I was a prince, then a king of a city. He laughed as Angel's claws dug into his back. Now I am a Demon King. Now the worlds above and below will fear my might. Now Requiem will truly burn.

LAIRA

 
LAIRA

She knelt and lifted the fallen copper scale. Blood dulled its shine. She hefted it in her hand; it was heavy and thick like a plate forged of true metal. Laira felt something tight and cold inside her, constricting her breath.

"Jeid's scale," she whispered.

The autumn forest spread around them: oaks with rustling yellow leaves, birches with peeling white bark, maples whose red leaves glided in the wind, and many boulders and fallen boles green with moss. Geese flew above, honking, but no more dragons. The wings of Requiem no longer filled the sky.

Maev took the scale from Laira's hand. She stared at it, jaw clenched and bottom lip thrust out in defiance. Her fingers tightened around the scale, and her other hand formed a fist.

"He's still alive," Maev said, forcing the words past stiff lips. "Dead dragons return to human form. They wounded him. They tore off a scale. But he's still alive." She looked at Laira, her eyes blazing with rage and haunting fear. "I know it."

Laira touched the scale again. It was cold and very smooth like mother of pearl. Her eyes stung and she wanted to caress the real Jeid, to hold him close, to know her husband was safe.

"We'll keep searching." Laira nodded. "We're going the right way. We know that now. Grizzly flew here, and maybe the others too." She touched Maev's arm. "Maybe Dorvin too."

Maev took a step back, her expression hardening. She turned and kept walking through the forest, not waiting for Laira to catch up.

Laira sighed. Whenever I see some warmth to her, her ice returns. Whenever we get close, she pushes me away. Laira feared the sphinxes, feared losing her husband, feared losing all of Requiem. Perhaps Maev feared showing that she was more than a dragon, that she was human too.

"Maev, wait." Laira struggled to keep up on her shorter legs; Maev was walking quickly, and Laira had to take two steps for every one of Maev's. "Wait for me. Let's not get lost ourselves. I—"

Howls sounded above. Wings beat. A stench like burning hair and sulfur flared.

"Sphinxes." Laira clenched her jaw and leaped under a bush.

Maev, however, remained standing in the forest. She still held the copper scale. She refused to budge, only stared at the sky, her eyes hard.

"Maev!" Laira whispered urgently, gesturing for her from under the bush. "Come. Hide!"

Maev looked at Laira, expressionless, then back at the sky. Her hands formed fists. Her muscles coiled, making her dragon tattoos dance. Her lip peeled back.

"No," the warrior whispered. "I'm done running."

Sphinx wings hid the sun. Their drool rained from their maws. One cried out, "Below! A weredragon below!"