Page 64 of Once Written in Gilded Blood

I follow his line of sight and my eyes land on four dragons perched on the rocks, staring at us curiously as the frogs did in Mortem. It makes me smile how afraid Kalel is of them.

“A devourer like you is afraid of being devoured ?” I tease, but he doesn’t pay any mind to it.

“You’d be too if you’ve seen what I have. They can swallow a demon whole in one gulp.”

I chuckle and knit my brows, trying to recall how I spoke with the dragons before. I wonder how they seem to know where I am when I’m in danger. Does it have to do with my father’s side? It seems silly to think of such things right now, but I wish I would’ve asked Venus while we were there.

“They probably came here because they sensed me. How did we even end up in here, though?” I ask as one of the dragons, a beautiful white one with pinkish spots around its eyes and ears, flies down to us.

Kalel flinches. “Either the demons thought we were dead and threw us off the bridge, or your friends here dropped us into the ocean to preserve our bodies while we were…asleep,” he says with a slight mischievous grin.

“Best fucking nap of my life,” I chide him as the dragon plops into the water before us. Her white wings are like a bat’s. I can see the veins through her delicate webbing. Eyes as blue as mine meet us in an analyzing stare.

I lift my hand, and she hesitantly presses her snout to it. A warmth emanates from our connection, seeming to tell me that I can trust her. Then she motions with her head for us to get on her back.

Kalel helps me out of the water, and once I’m on the dragon’s hip, I help him out too. We climb onto her back and hold on for dear life as she beats her wings and brings us out of the water.

Kalel curses, and I can’t help but laugh as the wind rushes through us. I’m colder than I’ve ever been, in a soaked dress, but I find it hard to focus on that right now when we’re flying above Faultore.

The air is salty, and the deep breaths feel more real than any I’ve taken before this. Mortem may be a paradise, but it is dreamlike, unlike the sharp crispness of Faultore. Of being alive. I breathe in again and spread my arms. Kalel chuckles, the vibration rumbling my chest as he wraps his arms around me and holds on to the dragon for both of us.

The other three dragons follow and keep in line with the white one.

“Look down there, we’re above Mortem.” Kalel points at where the enormous gates can be seen from even all the way up here.

My eyes widen. “They brought us back to this spot?” I swallow nervously, looking ahead in the direction of Devicit, seeing smoke and red hues on the clouds.

“Oh gods. It’s already begun,” I whisper.

Chapter 24

Kalel

The flames only grow larger as we get closer. My home…my kingdom is on fire.

Sweat beads down my neck and my stomach twists as the dragon swoops down lower, giving us a clear view of the ruins my kingdom has become. My palace is among those in flames, where the gardens once were is aflame, the windows have shattered and the stables evacuated. Civilians are retreating farther up to the castle.

But how? How could this have happened so quickly?

My attention is caught by a sharp, bright strike of lightning that cuts through the gray sky and topples the café we went to the day King Achill called upon me. Horror floods my veins. Is this Jupiter’s doing?

Oh no. Without the veil, the gods can destroy the demons once and for all. The blood drains from my face and my stomach twists.

“The gods are helping the demigods. They want all of us dead.” The words fall out of my mouth slowly, stunned that after such a long time in hiding, they are showing themselves.

Demons below are dressed in their beige armor, while the demigods are adorned in their black armor. Streaks of gold and red cover the ground and fresh snow. The clacking of swords and metal against metal reverberates all the way up here.

We’re deathly quiet on top of the dragon as we pass above the carnage. It reminds me all too much of what we did to Alzhor in the time loops. The scent of smoke and burning debris stings my nose and puts a knot in my throat.

I was hoping to never smell that scent again.

Alira turns back to me. “We have to find the kings and make them stop this!” she shouts, wind blowing her hair violently.

“How? So much is already lost,” I choke out.

She studies the ground for a moment more before an idea flickers across her brilliant eyes. “The dragons.” That’s all she has to say for it to click through my mind.

Knights below are already slowing their quarrels with the few dragons flying above them. The loud beating of their wings and sheer size are frightening enough. At least the demons are familiar with the way the dragons look, but based on the few faces I can see from up here, the demigods look terrified.