Wings of Fire: Revenant

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Darkstalker

Peacemaker was flying against the wind, cruel gusts jerking his wings painfully up and sharply down, making his flight shaky and erratic. Blackness crept at the edges of his vision.

Darkstalker? You must be joking. That's the creepiest name I've ever heard.

He had no strength left to resist as the air threw him about like a fallen leaf. His lungs felt tight and constrained, and each breath was a fight. With every heartbeat, he felt himself grow dizzier and weaker.

It's not every day that I meet my soulmate. Just this once, in fact. Right now.

Peacemaker felt the wind suddenly shift directions, and he was pitched violently towards the valley below. The tops of the trees whipped his tail and talons, but he scarcely noticed the pain. If the wind had wanted to carry him straight into the mountainside, then he would have let it. It all hurt too much to fight anymore.

Today the beach is all ours!

I'm an animus.

Look at me, Clearsight, the way I am now.

Unable to right himself, Peacemaker went into a frantic tailspin, spiraling helplessly down into a clearing around one of the mountain lakes. He crashed heavily into the water near the shoreline, his body splashing through the shallows and scraping against the hard pebble bottom.

I took all my animus power, and I put it in here.

If I can enchant my entire body like that ... what could I do to other dragons?

See? I'm fine. My soul is almost entirely good.

His mouth filled with icy water, and stabbing pain pierced his lungs. All he could see was darkness as the water clouded his vision. For a moment he was sure he was going to drown.

For a moment, he wasn't sure if he cared.

It's your mother. She's in danger.

I'll fix it. I can save her.

It's too late.

Peacemaker felt his body lurch instinctively upwards, searching for some kind of escape. He broke through the surface of the shallow water, hacking and spluttering. He coughed and coughed until a sticky rush of liquid churned up from his chest and out through his mouth. The putrid taste of bile and lake water coated his tongue.

Don't give up on me, Clearsight.