Page 36 of The Uncrowned King (The Bastard Duology #2)

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

The idea had come to Kora when she was drowning in pain. Then, it had seemed so simple and perfect. Now, as her friends took up their positions, she began doubting everything. Who was she to decide on a plan? She didn’t have the battle experience they had.

“It’s a good plan,” Rhi said as she came to stand beside her.

Kora looked up at the mountain. She could just make out the palace at the top. “Something could go wrong.”

“Something always goes wrong. Don’t worry about us. We’ll do what we need to do.” She looked past Kora’s shoulder and walked away.

Kora turned to find Derek. He pulled her close and skimmed the backs of his knuckles across her cheek. “We can do this.”

“I know.” At least, she hoped—she hoped with everything she had.

“There isn’t time to say everything I’ve wanted to tell you, or all I should have said. So let me just say this. You are my everything. My past, my present, and my future.”

Kora pulled his head down to hers for a soft kiss. “And you’re mine.”

His gaze became intense. “When you’re facing her, don’t hesitate. And don’t allow her to make you think you aren’t capable. You are. You brought me back.”

“I did, didn’t I?” she asked with a smile.

“She’ll try to get into your head,” Derek warned.

Kora drew in a breath and nodded. “I know.”

“I love you.”

“And I love you.”

He touched her face once more. Then he released her and backed away before shifting. Kora would never get tired of seeing him change forms. She waited until he lay down before she climbed onto his back. His scales were hard. And slippery. Falling was a distinct possibility, but she couldn’t allow herself to linger on that when she had bigger problems.

“He won’t let you fall,” Rhi said from behind her.

Kora looked over her shoulder at the Fae. She didn’t get to answer as Derek climbed to his feet. A squeak escaped Kora as she pitched forward and tried to find something to grip as her heart beat wildly. If she was this clumsy when he was on the ground, how bad would it be when they were in the air?

Rhi moved closer and helped her sit up once more. “Don’t worry about trying to hold on.”

“Then how am I going to stay atop him?” Kora hated how high her voice was.

Derek turned his head to look at her. He hadn’t moved again.

“ Feel him,” Rhi urged. “You’ll be able to sense what he intends by focusing on his body and not the fact that he’s in the air. Just like when you’re in bed together.”

That made sense. It was a little weird, but it made sense.

Rhi placed her hand on Derek’s scales. “They’re hard. A protective shell. But their warmth tells you they are more than just a covering.” The Fae shot her a smile. “Most of all, feel the wind. There’s nothing quite like flying.”

Kora knew they were using precious time they didn’t have, but she was glad she had it. Rhi’s talk eased her fears enough for her not to change her mind about the plan. Kora placed her hand on Derek’s scales and nodded. “I’m ready.”

“I’ve got her,” Rhi called out as she squatted behind Kora.

Kora had never had magic envy before, but the idea of being able to teleport and stop herself from falling was an ability she wished she had. All thought stopped when Derek unfurled his wings. She had seen them from the ground, but from this new vantage point, she comprehended just how huge they were.

A gust of wind hit Kora as Merrill, Alasdair, and Hector took to the skies. Con and Brandr were going through the palace to complete the double attack. Kora and Derek would be the third strike.

A sound rumbled through Derek. She felt the vibration in her thighs and heard Rhi chuckle. Kora’s heart began to beat double. No matter how many times she repeated Rhi’s words, she couldn’t stop the nervousness that claimed her.

The only warning she got that Derek was about to take to the skies was the bunching of scales at his shoulders. He launched into the air, his large wings beating. Her stomach dropped as he angled upward. To her surprise, she didn’t slide off. She looked down to see the ground becoming more distant. They soared over trees until they, too, grew small.

Kora shut her eyes, thinking that would help, but it only made it worse. Her fingers dug into Derek’s scales when she felt his body level out. When she opened her eyes, Derek was flying straight, having reached the altitude he desired. The wind struck her eyes so hard it was difficult to keep them open. It whipped the end of her braid around and caressed her face with its cool hand.

The moons were so close she thought she might be able to reach out and touch them. Kora laughed as she settled more comfortably. Rhi had been right. Flying was incredible. Kora was definitely going to ask Derek for more rides in the future.

Her smile died when she saw the palace. The three Kings peeled off and headed straight for it as Derek once more angled himself to fly higher. Rhi had veiled them before they left the ground. The Fae had explained that they would be able to see everything, but no one could see them as long as Rhi kept the veil up. Kora experienced another twinge of magic envy at hearing that.

She could make out small dots moving on a balcony. They were Lotti, Eurielle, and Villette, battling Miena. They had been at it for hours. But…wait. Kora only counted three, not four. Someone had been hurt—or worse. She prayed it wasn’t Lotti.

Kora bit back a cry as shooting pain went up her spine. Obviously, Villette wasn’t the one missing. Experiencing Villette’s injuries made things harder, but there was no way for Kora to get around it. Con might have healed her before, but he wouldn’t be there in the midst of the battle. That meant she had to get to Miena quickly.

Kora breathed through the pain. She was so engrossed in not letting Derek or Rhi know she was hurt that she missed when he leveled out once more. She glanced down as they circled the palace and saw flames cutting through the night. The sight of the three dragons attacking the balcony was mesmerizing. They dove and twisted, spun and rose, with unbelievable agility and grace. No matter how many times she watched the dragons, it always surprised her that they could move with such ease despite their size. Or maybe because of it.

She lost count of how many times Derek circled. They were too high up for her to see details, but Kora could spot Miena by herself, squaring off with the Kings and two of her sisters. Now, all Kora waited on was the arrival of Con and Brandr before her part began.

“There they are,” Rhi said loudly so her voice would carry over the wind.

Derek had already spotted Con and Brandr and began their descent. Kora’s heart raced, pounding in her chest while blood rushed in her ears. This was it. This was where one story ended—Miena’s.

Suddenly, Derek tucked his wings and dove. The wind sucked the breath from Kora as it howled around her. She became weightless, and for a moment, she feared the wind might rip her from Derek’s back. After the initial panic, Kora experienced a rush of freedom.

And just as unexpectedly, it ended with Derek spreading his wings and halting their dive. He soared between Alasdair and Hector, then dipped his wing and swung around to miss Merrill. Derek took her low enough that she could see blood splattered on the balcony floor.

On Derek’s second pass, Kora smoothed her hand along his scales and jumped. It was time. Miena was completely surrounded. Kora looked back at Rhi as she hung in the air before falling. The Fae gave her a nod of understanding.

Kora’s touch was like a brand upon his scales. Derek spun around and headed for Miena. At the moment he dove toward the palace, he alerted the Kings to his location. Derek noticed Villette scanning the night sky as if she expected him to appear.

“Now! ” Derek shouted to the Kings.

Merrill, Alasdair, and Hector maneuvered into position in the air while Con and Brandr left a large enough space for him on the balcony. Kora jumped at the same time Rhi lowered her veil and Derek landed with a roar. Miena whirled around at the impact. Kora delicately dropped to the ground. Sparks flew from the ends of her dark hair as her skin cracked to display the red-orange glow beneath. Flames swarmed Kora, devouring her clothes and swirling about her limbs as she started toward Miena. Kora’s hair came free of its braid as the wind lifted the strands, sending the flaming tendrils into a wild dance as sparks filled the air.

Derek lowered his head, his gaze locked on Miena. His creator, the one who had given him life. She was surrounded by enemies—and facing the one who could end her for good.

But Miena didn’t attack Kora. Instead, she threw magic that struck Villette. Villette stumbled back with no visible signs of injury. Kora jerked as her cheek split along the bone and blood spilled out.

Rage filled Derek. He would end Miena now if he could.

Kora cupped her hand as the flames doubled in her palm. They burned bright yellow, then nearly white at the center and red along the edges. She threw the fireball. Miena dodged it. Villette and Lotti moved back since neither wanted to be burned by Kora’s flames. But the Kings moved in.

Kora threw another fireball. It traveled faster and nearly caught Miena when she didn’t move quickly enough. The Star Person bellowed in rage and lashed out by sending a rapid-fire volley of magic toward Villette. Kora’s leg buckled at the agony. Her flames sputtered, but she dug deep for her fire. It roared in answer. She climbed to her feet despite the debilitating pain and limped forward.

Miena’s next attack went awry when Villette dodged the blast. Others might accept their end, but Miena wasn’t going down quietly or easily. There was no crazed look in her eyes, no terror. Just a calculated stare. Kora understood in that second that she never would’ve beaten Villette had she faced her when she first came to Stonemore.

Something had changed in Kora, altered. She felt it in her flames, in her being. The hellhound she was now could take Villette. Miena would be trickier, but the flames told her she could do it.

Kora was ready for Miena’s next strike on Villette. But Miena changed directions and lobbed her magic at Derek. He collapsed without a sound. Before Kora could get off a fireball, Miena struck Merrill, who tumbled from the sky. Kora threw flames, getting them close enough to encircle Miena, but somehow, she doused them before they landed.

The sight of Derek unmoving broke something within Kora. After all they had been through, he couldn’t be gone. She lobbed fireballs that Miena managed to avoid again and again. Kora was fast, but Miena was quicker.

“Nay,” Kora whispered.

Miena wasn’t getting away. Derek wouldn’t die. The battle belonged to her. She was the one who would decide Miena’s fate. And her time was finished.

The flame within Kora’s center heated until it burned a bright violet. Her limbs grew heavy with unbridled power. It pierced her, sliced her open as it sculpted something new and potent. It was persuasive and heady, compelling and violent.

And it had one target.

Derek clawed his way back to consciousness. Death had tried to take him, but he had fought against it. And won. When he opened his eyes, all he saw was chaos. Hector had tried to catch Merrill, and both had ended up hurt. Con had dove over the side of the balcony, and Derek had no idea if Merrill was alive or not.

His gaze sought Kora, who hovered in the air as purplish-blue flames covered her as a thick stream of flame connecting her to the ground, and another shot straight up to the heavens. Miena had shifted her focus and targeted Brandr and Alasdair. Lotti and Villette had renewed their attacks on Miena, which kept her from going after the other Kings.

Derek pushed up onto his forearm. He didn’t remember shifting. The markings over his body sizzled as if to get his attention. He got to his feet. The Kings’ voices bellowed in his head, but he tuned them out. His attention moved from Kora to Miena and back.

Miena was tiring. She was trying not to show it, but he saw it in the tightening of her mouth. She turned toward him, and he stilled, expecting her to see him. Her eyes moved over him as if he weren’t there. Derek looked at his arms to see the markings pulsing red and black. He studied Miena, sensing when she was about to release a volley.

On a hunch, Derek drew magic into his palm. He smiled when Miena’s attack on Lotti faltered. How had he not realized sooner that he had Star Person magic within him? He was Miena’s creation, after all. She’d had to use her power to give him life.

He saw her raise her hand as if to snap. He knew without asking that she was about to kill the Kings—and possibly all dragons. Derek held out his hand, palm out. The force of his fury came from deep inside him and grew stronger as it rose and shot from his hand. Miena lifted her arm as if to shield her face, but there was no getting away. His magic knocked her onto her back, but she quickly jumped up and faced him.

Derek started toward her when flames surged from Kora, who stood on the balcony once more. They licked at Miena, coming at her from different directions. She tried to teleport, but the fire caught her foot. She spun instead, right into Lotti.

Miena’s startled cry could barely be heard over the howl of the blaze. Kora moved her hands in an elegant dance, sending flames along the ground to Miena’s left. It caused Miena to pivot to the right and come face-to-face with Villette. Miena hastily turned again, right into Derek’s grasp.

His fingers wrapped around her neck as he looked into her green eyes that widened in shock.

“How are you alive?” she croaked

He looked past her to Kora, who stood waiting.

“Derek,” Miena pleaded. “I’m your parent. I made you. You can’t kill me.”

He pushed her away. Miena whirled around, but Kora already had her ringed in fire.

“You need me!” Miena shouted to Derek.

Kora closed her hand into a fist. The flames smothered Miena, ending her life as her screams echoed around them. They stood in silence for a moment, looking at the ashes that had once been Miena.

Kora doused her flames, and as they vanished, her clothes reappeared. She sucked in a breath a moment later as white magic swirled up her arm. The vow with Villette had been fulfilled and would no longer bind them.

“She’s gone,” Kora said. “Villette’s gone.”

Derek didn’t blame her. With Miena dead, what was to stop them from turning on her? Nothing. She had been right to leave.

His gaze sought Kora. Their eyes met, and they walked to each other as if an invisible string tugged them together. They fell into each other’s arms. It was over. They had won.

“You did it,” he said.

Kora leaned back to look at him with a smile. “ We did it.”