In order to save the world from eternal night, Red must find a way to unlock the dormant power of the Sun Goddess running through her veins without killing herself and everyone she loves.
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Kirin poured from the porous walls to confront the swooping wyverns. Branches of rock and crystal jutted out from the mountainside to meet their daring hooves, vaulting them into the night sky. Lightning arced and wind howled and ice slewed down from the stormy clouds, ripping through the pitiful hatchlings' wings, sending them tumbling to the ground with horrifyingly human screams.
Through it all, Hunter was a silver spear through the chaos, intent on striking my heart. Not because he realised it was me and wanted to win it back, but because I looked like one of his ancient enemies and therefore the largest threat in the room. I was still awkwardly shuffling around — not quite used to the proportions of my new body — when Rana pushed off the ground with a passionate war cry, rushing to meet him mid-air. I felt the impact in my soul as the wyverns' bodies collided, wincing as their claws locked in a deadly embrace and they spun into a killing dive.
Hunter leapt off the back of his wyvern just in time, a silver dagger gleaming in his grip as he sailed through the air to meet me. Teeth bared and eyes crinkled with focus, it was almost hard to recognise him as the knife fashioned from Nya's Grace bounced harmlessly off my scales, like cancelling out like. His mouth went slack as the thoughts racing behind his steely eyes registered the colour of my scales, how cool they were to the touch; how the magic in my cloak hummed in recognition of the boy whose soul it had also been spun from. The magical garment was the child of our mate bond, the only lingering trace of the future and comfort and growth we might have shared.
Grabbing onto one of my spikes, Hunter stabbed again, putting more force into this time. I hissed as our magic clashed, sending up sparks of memories. I wish you a long and happy life, but I will not be a part of it.
The boy at heart can become a good man yet.
The impression of my lips was still faintly seared into his skin. It seemed he'd taken my counsel to heart.
"Red?" Hunter croaked. My angular head swivelled to meet his dumbstruck gaze. "Is that you?"
The one and only, I replied dryly, allowing our mingling magic to carry my words. Are you finished trying to kill me?
I didn't know, he said, throwing a leg over the back of my neck and settling into place, like I was a pack mule and not a mighty sentient being. My spines bobbed at the audacity. So you're a wyvern, huh? I guess that makes sense. You never could smell the difference between basil and mint.
Hunter, I warned, flicking my tail to knock back a charging Kirin. I'm kind of in the middle of something right now.
Right, he replied, sheepishly scratching the back of his head. Nya urged us to attack out of nowhere. Said you and Sebastian were in trouble. Our mission is to get you out of here alive.
