She cried out, the pain driving through her. Her neck stiffened. She felt ilbane flow through her, bitter and burning—a leaf's latex harmless to most but poisonous to dragons. She roared and tried to lash her claws. But the roc was quicker. Its talons drove into her chest, knocking her down.

She slammed onto the floor. The pain drove the magic away from her. She shrank, becoming a woman again. The arrow clattered to the floor, coated with her blood.

"Hello again, little Laira," Zerra said, staring down from his roc. He spat upon her. "You I will not kill, no. The other weredragons will die tonight, but you will return home with me. Do you think you suffered before? You will soon miss those days. I will make you suffer like no one ever has. Ashoor, grab her."

The foul vulture, dripping oil and shedding charred feathers, raised his talons over Laira.

She tried to shift back into a dragon, but she was too hurt, too weak. She swung the bronze sword Jeid had given her—a wide blade the length of her forearm—but the roc knocked it aside. The blade sparked against the wall.

As the talons descended, Laira scurried away. Clutching her sword, she stumbled into one of the tunnels.

She plunged through shadows, fell, and banged her hip. Her muscles felt stiff, her eyes puffy, her bones cold and throbbing. Grimacing, she began to crawl backward, leaving the cave and entering the network of underground passages. The burrow would take her under the canyon—to Jeid.

Light blazed as Zerra thrust a torch into the tunnel. She heard him laugh as he crawled in after her.

"So you will be caught like the maggot that you are." His voice echoed. "Maybe you would like another bedding here in the darkness before I drag you home. Yes, I do think that back in our tribe, I will take you every night."

Laira tightened her grip around her sword's hilt.

She kept crawling. Soon she would reach Jeid. He would help her. They would battle Zerra together. As the torch grew nearer, as he crawled after her, Laira kept scurrying. Her blood trickled and her head spun. The tunnel grew larger; soon she was able to run upright, though her legs would not stop shaking. Blood covered her cloak.

Stay alive. Keep moving. Soon you'll reach Jeid. Soon—

She slammed into stone.

"No. Stars, no."

The tunnel had collapsed; boulders blocked her way. She was trapped.

She spun around to see Zerra walking toward her, a torch in one hand, his sword in the other.

No fear. For Requiem.

Laira screamed and lunged toward him, swinging her blade.

JEID

 
JEID

The cavern collapsed around him.