WREN Book Three Prince of Dragons

A final goodbye

As the sun rose, I walked along the rocky mountain top. The ache in my chest was far to real for me. It was as if I couldn't breathe right. They lined up, shifters, knights, dragons. I walked past them all as they bowed their head, one hand over their heart. I came up to the others. The four who were like me.

Cordgi stood before them, then Phoebe, her once long red hair was hacked off. It looked as if she had done it herself, with the dullest knife she could find. Her head bowed as tears dropped into the dirt. Ash was just behind her, his hand half reaching out as if he wanted to comfort her. There was nothing that could dull this pain.

Cassie stood gripping a staff before her. Phoebe was horrible with weapons. The knight used her magic to protect her. The earth was the girls only weapon. Cassie didn't raise her eyes as I walked by. I didn't try to touch my sister.

Beside the dark dragon stood Attroxia. He was fuming. Not only was he mad at me for sending him away, but he was mad he hadn't checked on the flower dragon before leaving. Bran was leaning heavily on Baram. One arm was bound to his chest with wrappings. He met my gaze with a fire burning in his own eyes. I felt it ignite within me as I turned my gaze to Baram.

He was tall, slender, mismatched eyes the opposite of his twins as he caught my gaze, I felt it. There was a power within him. A strength I wish I could bottle, in order to drink it. I wished to have half the strength that he had. He lowered his eyes as I drew close to him. Bowing his head as I passed, he wrapped his arm around his Nuare's waist, while still holding up his brother.

Tempest leaned into the male beside her. Was she offering him comfort, or trying to gain some for herself? I wasn't sure. She didn't lift her head. As I passed her I felt the slight breeze still. She held back the air so the flame wouldn't go out. Next to her was Tanwen. My Nuare had the blonde dragon wrapped in her arms. Yuri was next with Azella waiting patiently. They had known many losses. This was nothing new for them. They hadn't known Kara or Lily well. They had missed out on the sweet kindness that had lived within our sister.

I was beckoned away from her piercing eyes. Zia stood before the pyre. Head bowed she reached out to me. I felt her touch as she wrapped her mind around mine. She kept her thoughts to herself, but offered me her comfort. I reached out to take her slender hand in my own. The sun was before us.

I watched as the morning, the first without my sister gentleness in it, was being born. An anger began to build in me. I wanted to rip the sun from the sky. I wanted to burn the world in which something, so sweet and kind could be taken from it. I let the seething pain engulf me. The hand in mine tightened. The heat that surrounded me cooled as another hand took mine.

Yuri stood on one side of me as Zia tried to control the flames that wrapped around us. I lowered my head, hearing Zelzada's words once more. This wasn't Kara's fault. She was only supporting the shifters. It wasn't the shifters fault either. They shouldn't have been there, none of them should. This was one person's fault, and only that one. This was the fault of the king.

I raised my head. As I screamed out the pain that flooded my chest, I let the fire within me shoot forward. It lit the pyre. We stood, all of us crying , screaming into the rising sun. The fire blew as Attroxia kept the smoke away so we could watch it. When there was little left of what was once a bright soul, Phoebe walked to us.

She laid her hand on the ground, opening a pit that swallowed the pyre. In this way, she buried our sister. A thought struck me. I wanted to mark the grave. I wanted to give Kara something beautiful to look upon for all eternity. All I could do was create with Ice. It would melt within a day or so. I felt useless.

There was one among us that wasn't. As I stood with the emptiness ringing in me, he stepped forward. His red hair blended slightly with the colors of the morning sun. He knelt above where Phoebe had buried out beloved sister. His hand lay flat on the ground. He closed his eyes.