I’d had the power all along. No wonder Hallewell—or whatever that thing was—wanted me dead. With Twig’s magic returning, I urged him to his feet. He pushed upright, wobbled, keeping his balance this time.
“Come on, dragon, we’ve a haatwurm to slay.” I sprinted toward the citadel’s front entrance, with Twig stumbling a few steps behind.
Hallewell shrieked as I neared the citadel, following me, the ground shaking from its approach. I spun to confront it. Before I could, Bill attacked the ghastly from behind. It howled and tossed him over its shoulder, where he bowled into Twig. They went sprawling in a pile of limbs.
Burn me, it was going down! I planted my feet, gripped the hammer in both hands. “You want the war hammer? Come and take it.”
Hallewell hissed and sprang. I wound back and swung the hammer as it closed in. It dodged a direct strike to the skull, veering off at the last second. I dealt a glancing blow to its shoulder. It screeched, a high, keening whine, as large fractures appeared and s
pread across the ghastly’s body. Its shoulder and arm cracked, its chest caved inward.
Staggering to its feet, it ran at me, attempting to stomp me with a large clawed foot. I erected a shield, holding the hammer straight above my head as it smashed a foot down. My shield buckled, though held well enough to keep my bones from breaking. I sank to my knees from the blow.
Hallewell wasn’t as lucky. The hammer’s magic collided with it, and a high-pitched ringing sounded throughout the courtyard. It screeched as huge fissures spread through its crystalline body. The ghastly raised its foot to stomp me again, a snarl of pure rage pouring from its mouth. Then it suddenly exploded, sending gedodrite pieces all over the courtyard.
Yaaass! I pumped my fist. Victory. Though no time to celebrate.
I staggered over to Bill and Twig, who’d only now regained their feet. Large lesions covered Bill’s body. As I watched, they began healing and I expected soon would disappear.
Two more creatures like Hallewell broke off from their sky battle and flew our way.
“Keep them busy!” I barreled toward the building and the insignia for the Council of Divine Magic. It pulsed a violent purple, sparks shooting off. Twig and Bill turned away, facing the oncoming horrors.
“Hold on, I’ll muffle your hearing.” I cast a shield over Twig and Bill.
I then channeled magic into the hammer, giving it more power. Like inserting a key into a lock, our magicks slotted together seamlessly. Somewhere deep inside me a click resonated, then settled.
Twig and I needed to discuss the hammer soon. For now, I gripped the weapon in both hands and slammed it against the insignia.
Clank!
A piercing ring reverberated across the walls. The ghastlies howled in unison. From the insignia fractures spread in every direction. Purple sparks leapt out to singe me, and I could swear I heard a rage-filled howl come from the citadel itself.
“Fuck. You.” I swung again. And again. The ringing intensifying with each strike.
Just as the ghastlies reached Twig and Bill, I swung at the insignia again. The creatures shattered, the sound so powerful it even hurt my ears. I continued to swing, and each strike sent the fissuring further along the citadel. Pieces fragmented and fell away. I struck the crest one last time. A wail tore from the remaining ghastlies before they simultaneously exploded.
The citadel trembled and creaked. Enormous slivers of crystal fell from the spires and parapets. Twig snatched me back as a huge piece of gedodrite crashed down to where I’d stood. He fluttered and landed near the defensive wall, where we watched the gedodrite disintegrate and bare rock take its place. I unmuffled Twig and Bill’s hearing.
As another piece of the foundation shattered, a blinding purple flash lit the courtyard. It shot skyward, simultaneously punching through several spots in the defensive wall, escaping into the world. The courtyard flooded with power, an enormous swirling mass of magic. We watched wide-eyed as the magic sank into some and bypassed others. All men. The war hammer vibrated. I swear it whispered, It’s back.
The haatwurm? I glanced around, uneasy now.
Men’s magic.
46
Before I could ask more, the war hammer became my bracer again. I could feel its triumph.
Commander Graves, Two-Toes, Divinas, and a few others trudged over, some limping, while others looked surprisingly untouched. Captain Lore leaned heavily on Beckett, a wadded-up ball of fabric pressed to his bloody side. Pie fluttered along beside.
“I told you not to step in front of that blade, you selfless idiot,” Beckett grumbled.
“Sugar, you would have been skewered from behind. I saved you,” Lore complained. “Doesn’t that count for anything?”
“Aye, it does.” Beckett pulled him into a toe-curling kiss. When they broke apart, I tried not to laugh at his flummoxed expression, but it was hard. I had a feeling they’d be having a serious talk later. Once he received medical care, anyway.
“And so a new empire rises from the remains. As I predicted.” Divinas eyed me, a sly grin on her face. Blood soaked her clothing and Bitsy’s fur, yet she seemed uninjured. She looked positively gleeful.
As the last remains of crystal shattered and fell away, several dragons landed in the courtyard, shifting upon touching down. All wore finely woven clothes decorated with gold braid. We needed to work on that with Twig. He always shifted back naked.
Twig’s mom came next. Other dragons circled the towers, looking for places to alight. No way they’d all fit. Before shifting, Maylanth bellowed. The other dragons answered and veered off.
In her humanlike form, Twig’s mom was as beautiful as she was deadly. Waist-length sky-blue hair shot with gold, long lashes that couldn’t hide her keen intelligence or the predatory nature in her eyes, and a strong, curvy body made her a study in contrasts. Besides her finery, Maylanth displayed two gold dragon cuffs wrapping around her forearms. Those were new.
Nice bangles.
Those mark her as a Kabila. A leader of six clans. My mother has been busy, it seems.
Twig shifted as I handed over another set of clothing from my knapsack. He hurriedly donned them, though they were much simpler than what the other dragons wore.
A dragon with flaming orange hair stepped up to Bill and handed him a giant sack before retreating.
“Oh, right. Thank you,” Bill called, then opened the bag. He began pulling out furballs.
“You brought the whole snarl? Of course you did.” Twig slapped his forehead. “Hellafuck, I swear there’s more of them. We’re going to be overrun.”
“I couldn’t exactly leave them, could I? What if we weren’t able to return? Hardly seemed fair. They’re a cantankerous bunch at the moment. I insisted they refrain from using their voices as a weapon in the Draakonian Realm. You know how they love to engage fearsome creatures.” Bill rolled his eyes. “They’ve been chittering angrily ever since.”
“It’s actually good they’re here. We have a lot of wounded.” I waved some of Beckett’s pirates over. They’d seen firsthand what Cookie could do. “Please distribute these guys among the wounded. The most grievously injured first.”
“Aye, aye,” they chimed, racing off to do as I’d asked.
Twig’s mom approached, her movements lithe yet deadly, poised to strike. “Greetings, my offspring. I see once again you have taken on great odds and survived.” Her gaze then shifted to me. “Ah, Quinn Broomsparkle, so you’ve finally mated my son. Welcome, dragon-mate. May you fly many moons together.”
“Thank you.” For some reason I blushed, my cheeks hot. Like she’d announced to the courtyard that Twig and I’d had sex or something.
“It’s good to see you, Mother. Unexpected. But good.” Twig stepped forward and leaned up. His mother appeared surprised but leaned down until their foreheads touched. They both closed their eyes and seemed to breathe the other in.
Bill stepped up next to us and broke the moment. “So, I, ah, hope you don’t mind, Boss. I sought out your lifegiver, presuming you might need backup.”
Twig stepped back from his mother. “I’m sure there’s a story there.”
Bill grimaced. “I’ll have you know, your sire threatened me within an inch of my life, demanded I turn you in to the EBI when you crossed back into the Elder. I tuned him out as best I could. However, while screaming at me, he did happen to mention that with the Cairnsdaught Accord’s demise any dragon could cross into the Hominus with impunity. He bemoaned having to renegotiate the accord. As though I’d care. Except, dragons now able to cross into the Hominus . . . well it gave me an idea, Boss.”
“You went to the Draakonian?” Twig frowned. “And gained an audience with my mother?”
“Wellll . . . I might have had to challenge a couple dragons to get there.” He held his pointer and thumb close together to show how few.
Maylanth snorted inelegantly. “Seventeen.”
Bill waved a clawed hand dismissively. “I left them alive. Relatively. Out of respect fo
r my alpha’s lifegiver.”
Maylanth tilted her head in acknowledgement. “Your demon made enough commotion to draw my attention. I assumed he came to challenge me, but he smells of your clan. When he relayed all, I decided to remind the humans why they mustn’t break an accord with dragons.”
“Hypothetically, Mother, I might have broken the accord first. By shifting.” Twig’s chin tipped up, daring his mother to chastise him.
“Did they not threaten your mate?”
Twig’s brows drew together. “They did.”
She cocked her head in a way that spoke to her dragon heritage. “With their dragon-mate in danger, any mated dragon would have reacted as you had. The moment they took action against yours, the humans broke the accord.”
I hadn’t expected that. If Twig’s bemused expression meant anything, he hadn’t, either.
Maylanth turned to me. “And now as the victor, you shall rule this realm, and we shall renegotiate the accord terms.”
I blinked. “I, what? No, I—”
“We must draw up a new treaty if you wish to keep humans from being a source of protein for dragons.” Maylanth let her gaze sweep the courtyard and then the remaining dragons circling above. “If you’d rather, we could eat them all. It would solve many problems and fill many hungry bellies.”
I laughed. She joked, right? Only she didn’t smile. Twig pursed his lips. Holy hydra’s hexes, she wasn’t joking.
“You can’t seriously expect me to rule!”
“Why not, dragon-mate?” Maylanth shrugged. “Are you not the first wizard in a thousand years? Did you not overthrow the current clan leader? Then naturally you would lead.”
“Who did you think would do it?” Divinas chimed in. “I mean, yada, yada, prophesy and all. Seems obvious to me.”
“I-I don’t want to be High Rei. It’s too much like a . . . like a king.” Even as I said the words, I cringed inwardly. Wouldn’t Auric Starfig have himself a good laugh at my expense? My former realm as antiquated as he’d claimed.
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