LOGINARAHEENGildeon shadow-walked them to the mountain. It was only a temporary stop to find food and rest before moving on.While Kohina handed Gildeon spare clothes she had grabbed just before they left the Mad End’s Wall, Araheen took the chance to speak to the two salamanders alone.“I know you’re only here because of your loyalty to Gildeon,” she began. “But truthfully, I wouldn’t be surprised if you chose to side with General Markaus and handed me over to Zephyr after everything I put you through.”“Don’t flatter yourself.” Yadira snorted, sitting on a tree stump as she fixed the strap of her boot. “It’s not the first time enemies have tortured us.”Araheen blinked. “You’ve been captured by sylphs before?”Yadira and Eitan exchanged a brief, unreadable glance, but neither answered.After a moment, Yadira leveled her with an impassive look. “Listen, just because we’re helping you run away from that lunatic sylph clai
ARAHEENShe remembered General Markaus’s face just before everything went black. This memory pulled her back to what Kohina had said before—that the Vulkar’s Rod would allow Araheen to see him.Clearly, the general had been there.Right outside the Grand Castle.Her frown deepened, confusion crossing her face. “You didn’t know about that alliance?”“We had no idea, Araheen,” Kohina said truthfully. “General Markaus’s seer, Tesira, told me about it back at the tower. I don’t approve of it, and I know Gildeon wouldn’t either. I escaped before they could contain me, once they realized I wouldn’t cooperate.” She drew a breath. “Believe me, we were not informed.”Araheen stared at the dry ground. “Why would your general ally with Zephyr?”“Because Zephyr swore to leave us alone.” Gildeon slowly pushed him
ARAHEENConsciousness returned in fragments. A dull ringing filled her ears, as if something had shattered inside her skull. Her body felt heavy, as though she had been struck by something massive and left buried beneath it.What had happened? Memories flashed through her mind—her running back to the castle, aiming for the war command chamber. The heat. The fire. The explosion. Her brooch vibrating, cracking—a surge of protective power enveloping her as the shockwave hurled her away.Araheen tried to move. Nothing responded. Her muscles were weak, and her arms were bound behind her, aching with a deep, numbing strain. Her head lolled to the side, curls falling across her face, her vision blurred and swimming.For a moment, she stayed like that, breathing shallowly, waiting for the haze to clear. When it did, Kohina’s face came into view. She was sitting in front of her.“You’re finally awake,” th
GILDEONHe shifted mid-descent, scales folding away as he took on his dragon-mortal form. By the time he hit the ground near his comrades—who were finishing off the remaining sylphs—he had already returned to his true mortal state.His eyes found Araheen immediately.He moved quickly, barely registering General Markaus nearby as he lifted her from the rubble and laid her on clear ground. His heart hammered as he dropped beside her, scanning for injuries.Nothing critical.Relief settled in, even with her unconscious.His head snapped up, searching for his lieutenants through the chaos.“What happened?” he demanded sharply, his gaze cutting toward Yadira and Eitan. “I told you to get her out of here.”“We tried, Captain,” Eitan said, raking his claws across the throat of a sylph he was engaged with. “But she ran back into the castle.”“I th
NARRATORIn the Crescent Tower…At the distant explosion, Garud snapped upright within her enclosure, and the chains binding her groaned under the sudden strain.She went still.Her amber eyes flared, then bled into a deep, luminous indigo.Something else had taken hold.Suddenly, she slammed her head into the nearest already-fragile column. A second impact followed, her body driving into the wall of the chamber. The sigils carved across its surface flared violently, their light surging as they fought to contain her.Garud shrieked, and she struck again.And again.Each impact sent more fractures racing through the stone. Chunks broke loose, crashing to the floor in a cascade of debris. The sigils flickered erratically, their glow stuttering as lines of power fractured and split. Some shattered entirely—symbols breaking apart and dimming to nothing, their magic extinguished.
NARRATORIn the Grand Castle…Looming over the castle, the Dragon parted its jaws. A torrent of fire surged forth, pouring straight into the open Great Hall. The blaze roared like a living force, swallowing the space in a violent flood of heat and light.The sigils carved into the walls ignited at once, flaring with a steady glow. Their magic held firm, shielding the structure and the sylphs within from the worst of the flames. But the inferno spilled downward, reaching the war command chamber below.The two scholars stationed there exchanged puzzled glances. The heat did not touch them, held at bay by the chamber’s protections, yet something else had stirred. Drawn by it, they stepped closer to the five Vulkar’s Rod relics.Thin cracks spidered across the hardened shells, leaking threads of molten light. The air around the fragments shimmered, as if reality itself were warping under the pressure building within.
GILDEONHe swung his arm up just in time to block Nick’s snapping jaws. The guy’s teeth elongated into fangs, sinking deep into his flesh until hot blood ran down his skin. The sudden burst of inhuman strength knocked him off balance, slamming his back hard against the col
GILDEONThey drove straight to Mabel’s house. Arah was tense the entire way. He worried for her, but the bigger concern was Nick—if he’d turned, if he was already wreaking havoc.If that was the case, they’d have no choice but to put him down. And when that happened
Many Years Ago (Part 3)YOUNG ARAHEENThey had taken advantage of the chance while their fathers were away at an important convention with their kin. For Araheen, slipping out had been easy enough. Her father never bothered to assign her a
ARAHAt the reception, she did her best to act normal, not drawing any suspicion from Gildeon. Thankfully, he seemed genuinely engrossed in a surprisingly pleasant conversation with Tonio. It left her quietly baffled—when and how had they become this friendly? Gildeon used







