Chapter 29

TWENTY-NINE

A wrongness pulsed through Kai’s kingdom like a fever in the blood. He stood at the crystalline cliff’s edge, ancestral magic burning beneath his skin as he scanned the frozen expanse below.

The Ice Mountains stretched toward twin suns, their peaks refracting alien light into prismatic shards that would have appeared beautiful if not for the darkness he sensed lurking beneath.

“The readings make no sense.” Quinn’s voice carried up from where she crouched beside her equipment twenty feet below. “These energy signatures violate every known law of geological physics.”

Kai suppressed a smile despite his unease. Only Quinn would sound annoyed at magic for not following proper scientific protocol.

“Could your equipment be malfunctioning?” he called down. “The mountain’s magic can interfere with Earth technology.”

She shot him a look that could have melted glaciers. “My equipment works fine. It’s your mountain that’s being difficult.”

“Ah yes, clearly the ancient magical peaks are conspiring against your scientific method.”

“Don’t get snarky with me, dragon boy.” She tapped her tablet with more force than necessary. “I’m trying to help save your kingdom here.”

His dragon stirred at her fierce protectiveness, even wrapped in irritation as it was. She’d shed her heavy coat despite the cold, revealing the form-fitting thermal gear beneath. The sight of her, competent and commanding as she worked, made his possessive instincts surge.

“Besides,” she continued, oblivious to his thoughts, “these readings suggest deliberate manipulation. See these wave patterns?” She held up her tablet, pointing to jagged lines. “Natural seismic activity follows predictable?—”

A crack split the air like breaking bone.

Kai’s enhanced senses screamed danger seconds before the ice itself began to move. Shadows writhed beneath the translucent surface, taking shape with unnatural precision.

“Quinn!” He leaped down the cliff face, landing between her and the emerging threat. “Get back!”

“I’m not finished with my readings—” She broke off as the first creature burst from the glacier.

It rose like winter’s nightmare given form—twice human height, its body carved from living ice. Crystalline claws extended from elongated fingers, and its eyes blazed with blood-red malevolence. More shapes emerged behind it, steam rising from their bodies as dark magic pulsed through transparent forms.

“Fascinating.” Quinn stepped forward, scientist’s curiosity overriding common sense. “The crystalline matrix suggests a silicon-based life form, but the energy signature?—”

“Now is not the time for analysis!” Kai yanked her back as foot-long claws slashed through the space where she’d stood. Ice splinters sprayed across her cheek, leaving tiny cuts.

She touched the blood on her face, looking offended. “Did that thing seriously just?—”

“Yes, the scary ice monster tried to kill you. Please focus on survival rather than classification!”

“Fine.” She grabbed her climbing pickaxe, spinning it with surprising skill. “But I’m logging this in my field notes later.”

A second creature lunged. Quinn ducked under its strike, driving her pickaxe into its knee joint. Crystalline shards exploded outward as the limb shattered.

“Ha!” She grinned triumphantly. “Basic structural weaknesses still apply to magical—oh crap.”

The creature’s leg reformed, ice flowing like water before solidifying. Its red eyes fixed on her with deadly focus.

“Right.” She backed up until she hit Kai’s chest. “New plan?”

“Yes.” His skin rippled as his dragon form pushed to emerge. “Don’t die.”

His transformation exploded outward in a rush of magic and primal power. Bones shifted and reformed as wings burst from his back. His roar shook loose snow from nearby peaks as he took his true form—scales gleaming blue-silver in the alien light.

Blue fire erupted from his jaws, melting the nearest creatures to steam. But where they fell, more rose from the ice itself, their movements unnaturally coordinated.

“They’re drawing power from the glacier!” Quinn shouted, ducking another swipe. “We need to—Kai, your left!”

Three creatures flanked him while he focused forward. Their claws raked across his scales, drawing steam where they broke through his natural armor. Pain lanced down his side, but he forced it aside. His tail swept them away, but more advanced.

Quinn’s scientific mind visibly raced. “The ridge!” She pointed to the unstable slope above. “If we trigger an avalanche, we might bury them AND cut off their power source!”

His dragon recognized the tactical brilliance of her plan. He moved to implement it—just as a creature blindsided Quinn. Its frozen claws caught her jacket, dragging her toward a deep crevasse.

Terror unlike anything he’d known in nine centuries of life seized his heart.

“Let go, you oversized icicle!” Quinn struck out with her pickaxe, but the ice creature’s grip held firm. Her boots scraped against ground as it pulled her closer to the edge. Through its crystalline body, the bottomless crack in the glacier gaped like a hungry mouth.

Kai’s roar of fury shook the mountains. He lunged for her, but more creatures swarmed him, holding him back with supernatural strength. Steam rose where their frozen forms met his heated scales.

The edge crumbled under Quinn’s feet. Her eyes met his as she began to fall, terror replacing her usual confidence.

“Kai!”