Total pages in book: 210
Estimated words: 200096 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1000(@200wpm)___ 800(@250wpm)___ 667(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 200096 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1000(@200wpm)___ 800(@250wpm)___ 667(@300wpm)
Zander is below, his swords thrown to the ground at his sides.
We’ve done it.
We’ve saved Islor.
I smile as I slump against my dear friend.
94
Annika
Destry and Tyree crouch at the mouth of the tunnel, Destry cradling her stones, her eyes solid white.
I lean against the wall, still regaining my strength, my body aching. “Can you see it?”
Tyree leans out, searching the cave ceiling. “It’s there.” He ducks back in a second before its massive leathery body swoops down. “How’s it going, Des?”
She doesn’t answer and he doesn’t push her, settling a hand on my thigh instead.
“Here. Try this.” I collect a stone and toss it into the cave. Wings flap somewhere above and then the wyvern lands, bending to sniff it.
“It’s pretty,” I admit, admiring the shade of its red scales.
“That’s the one that brought you here. Same coloring.”
“I’m surprised it didn’t eat me right away.”
“So am I.” He winks. “I would have.”
I sink into his side, desperate to be close to him.
“Wait, I think …” Tyree frowns at Destry, then at the wyvern, who sits idly, its head bowed. His eyes light up. “I think she’s got it.”
“How will we know?”
As if in answer, it turns its claw upward, resting on the stone. It watches us through narrowed slits.
“Let me test it out.” Tyree unsheathes his sword.
“Careful!” I urge.
He approaches the beast, giving it a wide berth as he strolls around it before moving in closer.
It sits quietly, unmoving.
“She’s done it.” Tyree grins. “We are going to fly out of this forsaken realm. Take Destry’s arm and guide her—”
Destry gasps as if coming up for air after too long under water.
The wyvern rears back with a screech, the claws waiting to collect us raking across Tyree’s torso.
And then it turns to dust before our eyes.
“Tyree!” I scramble out of the tunnel and run to where he has fallen. “Fates. Okay …” The slash is long and deep. My trembling hands cover it, attempting to stop the blood from flowing. Rivulets stream over my fingers. “Okay, so it is bad, but it’ll heal.”
“Liar.” He grimaces. “It’s a Nulling beast wound, Annika, and I do not see any casters.”
“But it will be fine. It must be fine.”
Destry is hunched beside me, her eyes returned to black.
“What happened? What did you do!” I cry.
“Nothing! I had it and then … I did not.”
I search the gaping entrance above for any hint of wings. There were four hunting last night. “We need to move him back to the other cave before another one shows up. Help me.”
Tyree grits his teeth as we each grab under one arm and drag him through the tunnel.
“Okay, if we can get him up there, onto that straw and—”
“Stop, Annika. Stop.” Tyree collapses to the ground.
I drop to my knees beside him. “But we have to get you up there!”
He collects my blood-drenched hand. “No bed of straw will fix this.” His face is pale, his eyelids shuttering.
“No! You will not die on me. I forbid it!” I yell, my tears streaming down my cheeks as I clamp down on the wound with my other hand.
“Annika,” Destry calls out, but I ignore her. “Annika!”
“What?” My voice cracks as I snap at her.
She nods to something behind me, her eyes wide.
Fates, please tell me Queen Neilina hasn’t risen again … I turn.
The little goblins are back, and padding toward us on their webbed feet.
“What are you … no, no, no.” I shoo their hands away from Tyree as they paw at him, fumbling with his clothes. But they do not relent, one hissing at me in warning.
“Let them.” Destry grabs my shoulders and pulls me away with surprising strength. “They can help him.”
“How do you know?”
“I sense it.”
I’m momentarily distracted by the glowing script that peeks from behind her heavy bang.
We watch as they strip off Tyree’s vest and his tunic, their hands moving for the gaping gash. “What are they?”
She smiles, showing off her oversized front teeth. “They are the light.”
95
Romeria
“Welcome back.” Zander lifts my hand to his lips. His armor is gone, as is the enemy’s blood from his skin.
“What time is it?” I croak.
“Evening. You’ve slept for more than a day.”
The sheer rock wall through the window is drenched in the orange glow of a sunset. “We’re in Lyndel?”
“In Lord Telor’s own chamber. Only the best for the Queen for All.” He strokes strands of hair off my forehead.
Someone has undressed me. My crown rests on a nearby night table. “It’s truly over?”
“It is truly over. Everything that ever touched the Nulling has turned to dust. I assume that includes Aoife, wherever she was hiding.”
It also includes my parents and Caindra’s family.
“But Malachi and Sofie were already dead. Who killed them?” I ask, melancholy slipping into my mood as yesterday’s events unfold in my memory. I wish I could have at least spoken to Eddie, had a chance to say goodbye.