reforming into a guise she had worn since she arrived at Stardom.
“Release her.”
Ista smiled. “Never.”
Ren gripped his sword and started for the window. Valor shouted for his guards. As Ren broke through the remaining glass he shoved Valor aside and pushed Ista against the wall.
“Tell me how to release her,” he said.
“Tell me the secret of the crystal.”
Ren pressed the sword to her throat, drawing a thin stream of blood. The shouts of soldiers echoed down the hall.
Valor regained his footing and drew his dagger.
Ista smiled. “Join me, Ren. I can clear your name.”
“Never.”
“Pity,” Ista said. “Aidan will never again be whole.”
Two of Valor’s guards grabbed Ren from behind. One guard hit him in the stomach as another beat his hand against the wall, trying to force him to release the sword. Ren kicked the man in the groin, knocking him backward. The man let go, but the other was already there.
“Take him!” Valor demanded.
The dragon roared in fury.
Ren grabbed the thread of light in his mind as his rage built. A sharp crack sounded as he released the Quy with whip-like ferocity. The guards holding him flew backward through the air. Out of the corner of his eye Ren saw a Crape soldier beating Quinton to the ground and another hauling Michel to his feet.
Guards from all over the Lands ran toward the window with bloodied swords, intent on his capture. Without warning, dragon’s fire enveloped them. The dragon bellowed a final warning and took to the air.
Ren stumbled toward the window, desperate to reach Aidan, but she was already gone. The peace of their connection immediately scattered. In its place was a hollow void. The shock of it almost brought him to his knees.
Shouts were all around him: cries from men who fought to protect him, screams from guards to capture him. When Ren finally turned to face Valor, the new king of Newlan had victory in his eyes.
Ista stepped forward, crystal in hand. The sunlight caressed it, igniting it in crimson flame. Ista picked up a small glass bottle and hurled it to the floor. A hissing red smoke oozed out and reached for Ren.
Ren did the only thing he could do – he ran.
Screams came from behind. Whatever evil the bottle contained was affecting Ista’s men.
Ren quickly turned down a hall that concealed an entrance to a hidden passageway in a side closet. He didn’t see any guards, but he could hear them approaching. He stumbled to the door. Just as his hand touched the knob, his cousin, Paul of Ketes, rounded the corner.
Paul’s fierce dark eyes found Ren and motioned him inside. Ren nodded his thanks and dove through the door, fumbling for the gnarled wood in the back. He heard Paul scream as steel hit steel.
Ren whispered a silent thanks to his cousin as his fingers twisted the gnarled knot of wood. Heartbeats later he was in the dark bowels of the tunnels, turning corners by memory, making his way to the lower depths of the castle – to the dungeon.
Chapter 4
Fraul grabbed Ramie’s arm and silently ordered him to stand back, but Ramie remained rooted to the earth. The girl in Ren’s arms looked dead, but she had been fine heartbeats ago. Just as Ramie was about to voice his concern a riveting pain seared his mind.
A scream tore from his lips. It was a foreign sound, something he hadn’t heard since he was a child, but it was quickly swept away and lost among hundreds of other cries. As his knees buckled, Fraul grabbed him and hauled him to his feet.
“Stay up! Don’t let them know you have it! Be strong!”
Ramie found his footing, but his mind seemed to be incinerating inside him. He dug his fingernails into his fists and thought of his brother. Nothing could hurt him more than his brother. The emotional scar immediately swept to the surface and he sensed the difference between the two afflictions. One was so painful he thought he might die, the other so painful he did not want to live. But they neutralized each
“Release her.”
Ista smiled. “Never.”
Ren gripped his sword and started for the window. Valor shouted for his guards. As Ren broke through the remaining glass he shoved Valor aside and pushed Ista against the wall.
“Tell me how to release her,” he said.
“Tell me the secret of the crystal.”
Ren pressed the sword to her throat, drawing a thin stream of blood. The shouts of soldiers echoed down the hall.
Valor regained his footing and drew his dagger.
Ista smiled. “Join me, Ren. I can clear your name.”
“Never.”
“Pity,” Ista said. “Aidan will never again be whole.”
Two of Valor’s guards grabbed Ren from behind. One guard hit him in the stomach as another beat his hand against the wall, trying to force him to release the sword. Ren kicked the man in the groin, knocking him backward. The man let go, but the other was already there.
“Take him!” Valor demanded.
The dragon roared in fury.
Ren grabbed the thread of light in his mind as his rage built. A sharp crack sounded as he released the Quy with whip-like ferocity. The guards holding him flew backward through the air. Out of the corner of his eye Ren saw a Crape soldier beating Quinton to the ground and another hauling Michel to his feet.
Guards from all over the Lands ran toward the window with bloodied swords, intent on his capture. Without warning, dragon’s fire enveloped them. The dragon bellowed a final warning and took to the air.
Ren stumbled toward the window, desperate to reach Aidan, but she was already gone. The peace of their connection immediately scattered. In its place was a hollow void. The shock of it almost brought him to his knees.
Shouts were all around him: cries from men who fought to protect him, screams from guards to capture him. When Ren finally turned to face Valor, the new king of Newlan had victory in his eyes.
Ista stepped forward, crystal in hand. The sunlight caressed it, igniting it in crimson flame. Ista picked up a small glass bottle and hurled it to the floor. A hissing red smoke oozed out and reached for Ren.
Ren did the only thing he could do – he ran.
Screams came from behind. Whatever evil the bottle contained was affecting Ista’s men.
Ren quickly turned down a hall that concealed an entrance to a hidden passageway in a side closet. He didn’t see any guards, but he could hear them approaching. He stumbled to the door. Just as his hand touched the knob, his cousin, Paul of Ketes, rounded the corner.
Paul’s fierce dark eyes found Ren and motioned him inside. Ren nodded his thanks and dove through the door, fumbling for the gnarled wood in the back. He heard Paul scream as steel hit steel.
Ren whispered a silent thanks to his cousin as his fingers twisted the gnarled knot of wood. Heartbeats later he was in the dark bowels of the tunnels, turning corners by memory, making his way to the lower depths of the castle – to the dungeon.
Chapter 4
Fraul grabbed Ramie’s arm and silently ordered him to stand back, but Ramie remained rooted to the earth. The girl in Ren’s arms looked dead, but she had been fine heartbeats ago. Just as Ramie was about to voice his concern a riveting pain seared his mind.
A scream tore from his lips. It was a foreign sound, something he hadn’t heard since he was a child, but it was quickly swept away and lost among hundreds of other cries. As his knees buckled, Fraul grabbed him and hauled him to his feet.
“Stay up! Don’t let them know you have it! Be strong!”
Ramie found his footing, but his mind seemed to be incinerating inside him. He dug his fingernails into his fists and thought of his brother. Nothing could hurt him more than his brother. The emotional scar immediately swept to the surface and he sensed the difference between the two afflictions. One was so painful he thought he might die, the other so painful he did not want to live. But they neutralized each
Similar Books
