asked after staring at Kiora for some time.
She started. “Hmmm? Oh, nothing.”
“It would be wise to just tell me.” Drustan pointed out. “The other option is going to leave a hole in your lip.”
Kiora smiled. “Am I that transparent?”
“Yes,” Emane and Drustan answered together.
“Nice to see you two agree on something.” She laughed. “I was just confused, that’s all.”
“About?” Drustan urged.
Kiora rubbed her hands together over the fire. “I understand things happened with Dralazar, things that made you change your mind about him, but what about Eleana?” She glanced up at Drustan before looking back to her flickering distraction.
There was silence for a while, with the exception of the crackling fire, which Drustan was now also intently staring at. “Suffice it to say,” he began cautiously, “that I finally understood her pain.” Standing abruptly he added, “I am going to take a look around.” Without further explanation he strode out of the barrier and into the forest.
Kiora watched him go, her mind wandering. Epona said the Ancient One, Lomay, was on this side waiting for them. What if they didn’t find him? What if Lomay couldn’t find them? What was she supposed to do? Being the Solus wasn’t much use when she had no idea who to save.
CHAPTER TWO
Illusions
THROUGH HIS BUBBLE, DRALAZAR watched Layla pick her way through the rocky land that surrounded his cave. Interesting. He was sure Layla was aware that she shared the gift of magic with her sister, Kiora. But Dralazar would bet she unwittingly found her way here by following threads. Doing so had caused Layla’s thread to hum with her own magic.
She is angry, My Lord, Raynor thought, stretching his wings out before laying them flat across his back.
Dralazar glanced over to the telepathic, black Pegasus. Angry that I lied to her?
No, My Lord. She is angry at her sister.
A grin spread across Dralazar’s face. After the battle for Meros, Layla had surely known that Dralazar lied. Not only lied to her, but used her. Yet Layla’s anger was not directed at him, but at Kiora.
Layla tripped out of sheer exhaustion, crashing into a boulder three times her size. Leaning her forehead onto the rock she screamed, pounding her fists against it.
As he watched the pitiful display, a plan began forming in Dralazar’s mind. He detested taking on pupils; it’s why he didn’t teach Layla before the first battle. But now, given his need to cut Kiora as deeply as possible, training this one might be worth it.
Dralazar looked to his left. Soolan’s thread was closing in. The thickheaded dragon had finally picked up on Layla’s thread. Either that or the screaming caught his attention.
Shall we stop him? Raynor asked.
“No.” Dralazar folded his arms. “Not yet.”
Soolan flew overhead, casting a large shadow over Layla. She froze. Dralazar could nearly taste her fear. Slowly Layla turned her head to see what she already knew was there. The dragon swooped in behind her, slamming into the earth and sending the small rocks that lay scattered between the boulders hopping across the ground. Layla stumbled to the side, trying to keep her feet beneath her as she frantically looked for something that did not exist—a place to run.
The giant dragon pulled its head down until it was eye-level with Layla. “Did you honestly think I wouldn’t hear you?” Soolan bellowed.
Layla’s mouth gaped like a fish on land. She took a trembling step backwards.
Soolan’s eye was bloodied and swollen shut from Emane’s arrows. It only added to his hatred of anything human. He peered at Layla with his good eye. “I should incinerate you right now. You and your kind, worthless slime.”
Layla clenched her fists before shouting, “What are you waiting for, you big ugly lout? If you’re going to kill me, get it over with already.”
Dralazar laughed out loud.
“Stupid, too,” Soolan remarked.
Scowling, Layla glared at him. “If you don’t want to ‘incinerate’ me, then what do you want?”
“What do I want?” Soolan grinned, exposing rows of sharp teeth. “Incinerating you is on the list, make no mistake. But it’s so much more fun when I am close enough to see the fear in your eyes.” Leaning in further he demanded, “Why are you here?”
Layla took another step back, her ankle rolling on a rock. She sidestepped to keep on her feet. “I-I don’t know,” she stammered.
A horrible laugh bellowed out, reverberating off the rocks. “You don’t know? You march into Dralazar’s land and you don’t even know why?”
“This is Dralazar’s land?”
Dralazar couldn’t help but notice the hope