“Pity. But I fear you’ve come a long way only to meet your demise in another way. Gat. Kill him.”
The man standing beside her, who Goggin hadn’t noticed until now, glanced at her, looking uncertain. “You said we would capture our foes, not kill them.”
Viper said, “I will spare my nieces and the dragon if I can. But not this man. He worked for my sister. He must die.”
The man, Gat, seemed to consider her words, and then nodded. He strode toward Goggin, who raised his scimitar at his side. “You don’t want to do this,” he said. He reached down for the pouch tied to his belt. He had no choice now. This was the time for last resorts.
Gone.
Fear rushed through him. Where is it? His mind raced backwards in time. He remembered touching the pouch as he entered the palace, but what had happened next?
He sucked in a breath.
Oh gods.
The man he killed, the one whose skull he smashed against the wall.
The pouch must’ve come free during the impact.
He remembered all the blood.
Goggin whirled around and took off running.
Raven
Goggin’s appearance had been so unexpected that Raven had lost her words. He’s alive, she’d thought, feeling a swell of joy. She could only watch as Viper’s man had stalked toward him. Even more surprising was Goggin’s reaction: he’d run away.
Raven had known Goggin long enough to know he never ran from a fight.
She wasn’t certain what to think of that, plus she had more pressing problems to worry about. Namely, the hundred guards brandishing a variety of deadly weapons, and the fact that she and her allies were held by chains.
There was one saving grace, however: Thus far, none of their enemies could get close because of the constant wall of flames provided by Siri.
“It seems we are at an impasse, aunt,” Raven said.
“Not at all. The first arrow will go through your dragon’s eye. The second through the weak spot on her left breast. The third will kill you. The fourth your sister. The Orian, well, I want to speak with her.”
“What?”
The question came not from Raven, nor from any of her allies, but from the man Viper had called Gat. Instead of chasing Goggin, he’d stopped and returned to the circle of guards, standing just behind Viper.
“Silence. You will do as I command. Now go after Goggin!”
Gat took a step forward, but toward her, not away. “You think you freed me from Zune only to make me a prisoner in Calypso?”
“Watch your tone. I am your empress. And you would be dead if not for me.”
The Phanecian shook his head. “We are supposed to be marching into Phanes. The streams are alive with news of the rebellion. We could help.”
“We will, I promise.” Viper’s tone had softened, and Raven sensed something in it, a tenderness she’d never known her aunt to have. He is more than her personal guard, she realized. He’s her lover. “But first we must secure the empire. There can be no doubt as to the chain of command.”
Gat’s lips pressed together, and Raven could see the anger and frustration. “No more lies, Viper. I helped you win the empire. But you have no intention of helping the slaves, do you?”
“This isn’t the time or the place. Kill Goggin. I’ll handle my nieces.”
He bit down hard on the next word. “No.”
“What did you say?”
He opened his mouth, presumably to repeat the same word, but before he could, the ground began to shake.
Goggin
He’d found the man right where he’d left him, only the pool of blood was larger, a crimson lake, rivulets forming in the cracks between the tiles, spreading…
There! Goggin spotted the pouch of sand resting on its side, the rope worn and frayed where it had broken from his belt.
It was directly in the path of one of the bloody rivers.
He threw himself at it, landing hard on his shoulder as he snatched the pouch from the floor, rolling away just as the blood filled the space where it had been. He stood panting, his mouth and eyes wide with relief, when he realized:
The pouch’s opening was gapped, having sprung wide at some point along the way. Sand trickled from the lip, spilling to the floor, bouncing, tumbling, rolling. Several grains sprinkled into the blood, disappearing, replaced by tiny bubbles.
Goggin held his breath, watching in horror.
Nothing happened. He let out the breath, laughter spilling from his lips. The Dreadnought earth held no power off the island, something he suspected might be true. No, it was the islands themselves that were cursed, something in the air perhaps…
Goggin froze as the ground began to shake.
A thick hand burst from the tiles, shattering them, the blood covering a mottled black fist swirling with fire.
The rest of the monster followed the hand, but Goggin wasn’t there to see it, already racing back toward the courtyard, careful not to spill any more sand.
It wasn’t the only monster that emerged.
Raven
Raven tumbled to the ground as the earth itself became the enemy, bucking and writhing. She tried to protect her broken arm, but the impact was still jarring, sending spikes shooting from shoulder to hand. Siri screamed, thumping her heavy, spiked tail against the ground, as if to ward off whatever was shaking it.
Whisper pushed in beside Raven, trying to help her up. “What is that? Have the gods come to destroy us?”
“I…don’t think so,” Raven said. I think it’s something worse.
The Orian was the only one still standing, her eyes darting about as one of her hands gripped the chains around her feet.
Her cheek blazed with light.
Gwendolyn
The chains opened, their teeth no longer biting as she slipped free.
Next, Gwen pulled Raven’s and Whisper’s chains away. The tension released and the iron links snapped back toward their source. She outstretched her arms to maintain her balance while the ground continued to shake. Cautiously, Gwen turned toward the dragon.
Siri was stomping and bucking, trying to break free. The movements only made the manacles pull tighter. They needed to be pulled from the inside out. She tried to move closer, but the dragon was livid, flicking her tail and slamming it down. Fire streaked from her mouth.
It’s the fear, Gwen thought. Of being imprisoned, like in Ferria. We made her this way.
Listen to me, Siri, Gwen said, in her own head. If the dragon heard her, she didn’t respond, continuing to stamp and pull against her tethers. Forget the noise, the anger. Forget everything but that calm place in your heart, the one you showed me when we first met. Your—
Soul, the dragon replied. Her tail stopped moving, her feet going still. Her head swiveled around, her gaze landing on Gwen. She could feel the Sandes sisters watching, but they didn’t intervene as she walked carefully up to the dragon, slipped her hands between the chains…
Her concentration was complete. She felt the thrum of the iron as the ground shook, felt the beat of Siri’s mighty heart in her head, heard the cries of Viper’s guardsmen as they realized the dragon was no longer spewing fire. Their enemies prepared to charge.
Her fatemark’s light blinded her as she pulled.
Goggin
When he reached the courtyard, it was chaos. Viper was shouting orders, her guards hurrying to position themselves in some sort of pincer formation as they closed in on the dragon, who was now free, her wings beginning to beat the air into a frenzy.
Raven, Whisper, and the Orian, stood back to back to back, ready to fight.
Goggin charged forward, throwing bodies to either side as he fought to get to them. Behind him, the wall shattered, stone shrapnel flying. Screams followed but he didn’t turn, didn’t even consider it until he—
His scimitar split the back of a guard trying to stab Raven with a long spear. The man fell, and Goggin danced aside to ensure none of the blood spray splatter
ed on the bag of death he clutched to his chest.
Raven said, “You’re alive.” Her dark eyes sparked with something he hadn’t seen in them in a long time. Purpose.
“I am damn glad to see you.”
“The feeling is entirely mutual.”
The sound of screams brought him back to reality. He whirled around just as Raven said, “What is that thing?”
Goggin gaped, though he wasn’t surprised. The creature was born of darkness and flame, its powerful frame covered in gray rock crumbles from the wall it had destroyed. Behind it lurked two others, their eyes ringed with fire. “Nothing to worry about. A few souvenirs I brought back from my travels.”
Raven gave him a look he couldn’t quite decipher.
The guards’ heads were now swiveling between the monsters and the dragon, unsure of which threat to focus on. “We should go,” Goggin said.
“I’m not leaving until I secure the throne,” Raven said. It was a tone he knew all too well—as stubborn as the day was long.
“We’ll come back,” Goggin promised.
Whisper joined them, standing on one side. She’d obtained a blade from somewhere. It was covered in blood. The Orian appeared on her other side, her cheek bright with light. The dragon sprayed fire in all directions.
“We’re not leaving,” Raven said.
Goggin didn’t try to argue with her this time. He raised his scimitar, ready to fight another monster or two.
Raven
The three creatures stalked forward, swinging chiseled arms and boulder-like fists. A few of the guards tried to stop them, but the monsters knocked them aside like toys. The rest of the guards turned tail and ran.
Raven spotted Viper retreating toward one of the side walls, her eyes wary. This, at least, was a situation she couldn’t have possibly planned for.
“Goggin, tell us what you know about these things,” Raven said.
“They’re strong as hell and hard to kill,” he said, clutching his scimitar.
That’s comforting. “Then our only chance is to take them on one at a time.” Viper had managed to sneak past the monsters in the chaos, and was racing toward the entrance to the throne room. Raven fought off the urge to give chase. First, the monsters. Then, her aunt.
“I’ll distract it,” Gwen said, and then she was gone, a streak of silver flashing past and toward the first of the monsters, which had lifted a surprised guardsman in one hand, squeezing the life out of him as his legs wind-milled beneath him.
Suddenly, the man fell, gasping and clutching his throat as he landed. An arrow protruded from the monster’s hand. “Over here, you worthless piece of flaming dung,” Gwen shouted. She stood atop one of the walls. She’d procured a bow from somewhere, likely dropped by one of Viper’s archers in their haste to flee. She fitted another arrow and released. Ziiiip-thwock! It hit the creature in the head and he roared, swatting at his ear like it was a pesky fly. The shaft of the arrow cracked in half and fell away.
An arrow to the head would normally result in death, but this monster was apparently hard-headed, because he released a sound not dissimilar to the roar of a lion, and charged the wall.
What are we doing? Raven thought, realizing that all three of them—Whisper, Goggin, and her—were staring at the Orian fighting the monster on her own.
“Goggin, flank it.” Raven said. “Try to land a slash or two to its stomach and chest.” She looked at Whisper. Every instinct told her to get her sister to safety before doing anything else. But this was no helpless child standing before her. This was a warrior tried and tested in the fighting pits of Zune. It would take all of them to defeat these monsters. “Whisper, attack from behind.”
Whisper nodded. “What about you?”
“I’m going to find a weapon.”
They broke apart just as the monster slammed into the wall, which crumbled in the center, entire stones crashing over its back. Gwen didn’t even try to dodge, extending her arms to either side as she rode one of the larger stones down over its back to the ground. She landed on her feet, pirouetting and firing off another shot. The arrow slapped into the back of the monster’s shoulder, drawing another angry roar.
Raven ran on, trying not to think about the fact that she’d just sent her sister to fight a giant fire-beast. She’s capable. She’s proven herself. You must let go…
Dozens of Viper’s guards were down already, either injured or dead. As Raven leapt over one, she reached down and snagged her weapon—a barbed whip. It felt slightly heavier than the type she preferred, but it would have to do. She paused to survey the situation. Two of the monsters were corralling guards, which had managed to mount something of a counterattack, harrying their legs with blades and spears.
The third had managed to break free of the rubble to take a swing at Gwen—it’s going to crush her into a thousand piec—
The blow swung through empty air, the Orian gone when Raven blinked.
Where is Whisper? she wondered. There! She spotted her sister slinking along the edge of the crumbling wall. Goggin, on the other hand, took a less subtle approach—he was barreling in from the side, brandishing his scimitar over his head.
He stabbed. The blade sunk deep into the creature’s ribs. Its entire body jerked at the impact and it twisted around, bringing its massive elbow to bear. Hard bone struck Goggin’s jaw and he flew back. He was no small man, and yet he left his feet, crashing to the ground a stone’s throw away, skidding to a stop. Not moving.
With another bellow, the monster stomped toward Goggin to finish him off.
Raven had just been reunited with her guanero commander; she couldn’t lose him again so quickly, not when he came here to help her.
Her injured arm slapped painfully against her ribs as she ran, jumping felled guards, screaming at the monster to draw his attention away.
The distance was too great.
The creature lifted its leg slowly, teetering like a boulder on the edge of a great precipice. Slam! It brought it down, the earth shuddering at the impact.
A cry choked out from Raven’s throat, but still she ran. She snapped her whip, which spun around the monster’s neck, the barbs sinking deep. She didn’t think, just acted, leaping forward, clinging to the whip with one hand, letting the momentum carry her forward.
She whirled around the beast’s massive frame, her whip wrapping itself tightly against its throat. It swung at her as she passed and she was forced to let go to avoid the blow, landing hard on her injured arm, bone gritting against bone, a cry dragging itself from her throat…
And crashing into Goggin, who was pulling himself to his feet.
The pain was so intense that she could barely begin to consider how he was alive and not smashed into Goggin paste.
The world spun as Goggin scooped her up and dove to the side, another monster-sized fist thundering past, brought down like a sledge hammer.
As they landed, her world coalesced into pain, the flash of stars, and, finally, the relief of darkness.
Goggin
The monster was going to kill her. It was too fast, too strong, and Goggin’s legs were sapped of strength, his jaw aching from the blow he’d taken.
For the first time in all his years, he cared nothing for his own life. She was all that mattered.
Because she believed in you. Because she valued you.
The monster was upon him, its eyes lit up with fire, its long black tongue snaking out in anticipation of the kill.
Siri came out of nowhere, screeching, clawing at the beast’s head. It swatted at her, knocking her aside. The dragon spun around again, slapping her tail against its side, so close Goggin could hear the scrape of spikes against dark flesh.
Goggin had never seen any creature—man nor beast—take such a blow from a dragon and survive. But this was no ordinary creature. It grabbed Siri’s tail and spun her around, releasing after a half-turn. The dragon flew across the yard awkwardly, crashing into the wall, smashing through it and out of sight.
The monster turned back to Goggin.
Summoning the last of his reserves, he pushed to his feet, blocking the path to Raven with his body. His scimitar was out of reach, lost when he’d picked up Raven.
I brought this upon myself. I brought this upon her.
The responsibility, more than anything, weighed upon him. He remembered the fear in Joaquin’s eyes as Goggin rowed away, the pouch of stolen sand in his lap.
He knew. He knew what would happen.
“Do it!” he screamed at the monster. “Kill me!” His only hope was that it would forget about Raven, or believe she was already dead. He could be a distraction for her, his final act one of goodness rather than foolishness.
The monster roared and swung.
Something changed midway through the swing. The blow still landed, bludgeoning Goggin’s shoulder, knocking him aside as a shockwave ran through his body. But even as he fell, he knew it hadn’t been a killing stroke, like the beast surely intended. And, just before he’d fallen, he’d seen the glint of silver in the center of its eye, ringed by fire.
The tip of a blade. The monster crashed down beside him, one of its giant hands scraping at its eye. It looked confused, fiery blood dripping from its face and lips, painting flaming rivers on the ground.
The sand! Goggin remembered, frantically untying the pouch from his belt, holding it as far away from the pooling blood as possible.
He looked back to find Whisper sitting atop the monster’s back, her face a mask of rage, her hand still gripping the hilt of the blade she’d stabbed through its head.
The monster jerked twice more and then went still.
Gwen
Damn, she’s no princess, Gwen thought, watching Whisper take down the beast.
Nearby, the dragon dragged herself from the rubble of the wall she’d destroyed, shaking her head. She sprung back through the gap, landing overtop of Raven, where she remained, daring anyone else to attack her.