The man frowned. Then he nodded. “Yes. That is my name.”
A single crystal tear broke free from his eye and ran down his gaunt cheek. Then his silver eyes rolled upward, and Ash fainted.
* * *
Dani surveyed Ash with horror.
He’d been thin in her dream, but it couldn’t hold a candle to the reality. The few scales covering his body were almost translucent, the bones clearly visible through his filthy skin.
She’d seen death on the streets—the look people got in their eyes, the dark hollows in their face, the way their skin turned gray and clung to their bones. Ash had every sign that he was teetering on the very edge.
When she spoke his name, it was as though he’d forgotten it. He grabbed on to it like a lifeline, right before he slumped in the chains.
Her shock at his condition momentarily blocked the sounds from the carnage beyond them, but a shrill scream snapped her out of it.
With a growl, Tyrez strode to the chains, wrapped his Dragon talons around them, and tore them free from the rock.
“We’ve gots tos go,” he said. “Nows.”
The moment the chains snapped, Ash slumped to the ground. Dani lunged to get a shoulder propped beneath his. He was taller than her, but she doubted he weighed as much.
“I’ll carrys him.” Tyrez’s voice was hoarse and urgent. “Climbs on.”
He slid his foretalons beneath Ash, and Dani grabbed a wingtip to swing aboard.
As soon as she wrapped fingers around the neck spikes, Tyrez launched for the sky. Several powerful wingbeats, and he topped the cliffs.
The water below churned with Dragons. A purple one was helping a handful of others to the portal—Razir.
Tyrez landed near the portal. He set down with care, lowering Ash to the cold stone.
Razir staggered as he walked toward them. “I can’t flys. I’ve gots some backs throughs the gate, buts the others...”
“Takes Ash throughs,” Tyrez ordered Dani.
“No. Tyrez, you can’t go out there. Whatever is in those things they are shooting, they’ll nail you too.”
“I haves tos helps them.”
“I can help them,” Dani insisted, refusing to climb down.
“No.”
She gestured to Razir. “Can you take Ash through?”
“Ash?” The purple Dragon looked down at the crumpled human form. “Iss thiss the Oracle?”
“Yes, can you take him through the portal?”
“I haves tos help...” Razir coughed, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
Tyrez stiffened. “Takes the Oracle throughs. Wes wills do whats we cans fors the others.”
Razir coughed again, examined the blood on his foretalon, and then nodded. Tyrez laid the crumpled form between the spikes on the purple-scaled neck, and Razir vanished through the glowing portal.
“Take us up,” Dani said. “But stay away from that damned cliff. I need to see what’s going on.”
Tyrez launched into the sky and wheeled, staying over the clifftop and away from the rock face.
