30. Aramis

Chapter 30

Aramis

I t has to be here," I urge her, sheathing my sword to grab her arms. As her shoulders droop, the radiance of her magic dims, and a glimmer of silver forms along the edge of her eyes. "You can do this, Sybil. We didn't come all this way to be defeated."

"I can't do this." Her voice cracks and tears pour down her cheeks. I pull her against my chest.

"You can do this. I believe in you," I whisper into her chestnut hair, which has grown back to the length when I first met her. Before Tricella had shorn it off out of spite. My hands clench in its thickness as I pull her closer.

"What if Axton lied to us?" She looks up at me, hazel eyes bright. "What if Nero and Marcelene are dead, all because of this foolish mission to retrieve a book? We don't even know if it is here, let alone whether it still exists. The dragon could have burned it out of spite."

"Nero is alive. I just know it." I cradle her face between my hands, stroking her cheek with a thumb. "If the book is gone, we will find another way."

"She is too powerful."

The floor beneath us rocks violently and we're knocked to our knees, dust raining from the ceiling and the sound of cracking stones breaks the silence. I press my finger against her lips as I look around the cavern. Phoebe and Aries crouch behind us.

"Well, the thief wasn't lying about one thing. You better hope you're better with that sword, prince," Aries snarls, his body beginning to morph. His limbs elongate as fur rapidly covers his body. Dropping to the ground on all fours, he assumes the form of a massive brown wolf. His light blue eyes fixate on me, and he menacingly exposes his fangs. Gold coins tickle as they tumble down their piles as another rumble echoes off the stone walls.

Emerging from the chamber's entrance, a magnificent dragon stands, its sharp scales shimmering in shades of deep crimson and gold reflect the light from the torches. Powerful muscles ripple beneath its hide as it moves across the chamber, each limb ending in razor-sharp claws capable of cutting even stone to shreds. I notice the massive leathery wings folded against its back and bite my tongue, unsure whether I am stopping myself from gasping in awe or crying in fear. Two sweeping horns, gracefully curving backwards, sit on its head like a majestic crown. The dragon locks onto us where we crouch on the ground. Its eyes glow with a fiery intensity and it lets out a low, rumbling growl, unfurling its wings as it prepares to defend its territory.

"Run!" I yell, grabbing the two females by the arm and hauling them to their feet. We dodge around massive piles of treasure, heading in the opposite direction of the dragon, but Sybil's broken boots make her stumble. As she leans on an ancient ceramic vase, hundreds of golden coins fall in our way. One second of hesitation is all it takes, and the coins start melting under our feet, burning through our shoes.

Thieves, thieves, thieves. The coins sing.

I pull us out of the puddle of molten gold, frantically looking for a way out as we nearly run in circles.

"Over there!" Sybil yells, and we all run to the left toward a gilded carriage.

We change direction, charging toward the openings when we're battered to the ground by a gale of wind as the dragon flaps its mighty wings, launching itself into the air.

"We have to get out of here," Phoebe yells as we dodge under a golden arch to the right.

Sybil leans forward on her forearms, panting. "We can't leave until we find the book."

"We can't find the book if we're a charred pile of bones," I retort, wiping the sweat from my forehead. Aries crouches beside us, fur on end as he sniffs the air. "I'll distract it. Run to the tunnels."

I unsheathe my sword. "If the book is not in this chamber, it must be in another one. You are the only one who can find it."

"Stop trying to be so noble. You can't sacrifice yourself so we can escape," Sybil says as she glares at me. "I won't leave without you. We're in this together."

My chest constricts at her words, but I shake my head, gesturing around us. "We can't just stay here either."

"Aramis is right," Phoebe says as she grabs my wrist and pulls me toward the cave's entrance. "Let's go."

"No." Sybil freezes, her hazel eyes meeting mine. "There has to be another way."

Stubborn woman, I think to myself. Let me save you. I look around the room again, the dragon roving high by the ceiling. The shining gold is starting to make my eyes water. There must be another way out of this hell hole. As I scan a corner of the chamber filled with statues of different creatures made of marble and gold, I notice a caving in the corner lowering into the ground. The shadows there look so dark, it must be the entrance to another, smaller tunnel.

"Look! There is another tunnel. We will meet there and look for Nero and Marcelene. On the count of three, you two go left and we will go right. One–"

A mighty roar echoes to our left, followed by a blast of fire. My arm jumps up to cover my face from the flames. Beads of perspiration form on my forehead, their salty sting making my eyes water.

"Too late, we stick together. You still don't have your magic. You don't stand a chance by yourself." Sybil grabs my wrist and tugs as she runs out from our temporary cover and back toward the entrance, dodging riches before we end up in a sea of molten gold.

My legs are burning by the time we reach the edge of the room. Dread plummets into my stomach as I realize it's not a tunnel, but an alcove filled with black diamonds.

"It's a dead end," Phoebe whispers, clinging to Sybil's arm.

"Where do we go?" Sybil yells, looking frantically around the room.

Aries suddenly turns to the right and takes off toward the opening of the room.

"Aries, no!" Sybil screams.

Time seems to slow as the dragon slides to a halt, eyes catching on the wolf as he darts between piles of treasure. The dragon sweeps out with its tail, slamming Aries' body into a pile of golden suits of armor. The shifter whines and I know he must have launched himself into the arms of death with only one thought in mind: reuniting with his Emma.

I cannot let that happen. Not today, not like this. Aries deserves to see the dawn of a kingdom where his people live in peace after everything he has sacrificed. Undeterred by the danger before me, I raise my sword and charge forward, trying to grab the dragon's attention. I jump, curling my body protectively over the wolf shifter just as the dragon's mighty claws slice through the air.

Pain like I've never felt before shreds through the fibers of my back. The sensation is so intense, I feel as if I am being rolled on shards of glass, cutting through every layer of me until my heart lays bare. I hold my resolve. Aries has to live.

"I'll say hi to Emma from you. Now run!" The rush of adrenaline silences through the agony. Grinding my teeth, I gather all my strength, rise, and push Aries as far away from me as I can. The wolf tries to get up again and comes close, but his hind legs are broken from the impact of the dragon's tail. Aries' eyes plead for me to run—to give him what he wants, but I shake my head. Blood pools in my mouth and I spit it out as the dragon's shadow looms above me.

All sound in the world has gone. Something tells me Sybil is screaming, but I am doing this for her too. I wish I could have kept my promise and stayed with her until the end of time itself. But it does not matter, she will be alive. And they will all be free, soon.

My hands are slick with blood, but I tighten my grip on my sword. One last round.

I open my eyes, widen my stance and bend my knees. Twisting my sword, I lift my gaze to welcome my demise as the dragon descends at speed, mouth wide open with the embers forming at the back of its throat.

I have proven my worth.

The bands around my wrist writhe before opening, falling to the ground. Power floods my veins, and I nearly fall to my knees. Three months of untapped magic courses through me like lightning. I call to it and feel it dance gleefully in response before I surround all of us with a ward. The dragon's claws slam into the barrier; it screeches and fights against it but it holds firm.

"Aramis!" Sybil yells and falls to her knees before me. Her sobs are uncontrollable, eyes puffy with tears. She holds my face in her hands with such intensity, I wonder if she'll ever let me go again. But she has to.

"We will be okay. I promise. Now go," I rasp out, pushing her away. "Take Phoebe, find the others, and escape. I will hold it off."

"No," she cries. I wince as she pulls me into her arms. "I will not leave you."

"You have to, my pomme sucre." A tear slips from my eyes as my throat tightens, the pain threatening to unravel me as blood pools from my back. "This is the only way."

I feel my magic waver against the dragon's continuous onslaught of attack against my barrier. With my last ounce of energy, I kiss her, pouring in all my love to her lips. "Save our people. Shine bright, my star."