Suddenly Laira did not seem a weak, hunted creature but an enraged beast. The dragon's mouth snapped open and shut again and again, ripping at Raem's bat, tearing into the animal's skin. Laira's claws lashed, and more flames blasted from her. Raem's mount screeched, skin lacerated and charred. Raem rose in his saddle, grabbed a spear that hung at his side, and tossed the weapon. The bronze head drove into Laira's back and wobbled like a fork thrust into meat.

Laira roared and Raem grinned.

"Look around you, Laira!" he said. "Look at the battle. You've already lost."

As the dragon howled in pain, Raem gestured around him. The rocs were falling fast; barely any still flew. The pteros, across the fields, were not faring much better. Every moment, demons swarmed upon another one of the beasts, ripping into their leathery flesh. Tribesmen fell from the sky, blood spraying in a mist. The dragons of Requiem fought clustered together, blowing fire in a ring, but even they could not hold back the demon horde for long; only twenty of the reptiles flew here, powerless to stop the hundreds of demons around them.

"It's over, Laira!" Raem said. He grabbed another spear. "You've lost. Return home with me, my daughter. Return home and I will make you a demon in my service."

He tossed his second spear.

The weapon dug into Laira's shoulder, shedding blood. The dragon dipped in the sky.

"Grab her, Anai," Raem said calmly to his mount.

Bleeding and burnt, her eyes shedding tears, the broken woman—stretched and sewn into this creature—reached out her claws and grabbed the golden dragon. All around, Raem's other demons flew in, reaching out claws, talons, tongues, and tentacles, encircling Laira in a demonic cage. Laira wailed and lashed her tail, but she could not break free, and her flames died down to sputtering sparks.

"My sweet daughter," Raem said. "It's time to go home."

Roars answered him.

Raem frowned.

Firelight bathed the sky.

He hissed.

The beat of wings thudded like drums, and cries pierced the night: "For Requiem! For a dawn of dragons!"

He turned toward the west, and he saw them there, rising in a dawn of dragonfire. Dragons. Dozens of them. They rose from darkness, blowing their flames, their scales bright. These were not the dragons that had emerged from the mountain; here were new beasts, and a terrible green reptile flew at their lead.

"Maev!" Laira shouted, tears in her eyes.

The new dragons crashed into the battle like chariots into lines of infantry.

Fire washed over demons. Dragon horns drove into maggoty flesh. Demons fell from the sky, howling, torn apart.

"Slay the king!" Maev shouted, the green dragon who had destroyed Raem's city last winter. "To the bronze man!"

Raem's mount shrieked and released Laira in fright. All around Raem, his fellow demons hissed, flew back, and raised their claws. Some turned to flee.