Page 99 of The Dragon Queen
Talon’s eyes shifted back and forth between hers. “Do not despair, Queen Eldinar. I sent Khazmuda to retrieve the dragons from the Southern Isles. We are not alone.”
“Any aid the dragons provide will burn the forest,” she said quietly.
“I will have my men fight with us,” I said. “Order them to march upon the forest.”
“How?” she asked. “You just sent Khazmuda away.”
“We have Macabre,” Talon said. “Tell him and the others from the Lands of Thalian to come here immediately. You can speak to him because you remain fused.”
I wish I were still fused with Inferno because I could have relayed this message so Khazmuda wouldn’t have to fly there.
“We will not let this forest fall,” Talon said. “We will not abandon you.”
The sheen remained in her eyes, her emotion prevailing over her logic for the first time. “When Riviana forged a path to the underworld, that path must have remained open. It must have broken the powers that separate the two worlds. We’re doomed.”
“We are not doomed, Your Majesty,” Talon said.
“Both the living and the dead are at risk. If Bahamut conquers the Realm of Caelum, then everything we’ve ever known will be destroyed. Because I broke my promise and asked Riviana to spare you.” The tears started to well in her eyes. “This is all my fault. Everything I care for…will be engulfed in black flames. All the living and the dead will writhe in eternal torture because I chose to be selfish. Because I chose you.” Even when the tears streaked down her cheeks, she was still beautiful like falling snow on a winter morning. Even when she looked at Talon like she despised him to her core, she was breathtaking.
Talon couldn’t take her stare anymore. He dropped his gaze.
Uncle Ezra moved his hand to her shoulder. “Fleur Nia.” When she didn’t respond, he moved his hand to her cheek, catching a tear with his thumb. “This forest will never fall while I live.”
She turned from his cheek like she despised his touch. “Riviana Star will burn—and we will burn with it.” She turned from hisgrasp like she’d been slapped rather than touched, and then she stormed off.
Talon’s chin remained down with his eyes on the ground.
Uncle Ezra watched her go and didn’t pursue her. When she was gone from his sight, he turned back to Talon. “How much time do we have?”
Talon seemed not to hear him because he remained distracted in his thoughts.
“Talon Rothschild.” Uncle Ezra deepened his voice. “Time is of the essence.”
Talon broke out of his reverie. “I can’t say. Time passes differently there than it does here. Calista said a month had passed since I died, but it was two years in his domain.”
“Which means they could be prepared for war any second.” Uncle Ezra seemed to speak to himself more than us.
“Yes,” Talon answered. “Prepare your army and post them at the tree. I will travel to Shadow Stone and deploy my soldiers. They may not arrive at the start of the battle, but they might still be able to make a difference.”
Uncle Ezra’s eyes glazed over for a moment like his thoughts were elsewhere. “You can no longer raise the dead to fight for you, but he can.” His eyes found mine again, looking for an answer to the question.
Talon didn’t seem to want to answer because he stayed quiet for several seconds. He didn’t speak, but he eventually gave a nod.
Uncle Ezra couldn’t hide the way that disturbed him. “I told her not to spare you. I told her one man isn’t worth provoking a god. I never imagined consequences so dire from that poor decision.”
It broke my heart to listen to both of them tear him apart, like this was his fault when he didn’t ask for any of it—I did. “I was the one who begged for him to be spared. I’m the only one who deserves the blame for what’s come to pass. But it’s not over. We’ve never given up before, and we won’t start now. I’m sorry this has happened, but we can’t forget the army of dragons that are more powerful than the army of the dead.”
“What can they do in a forest where they can barely move?” he asked.
“If we have to knock down trees and burn them, so be it,” I said. “It’s better to lose some of the forest than to lose the Realm of Caelum. The forest will regrow and recover. It may take a very long time, but the elves will live long enough to see it.”
Macabre and the others arrived at the forest within a few hours, flying straight to our location the moment they heard the queen’s plea. Despite the tension between Macabre and Talon, he had no reservations taking both of us to Shadow Stone to order the army to march to battle.
I wanted to remain behind, but Talon refused to let me out of his sight. It was just a few hours over the mountain and to the castle. Commander Navarrese had taken the role as king with Talon’s death, but Talon quickly dethroned him when he marched into the castle. He ordered the soldiers to march for the forestimmediately, to not delay for more than a few hours before they began their march.
“Once this battle is over, Shadow Stone and the Northern Kingdoms will be yours, Commander Navarrese,” Talon said. “My kingdom and my home lie across the sky. This is the last order I will make as your king.”
As soon as Talon had made his orders clear, we returned over the mountain on the back of Macabre. The forest appeared calm when we returned, like we hadn’t missed the beginning of the battle.