Jovari the Blue

Chapter 44: The Final Dragonstone

Kastali Dun

Talon's stomach lodged in his throat. He couldn't move, couldn't think. There was a chance—there had always been a chance. Taylynn said it likely wouldn't work like the others, but they'd never had proof.

Still, when nothing happened...

He couldn't help his sigh of relief. Koldis let out a whoop from behind him. Claire's elation bled into his mind, mixing with a premature sense of victory.

Kane's eyes widened and he looked up. It was the first time the sorcerer displayed a human emotion other than anger or malice. His confusion was obvious. After all, he'd used magic to fuse the stone into place.

It should have worked.

"Well, that's a shame," Claire announced, her voice bright.

"What have you done?" Kane snarled.

"You used the wrong stone."

"What are you talking about?!" His lip curled.

"That stone—it's white. The two stones protected by the sprites were black and gold. But you wouldn't know that, because you never got your hands on them until you forced Taylynn to hand them over. She switched the white for the black."

"But that's..." Kane's eyes darted down to Fright's dragonstone. "That's impossible. I can feel the magic coming off this stone."

"Oh, it's definitely a real dragonstone. Just...not one of the original five." Claire lifted a shoulder.

Taylynn had told them exactly what she'd done when they'd visited her cottage that day in the forest. Of how Kane had confronted them. How he'd demanded she hand over the stones as she retrieved them. How he'd killed Pelwynn anyway.

The sprite princess had done the only thing she could think of. She'd taken Fright's stone and quickly swapped it with the black. "All this time," Talon said. "All this time you thought you had the ultimate power in the palm of your hands."

"To be fair, so did the rest of us," Reyr muttered from behind him.

Talon knew that Reyr would forever feel guilty for this, even if he shouldn't. Kane hadn't exactly allowed the imposter king a good look at the stone before having him carted off to the dungeon. Besides, Reyr had been a bit more preoccupied with everything else going on during those disastrous moments in the throne room.

"It's over, Kane." Claire reached behind her for a sword. She pulled Cyrus's blade free. "I told you what would happen if you used that stone."

"No! Kill them!" Kane screamed at the guards. "Bring them down!"

Claire lunged. He went to follow but was immediately beset with blades. Drawing his own, he worked to fight free. He was barricaded in—cut off from his mate. "Protect her!" he shouted at Feowen, who had somehow broken free of the circle trapping them. "You are her captain of the guard! Protect her!"

Feowen gave him a brief nod while lifting his blades.

Kane saw her coming. He reached for something, removing it from his pocket. Talon was forced to split his attention between his attackers and Claire's movements. He felt her eyes widen as Kane popped open the cork on a vial of clear liquid before muttering an incantation. The liquid poured over the dais stairs creating a window—a portal.

"As if I'd let you kill me," he scoffed at Claire before jumping.

"No!" she screeched, lunging for him. She managed to grab hold of his cloak before he dragged her with him.

Talon froze and screamed, "Claire!"

Feowen jumped in after her, right as the portal of water closed.