by Celeste Raye
I stared up at the sky in shock: my body numb and unable to comprehend what just happened. My breath was moving inconceivably fast, and suddenly all I wanted to do was see Diana. I looked up at the sky once more at the embers that seemed to fall like an explosion of feathers.
Vaikrand pulled at my arm, moving my limp body with ease.
“I need to talk to you now,” he seethed under his breath.
“I know you hate us and all, but can you at least take this moment to celebrate with us?” Marina snapped.
Vaikrand let out a loud sigh that could be heard even over the throngs of warriors in the distance, cheering and letting out cries and roars of celebration.
The yellow shifter matched eyes with Tredorphen and said, “I would get men to your ship as soon as possible. If you have any loyal supporters here, shifters, get them to your ship.”
Tredorphen’s eye twitched. “What's... going on?”
I looked over at the blonde shifter and set my jaw. “Vaikrand, what?”
“The D’Karr’s out for blood,” he said, and it sent pin-pricks throughout my body. I swallowed hard, and he continued, “It's everywhere. The D’Karr is on the warpath.” He looked at Tredorphen. “Your mother is dead. Diana told him Sillevia was out for her life and he had her publicly executed today.”
Marina grabbed her husband’s forearm and her eyes filled with tears as she monitored the shifters reaction.
Tredorphen said nothing but exchanged a pointed look with Aurlauc before offering me a deep scowl. I pinched the bridge of my nose and could feel my hands shaking. Why would she do that? I grit my teeth and Vaikrand continued, “It gets worse.”
I rubbed my forehead. “Goodie.”
“Sillevia told him Diana had been unfaithful and he’s looking for her as we speak. There's—”
Before the yellow shifter could continue, he turned, and the lot of us followed his gaze. The top of the hills of T’nemtar were now scattered with fire and a wide array of soldiers: warriors flooding in everywhere seeking Diana’s blood.
“How much does he know?” I asked quickly.
Vaikrand thinned his lips. “He’s out for your blood, if that’s what you’re asking.”
My body erupted with shivers. She told him. Stubborn. She did exactly as I asked her not to. I didn’t know what it all meant; did it mean Diana didn’t want me? Was she that bent on doing away with the D’Sharr? Or was it Sillevia who sold us out as my punishment for not following through?
I raged. “Where’s Diana?”
“I don't know. Guards were sent to her quarters as I left,” he replied.
I nodded. “Then there's still time.”
Vaikrand eyes went dark as he continued with a sigh, “There's more…” He looked to Marina and Tredorphen once again. “Diana told Athena that Boradrith isn't interested in going to the Earth. That's why you were called back. To keep you here.”
“Who orchestrated that, I wonder?” Aurlauc snapped.
Ignoring him, Vaikrand continued, “The D’Karr's going to seize your ship and slaughter your people. If you have any loyalists, any shifters who support you here, you need to get them to your ship as soon as possible. Boradrith isn't interested in an alliance any longer. He wants your technology, and he wants your scientists. It's his plan to keep them here. It's going to be a massacre now.”
Within just a moment, our path was obstructed by a barrage of shifter warriors, storming through by land and sky, seeking out their betrayers: seeking Tredorphen.
The rose gold shifter looked to me and gave an unsure nod. “Then we go,” he said and grabbed hold of his wife.
He took to the blazing sky with more bravery than I could have mustered, and without a word, Aurlauc followed.
“Thank you.” I swallowed hard and looked back at Vaikrand. “Get Athena and then grab Diana if you can find her and then…”
“Right,” he said quickly and went to take his leave of me. “Wait… and then what?”
I smiled. “Tell Boradrith where to find me.”
Chapter 13:
Diana
“No, no, no,” I breathed, rushing to the courtyard in the center of Graynar. I heard there was commotion between Boradrith and the D’Sharr and I couldn’t pretend not to know why.
I walked up to the pike that stood mounted with the head of Sillevia, her long, white hair still and lifeless. I told the D’Karr of Sillevia’s plan to have me killed. I begged for him to get rid of her. He was filled with fury and fiery passions for me. I finally got what I wanted.
But seeing her here now, it didn’t feel like anything. Not a victory or a sadness. I just felt numb.
It made me uneasy that Boradrith would make her pay for her crimes and not tell me about it.
I stared up at the vision of her and couldn’t help but notice how empty Graynar was. No one had crowded together to see her here. No one was mourning or cheering. It was just me.
Vaikrand flew down in front of me, the dust flying up into the air as the yellow shifter landed with a large flap of his wings.
I set my jaw and stopped in my tracks, meeting his eyes. “If you’re looking for Athena…” I said unsurely.
“I know exactly where she is,” he said, his eyes flitting about the courtyard. “Boradrith knows.” Then his pupils went wide. “About Kavryiss and you.”
I swallowed hard and felt as though my legs were knocked out from under me. I struggled for breath and spun on my heel. If I could get to Boradrith, I could fix it. I could make him believe me.
“How?” I demanded.
“How else?” he asked with a taunting raise of his brow, gesturing to Sillevia’s body with a single flick of the eye. “He wants…” His voice faded suddenly, and he offered me apologetic eyes, and with a sigh, he mouthed: ‘I’m sorry.’
I turned to follow his sightline and saw Boradrith walking up behind us. He had a hollow stare that seemed to follow him in an unseen shadow: an evil commanding him secretly.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I seethed under my breath as Vaikrand gripped my arm firmly and held it up toward the D’Karr. I scowled wickedly at him.
It seemed the yellow shifter had come to warn me and was caught. So now he would do the exact opposite. He would give me up.
“I found her!” the yellow shifter shouted and jerked me toward Boradrith, still firmly grabbing hold of me. “With your permission, I’ll take her to the tower,” Vaikrand said coolly.
“No,” Boradrith said, looking me over; his golden scales looking hard and dull as he walked closer to me. He grabbed my wrist. “Leave her to me.”
Vaikrand breathed hotly into the air and looked in my direction, never loosening his grip on me. “Let me get rid of her for you,” he said through gritted teeth. “Let me do what needs to be done and save yourself the–”
“No,” the D’Karr waved him off again, raising my chin to him in the same, sweet way he used to do. But his eyes were empty now. “I’d quite like to get it done.”
With a single motion, he ripped me from Vaikrand’s grasp and pulled me into his arms. I grabbed his chest like a small child would and burst into violent sobs.
“Please, Boradrith,” I said with quivering lips.
“I found Kavryiss,” the yellow shifted offered, interrupting me.
“Where?” Boradrith demanded.
“Seized in T’nemtar,” he replied formally. “Shall I bring him to you?”
The D’Karr smiled pointedly and looked down at me. “No,” he said slowly; carefully. “There are lava fields flowing there now, aren’t there?”
Vaikrand swallowed. “Yes, sir.”
“Then that’s where I should like to be.”
Within an instant, I was jettisoned skyward with the D’Karr, and Vaikrand following closely behind.
“Please don’t do this,” I begged desperately, pushing away from him. “I didn’t… Whatever she said was a lie, my love. Please. Why would I do that to you after all you’ve done for me?”
“Please,” I begged, squirming away from his grasp. “Sillevia would say anything to have you hate me. Please.”
“Do you want me to drop you right now?” he seethed calmly, gripping me firmly as the power from his wings shook me with each flutter. I shook my head but said nothing. “Then shut up.”
I balled my fists and looked to the ground below; the diamond-shaped plains of T’nemtar were letting me know that we were close. The fields once held lakes and water. Now those hollows were filled with great rivers of lava, swamping up from the surface and bubbling with oily heat. They radiated from the ground below and set the whole sky into a deep shade or orange.
It was surreal to be held in his grasp amidst the impossibly colored skies, knowing that soon he would get rid of me.
He brought his wings tight to his body and made his decent quicker than I’d ever seen. His eyes scanned the fields for Kavryiss to no avail. We came skidding to a halt, and he tossed me to the ground.
“Why?” It wasn’t a question from him; it was a demand.
I swallowed and got on my knees, crawling up to his feet. “I promise you it was a lie,” I lied desperately. “What reason would I have to do it? You’ve promised me the world, and I love you. Why would you believe her over me?”
He stared down at me, watching my fingers carefully, before his eyes filled with a burning hate.
“Sillevia is not a liar,” he said sharply, crushing his foot down on my hand and turning it painfully from left to right. I let out a sharp scream and pulled my hand from under his grasp. “But you humans are. The lot of you.”
I screamed and cradled my hand against my chest, curled up on the ground before him.
“Kavryiss!” he called to the air, his yellow eyes seeming to glow with vengeance in the lava’s heat. “Come out!”
He stood there in silence and scanned the skies for my love, but nothing came. I could see Vaikrand watching in the distance, but he did nothing.
“What are you?” he asked thoughtfully, walking closer to me and edging me toward a deep pool of red and black magma. He leaned down and grabbed me by my neck, pulling me up off the heavy dirt and raising me to his face, my feet just shy of the ground.
“D'ierdaree?” I croaked, gripping his fingers and desperately trying to pry them from my neck.
He blinked in surprise at the phrase and then let out a loud laugh. “No, no. That other word.”
I stared at him, bloodshot red infesting my eyes as tears spilled down. I felt stoic and strong as I pushed the word out, “Bitch.”
With that, he squeezed my neck harder and held me over the thick, syrupy lava. The orange liquid sloshed around beneath me, and I could feel my legs burning just from getting closer to it.
“Yes,” he smiled. “You are a bitch. I gave you everything. Power. Food. A child. I brought you up from nothing!” he gripped me tighter, breathing hot against my face. "I could have had you slaughtered, but I saw so much in you, Diana. All you could have done for us. You would have ruled beside me, and you would be with him over me?” he raged. "I can't understand it."
"It was a trick," I struggled for breath. "Sillevia set me up."
"So he took you by force?” he seemed suddenly calmer then. His grip on me eased, and he stared down into my eyes, willing himself to believe me. "Then which is it, Diana? Did he take you or was Sillevia lying?"
The tears stopped spilling then; I let out a small gasp, and suddenly my brows drew to a deep frown. I grabbed his hands on my neck and spat at him. The muscles in my neck tightened and I could barely breathe.
"I loved you," I stormed. "And you slept with—”
"That's my right!” he screamed, his voice coming out in a loud bellow of a roar. He seemed wild then; no longer the shifter I knew.
I looked down at the burning lava, felt my legs pinching with heat as though they might melt away from me. I looked back at the dragon I once loved and said tersely, "And so I took my right."
Just as I thought the D’Karr might let me drop into the thick red waters below, I heard Vaikrand let out a deafening cry, and Boradrith turned around, taking me with him.
We looked up, and I heard a crack soar through the sky like nothing I'd ever experienced before. My ears went numb with ringing and immense heat. Looking up to the sky, I heard another boom of vibration, and then the sky went black.
Chapter 14:
Kavryiss
I hated the D’Karr. I hated him for leaving our ruler and for killing the humans. I hated him for using Diana as a breeding ground and for disposing of people at his whim. I hated the blithesome way he ruled over Dobromia; the alliances we had failed to make because of his stubbornness.
He'd drawn me to the end of my rope with his control, and now I was ready to strike back. The laser rifle sounded off beneath my legs, and I could hear Boradrith in the distance calling for me. I looked up at the sky, an endless blend of reds and orange and yellow that floated across the atmosphere like a fog.
And then I heard a deep thunder, and I knew the second sun was destroyed. Diana was the first person to make me believe I was more than the D’Karr's servant. I could do more than just survive. She brought life back to Dobromia. No more scavenging for food or raiding planets.
We were a warrior race, but it didn't have to be that way. If Tredorphen's summary of the Earth was any indication, there was so much more to see than just death and the struggle for power that we found here.
The D’Karr killed Sillevia, the loyal ruler who our people loved. The people had begun to rebel against him as soon as he put his mate to death and now he would seek to take Diana from me as well.
If he was going to take away my everything, then I would take everything away from him in return.
The remaining sun crumbled wildly, exploding in a flurry of liquid and smoke. The sky began to dim with every star that slowly fell from the sun and hurtled down toward Dobromia. My wings whipped wildly behind me as I flew to him, carefully dodging the remnants of the remaining sun that crashed down like a fiery eruption. I knew shifters could take heat better than humans, but I had to take the risk.
He watched me coming, the gold of his wings and the scales that crawled across his body shimmering against the firelight.
He whipped Diana to the ground, and I let out a battle cry, fire sparking from the inside of my throat and stretching far into the air, exploding from my lips.
Boradrith matched my squall and raced toward me.
I whipped around him with nervous anticipation. His scales shone with gold and red, and he wore thick armor. I lunged at him, and he grabbed my arm, tossing me to the side and making me lose my balance.
With a sharp flap of my thick wings, I maneuvered myself to the ground, stumbling to a halt and running up to Diana. I looked at her red eyes and the tear-stained skin beneath her lashes and felt a pang in my stomach. She looked helpless and beautiful, and it filled me with the need for vengeance.
"Are you okay?" I asked and could feel her skin hot against my hand. I grabbed the back of her head and kissed her hungrily. I felt her warm mouth against mine and took just that second to lavish myself in her sticky lips and her sweet breath. I needed that: her. Even for a second.
"I can't believe you're here,” she said, unbelieving.
"What," I teased. "I couldn't leave you," I said quickly. A meteor of fire and gas vaulted toward us and I grabbed Diana, swerving from it with quick wings. I could see Vaikrand watching me not far off, raising his brows as if congratulating me for my swift movements. "I just found you," I quipped.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she cried, burying her face into my chest. "I should have listened."
"That's the story of us," I said with a wink in my tone, breathing heavily. "You'll always do what you want, despite what others tell you." I looked at her seriously then. "And that's the beauty of you."
"That would be a lot more romantic if we weren't on the brink of death," s
he chastised and smiled weakly at me.
The air was still then: the fiery rains furiously beating down against us as though they were protesters to our actions. I felt Diana's long fingers grip against mine and I exhaled sharply. All at once, the stars stopped falling then, and Dobromia went black as night. It was gone. All the light was gone.
The plains would have been cold, ice cold if it weren't for the pools of fire surrounding us. My eyes flicked around the field, but I couldn't catch sight of Boradrith. I pressed my eyes shut and tried to use my sensory perception to get a feel for him.
Silence permeated the air so thickly, it was also like a scent. Then I could feel him. He darted behind me and used his claws against my wings, scraping them firmly and eliciting a grunt from my lips.
I allowed a small smirk to cross my face as I made for the D’Karr; first hitting him in the face with my coiled fist and dragging him down toward the waters. Boradrith let out a blast of fire and electricity.
I dodged it quickly. From my peripheral, I could see Vaikrand fly in, just ghosting the surface before scooping Diana up into his arms. Good. She was safe now.
Now I could really fight.
“So you do have some fight in you,” I hissed.
I charged toward him, slashing my claws from side to side, slicing easily through his human armor. The man hacked into his hands, causing blood to flow harder through his shirt before vainly cupping his wound with his hands.
He looked up at me, incensed, before whipping his rocky tail in my direction. His scaled body was rocky and hard, making it nearly impossible to keep a grip on him for too long. It also made his tail feel like getting hit by a boulder.
We grappled to the ground, and I managed to topple him, beating my fists down and crying out to the pitch blackness with an echoed roar. I wailed my bloody fists down on his stony face one after another until his breathing grew slow and ragged.
I stepped off of him, flicking my tail behind me and wiping the spit from my mouth with my forearm.
Then I heard him stand. I turned to look at him in the endless black night. The only way I could see him was by the fire’s reflection on his golden scales.