Chapter Fifty

CHAPTER

FIFTY

_________

T HE SUN SETS BEHIND THE MOUNTAINS AS CAYDEN LEADS me to the shore beside the lake, walking between the parted crowd filled with nobles who have bent the knee and soldiers who were more than happy to proclaim their loyalty to us. Though I believe they always viewed Cayden as king. A war drum slowly beats, sending ripples through the water Eagor kneels in, and two bonfires bordering him burn every banner and tapestry with the Dasterian sigil. The smoke dances through dragon wings as they soar above.

His reign is over, but mine has just begun.

"Eagor Dasterian," Cayden begins. "You are hereby sentenced to death by order of the king and queen of Vareveth. Those who cannot hold on to power have no right to hide behind the fa?ade of strength."

Eagor spits, but not far enough to reach us. His clothes bear no blood from the banquet, a clear sign he's never fought for his people. "The king-slayer and the whore."

His words don't faze me when he's on his knees at the mercy of the crown he once wore. I murdered my uncle and gained a kingdom; burning a puppet king is a simple task. Basilius swoops down, lavender scales glistening in the sun.

"Burn him," I whisper, and the flames pour down like rain as Eagor's screams echo through the sky. His body flails in the water, seeking a remedy for the excruciating pain, but Basilius blows until Eagor falls silent.

"Long live King Cayden and Queen Elowen," Ryder announces. "The Conquerors of Vareveth!"

The crowd echoes the statement as Cayden and I offer our backs to the flames, painting a ruthless picture to match the darkness within. His obsidian crown sits atop his head to match the black doublet stitched with crimson and a matching cape. My gown is a mirror; flames are stitched into the cape sewn to the straps and skirts that pool around me, and the golden dragon crown solidifies me as the queen I was always meant to be.

I want to be both light and dark, gentle and ruthless, soft and fierce. I am both an executioner and a healer. I wring dreams from despair and hope from hopelessness.

The bond pulls in my chest, and I turn my eyes to the sky, but my dragons are landing in the shallow water behind me, looking to me for reassurance. Golden light shimmers from my palms and crawls its way up my arms in long swirling swoops. It radiates into the air around me like tiny snowflakes.

Cayden turns to me, his features a mixture of awe and confusion. "The light has formed a crown. Are you doing this?"

"No." Gold wisps continue to shoot from my palms, wrap around my torso, and speckle the surface of the lake until it glitters like a jewel.

" You sent for me, Daughter of Flames. I'm here to stoke the embers that live within you, " a voice whispers in the wind, just as it did several months ago.

"The priestess is here," I whisper. "She's calling to me."

I spy a red hooded figure being led across the grass by Braxton before Cayden has the chance to respond, and we order the crowd to disperse until only Finnian, Saskia, and Ryder remain.

"You have never feared the flames, Queen of Fire, but others will fear yours."

She pulls her cloak back to reveal chestnut curls and kneels at my feet, bowing to press my hand to her forehead. "I am honored you sent for me, Your Majesty. I go where the flames command, and all wind carries the flames closer to you."

"I was told priestesses have the ability to conduct bond-strengthening ceremonies," I reply, gesturing for her to stand.

"I do, my lady, but your bond isn't of this world. It transcends the ordinary." Her eyes cut to my left, watching the wisps swirl around Cayden's wrist and run through his tousled waves, tethering him to me. "How curious."

"What do you mean?"

She shakes her head, leaving my question unanswered, though it appears she doesn't have an answer to give. "I'll do my best to tap into the bond and mend what time stole, but I need to gather some supplies for the spell if someone could show me to the kitchens."

Braxton steps forward to offer his arm, and the priestess thanks him while fisting her robes and disappearing into the castle. The wisps continue flowing and latch on to the horns and wings of each dragon. I sink into the sand beside the others, happy to listen to their chattering while I wait for the priestess to return.

Trust me, I shoot down the bond. I will never do anything to harm you.

When she returns, Finnian squeezes my hand before I follow the priestess farther up the lake and sit across from her in the icy water that bites at my skin. She fills a large bowl and sets it between us. "To contain the spell," she says while reaching into a satchel and throwing ingredients in. "Salt for protection. Garlic to ward off dark magic. Basil to dispel evil. Water to balance you. It's your opposite, and yet you'll always feel a pull toward it for that very reason. It keeps you grounded."

She dips her dark-skinned hand into the bowl to mix it with her fingers and drags a line across my forehead. "Thank you for helping me," I say.

"You are my queen," she responds. "This is an honor."

"But I thought cults only swore fealty to the gods."

"Your soul is forged in flames and blessed by the gods. You're the only person who can share a link with those dragons. The fire of the gods resides in you."

I smile, not denying her words considering she's been nothing but helpful, but I've never been a believer. The fire of the gods does not reside in me—my own flames do. They were not given to me on a whim. I bow to nothing other than my crown and kneel to no god.

"I need five drops of blood," she says. "Cut your palm and let them drip into the water individually."

I unsheathe my dragon dagger and do as she says, squeezing my hand together above the bowl. The first drop falls, spiderwebbing through the water as the colors change to green and black.

Sorin, the wind whispers. He rises from the shore and takes to the skies as green and black glittery strands spill from the bowl like untamable roots.

The second drop falls and becomes a brighter shade of red, pink, and gold. Venatrix joins Sorin and her strands mingle with his. My bond urges me to continue. Lavender is next, and Basilius joins the others. Then sky blue and yellow, followed by silver and white. The strands shimmer and twine together like a braid, and a sharp, thunderous crack echoes through the air as color explodes around me. Wisps of all colors zoom across the lake and high into the air like shooting stars.

The dragons tumble and twirl through them like a fresh snowfall, roaring in happiness and hope. The bond hums happily in my chest, becoming a fullness I've never felt and don't know how I lived without. I float in the water and stare up at my dragons. To watch is a mundane task, but it becomes extraordinary when you watch someone you love. No matter how much I long for a calming, sated sensation to settle over me, it doesn't. Restlessness flutters in my belly as if a sixth dragon is flying inside me.

The dragons soar in a perfect circle and let out a synchronized roar before shooting flames to the center, colliding them above my head. I feel their fire in my soul. I've questioned where I was supposed to be so many times. I'm always contemplating my next move and looking toward the future. But right now, I know that everything that happened after I left Imirath happened so that I could be here.

But it doesn't feel quite right.

I crave more.

"Something isn't right," I say.

The priestess tears her wide eyes from the sky and wipes them while taking a few moments to collect herself before speaking. "I've done all I'm able, my lady, but the dragons may be calling to you through the bond. Trust it. A dragon and rider are one, intertwined in an unbreakable, unyielding way. It is a trust like no other. A foundation stronger than the earth we stand upon."

"A dragon rider," I mutter, walking back to the shore with my eyes glued to my dragons.

They begin flying in front of the waterfall beside the castle that spills down a rocky cliffside and into the river littered with sharp rocks. Venatrix stares me down, and it's like she's pulling me in, urging me to take the leap. I see my reflection in her red eyes. Two lost souls tethered together. The world falls away from me as I take the next step forward, and I ignore the protests of Cayden, Finnian, Saskia, and Ryder that I'm leaving behind.

I fist my wet gown and tear through the grass, not letting the heavy fabric slow me down. Time is a cruel thing. You don't know how much you have left until the end is staring you down and you're powerless against it.

But I was born to ride dragons, and I will not let fear stand in the way.

I make it to the edge of the cliff and jump.

The dragons dip and follow me as I plummet but don't move beneath me. Sorin flies upside down and stares into my panicked eyes with curiosity. Fear grips my lungs and squeezes until I can't even form a scream. The bond is a choice, and it's a choice I'm willing to die for. A true dragon rider places all their trust in a dragon, and there is no reward without risk.

I think of nothing but the dragons, quieting my mind and taking comfort in the bond pulsing through me like a second heart. I reach my hand out, stroking it along his snout and filling my eyes with the fire raging inside me.

Like calls to like.

Bravery does not come from chaining a dragon, it comes from riding one.

Sorin tucks himself below me and I slam onto his back, taking hold of two black horns and parting my legs around his neck. I'm yanked upward along the waterfall, and we soar over the cliff and swirl around the castle spires. It's a freedom like I've never known, and know nothing will ever compare. To be on the back of a dragon is to experience infinity.

Wind whips through my hair and my cape flows behind me as Sorin carries us higher into the sky, the other four quickly following. Basilius flies above us, and I reach up to stroke a hand down his neck. Sorin continues pumping his black-tipped wings until the skies fall silent for the dance of dragons.

I loosen my hands on his horns when he levels out and spread my arms wide, sliding my fingers through frothy clouds. This is everything. It's more than I dreamed it would be. I was riddled with homesickness for a home I never knew. Sorin chuffs happily beneath me, tilting his head to watch me.

I get to my feet, balancing myself before leaping onto Calithea's silver back. She roars when Venatrix gets too close. "You'll get your turn, Venatrix."

Calithea flies faster with Venatrix hot on her tail, but Venatrix is second fastest and Calithea is third. Venatrix flips and flies above Calithea and me, but I don't switch dragons just yet, wanting to make sure they all get enough attention. Basilius seems content to trail behind and spin in the clouds.

A crescent moon hangs in a sky littered with stars. So many have tried to kill me, and all failed. I've been imprisoned, tortured, and exiled, but I've never been nothing. Dragons have always lived inside me, and I them. I never found faith in the gods because my faith has always lain with these beautiful beasts.

I take hold of Venatrix and pull myself onto her as she flips. We sharply dive down, flying so fast that tears leak from my eyes. My heart pounds and I expel the betrayal and beatings from my body by letting out a scream so fierce it leaves my throat raw and mingles with five dragon roars. She sharply juts up and glides along the surface of the lake before landing at the top of the cliff I jumped from and roars at those gathered.

Cheers ring through Verendus, Ladislava, and everyone watching the dragon queen reborn from flight. Fire itself can't burn brighter than I am right now. Finnian and Saskia have tears streaming down their faces as Ryder and Cayden holler beside them, the latter pointing at me with his arm slung around Ryder, shouting, " That's my girl! "

I can't help but smile at the four people who walked this path with me. My life hasn't always been easy, but all darkness must pass.

The priestess steps forward and raises her voice. "May I present the first dragon-riding queen since the gods left us, Queen Elowen Atarah! Long may she reign!"

"Long may she reign!" echoes the crowd as Cayden takes several steps in front of the gathering, his eyes never leaving mine even when Venatrix growls. He continues his steady pace forward, and all eyes are on him to watch what he's doing.

But Cayden does something he's never done for anyone.

He unsheathes his sword from his waist and kneels in the grass, bowing his head and offering up his blade to me. It's a sign of respect and loyalty. He's announcing that his sword is not only commanded by himself, but also me.

"Bow before your queen or burn and bleed!" Cayden declares, sending a rippling effect throughout the kingdom until my eyes can't stretch further.

A united front.

Burn and bleed.

Together we reign.

Together we go to war.