Silence - By Kailin Gow Page 0,49

the wound to Kevin. It was what you were supposed to do, wasn’t it? She tried not to think about the blood slipping between her fingers. Slipping out of Kevin as his life dripped away. “What can I do? I’m not even ful y Hugtandalfer. Vigor has been quick enough to point that out.”

Archer shook his head, stood briefly, and shoved a vampire who was getting too close away from them. “He doesn’t know what he is talking about.

Or he wants it to be true, so that he can claim you aren’t Hugtandalfer enough to rule. Your Hugtandalfer side is more than strong enough for this, though.

You’re of Waltham’s blood. He’s the oldest, strongest Hug in Palisor. Trust me, Briony. Palisor needs a ruler who is of Waltham’s blood. He alone was the Champion for Palisor against these vile creatures.

You are his only blood born. You just have to ful y realize it.”

“What do you mean, ‘realize it’? Like Aunt Sophie did?”

“Exactly that,” Archer said. “If you become your ful , Hugtandalfer self, you wil be able to heal Kevin. You wil know how to do it instinctively. I hadn’t wanted this for you so soon though. It means becoming more Hugtandalfer than you might be ready for.”

And less human. Archer did not mention it, but Briony knew what he meant. Was she ready to accept that? To give up on the thought that she might ever be just a simple human girl again. Briony looked down at Kevin, whose breath was coming in short, shal ow gasps now, and she knew the answer to that without even having to think about it.

“That doesn’t matter,” she said. “But I can’t just realize my true self, or whatever it is, can I? I mean, it took Aunt Sophie years to get to that point.”

“She didn’t have a dragon,” Archer said. “I told you that when we first met, remember? That dragons were there to help the Hugtandalfer become more. I’l help you, Briony. You just have to say yes.”

Briony didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”

Chapter 20

Archer took Briony’s hands, moving her away from Kevin slightly. Briony couldn’t help looking back at the wounded werewolf as he did so. She was so proud of him, loved him so much. He had come for her across worlds, and despite the feelings that stil flickered in her for Fal on, that meant so much.

Al the more reason to do this, then.

“What do I have to do?” Briony asked.

Archer moved her hands to his neck. “Hold on. I need to transform.”

“In here?” Briony looked around at the mil ing vampires, and then up at the ceiling. Not that far up, though. “Archer, there isn’t room. You can’t transform here. You need more space.”

“Don’t worry about that,” Archer said. “Just worry about your own transformation.”

“How do we do it?” Briony asked. So far, Archer hadn’t said anything other than that he could do it. He certainly hadn’t explained how.

“Dragons move magic about, Briony,”

Archer said. “How else do you think we can open gates? Al I need to do is pul in enough magic, and since I’m your dragon, you can take it right into yourself.”

“And how do I do that?”

“Cal to it, Briony. Just cal to it, and it wil come. Now, hold on.”

Archer transformed, scales and powerful muscles appearing under Briony’s fingers as his dragon form appeared, leaving her to cling on for dear life. She was right, too. There wasn’t enough room for a dragon in the room, not even one like Archer who wasn’t ful grown yet.

Then Archer kicked out at one of the castle wal s, and there was suddenly a lot more room.

Stones fel away, leaving an opening through which Archer jumped, his wings opening in flight.

For a moment, Briony thought that he had tricked her. Thought that this was a ruse to get her safely away from the battle now that Kevin was too badly hurt to let them win it. In that moment, Briony hated Archer for abandoning Kevin like that. It was only when Briony realized that they weren’t going anywhere that she calmed down a little.

Archer’s wings beat furiously, almost hummingbird fast, as the great creature hung in the air before the exposed room. Briony could feel his skin tingling, almost as if there were electricity running beneath it. Only it wasn’t electricity, she realized. It was magic. Raw, untamed magic.

Briony put both her palms to Archer’s scales. What had he said? That she had to claim it?

Wel , she