Page 82 of The Dragon Queen

Then a light that was brighter than the sun itself emerged from the darkness, a brilliance so powerful it made me look away out of fear of becoming blind. It pierced the castle and turned the black stone to white, made the dead trees suddenly have green leaves and healthy bark. Life entered the crypt of the cursed and made death wither.

With my hand shielding my face, I looked again.

Bahamut had stumbled back in the light, his hand up the same way mine was, clearly shocked by the events that unfolded.

There she stood, her brilliant red hair flowing in the invisible wind, a golden sword in her hand. Her brilliance immediatelyfaded, tarnished like rust on metal, but her beauty was fiercer than the hottest fire.

Bahamut lowered his hand as the light diminished. “Riviana, God of Caelum, God of Life and Light, has set foot into my eternal night.” He reached for his blade across his back. “And she comes as vulnerable as any mortal.” He stepped forward, his sword held at the ready, his cape billowing in the wind she produced. “What have I done to earn such an opportunity to strike down my greatest enemy?”

Queen Eldinar emerged from the abyss, in her elven white armor, her golden hair brilliant as ever. General Ezra was there too, protecting her even in a place where no protection would ever be enough.

And then came…Calista.

In the armor I’d gifted to her, her sword across her back, her dark hair a contrast to the other women. Like she knew exactly where I was, her eyes found mine, and a rush of emotion followed, a desperation in her gaze that I could see even when we were fifty feet apart.

She waved me toward her. “Run!”

I looked at Riviana, her sword held at the ready, prepared to face off with a god, a battle she couldn’t possibly win, not when she fought with honor and he fought with fallacy and lies.

“Talon!”

Bahamut spun his sword around his wrist then lunged for Riviana. Once their swords touched, they were locked in a battle that was too fast to be watched with the naked eye. Swordsclashed and danced, and both opponents moved around each other like they anticipated each other’s moves.

Calista screamed again. “Talon!”

Bahamut’s servants emerged from the castle with their swords and shields, answering their master’s call. In just a few seconds, we would be overrun, and no god would be able to withstand the odds.

I sprinted—but not for the portal that opened out of nowhere. I sprinted for Bahamut’s back, seeing the dagger at his hip. I slammed into him from behind, pulled it from the sheath, and then stabbed him hard in the back of the shoulder.

Caught off guard by my attack, he hit the floor and released a scream that rivaled a dragon’s. Then he changed, his armor shifting from blue to black, turning into the monster that I had to see while under his captivity.

I got to my feet and sprinted to the opening where Calista stood.

Riviana was smart enough to understand a distraction, so she ran with me, her golden sword in hand.

I snatched Calista’s hand and threw her into the portal with me, unsure where we would land on the other side. Forces unlike I’d ever felt flung me back and forth like Bahamut still had his grip on me. I felt Calista’s hand slip from mine. Felt a rumble and heard a hum that grew in intensity, the sound getting louder until my eardrums were about to split open.

Then everything went still.

I hit the ground, grass cool to the touch, the sounds of birds immediately noticeable. My eyes remained closed as I lay there, aware of the warm sun on my skin, aware of the comfortableheat that had been absent in Bahamut’s domain. I breathed hard from the exertion and the adrenaline, but it still took me a moment to gather the strength to open my eyes.

There she stood—Riviana, in a white dress that blew in the breeze. She looked down at me, the tip of her golden blade piercing the soil, both of her hands holding on to the hilt.

I climbed to my feet and faced her, seeing the stoic expression I remembered from our last conversation. I regarded her wild air and fierce eyes, the words not coming to me even though I should suffocate her with my gratitude.

“We all returned from Bahamut’s domain because of your distraction. Thank you,” she said. “That tells me you really were worth the exception I made.”

“The only person who deserves gratitude is you.”

A subtle smile moved over her lips.

“But I feel inadequate giving it, because no words can do it justice.”

Her smile widened. “This moment wouldn’t have come to pass without the women who love you. Queen Eldinar and Calista passed into the Realm of Caelum and begged for my intervention. They were quite insistent.”

My eyes dropped, knowing that Calista’s insufferable grief had driven her to limitless bounds. It must have been the reason Queen Eldinar had betrayed my trust and shared the secret she’d promised to take to the grave.

“But I denied their request.”