Page 35 of Queen of Legends and Lies (Dragons of Tirene #4)

Fiery rage simmers in my veins, begging for release. Why should we cower like prey when we wield the power of gods?

“No more hiding.” I know he’ll understand what I’m talking about. “Let’s set some traps.”

Sterling answers me with a feral, wicked grin that instantly arouses me.

Pretty damn sure there’s something wrong with me.

He raises his hands, and the mist shimmers, transitioning from pale silver to a crystalline blue.

The temperature plummets until each breath frosts on the air. Then he channels my magic into the spell, weaving threads of blistering heat among the ice.

A paradox. A contradiction. Only possible because of our shared and enhanced power.

The first drachen discovers this the hard way.

It crashes through a glittering curtain of frozen mist and instantly ignites, flames racing across its hide.

Sterling learned from our earlier, unintended attempt, and this frost fire burns hotter than the original.

An agonized shriek rends the air as the drachen thrashes, caught between two extremes.

More follow, drawn by their companion’s distress. They hit the trap and burst into flames, adding their screams to the cacophony.

And through it all, Xenon’s voice rises like a clarion. “Enough!”

I whirl, magic gathering at my fingertips. I’m ready to unleash the fury of all three hells.

But the cavern’s acoustics betray me. Xenon’s rage reverberates from every direction, distorted by the clash of hot and cold. Pillars of crystal fracture the noise further, until I can’t tell up from down.

Dammit! Charging in blind is a sure path to ruin. I need to be smarter. I need?—

A flicker of movement signals the barest disturbance in the mist.

I react on instinct, hurling a lance of searing flame that parts the fog like a blade but reveals nothing.

Just rippling shadows and empty air.

Unease prickles across my skin. I’ve given away my location with that burst. But where is he?

“Lark, move!” Sterling shouts, revealing his location as well.

But it’s too late.

Something icy and hard punches into my shoulder. Hot, slick agony blossoms. I glance down to see a spike of solid earth. Only my riding gear kept it from piercing my flesh.

Xenon’s cloying, triumphant laughter curls around me. “Poor little bird. Not so mighty now, are we?”

I bare my teeth in a bloody grin. “You have no. Fucking. Idea.”

The pain builds to a fever pitch inside me, fueling my frustration. Sterling’s magic thrums beside mine, frigid and sharp and lethal as he passes over control of our merged magics.

But it’s not enough.

We need more.

I reach for the well of power that pulses at my core, the birthright that flows through my veins. Heat pours into the air in front of my right hand. Cold forms in my left. Once the conjured elements are strong enough, I bring my hands together and let loose.

The cavern explodes into chaos.

Howling winds rip through the space, spreading outward from where I hang in the air.

They’re so fierce they shred the mist to tatters.

Searing flames dance in their wake, hungering for flesh, while jagged spears of ice hurtle through the maelstrom.

Hot and cold, life and death twined in a lethal tempest that sucks in everything.

Drachen. Paper. Dust. Rocks.

I catch a glimpse of Xenon’s shock and rage before the storm swallows him.

The drachen fare no better. They’re caught in the merciless currents, torn apart by fire and frost. Their screeches mingle with the roar of the elements in a symphony of destruction.

At the heart of it all, I hover untouched.

The eye of my own personal hurricane.

Sterling’s presence is at my back, steady and strong. His ice shields us, even as my fire rages on. Together, we are the calm amid the devastation.

The winds hit the distant wall and die. The flames gutter out. And in their wake, we find a grim tableau.

Xenon smacks the far wall, blood streaming from his nose. His eyes, when they find mine, glitter with pure venom.

The drachen have been reduced to splattered ink blots with no useful forms. Shriveled husks scattered across the cavern floor like broken dolls.

In the ringing silence, I hear Sterling’s ragged breathing.

We won. But gods, at what cost?

And the real war hasn’t even started.

Sterling rounds on me, his face a mask of fury. “What were you thinking? You could’ve gotten us both killed!”

I bristle, my own anger rising to meet his. “I was thinking about saving our lives!” I snap back. “In case you didn’t notice, we were a little outnumbered.”

“That’s not the point. You can’t just?—”

“Can’t what?” I cut him off, my voice razor sharp.

“Can’t do my duty as queen? Can’t protect my people, my family?

” I drift into his space, eyes flashing.

“I am the queen of Tirene, Sterling. I will do whatever I must to keep us safe. And if you can’t accept that…

” I let the words hang heavy with implication.

Sterling’s jaw clenches. For a moment, I think he might actually argue.

But then, with a short, sharp motion, he shakes his head. “We need to go. Before reinforcements arrive.” He grabs my hand before turning in midair and hauling me back toward the exit.

My relief wars with the sting of his disapproval, and a petty part of me almost wishes for another attack.

Anything to stave off the impending reckoning.