Page 54 of The Last Knight

From Gunther’s corpse, thick plumes of oily smoke erupted, twisting and writhing like serpents loosed from hell. They screeched as they rose, high-pitched wails that clawed at the mind, forcing Aubrey to slap her hands over her ears as pain lanced through her skull.

The shadows writhed, hungry and untethered.

Sterling seized her hand, his voice a hoarse undertone of urgency. “Run. The darkness is unbound, and it needs a new host, and we’re the closest.”

Together they fled, hearts pounding, feet crashing through underbrush as the shrieking darkness continued.

They seemed to run for a mile before coming to a clearing. It was not far enough to get away from the sounds the darkness was making. Loud screams in voices that ranged from deep to almost childlike. Almost as if a thousand dark souls filled the air.

Suddenly, a strange, piercing caw shattered the silence above, shrill and otherworldly. Aubrey’s pulse leapt in her throat.

“Oh no,” she gasped, eyes scanning the sky. “It’s coming.”

Sterling caught her arm, pulling her into the clearing’s heart. “It is not the darkness,” he said, voice steady despite the tension in his jaw. “It’s Amai, my dragon.”

The wind shifted, and then she saw it, at first a speck, then a shadow growing rapidly, impossibly fast. The air trembled around them as the creature descended, immense wings slicing through clouds like sails.

Aubrey’s breath caught.

The dragon was enormous and terrifyingly beautiful, its body aglow with iridescent scales that shimmered in hues of violet, silver, and rose-gold. Light rippled over it like sunlight on water, but the sheer size of it, bigger than some houses, eyes glowing like twin opals, made her hesitate. This animal could swallow her in one bite or even roast her with a breath.

It landed in a gust of wind and sound, the earth shuddering beneath its massive weight. Trees swayed, and her hair whipped around her face. Claws the length of her legs sank into the dirt with a low, thunderous crunch. Yet, despite its power, the dragon lowered its head gently and released a deep, melodic trill that sounded like an eerie, almost maternal sound that raised goosebumps on her arms.

“It’s calling to us,” Sterling said, tugging her forward.

Fear curled around her spine like a vine, tightening with every step. And yet…Amai was mesmerizing. Regal. Unfathomable.

The dragon lifted one colossal foot, holding it steady like a staircase of living armor. Sterling climbed it with practiced ease, then reached down to pull her up, his grip firm, grounding.

As they reached the dragon’s back, Aubrey stared at the silken rope Sterling handed her, unsure whether to trust the cloth or her instincts.

“Hold on to this,” he said, settling behind her, arms and legs encircling her like a shield. His warmth contrasted with the chill that clung to the air.

Then Amai moved.

Aubrey yelped as the dragon took several bounding strides, earth-quaking, heart-stopping, then launched into the sky. Massive wings unfurled, catching the wind with a deafening whoomph, and they soared.

The treetops shrank beneath them, the cottage now just a blur on the horizon, swallowed by the swirling black serpents.

Aubrey clung to the rope, her heart pounding so hard it hammered against her breast. She didn’t know what lay ahead, but whatever it was, there was no turning back now.

The wind blasted across her face, blowing her tears dry as soon as they spilled. Her body quaked with grief, a sensation she’d not felt since her grandmother’s passing.

Gunther was dead and she’d had a hand in killing him. She was responsible for bringing the dagger. The fact that it was what he preferred, dying over being possessed by evil, didn’t soften the overwhelming guilt. What had she done? Why had she been the one to bring the damn things to this realm?

It was hard to tell how long they’d flown before Amai began to descend. Aubrey slumped against Sterling, not caring if it was too intimate as exhaustion consumed her.

How long had she been here? It felt like days since she’d slept. Her head pounded, her limbs ached, and it was impossible to keep her eyes open.

“Relax,” Sterling said, his words penetrating her foggy mind. It felt as if he lifted her, moving her with a strange lightness.