Chapter Thirty WITCHING MOON

Chapter Thirty

WITCHING MOON

Week Three, Day One

Year 3000

The aerial view of the castle the Betrayer had built for Sachi felt like staring into the broken pieces of his old friend's heart.

Did he know how much he revealed with its construction? This false caldera lake, so like Ash's own—except created by use of a dam that had flooded the valley. The waterfalls spilling down behind it that framed its spires, so precisely formed from diverted rivers to mimic the falls that greeted you upon arrival to Witchwood Castle.

Those elegant spires were stolen from Blade's Rest. The endless, carefully reconstructed gardens were a hollow recreation of the bounty at the Villa. Even the tower at the castle's heart, with its glorious panoramic view of surrounding territory, had been taken directly from Seahold.

He'd taken the best features of all of their homes and crafted them into something breathtaking—no one could deny that. His buildings had always been art in and of themselves. But art told a story, and the story this palace told was of a man trying to recreate what he'd lost.

Was that how he'd come to create his own court, as well? Drunk on power, yearning for a family, but one that wouldn't judge him for his acquisitive instincts and less generous tendencies. A family that would obey and enable, help him achieve his vision instead of standing in his way.

Ash might have found a thread of sympathy, if the man hadn't bloated himself on the stolen hopes of dozens of successive generations. Millions of people had been born to lives where they might never know what was missing, only that something was, cursed to endure without hope or peace.

The throb of that stolen power was a storm beneath him, more vast than Ash could fathom. The entire High Court together couldn't face that kind of strength head-on. Zanya might have had a chance, if she'd had more time to prepare.

And Sachi? If she was down there, Ash couldn't feel her. Her presence was lost in the terrifying swirl of the Betrayer's magic.

Sudden screams rising from the battlefield prompted Ash to bank sharply and glide back toward the fight. Beneath him, a single dark-haired woman clad in a billowing white fur cloak strode through the gates.

The ground froze beneath her with every step she took, ice racing out in all directions. Anyone unfortunate enough to be standing on a bit of frozen ground swiftly found ice climbing their limbs, and the shrieks made it sound painful. The ice rolled out in all directions, oblivious to friend or foe, spiraling down the pillars toward the lake until its surface began to freeze.

Below Ash, the twins erupted into ravens just ahead of a blast of cold. Kardox swore and dove out of the way, dropping his sword in the process. Most of the Raven Guard and the High Court knew how to dodge elemental attacks—Ash had certainly trained with them enough using fire.

Just like Naia was currently using water. But the first blast she sent at the fur-clad woman exploded into tiny icicles, which flew back into their lines. Ambrial barely rolled clear of one. Ulric cursed as he took an icy spike in the thigh.

Enough of this. Diving, Ash exhaled fire. It melted the burning ground that endangered his friends, then carried on toward the fur-clad woman. She threw up both hands in response, summoning a swirling blizzard of ice as a shield. The two collided with a sizzle, the heat of his flames evaporating the water.

The ice withdrew, cracking on the lake's surface. She could defend against him, but not while she continued to attack. Flipping over in midair, he plummeted back toward her, sending another burst of flames that she barely managed to hold off. The iced-over ground continued to thaw.

And a too-familiar voice boomed out over the battlefield.

"Now, now, Ash. Leave Gwynira alone. I have someone more your size for you to play with."

Something massive flashed past him in the sky, giving only the impression of shimmering blue scales. Ash banked on instinct, pumping his wings to give him enough altitude to assess the latest threat.

The wrong move. Lightning crackled through the sky. He tucked his wings and rolled, barely avoiding a direct hit. When he pulled out of his dive and turned, he found a second dragon with a dark-green hide and eyes that burned bright yellow.

Both were larger than Ash. And both possessed an otherworldly aura, as if their physical forms were immaterial, simply vessels meant to contain the power of the dream that had manifested them. They existed only to bring that dream to fruition.

The Betrayer's dream of seeing Ash beaten, broken, and humiliated.

Lightning cracked the sky again. Spreading his wings wide, Ash met it with a roar of defiance.

And fire.