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“I ssssssmell youuuu,” a slithering voice echoes across the destruction.

Like a vortex, my shadows swirl around me as I pull myself from the debris.

The inn lies in heaps upon the ground—as do other buildings in the surrounding area.

I see nothing but never-ending darkness, even though the sound of hissing comes from all around me.

Movement to my right catches my attention as a black steel hand pops out from the rubble.

There’s no hesitancy as I release my ability to retrieve my comrades.

My shadows form into a giant hand, scooping Laisren and an unconscious Riordan from beneath the waste.

Laisren coughs, swatting away the dust that’s stirred in the air.

Once they are free, I unwind my shadows from their bodies. “Are you two alright?” I ask.

“I believe so,” Laisren replies, steadying the now conscious Riordan.

“Has anyone seen Maeva and Virgil?” I ask, scanning the area .

“No, but what in the bloody Celestae was that?” Laisren asks. A portion of his helmet is now concave from the impact of the destruction.

“I’m not sure,” I reply, still looking for a glimpse of the two missing members of our group. “I didn’t see the creature before the collapse.”

“I saw a glimmer of silver scales,” Riordan says, brushing off dust from his armor.

“A dragon?” Laisren asks.

“Impossible,” I reply. “Dragons haven’t been seen in years.”

“No, they weren’t as luminous as dragon scales. They were peculiar—like a type of skin,” Riordan interjects.

“What sort of creature has scales like a dragon, but isn’t a dragon?” Laisren retorts.

“Hisssssssssssssssss,” the serpentine sound boomerangs off of the remaining buildings.

I growl as my shadows spread out across the expanse of my chest. Laisren and Riordan turn their heads, following my line of sight to what could be a potential threat. Their eyes scintillate, ready to call forth their own abilities.

“Stand down, Laisren,” I command. “Don’t shift until it’s absolutely necessary.

” A snarl escapes his curled lips, but he nods.

He understands the cost of unleashing the beast too frequently.

I prefer that he not call forth his beast-form unless it’s absolutely necessary, rather than watch my friend succumb to manic episodes.

“Riordan, be ready to call forth the Nattravnen if necessary,” I say.

“Don’t summon them unless I give the signal.

” The Nattravnen are vicious, and I can’t afford for them to attack without cause.

Riordan understands this, as training them was quite the challenge in our youth.

The creatures are temperamental and prone to stray when not controlled well.

“Yes, High General,” he answers.

“Show yourself,” I shout into the dark, decimated city.

“Hissssssssssssssssss,” echoes from behind us, and there’s a tremor from beneath the ground.

I whirl around in time to see a torso of silver scales, reflecting against the darkness.

Just one of the scales is larger than my entire being.

My gaze continues to trail up and up—its body rising into the sky.

My head is cocked before I meet the red eyes of the gargantuan basilisk.

The creature smiles, revealing its sharp fangs.

Its gaze is trained solely on us, as its neck sways calculatingly from side-to-side.

“Siorai, save us,” Riordan murmurs. “Isn’t that thing supposed to be in the Abyss?”

“Yes,” Laisren growls, shooting a pointed glance in my direction. “ Someone must’ve released it.”

There’s only one person with the power to control the Abyss, and he’s currently the ruler of Zulgalros and Malvoria.

The sick brute always enjoyed his “games.” I don’t understand why he would send this creature here to us if we were already bringing Maeva to the palace.

Unless he never planned to allow us to return…

“Where issssssss the girlllll?” the basilisk hisses.

“I’m not sure who you seek,” I yell.

Over my dead body is it going to get near her.

The serpent’s hood flares, and its two prolonged fangs fling venom as it hisses. “You can’t fool me, General,” it replies. “I know ssssssheee travelsssss with you… unlesssss you failed your misssion?”

Before I can respond, the basilisk swings its head to the left, its beady eyes trained on the two figures moving through the mist. There’s a gleam in the basilisk’s features as it watches their spasmodic movements.

The figures are almost close enough to see when I hear the slight creaking of armor. “Virgil?” I call.

“High General,” Virgil replies.

His gait is sporadic, as if he’s struggling to stand. The width of his silhouette is wider than usual. A smaller figure also walks beside him with a slight limp.

“I’m alive as well. Thank you for asking,” the whiny voice of Gawain calls. I groan at the misfortune of not losing the Malvorian when the width of Virgil hits me. Suddenly, his sporadic movements reveal a situation that I hadn’ t considered.

He’s carrying someone.

As he nears, I see the slight sway of a limp hand and a tattered blue dress.

As I move toward them, Laisren catches my arm.

“Emyr,” he cautions, glancing at the basilisk above us.

It’s watching our every movement, a devious look glinting in its beady eyes.

I wouldn’t be surprised if it desired to strike, which is precisely why I maintain my ground.

As my fourth commander closes the distance between us, his features are riddled with pain and weariness.

Shards of the roof protrude from the back of his armor.

If I knew that I could slay the basilisk, I’d sever its conniving head from its body this instant.

My shadows are erratically twisting around me as I watch the strawberry-blonde hair swishing in the breeze.

As soon as he is an arms length away, I quickly turn her face toward me.

I’m relieved when I only discover a small scratch along her forehead, but nothing more.

Virgil must have taken the brunt of the impact.

“Sssssshee sssstilll livesssss,” the serpent hisses.

“Her blood sssstilll ssssingssss to me.” The basilisk’s head slowly lowers in our direction—toward Maeva and my brothers.

Its tongue flicks in and out in rapid succession.

A growl escapes Laisren’s lips, and my shadows spread around us—covering us in darkness.

The serpent hisses, as its enormous tail coils around the group.

“Watch yourssssselfff, General,” it warns. “I won’t harm any of you unlesssss you keep her from me.”

“How do I know you speak the truth, snake?” I sneer. “You leveled half the city when you rose out of the depths.”

The basilisk hisses aggressively. “Thisssss isssss your final warning to watchhhhh your tone, General,” it replies. “My patienccceee growsssss restlesssss. I’m only here to obssserve the girl.”

As a child, I heard the stories of the ancient basilisk lulling its prey into complacency before siphoning their abilities and swallowing their drained bodies.

However, the basilisk is also the keeper of prophecies in Zulgalros—which is the only reason it hasn’t been slain by the king.

Serpents cling to one another like the diseases they are.

Either way, I won’t allow such a fate to befall my Cadre or Maeva.

“Sssssstrange how you wissssssh to protect her, High General,” it says, sounding closer now. It shakes the debris beneath us as it coils tighter. “I ssssswear no harm will come to any of you if you comply.”

I relinquish my ability, finding the face of the basilisk just beyond the border of the shadows.

“Give her to me,” I command. Virgil doesn’t hesitate, as he is on the verge of collapsing.

I tuck her into my chest while Laisren and Riordan move to assist our injured brother.

An emotional weight lifts from me as I cradle her in my arms. The creature drinks in the sight of us, and I find myself tightening my hold around Maeva’s petite frame.

“You’ll frighten her if you remain this close when she wakes up,” I say.

The serpent makes a sound that could’ve been a laugh, as it raises itself back ever so slightly.

At that moment, Maeva stirs, murmuring a phrase that I can’t understand as her eyes fly open.

She tries to bolt out of my arms, but I tuck her against me as her limbs flail.

“You’re alright, Rosey,” I whisper into her ear. “You’re alright.”

As if registering who I am, her body momentarily relaxes.

“I’m going to put you down now,” I say.

“Okay,” she whispers.

I hold onto her elbow as I place her feet on the shifting debris. Her eyes fall to where my hand is on her arm.

“Curiousssssssss indeed,” the basilisk hisses.

Noticing the serpent for the first time, Maeva startles.

Her fair skin morphs into a shade paler than usual, her eyes travelling up the creature.

I find myself moving to stand closer to her as a small gasp escapes her lips.

Slowly, the basilisk’s tail uncoils from around our group, as its face slithers closer to Maeva.

“You carry ssssssssuch pain,” it says. The basilisk’s tongue flicks around, tasting the air. “What deliciousssss ssuffering with whichhh you burden yoursssself.”

Maeva absently clutches at the Dragon’s Flame around her neck. “What do you know of my suffering and pain?” she retorts.

“I’ll tell you what I know for a pricccccceeeee,” the basilisk answers.

Maeva is silent for several moments, chewing her bottom lip.

“What is the price?” she asks.

“A tasssssste of your abilitiesssss,” the basilisk replies. “It’sssss been ssssooo long sinccccce I’ve indulged on sssssuch a finery. I’ll reveal to you one of the secretsss I know.”

“No,” she says harshly.

“All knowledge hasssss a pricccceeee, girl. Mine issss jusssssst a tiny tasssste. No more than a sssssssliver of a nail. I don’t wissssssh you any harm, unlessssss you refusssssse,” it threatens.

“I don’t know how to summon it,” she replies.

“Your anger ssssshould do the trick,” it hisses.

I’m about to step in and refuse on her behalf when Maeva extends her hand out toward the basilisk.

“As you wish, serpent,” she seethes.

The serpent hisses delightedly as Maeva’s ocean eyes glow a brilliant sapphire blue, and the Dragon’s Flame illuminates around her neck.

Her hair drifts away from her shoulders as if floating.

Her entire body is iridescent in a terrifyingly bright aura.

From her extended hand, a small wisp of starlight dances away from her, floating toward the basilisk.

Its tongue licks along the wisp, as it melts on its forked tongue.

Just as quickly as she summoned it, she reels it back in.

The pendant is the last part of her to cease glowing.

“Your price has been paid. Now tell me what you know,” she commands.

The basilisk bares its fangs, slowly raising back up to its full height.

“You’ve been found worthy of eternal knowledge,” it hisses.

“I’ll sssshare the truths I know. Four sssssidessss of the coin, four piecccessss to the enigma.

The firsssssst you’ve already known, but the other three are yet to be foretold.

The darknessss is descending soon. Heed the wordssss I sssssspeak:

“Two kingsss destined for the sssame throne, but only one bound to the kindred heart’s sinsss will be atoned.

Beware the one of the sssevered sssoul, for hisss reign endsss in blight.

The Na Fíréin can only risssse when the hidden truth isss brought forth to the light.

The truth ssshall only be revealed once the path to sssalvation or ruin isss sssealed. ”

Well, that sounds absolutely bonkers.

I wonder if the serpent has lost its mind from the isolation for thousands of years. It’s quite possible with only the dark recesses of the Abyss for company.

“I-I don’t understand,” Maeva says.

That makes two of us.

“How does this prophecy have anything to do with me?” she asks.

“I’ve fulfilled my duty to reveal the truthssss to the one who possessses the Dragon’ssss Flame. Even now your bloodline sssssingssss to me,” the serpent replies.

“What is my bloodline? Where am I from?” she asks, her eyes widening.

“All will be revealed in time,” the serpent laughs. “You passsssed King Tiernan’s firssssst tesssst. You’re the one dessstined to reveal the Na Fíréin.” Without another word, the basilisk slithers down into the giant crater its body created upon emerging from the ground.

“Wait!” Maeva yells.

The basilisk turns toward her.

“How will I reveal the Na Fíréin?” she asks.

“You assssssk too many quessstionsss,” the serpent scoffs. “In time, you’ll sssseee that you’re the catalyssssst to sssset the prophecy in motion. I’ll ssssee you again, Chossseen Daughter.”

Then, as quick as lightning, the serpent disappears beneath the ground—leaving Delerauh in silence.