Page 92 of Oath of Rebellion

The skeleton screeched and jerked to the side, but Knox began to chop at another rib. The skeleton's tail whipped around and cracked across his chest. He grunted and tumbled several feet away.

He called to the vines to soften his blow. They slid him back onto his feet, and he reached out a hand and sent them to the dragon. They wrapped around it, pulling it to the ground like rope.

Knox ran over to it, axe and tail lifted high as he screamed. The heavy axe and his agile barbed tail hacked and struck the dirt covered white bones like kindling. He swung with a violence that could not be stopped.

The dragon screeched and lunged, and birds flew away in alarm as it released a hot arc of liquid flame that burned through the vines that held it down. Drops fell on Knox, burning his shirt. He yelled, jumping back and clawing at the flames.

The dragon turned, the giant flank knocking into Knox. Knox grabbed the bone, his feet coming off the ground. He held on for dear life with one hand. The dragon shook, but he wasn't fast. He was too big and lumbering to move quickly.

Knox lifted his axe and thudded into the bone, embedding itself. Knox used it to pull himself up, then reached for another bone. He lunged for the spine, ripping the axe out of the bone and sending it flying to the ground.

The dragon turned its head, and the air whooshed. Knox' body slid down the spine, and he grabbed a vertebra as the dragon reared up on the back two legs. It clattered to the ground, shaking the earth and leaving footprints in the dirt.

Knox' teeth rattled, but in that split second of stillness before it turned its head to snap at him, Knox jumped off the spine and into the chest cavity.

Axe raised, he grabbed the hilt in both hands and screamed as he brought it down on the glowing orb. The orb shattered, the explosion of light and fire bathing him in heat.

Knox screamed in pain, and his skin rippled and blistered. It shifted as he tumbled through the rib cage to the ground with a sickening crunch. He laid on his side, then saw the dragon's foot lift.

Knox rolled to the side, dirt and rocks embedding into his oozing skin. Then the dragon's foot slammed down as it jerked, hitting the side of the castle wall. It fell to the ground in a pile of bones, dirt billowing up around them.

Knox panted and coughed as the dust settled. Every shake of his body pulled his skin tight, oozing more blood. His vision swam from pain, blood loss, or nearing the Edge. He wasn't sure.

He was on high alert. He came up on his knees with a groan, his heart still racing and his legs wide as he waited for the next attack. He couldn't stop, couldn't give in to it. He had to get to Eirwyn. They had to get out of here. He slowly stood, glancing around and watching for any other things that would try to kill them.

But all was still.

Leopol stood at the entry to the ballroom in the gaping hole in the wall. Shards of glass from the wall fell to the ground like melting icicles, mingling with the pile of bones.

"Oh gods, that–that was–what was that?" Knox asked, panting.

Leopol glanced at the pile of bones. "That was your father. Look, it's the necklace. Take it. It'll help you control your dragon abilities. Take the books too."

Knox bent to pick up the gold and emerald necklace. He fingered the clear cut gem and looked up at Leopol. "I–"

Knox blinked, forgetting his question. "Leopol, what's happening?"

Leopol looked at his hands. They shimmered, and when Leopol's eyes met his own, they were wide with surprise. "I'm–I think I'm going back to sleep now? I don't know, Knox, why is this–"

Leopol flickered, then he disappeared. Shock and fear left Knox rooted to the spot. He was gone as quickly as he'd arrived.

Knox shook his head. He didn't have time to worry about Leopol. He turned on his heel, adrenaline still racing through him as he reached Eirwyn's side.

"Eirwyn? Wake up, princess. It's safe now." He gently turned her to her side, and the bump on her head made him wince. Blood trickled down her cheek, and the goose egg was twice the size it'd been before.

Damn it. He would not give up his mate when he'd just found her. He whistled for Ryder. They had to get to the dwarves as fast as possible. They were the only ones who could help wake her up.

The wind picked up and the clouds turned gray. Knox' heart was heavy as he gently gathered Eirwyn tight and climbed onto Ryder's back. His shirt was burned and hung off him in pieces, but he didn't stop.

Urgency raced through him, the adrenaline not fading. He shoved the apple into his saddlebags and tore off through the tunnel of the helroses, the confusion and exhaustion warring within him.

He needed to stay at Hartsgrove and fix the mansion, make sure the flames were out and the whole place didn't burn down. He didn't want it falling into even more disrepair, especially now that there was a huge hole in two walls. He worried about Leopol. He wondered about Red and if she was safe or if the king had figured out the heart was fake.

Questions flew through his mind. What the hells was that dragon skeleton? Had someone been controlling it or was it the spirit of his father? If it was still his father, why did he attack Knox?

None of it mattered, though. The fear of Eirwyn's unconsciousness ate at his gut. She was his priority, and the alarm climbed with each mile they raced through the forest.

The storm lashed his face with ice and hail and freezing rain. It licked at his sensitive skin, and the pain turned from stinging to a dull roaring ache through his entire body. His vision blurred, and he shook his head to stay awake.