A Dawn of Dragonfire - By Daniel Arenson Page 0,44

wounded, and pray for us."

Deramon approached him, axe in hand, and gave him a hard look.

"You better not let any harm befall my daughter," Deramon said, eyes narrowed. "If you do anything stupid down there, Elethor… if you let any harm come to Lyana… I will hunt you down with more wrath than ten thousand phoenixes." He growled. "It's your lover who burns our city. I don't forget that. You find a way to extinguish her flames, or by the stars, it won't be a phoenix who kills you. It will be my axe."

Elethor stared back at the gruff, grizzled face. "You keep these tunnels safe until I return, old man. Swing your axe at the Tirans, not at me. I will extinguish Solina's fire."

Deramon spat onto the floor, gave Elethor a last glower, then turned toward his daughter. When his eyes fell upon her, they softened. The gruff warrior suddenly looked like a mother bear. He pulled Lyana into his embrace and held her tight. She clung to him.

"Take care, daughter," Deramon said. "Come back to me. Don't let the boy do anything stupid."

She nodded, tears in her eyes, and kissed his cheek.

"Goodbye, Father," she whispered.

Lyana turned to her mother next. The stately priestess stared at the young knight, tall and proud as ever, but then her eyes filled with tears, and she seemed no longer a great figure of starlight, but a mother overwhelmed with grief and worry. She hugged her daughter close, and their tears fell.

"I love you, child," Adia whispered. "I will pray for you."

Elethor turned away from them, his own eyes stinging, and found Mori and Bayrin staring at him, silent. My best friend. And my sister. I'm sending them both into danger, and I don't know if they'll return. A lump filled his throat, and he could not curb his tears. He approached them hurriedly, so they would not see his turmoil, and pulled them into an embrace.

"Goodbye, Bay," he whispered to his friend. The young man's shaggy head pressed against his cheek. Mori clung to his other side, her face pressed against his chest. He kissed her head, and she looked up at him with huge, damp eyes. "Goodbye, Mori. I love you, sister. Be careful out there. Fly fast and return to me."

She nodded, lips trembling, and held him tight. "Goodbye, El. Please be safe. Please. Listen to Lyana and don't do anything stupid, okay? And if you see anything dangerous, don't be brave, just run. Promise me."

He laughed softly through his tears and mussed her hair. "Okay, Mori, I promise."

He wiped his eyes and pulled away from the embrace. The sounds of battle echoed through the chambers. Deramon and Adia were gone already, off to fight and heal. Swallowing a lump in his throat, Elethor approached Lyana and smiled thinly.

"Are you ready?" he asked quietly.

"No," she said. "I was never ready for this. Nobody was. But let's go." She tightened her lips, nodded, and her eyes flared with rage. "Let's find this Starlit Demon and kill Solina."

SOLINA

The statue of King Benedictus—the vile weredragon who had fought the griffins three hundred years ago—lay fallen and cracked in the square. Solina stood upon it, her boots smearing mud across its marble face. Hands on her hips, she stared at the archway before her, which led into the tunnels. Her men fought there, slamming sword and spear against defenders who lurked in shadow. The sun rose around them, painting the ruins red, and smoke unfurled like dark phoenixes. It stung Solina's eyes.

He did not return to me, she thought, pain pounding through her. He did not surrender. He wants to kill me.

Watching the fight, she clenched her fists and snarled. Her rage bloomed inside her like the fire of her amulet. She had given everything for him! She had raised an army for him. She had killed a cruel king and a vain prince for him. In her palace in Tiranor, she had built chambers for his sculptures, dreaming of the day he ruled by her side.

"You could have ruled in luxury," she whispered through clenched teeth. "You could have ruled me, my body, my soul. I would have given myself to you. I would have made love to you every night, kissed you until you cried with the sweet pain of it." She pounded her fist into her palm, growling. "But you choose to fight for the reptiles. You choose their love over mine. You will die for this, Elethor. You will die