A Night of Dragon Wings - By Daniel Arenson Page 0,120

inside him even in the very pit of darkness.

"I love you too, Lyana," he said. "More than the fallen halls of our fathers, and more than memories of spring. You must lead Requiem now. Our people will follow your fire, and it will lead them home. Two winters ago, I told you this in the Abyss: Whatever strength I have is yours. I will keep you safe, then and now, even in the heart of darkness. Leave this underground. Find our sky. Lead our people to light." He took her hand and placed it against his chest. "I cannot fly with you now. But I will think of you upon the wind, and I will smile, and I will wait… I will wait until we fly together in starlight."

She tightened her arms around him, and they kissed—a deep kiss that tasted of blood, tears, and memories of home, a kiss of fire such as they had never shared, a last flame of stars.

Claws grabbed Lyana's shoulders.

Legion pulled her back, wrenching her from Elethor's arms, tearing their kiss apart.

"Elethor!" she cried, eyes wide.

Legion began dragging her back along the bridge. She reached out to him. Their fingertips touched, shooting warmth through him. Then the beast pulled her into shadow, and she cried his name and disappeared under the archway into darkness.

Elethor stood alone upon the bridge, cold and empty, and stared at the archway.

Goodbye, Lyana. May your wings find our sky.

He turned back to face the Memory Pool. Solina stood there upon the bridge, her eyes soft. She stepped toward him and held his hands.

"You did the right thing, El," she said softly. "I know how much I hurt you. I see the pain in your eyes. But I only hurt you for us, Elethor. For our life. For our memories. Lyana was never yours, El; you know that. She tempted you. She stole you from me, and she hurt you too, and you weep for her now. But you've chosen me. I always knew that you would." She kissed his lips. "You've returned to me at last—to your Solina." She wept and held him. "It's over, Elethor. It's finally over, and we are together again. Come, Elethor. Come with me into the pool. It's time to go home."

Her kiss stung against his lips. Her hands touched his cheeks. Her eyes were huge, drowning in her pain and madness. He touched her hair, and she smiled at him tremulously.

"Goodbye, Solina," he whispered. "I loved you once. I loved you for years. You held me for so long. But that boy in the pool, a boy caught in your light… he is only a memory too." He kissed her cheek. "Goodbye, Solina—fire of my youth, flame and curse of my life."

Standing before her, he shifted into a dragon.

Solina gasped and fell back.

Elethor beat his wings. The vermin below screeched. He soared in the chamber and blew his fire, and roared, and his cries echoed. As Solina lay upon her back and the spawn howled, Elethor shot forward and slammed into a column.

"Elethor!" Solina screamed. She rose to her feet. The firelight painted her face red. "Elethor!"

He slammed into the column, again and again, howling his rage and blowing his fire.

"Legion!" Solina screamed. "Legion, kill the weredragon!"

The nephil screeched outside. Claws clattered. Elethor blew a stream of flame at the archway, and Legion screeched. He kept slamming against the column. Cracks raced along it.

Fly from this place, Lyana. Fly far. Lead our people home.

He slammed into the column once more, and it cracked.

Elethor pulled back, wings beating, and watched the column fall.

It crashed into the pit, crushing spawn beneath it. Legion leaped into the chamber, and Elethor blew his fire again, and the nephil screeched and blazed. Solina screamed upon the bridge. Cracks raced along the ceiling, and chunks of rock fell.

Elethor flew and slammed into another column.

Rocks rained from the ceiling. The second column collapsed, and the spawn below wailed, and Elethor slammed into a third column until it too cracked. The pillar crashed down onto the bridge, crushing it. Solina screamed and leaped back. The bridge crumbled, and the ceiling rained stones, and Solina fell back into the pool. She vanished underwater as all around, columns fell, boulders rained, and vermin screamed and died.

Bricks buffeted Elethor. A chunk of the ceiling crashed down against Legion, and the blazing nephil tumbled into the pit. At once his spawn covered him and began to feast, ripping at their father's flesh, tearing gobbets loose