Book 3 - Chapter 29 (2/2)
The men branched in every direction. Joachim had kept Brenna with him, as well, Valerian noticed. Surprise was their biggest advantage right now. Their footsteps sounded lightly, barely echoing from the walls. Torches glowed, heating the air, lighting their path.
”This way.” Valerian led his contingent into the dining hall. A group of dragons came into view. They stood at the table, discussing their best course of action.
”Kill them and be done with it,” one of them growled. ”I do not wish Poseidon's wrath upon my family.”
”If we let Poseidon's threats affect us, we give him complete control of our lives,” Darius said. ”What if he wishes us to kill our own women tomorrow?”
”If we disobey him, we may not live long enough to know.”
”There is a reason the G.o.ds have never slain us, a reason why they sent us back into this palace instead of destroying the nymphs themselves.” Darius again.
”What reason?”
”I do not know, yet knowing there is a reason gives us a bit of power. All I am saying is that if we do this, we become servants and we put our own race in danger. If the G.o.ds destroy one, what is to keep them destroying another?”
”Nothing,” Valerian answered. His signal.
Weaponless, the nymphs swarmed forward. Valerian wished to the G.o.ds he held The Skull, but he could not postpone this fight. Streams of fire spewed from the dragons the moment they realized they were under attack. Valerian shoved Shaye behind a small side table and leapt forward. He and Darius met midair. That the dragon king retained his human form meant he was not enraged. Yet.
They grappled to the ground. Valerian landed a hard punch into his opponent's face. Blood trickled from Darius's mouth, yet the cut healed quickly. Dragons possessed accelerated healing, which made them difficult to slow. He gave another punch and rolled, then kicked out his leg, hitting Darius's stomach.
Darius was flung backward, but immediately righted himself. He spun. His tail had sprouted and that tail slashed at Valerian's face, cutting deep. He felt the sting of it, but didn't let it affect him.
All around him nymphs and dragons warred. Their grunts permeated the air.
”I agree with what you said about the G.o.ds.” Valerian lunged, punched. Contact.
”Then you are not as foolish as I thought.” Darius kicked again, and his foot slammed into Valerian's side.
Spinning continuously, he lashed out at Darius. He landed four successive blows. ”I will not give up this palace. It belongs to us. You already have a home.”
”For the safety of Atlantis, the portal must be guarded. How can I trust you to do this? To not use it for your own gain?”
Valerian paused.
Darius did the same.
They stared each other down, both panting. ”When we win the nymph females back from you, we will have no more need of the surface world.”
Around them, the battle still raged. Valerian ducked as a stream of fire propelled toward him. The heat of it burned, singed, even though none of the flames touched him.
Darius said, ”Poseidon said that according to the laws, only Guardians were to use the portals to travel to the surface, that any other deserved punishment. If you were a Guardian... ”
”I would do my duty.” Valerian studied Darius's face. That scar slashed from eyebrow to chin. His eyes were swirling blue, determined to kill if he must, but hoping to find another way.
”The portal I guard leads to a jungle on the surface. The portal here leads to an ocean on the surface, as I'm sure you know. If you stay here,” Darius said, ”human travelers will come through. Most often they simply swim too deeply, are innocent, but they will be yours to destroy. The Outer City will be yours to guard. I am ready to relinquish this duty as it was never meant to be mine. I have enough handling the Inner City.”
”I will protect it with my life,” Valerian vowed. ”This is the only home we have ever known.”
”Then kneel.”
Valerian knelt without hesitation. He stared up at Darius, who sliced a thin cut down the center of his chest, and offered a blood oath to always guard the portal, to keep the city safe.
Around them, the men finally stopped fighting to listen and watch. Shaye approached Valerian's side, and he stood. He linked their fingers. He should have scolded her for leaving the safety of the table, but he liked her where she was too much.
Darius's gaze flicked to her and widened with surprise.
”I told you I wouldn't leave him,” she said with a proud tilt of her chin.
His lips twitched. ”My Grace would have done the same.”
”Shall we trust each other, dragon?” Valerian waited impatiently for the answer. Everything he'd ever wanted hovered within his grasp.
Darius's gaze became piercing. ”Yes,” he finally said. ”We shall trust each other. And battle the G.o.ds together if we must.”
Valerian held out his hand. Darius eyed it for several seconds before clasping it with his own. The truce was sealed, and Valerian did not know how he would explain this to Layel. ”Let us hope we live long enough to regret this.” He turned to Shaye and gathered her in his arms, where she belonged. Where he planned to keep her for all of eternity.
”This is the most unhappy I've ever been,” she said, grinning. ”I just hate you so much.”
Softly he kissed her lips. ”Not nearly as much as I hate you.”
Oh, but they were going to have a long, happy life together.
<script>