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After another few moments, the vines, which had stood firm and straight, lowered back into the ground, the thorns and leaves disappearing, allowing us through. The Scalebornes wiped their foreheads and sighed as they came into clearer view.

“She needs sleep,” Clementine said, making eye contact with Belle and me.

“Yeah, so that means to shut up,” Angie retorted, returning to a log near the fire, massaging her fingers. “Abner, close the sky. If they could find us, who knows who else will?”

“Curses,” he swore, “You’re so freaking demanding. I wonder what it would be like if you received the silent curse. My life would surely be a lot easier. Then maybe I wouldn’t wish to meetHaxnau1.”

She scoffed, not paying attention to me and everyone else watching. “And kill a dragon? If that’s the case, it will be yours, not mine.”

They had dragons?

The sky started to close up with more trees, the twigs and branches crackling and shifting as it moved across, creating a tree dome, trapping us in. The light from the Celestials and moon faded, only leaving the flickering light from the fire in the center of the area. The smoke swirled as it stayed captured inside.

Loker sat by the fire on another log next to Angie. Looking up at me, he said, “She should wake up tomorrow. She has lost a lot of blood. Luella helped ensure her body was filled with fluids and nourished back up. She’s going to be okay.”

“Thank you,” I stuttered.

Luella came by the fire as everyone filled their tents, and the water from her hands put out the fire in the center, leaving no light in the clouded dome.

1.Haxnau (Hah-nah-woo): Hell

Chapter forty-six

AURELIA

Iwoke up to arguing. And inevitably, everything hurt. I grimaced in pain as I tried to open my eyes and see what was going on. The light was aggressive, already bringing on a heavy headache. My body ached, and I didn’t know where I was at.

“Damian!” I yelled, seeing a bunch of bodies hovering over me, but not seeing Damian’s face.

“I am right here. I am right here,” he said, running to my side. His eyes, which I still thought may be the portals toHaxnau1, came to my vision, and his onyx hair shagged to the side. I sighed, knowing that being with him meant I was safe.

“Where am I? What happened?” I shouted, feeling nervous with others around me.

“You were right, Clemmy, she is a Scaleborne!” said a boy with glasses and a chubby face. He must’ve seen my golden eyes.

“I am always right, Loker,” a girl I recognized called out. Her neon green hair was flipped completely to one side. “But you could’ve also seen the golden blood dried from her wound.”

“Both of you shut up!” a tall, toned girl demanded.

“Always so rude, Angie.” This time it was a girl with dark hair speaking. Was I dreaming? Or did all of these people also have golden eyes similar to mine?

“I am just saying, let’s let her talk. We need to know where she came from!” Angie said, yelling at everyone else.

“You can trust me,” Damian said, looking at the rest of them. “I told them what happened, but you’re welcome to tell them the rest since they don’t trust a non-Scaleborne.” I watched everyone, my eyes still flickering, taking in my surroundings. Their gaze was uncomfortable and fixed, waiting for me to say something. My headache got stronger, crushing my head.

“You don’t have to talk,” Damian said, fingers caressing my cheek. “If you need to rest, then you can rest more. We need your body to recover.”

Everything came back to my mind: the egg and then the wish; I died, and then I lived… Damian saved me. The dragons escaped the gate. Then, I was here.

“The wish!” I sat up, looking at Damian, understanding the events of the night prior.

“Wish? Did you find the dragon gate?” The familiar girl said, pushing her neon green hair again off to the side, combing the sides. The one they called Clemmy.

“I recognize you,” I said, thinking back to the underground bar. She was the Scaleborne in the cell. The girl consciously remembered as well and covered the scars on her neck with her hands. Her leather jacket covered the rest of her skin.

“Thank you. You saved me,” she said. I nodded in response. “But, the gate,” she continued. “How did you find it? You used the wish? I had only ever heard about it in stories and literature.”

“Of course you have.” Angie rolled her eyes and folded her arms.