He held her close, whispering into her hair, begging her not to leave, but Alina knew it was her time. This had always been her time to die. A young child learning of the stars, a druid leading her people to Requiem, a priestess freeing the captives of Bar Luan, a warrior in a battle of demons—she had always been meant to travel this path of darkness. This path led her to gates of starlight, and Alina smiled because she could see them now, shining above—the stars of Requiem. The Draco constellation emerged from clouds, and its light warmed her, welcoming her home. And she saw them above—great halls woven of starlight, their many columns bright, a vision of the Requiem that would be, the Requiem those she had led here would build.

"It's beautiful," she whispered. "It's so beautiful."

Her brother held her close, and she closed her eyes. She let his warmth comfort her, and she let a new kind of magic flow through her and lead her down a new path.

LAIRA

 
LAIRA

Her father laughed upon his demon. "Your friends abandon you, Laira! The silver dragon has fled."

Laira glared and blasted fire his way, but she was down to sparks; they scattered off his armor. Dorvin had darted off, calling for his sister. Jeid still fought across the battlefield, surrounded by demons. Only Laira and Maev faced the King of Eteer. The battle raged around them, a sphere of rocs, pteros, and demons. Here, in a pocket of smoke and fire, they fought alone.

"Fancy the left side, Laira?" Maev asked. Smoke rose between the green dragon's teeth. "I'll take the right."

Laira beat her wings and smiled thinly. "Let's dance."

The two dragons, gold and green, charged.

Raem laughed upon his demon. Scattering what fire remained within her, Laira flew toward her father's right flank. The king's mount reared and lashed its claws, and Laira was forced to pull back, to snap her teeth, to try to claw her way forward. The demon was larger than her, a twisted thing of skin stretched across too much bone. The demon's head was its worst deformity—it looked like a human head, waterlogged, swollen, its eyes leaking tears. But the creature's claws still lashed out, tipped with metal. One claw drove along Laira's chest, shedding her blood. She screamed and clawed back, tearing at the creature. She ripped through its skin and hit bone. The demon barely seemed to feel the pain; it had no blood to shed.

Laira growled, rose higher, and swooped, trying to reach Raem in the saddle. He raised his shield, and her claws clattered against the bronze disk. He rose in the sky, knocking her back, and his demon turned toward her, teeth snapping.

On the king's other side, Maev was attacking, but the demon's tail was whipping madly, holding her back.