32. Sybil

Chapter 32

Sybil

T hhhiiieeefff.

The dragon's voice reverberates again in my head before it lets out a mighty roar, causing the chamber to rock and vibrate.

Axton pauses at the cave entrance, a tome with a thick white leather cover and silver inscriptions held tightly to his chest as he edges along the wall. Where are Marcelene and Nero?

"Axton, you found it!" I push to my feet and head toward him.

"Sybil, thank the Goddess I found you," he stammers, his knuckles turning white. He grips the tome as his gaze flickers between me and the dragon behind me.

"Axton, where are the others?" Aries asks suspiciously, and my hand instinctively drifts to the hilt of the dagger strapped to my forearm.

"I-I don't know. We were separated in the tunnels after the floor fell in." With every step I take to him, he slowly starts backing up, heading toward another tunnel.

My hair flutters as the dragon at my side exhales, then lowers her head, baring her teeth.

He lies.

" Axton, give me the book, and then we can go find the others." I hold out my hand as I reach out to him. His body tenses, sweat beading his brow.

He smells of my eggs.

"Are you certain?" Glancing up, I meet Tarmyth's gaze. Her large golden pupils dilate as she inhales. My brows furrow as she lets out another deep growl that makes the floor vibrate. In my peripheral vision, I catch Axton's sudden movement as he turns and bolts in the opposite direction. Before I can react, Tarmyth swiftly moves past me, slamming Axton against the wall with a sickening crunch. Her paw digs into the stone, claws sinking deep. The book drops to the ground with a thud, sending up a cloud of dust.

"Sybil," he calls out, his eyes wide with fear as he struggles in Tarmyth's merciless grasp. He coughs, blood splattering his lips. The dragon growls, her jaws snapping close to his neck. The reek of urine fills the air as a dark stain blossoms on his breeches.

This is the filthy mage who put that cursed trap around my leg. I've waited nearly five decades to repay him for stealing my egg, and now the time has come.

"Wait!" I cry out, running toward them.

Tarmyth growls again, her voice filled with rage, before knocking her tail into the tome. It skitters over the coin-strewn surface before stopping at my feet.

I believe this is the book you're looking for.

Bending over, I pick up the Book of Light, feeling its weight and running my fingers along the silver scrolling title on the front. I close my eyes and can't quite believe this moment is real. The book exists. The magic contained within it hums at my touch, sending warm waves of power coursing through my fingertips.

I shift my gaze to Axton, narrowing my eyebrows in suspicion. "Where are the others?"

"Dead." Axton glares down at me.

Lies. Tarmyth's voice fills my head as she sniffs his body, baring her long fangs.

"You lie," I say, hands clenching around the tome. He has to be lying.

"Tell it to let me go, and I'll show you their bodies," he says, fighting against the hold on him.

Axton screams in pain as Tarmyth's barbed tail lashes out, slamming his arm into the rock and severing his hand. The limp appendage falls, spluttering blood to the ground.

"You bitch!" He screams, writhing in her grip. "I should have killed you that night I stole your egg."

Are you done with his lies?

I nod. Exhaustion and my empty magic well make every gesture difficult.

As you have shown me kindness, I will show kindness to you, unicorn. Take the book and go, but the thief stays, or you will all die.

My head snaps to the dragon and then to Axton. He must read the surprise and worry on my face because the man starts frantically looking between me and the creature.

"What? What's going on? What does it want?"

I take Aramis' hand, the Book of Light held tight to my chest, and I nod to the dragon before leaving the cave. Phoebe and Aries follow as Axton's screams become louder, begging for help, until the sound of Tarmyth slamming Axton into the stone reverberates through the air, silencing him forever.

We attempt to retrace our steps, following the tunnel from which Axton had appeared, hoping it would take us to Nero and Marcelene. Our steps are slow and labored in the dark tunnel, all our magic reserves depleted to the point that I can only conjure a faint light. Aries has one arm wrapped around Phoebe's neck, still limping but finally able to stand again. Aramis looks as if he's died and come back to life which, in a way, he has. I squeeze his hand, knowing he, too, is picturing every worst scenario his mind can conjure about Nero and Marcelene's fate.

"Maybe one of us should try to go down the–" I begin, but before I can finish, we slam into another figure running through the tunnel.

"Sybil!" Marcelene's panicked voice cuts through the air like a knife. Her blond hair is covered in dust and cascading around her shoulders unbound. She has a deep scratch on her cheek and dried blood under one of her nostrils. But what makes me flinch is the look of fear and horror in her eyes and the way her hands shake as she grabs my shoulders.

"What is it?" I ask, unsure if I want to hear the answer. Nero is not right behind her as he usually is. "Sybil, it's Nero, he's hurt." My heart plummets in my chest, and I feel Aramis go rigid next to me. "We- We fell into the dragon's nest. There were eggs. Nero saved them from Axton. I–I don't know how to get back there; I just ran lo–looking for help." Her words come out in ragged breaths, her body shaking from the sobs she's pushing down.

"Go, please," Aramis says, looking at me, his hand on the hilt of his sword. "Let us meet outside, at the entrance of the cave."

"But you're still injured and I–" I kneel at his side, cold sweat breaking out along my skin as I begin to hyperventilate. I swallow over the lump forming in my throat. "My magic, it's empty."

"Sybil darling, you are more than the extent of your magic. I am not injured, thanks to you and Lemon. Go, save him." The corner of his lips pull up as he cradles the side of my face in his hand.

"I will stay here with the prince," Aries says, coming to stand next to us. I nod and take Marcelene's hand in mine.

"I have an idea," I whisper, and we run back to the dragon's trove chamber.

"Axton—he tricked us," Marcelene pants at my side as we push through the darkness. "He ran away with the book."

"Don't worry, we have the book. Axton is dead. Turns out dragons hold grudges." I reach out in the semi-dark and grip her forearm before urging her onward.

She smells of my eggs . Is the first thing Tarmyth says as we enter.

"She is my friend, Tarmyth. She would not harm your eggs," I yell to the majestic creature. "But there's a friend of mine in your nest who is injured because he saved your eggs from the thief's hands. I beg you for one last act of kindness. Take us there; help me save him."

You are too good for your own good, unicorn, the dragon chides. It'll be their salvation, but will it be your demise? Before I can ask the meaning of her words, she lowers her wing to allow us access to her back.

I sit by the curvature of her neck,thighs squeezing against the harsh scales that dig into my skin. Marcelene settles behind me, her hands wrapped around my waist as I hold onto two smaller protruding horns from the beast's neck.

When Tarmyth launches herself forward, Marcelene and I duck, not letting the wind push us back. With exceptional control, the dragon twists and turns through the labyrinthine tunnels, going up and down deeper into the mountain, where the heat is almost unbearable. The tunnel breaks into an extensive cave, but I don't have time to marvel as my eyes are drawn to the raised golden nest and the figure laying immobile atop it.

"Nero!" I cry, but the man lies still. A gust of wind blasts as the dragon spreads her wings, lifting us from the ground and reaching the top of the nest. Gently, Tarmyth helps us slide off her back, and Marcelene and I start running.

Crouching by Nero's side, I feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins as I lay my hands upon his neck and chest, searching for injuries. Despite the loss of consciousness, his face is a mask of pain, his pupils moving frantically under his closed eyelids. Probably lost in a nightmare that mirrors the gravity of his reality. As I press two fingers at the base of his neck, my palms quiver when I feel how weak his pulse is. A pool of blood is collecting under his scratched wings, staining the golden nest crimson drop after drop.

Marcelene crouches next to me, and I briefly meet her bloodshot eyes begging me to save him, before I return to Nero. With each shallow rise and fall of his chest, my breath catches in my throat, scared it will be his last. My hands clench tightly around his blood-soaked shirt, and I lift it, revealing a tapestry of wounds oozing blood. My knuckles blanch as I pull it back down, listing the minimal options we have in my head. I channel my magic, scrape for remnants, anything that will at least let me stop the bleeding, but nothing is there. Not a single drop of light curses through my veins while my mate's best friend readies to cross the silver veil.

"My magic is gone. I don't have enough to heal him, and he has lost too much blood," I confess, tears burning at the corner of my eyes. I hang my head, my hair falling forward, shielding my tear-stained face and hiding the guilt and shame I am feeling.I can't help but wonder if Alphaeia truly wants me to defeat Tricella. Is this the price of victory? Losing my friends one by one along the way?

"Tell me what you need," Marcelene says with desperation, resting a hand on my shoulder.

"I don't know. I have some yarrow ointment to stop the bleeding from the bigger wounds temporarily, but it won't last long. Not when his internal wounds are so severe." My hands shake as I pull open my healing satchel and rummage through it, searching for what I need to stop the bleeding. I can't just sit here and do nothing; I must try.

Lemon crawls out of my pocket and up to Nero's face, nuzzling and licking his cheek.

"He has a punctured lung, multiple chest wounds, and his wings are torn. Even with my magic at full strength, it would take weeks for him to heal at best. He won't be able to travel, and we can't stay here–"

"There has to be something we can do," Marcelene screams, pacing beside me as she holds her hands to her face. "If we were at the library, Cassara would know what to?—"

"Help me turn him onto his side," I say, but Tarmyth turns and nudges my hands away.

He saved my brood from that filthy thief. I will fly you all to Harpalyke.

"Thank you." I throw my arms around her giant scaled neck before letting go and scooping Lemon into my arms. "But we have to meet the others on the ledge of the mountain first," I tell Tarmyth, who's already lowering her wings for me and Marcelene. After that, the dragon gently cradles Nero's body in her claws, and we are airborne again.

Aries, Phoebe, and Aramis stand outside the dragon's lair in the rising sun. I can't believe we have been trapped inside that mountain for almost half a day. They all seem to have recovered somewhat, although Aramis' gaze darkens as he sees Nero and a surge of grief courses through me.

When we're close enough to speak, Tarmyth rests Nero on the ground and gracefully settles on the landing. Her wings tuck in after she helps us dismount.

"Is he?—"

"He's alive, but gravely wounded." Aramis rushes to crouch next to Nero, and I follow. He hands me the Book of Light and takes his best friend's hand into his, resting it over his own heart. I can see him methodically scanning his injuries, trying to assess just how severe the situation is before he allows himself to react emotionally. I rest a hand on his shoulder.

"He will live, Aramis," I say, and I know I have broken one of the cardinal rules of being a healer: never give false hope.

Aramis stands, his lips pressed in a firm line, and he pulls me into his embrace, the book crushed between us. Lemon lets out a squeak of protest before scampering up my shoulder.

"We have to go to Harpalyke. Now," Marcelene commands. "The dragon will take us, but even with me flying all the way there, I doubt Tarmyth will be able to carry the four of you on her back."

"No need to worry about that," Phoebe says as she brushes off her clothes and stands beside Marcelene. "Aries and I joined this mission to help Sybil find the Book of Light, which we somehow managed to do. Just as you somehow befriended the dragon that was intent on eating us." She scratches her head in confusion and looks at the book I hold tight to my chest, its magic humming secrets to me that I'm still struggling to understand.

"We will return to the Council of Thorns and report. Bring them hope that not all is lost," Aries adds. "They should be on their way to the new safe place, west of here. If we keep up the pace, we can join them as they cross the river lands."

"But the shadow beasts?" I nibble at my bottom lip, glancing between the two of them.

"They don't travel this far north; even if they did, they can't catch me. Fox shifter and shadow elemental, remember?" Phoebe grins as she comes to hug me. "Plus, I've got this overprotective teddy bear to use as bait." She moves to hug Marcelene, who's now crouched next to Nero.

Aries rolls his eyes and continues, "Save Nero, and then come save the rest of us. We'll be ready to fight next to you whenever you are ready. May the stars shine bright for you, Sybil Vandeleur." I bite the inside of my cheek and nod to the wolf shifter, grateful for all he's done, and I'm suddenly conscious that there's no guarantee I will ever see them again.

"And for the Prince of Laundry, of course," he adds with his usual wolfish grin as he mockingly curtsies to Aramis and goes to follow Phoebe, who's already shifting into her fox form.

"I have a name," Aramis says, hand tightening around mine.

"Oh, I know," Aries chuckles without turning. "Have faith, Prince of Shadowvale, change is coming."

We must make haste, horned one.

Tarmyth extends her wing as Marcelene starts shifting next to us.

"Follow me, and no stopping until we reach the library," she says, finger pointed at the dragon, and I can't help but admire the strength of spirit this woman has in commanding a dragon without batting an eyelid. Tarmyth must appreciate her attitude too, because her only response is a scoff.

I settle on the dragon's back and observe Aramis climbing over the membranous wing on unsteady feet. He sits behind me, strapping his sword sheath closer to his body while I tie knots in my dress around my ankles to ensure it stays put. His closeness conjures memories from another time we were sitting this close, but on horseback. Aramis wraps his hands around my waist, pulling me closer to him, his breath lingering on my neck.

"Have you ever flown on a dragon's back?" I ask as I feel his anxiety for Nero's safety grow.

"I cannot say it was an activity they offered frequently at the castle growing up." He moves from left to right, trying to get as much grip with his tights as possible. "You?"

"Well, this is my second time. I am practically a professional."

Hold on tight.

Tarmyth's voice rings through my head. A rush of adrenaline surges through my veins, and my stomach drops as Tarmyth's mighty wings beat. With the same tenderness as before, she scoops Nero and cradles him in her clawed embrace before launching us into the vast expanse of the sky. I lean forward, my face against her warm scales, holding the smaller horns at the base of her neck for dear life, and peer below. A breathtaking view unfolds beneath us, a patchwork of vibrant landscapes, rolling hills, and winding rivers. The sunrise casts its golden rays, painting the canvas of the sky with hues of orange and pink as we glide effortlessly through the clouds.

As the hours pass, I lean my head back on Aramis' shoulder. The cool breeze caresses my skin, blending with the warmth radiating from his embrace. My heart pounds in sync with the rhythmic flapping of Tarmyth's wings. She banks to the left deeper into the mountains, and Aramis tightens his hold, his touch reassuring and comforting.

"Look there," he says, his breath a warm caress against my ear as he points to a snow-white stag drinking from the stream far below. It lifts its head, watching our flight until it passes from view.

"They say the white stag symbolizes great change," I reply, turning my head.. Butterflies erupt in my stomach as he intertwines his fingers with mine.

"You have changed me. You are my salvation, and together we will bring justice to Shadowvale."

Marcelene lets out a piercing hoot before banking to the left toward an opening in the forest below, and Tarmyth follows. She releases Nero on the green bed of the clearing before landing next to him, her claws digging into the damp earth. As Aramis and I slip off the dragon's back, Nero lets out a moan.

"Nero!" I rush to his side, the pine needles biting into my knees. Aramis kneels across from me, his gaze fixed on his best friend. I touch his brow, burning hot with fever. His cheeks are flushed, and a fine sheen of sweat coats his skin. He mumbles incoherently as I pull the water flask from my healing satchel and turn to face Marcelene. "How much further?"

"The scouts ought to have seen our descent. They should be here any moment. But the entrance wasn't made for dragons." She glances up at Tarmyth, lips pulled into a frown.

Tell the winged cat she does not need to play host. I must make haste back to my eggs.

She hides her head under her wing and rubs her snout on her underbelly until shiny, dark crimson goldenscales fall onto the ground.

A blessing for the war to come. Have an armorsmith craft you protection worthy of a queen.

She lowers her front legs and rests her head at my feet in a bow.

"I am no queen," I say, kneeling and pressing the palm of my hand to her snout. She lets out a puff of hot air.

Change is coming, horned one. Save your people, and should you have need of me, I will be there.

With a mighty roar and bellow of flames, she launches herself into the sky.

"Sybil!" Marcelene screams in horror. She's crouched next to Nero, holding his head between her hands. "Nero's stopped breathing."