Page 317 of Of Empires and Dust
“You would have us set you free after all you’ve done?”
“You don’t know the half of what I’ve done. You’ve barely been alive for a breath.”
Calen stared down at the fingers of Hala’s left hand. They were bunched into a fist, as they had been every time he’d laid eyes on her. A result of being Rakina, most likely. He let his breath out slowly. “We offer you more choices than you offered the brothers and sisters you slaughtered the night Ilnaen fell. The night hatchlings were broken like twigs, eggs shattered like glass, and honourable Draleid died defending them.” Calen set his stance and pulled the sword from its scabbard just enough to show glinting steel. “If you do not feel sorrow for those actions, then you have lived a long enough life already.”
Hala returned his stare with an unsettling intensity, then nodded slowly, puffing out her bottom lip. She dropped to one knee. “I will swear oath.”
Calen closed his eyes for just a moment, attempting to stop his hands from shaking as he slid the steel back into the scabbard. He gestured for Therin and the Dracurïn to step forwards. He would have asked two of the Rakina to stand in their place, but that had felt like an ask too far.
“Rise,” Calen said, the word like poison on his tongue. “Farda Kyrana, Hala Nôri, and Ilyain Altair. Onuvrín. Unforgiven.”
As Farda stood, Calen pressed the sword and scabbard into the man’s arms and stared into his eyes.
“If you betray us,” Calen whispered, leaning in closer, “if you so much as think of doing harm to anyone here, I will burn the Spark from your body myself. I will burn it, and I will cut out your tongue and I will drop you in a hole to rot.”
“I cannot give back the things I’ve taken away,” Farda said. “And?—”
“No.” Calen pushed the sword and scabbard harder so Farda leaned back on his heels. “No words. You do not deserve words, and I will not hear them.” Calen started to pull away, then stopped. “You burned my mother alive. I hope I get the chance to do the same to you one day. But I will keep this oath as long as you do.”
Calen pulled back from Farda and grasped Tivar’s shoulder. “Are you ready to fly?”
“Whenever you call,” she said, rolling her shoulders back and standing tall.
Calen nodded, looking at the other three. “You will remain here under the eyes of Chora Sarn and Warmarshal Gaeleron Athis. You will do as they say and nothing less.”
Calen turned to Ella and could see by the tightness in her jaw that she did not find it easy to hold his gaze in that moment. “I will see you when the sun rises tomorrow. Be ready.”
“I am.”
Therin grasped Calen’s forearm. “Fly well.”
“I will see you there.”
Chora wheeled herself to Calen’s side, reaching up to grasp his forearm. “I’ldryr viel asatar. I sanvîr viel baralun. Iralíse alaith, akar.”
In fire we are forged. In blood we are tempered. Fly well, brother.
“Du haryn myia vrai, vésani. Nur luienil.”
You have my thanks, sister. For everything.
“I will continue to have the Dracårdare test the eggs you saved from Ilnaen for the Calling,” Chora said. “Day and night. Every soul within the city will be tested.”
Calen squeezed Chora’s forearm a little tighter, inclining his head in thanks, then took his helmet from a nearby Dracurïn and mounted Valerys, the dragon bowing low. He waited as Tivar climbed to the nape of Avandeer’s neck, then leaned closer to Valerys, the warmth of the dragon’s scales flowing through him. “Nur il varsa vået, vir aver kanet iralíse untau.”
For the first time, we do not fly alone.
A low rumble of recognition swept through the dragon, and he let out a roar, frills shaking on either side of Calen.
“Uora, Valerys.”
Rise, Valerys.
Valerys’s lungs and chest swelled, and the dragon shifted forwards, cracking his wings against the air. He moved towards the great ledge over which the river flowed and dove into the valley beyond.
The air ripped past Calen as Valerys plummeted, the tumbling river spraying over them. Calen pressed himself as tightly as he could to the dragon’s neck, feeling Valerys’s scales mould to his body. He felt Valerys’s wings begin to unfurl, and he braced himself, pulling on threads of Air.
Valerys’s wings caught the air, and the dragon’s fall halted in an instant. He whipped forwards like a crack of lightning, the valley open before him.
