Tressa mounted a horse and took off for the east. Bastian shouted behind her, demanding she stay with them. But she wouldn’t listen to them. All she could hear was Fi’s piercing wail.
Not Fi. Tressa wouldn't allow Donovan to hurt her again.
Her hair streamed behind her as she ducked low on the stallion's neck, urging him to go even faster with every nudge from her heels. Saliva flew from the horse's mouth, landing in a slimy mass on Tressa's hands. Still, she wouldn't give him surcease. She would be damned if she'd waste another moment. Donovan had Fi, and Tressa was going to rescue her friend.
Two shadows fell over the ground. Tressa looked up, pleased to see a Green dragon and a Blue dragon above her. She made a fist and thrust it into the air. It was the only way she could thank Connor and Bastian from so far away.
The three of them pushed on. A rumbling sound rose up behind her. Tressa glanced over her shoulder and saw the whole of the Vulture's Tower army kicking up dirt. She smiled. So many brave people. They would save Fi. She could feel it in her bones. No matter what happened this day, Tressa would save Fi's life. She owed her. Fi had saved hers more than once.
Tressa entered a forest, slowing down out of necessity. If her horse broke an ankle, she'd be grounded. Tree branches reached out toward her. She ducked too late, and a spiky twig scratched her cheek. Blood dripped down her face. Her fingers probed the wound. It wasn't too deep. Good, because she didn't intend on stopping to clean it.
It wasn't long before she was through the forest. The gray warriors behind her had lost ground as they navigated their way through the tangled mess of trees. Both Connor and Bastian had already cleared the forest and waited for her on the ground ahead, still in dragon form with their backs to her. Tressa drove her horse harder. She bolted around the two, then pulled up abruptly, her horse kicking up clods of dirt.
Donovan's army stood before her. Rows upon countless rows of skeletons wearing armor and carrying swords, maces, and bows stood at attention behind a man Tressa didn’t recognize, except for the gray cloak, the same one Donovan wore when they traveled into Desolation. It was Donovan, in a new skin. There was no mistaking the cocky stance or the depraved grin on his face. This was the man he’d hidden from her in Desolation. Tressa didn’t need to see his old skin to recognize the man inside it.
Fi stood next to him, her arms twisted at a sickening angle above her head, bound at the wrists. Her neck was bent forward, and her hair covered her face. Jarrett stood next to her, his eyes on the ground. Fi screamed again.
"Let her go." Tressa bolted forward, but Connor grabbed the back of her shirt with his teeth. Damn him for staying in dragon form. He knew she'd try to get to Fi, and he probably couldn't have stopped her in his human form.
Tressa hauled off, punching Connor on the snout. Unfortunately it didn't affect his grip. She dangled in the air, her shirt cutting into her throat.
Donovan smirked and laughed. He pierced Fi's side with his sword. Blood flowed onto the ground, pooling in the grass. Tears streamed over Tressa's cheeks. She couldn't stand this one more moment. As if he could read her thoughts, Connor set Tressa down gently. He didn't let go of her shirt, though.
Bastian strode up next to her, a sword in his hand. She hadn't even noticed he'd changed back into a human. Nothing mattered except Fi.
"What do you want, Donovan?" Tressa asked. "Why are you torturing her?"
"I want you, Tressa," Donovan said. "In fact, I need you. If you come to me, I will release your friend."
Tressa felt Bastian's hand above her elbow. He wasn't going to let her move forward any more than Connor was.
"No," Bastian said. "You can't have her."
"Then her friend will die. It is that simple." Donovan ran his sword up and down Fi's leg. "Where shall I open her next?"
Tressa gritted her teeth. "Let him take me. Get Fi to safety and the rest of you can attack. We will destroy him," she said to Bastian under her breath.
"No. There's more to it than that. Donovan isn't stupid. If you go over there, I fear I'll lose you forever." Bastian's fingers tightened around her arm.
"You won't. I'll fight. Fi isn't strong without her dragon the way I am." Tressa insisted.
"I won't allow it either," Krom said, joining them. "This man is not honorable. He will kill you both."
Tressa inhaled deeply. "It’s worth the risk. I can do it. I can save her. I've saved all of you at one point. Let me save Fi."
"So, I see the real warriors from the Vulture's Tower have come to help you," Donovan said with a smirk. Spittle formed on the edges of his lips, spewing into the air. He swished his gray cape to the side. "It was a good disguise while it lasted. I suppose they've told you I'm not one of their ilk. They must think you're in pretty big trouble if they came out of their hiding place to help you." Donovan clicked his tongue. "Too bad they're all going to die."
The skeleton army burst into taunts, clanking their swords against their shields.
"I'll come to you, if you promise to send Fi here first." Tressa hated every word out of her mouth. She didn’t want to go to him, but if it would give Fi a chance, then she’d do it.
Donovan cocked his head, and his eyes narrowed. Eyes. It was still strange to see him in a new body with two eyes instead of one and a scar where the other should have been. He was the same height and build, but his face was disconcertingly different.
"Take her, my pet. Take this pathetic girl to her people." Donovan nudged Jarrett.
Tressa's old lover stepped forward, took Fi's elbow, and awkwardly propelled her forward. Tressa took steps to match theirs. Her hands trembled, and her palms were slick with sweat. Her feet grew heavier with each step.
"Fi?" Tressa said.
Fi's head hung limp as she shuffled along next to Jarrett. Tressa worried Fi was too close to death, that they wouldn't be able to save her. Tressa wanted to see Fi's eyes light up and watch her mouth curve into a huge smile. She needed to know Fi still had some fight in her.
They came ever closer, closing the distance with every labored step. Tressa reached out. She was so close to touching Fi, to holding her friend in her arms and sending her to the safety of their friends.
Tressa's fingertips brushed against Fi's arm. It was so cold and limp. "It's okay. I've got you. We'll get you help. I promise." Tressa pulled Fi into her arms, crushing their bodies together. Fi's head lolled onto Tressa's shoulder.
"Fi?" Tressa pulled back, holding her friend up by the arms. "You need to walk to Bastian. Connor will carry you."
Fi didn't respond.
Tressa slipped her fingers into Fi's hair, pulling it back from her face.
Tressa screamed, stumbling backward, her hands over her mouth. Fi swayed in front of her.
She could hear Bastian yelling from behind. Tressa looked over her shoulder. He was running toward her, and she took off for him, leaving Fi and Jarrett behind. Just before they were about to touch, they were propelled away from each other by an invisible force.
"Help me," Tressa screamed, scrabbling on all fours to get away from her enemies. Something stopped her from getting any closer to Bastian. Donovan had tricked her. He’d done it over and over again, playing on her love for Fi.
Donovan's laughter boomed in her head. Tressa clawed at her ears, but nothing would block out his triumphant chortle.
"You bastard!" Her fingers scraped the ground, grabbing a handful of earth. She hurled the mess of dirt and rocks toward Donovan, but they fell far short of their mark. She kept her eyes on him, afraid to look at Fi and Jarrett. Afraid of what it would do to her if she saw it again.
It was Fi. But the Fi she knew and loved had been changed. Just as Jarrett had, but far worse. Outside of her Hutton's Bridge friends and family, these were the two people she'd grown to love most in the Dragonlands. And Donovan had utterly destroyed both of them.
Jarrett stood slack-jawed, his eyes vacant. Fi wobbled next to him, unsteady on her feet. She looked up, her hair falling away from her face.
Fi's eyes had sunk back into their sockets. Her skin was ripped away from her face, hanging in bloody strips. Her lips were slack, laced with a faint sheen of drool.
Fi's head twisted to the side. She appeared to be waking up, becoming aware of what was going on. Her jaw dropped, her teeth clattered together, and her forked tongue slithered over her lips. Her unforgiving eyes focused on Tressa, then moved to Jarrett, who still stood obedient at her side. With inhuman speed, Fi lunged toward Jarrett's throat, her teeth sinking into his neck.
With a sharp snap, Jarrett's head fell to the side, limp. Blood spurted from his jugular, spraying over Fi's eager face as she ripped pieces of flesh from his body. He fell to the ground, dead.
Tressa covered her eyes in horror. Her breaths came in short bursts, and her lungs felt as if they might collapse. It was too much, far too much to handle. The world in front of her became hazy. She reached out a hand toward Fi, even though she knew it was too late to save either of her friends. Too late to save anyone.
Tressa’s hands fell, and her gaze shifted to Donovan. Anger, such as she had never known, nearly burst from her chest. "I will fucking kill you."
"I would like to see you try." Donovan raised his sword and his skeleton army raced toward her.
Bastian rushed toward Tressa, but slammed into an invisible wall. He fell backward on his arse. "No!" He scrambled to his feet, pounding his fists against the solid air.
"Bastian." Krom put a hand on Bastian's shoulder, pulling him away from Tressa.
She lay on the ground on the other side, anger sparking in her eyes as Donovan’s army advanced toward her.
"Why can't I touch her? She needs help!" Bastian struggled to pull away from Krom, but the man’s grip was too strong.
In the blink of an eye, the trees vanished, and they were standing inside a tower, one so high Bastian couldn’t see to the top of it. “Where are we?”
“We are in the Vulture’s Tower.” Krom sat down on a bench at the table.
“How is that possible?” Bastian asked. He ran his hands over the cool, stone walls. “How did we get here?”
"This is not a place, but a time,” Krom said.
"But Tressa..." Bastian sputtered. "You left her."
"No, Donovan had already trapped her." Krom stalked away. "There was nothing I could do to help her. I could help the rest of us, though. I saved us from complete annihilation."
Connor stormed over, back in his human form. "What happened?"
"He decided to retreat." Bastian glared at Krom. "Now Donovan has Tressa, and we can't leave to rescue her until Krom decides it's okay."
Connor hauled off, punching Krom on the face. "How dare you make that decision for us? Take away the spell. Let us rescue her."
"It's nearly impossible for you to understand." Krom rubbed his cheek but didn’t strike back. "Know this. Tressa may have been captured, but this isn’t over. We can’t fight that army on our own. We need allies if we are to win. Many of them. It is up to you to find them. If you can do that, I will bring our army to Tressa at just the right time. At the time of her greatest need. It is what I do."
Bastian looked to Connor. "You said the Black wouldn't fight?"
"I tried to convince Sophia, but they are afraid,” Connor said. “Mestifito lost his dragon. Without him, the Black army is nothing."
"I don't believe that for a moment. Let me talk to them." Bastian turned to Krom. "Can you get me to them without wasting any time?"
Krom nodded. "Now this is more productive than misplaced anger. Yes, I can get you to the Black." He stood, motioning for Bastian to follow him to the door. "Do your best. Get them to help us."
Bastian and Connor stepped over the threshold into the Charred Barrens.
Bastian looked around, stunned. "This is… odd.” Only moments ago they’d been in the outskirts of the Hills of Flame. Apparently Krom had some control of space as well as time. It was a difficult concept to grasp. “Where do we go from here?”
"I don't know," Connor said. "The last time I was here, one of the Black dragons came out to guide me."
Bastian sighed, annoyed. "You and Tressa both said they refused to help. I wonder if that will change now that Tressa has been taken by Donovan."
"If they'd give us a chance to tell them, I think it might," Connor said. He jogged toward the forest, disappearing into the mess of gnarled trees.
Bastian shrugged and followed his friend. If they had to look for the entrance to the Ruins of Ebon all night long, then they would.
"Don’t you have any idea where it might be?" Bastian stepped over a decaying tree trunk.
"No." Connor continued searching. "It all happened so fast the last time I was here. I expected the same this time. Someone met me then. Why not now?"
"This time they are hiding," Bastian said. "They outright admitted they don't want to fight. Why should they come out now?"
"Because I'm curious," a voice said behind them.
Bastian spun around, surprised to see Sophia standing in the forest, her arms crossed over her chest. He ran toward the old woman, but stopped just short of her and threw his arm over his nose. "I'm sorry, Sophia. You stink!"
She laughed, her silver hair bouncing on her shoulders. "I can't change into a dragon, so I had to take a different way out of the Ruins of Ebon. It's a little trick Tressa taught me. The waste tunnels are so much quicker than other ways out of the underground city. Hold your breath and give me a hug, young man."
Bastian took Sophia in his arms, trying to ignore the stench. Connor joined them, not as enthusiastic as Bastian. He held back, eyeing them both.
"Why did you come?" Sophia asked Connor. "I told you, Mestifito said we will not fight. He's lost his dragon."
"That shouldn't matter," Connor said. "You have hundreds of other dragons more than capable of fighting. I understand Mestifito has been their commander for a long time, but we need you. The Green has abandoned the Meadowlands. The only Yellow dragon hasn't left the Sands, nor does he have reason to help us. We are alone in this."
"Then join us underground," Sophia said. "You are welcome, always."
"Donovan has Tressa." Bastian refused to debate any longer. Sophia needed to know the truth.
Sophia gasped, her small hands shaking. "No."
"What did you expect?" Bastian asked, growing angry. "Did you really think she wouldn't do everything in her power to defeat Donovan, even if she had to do it alone?"
"She was going to meet up with the two of you." Sophia's eyes narrowed. "After Connor came here, I still believed the three of you would come to your senses once you realized the fight was in vain. You are not children playing at games anymore. I can't believe any of you would be so foolish as to attempt this battle without reinforcements."
"We weren't alone. We had an army with us. Do you remember the legends of the Vulture's Tower?" Connor asked Sophia. She nodded. "Well, they were just as real as all of the other prophecies and histories. The warriors of the tower are back, and they said they would fight with us because the Dragonlands needed them. Unfortunately, before we could mount a strike against Donovan and his unholy army, he captured Tressa."
"We need you, Sophia. We need the Black. Please." Bastian wasn't against pleading. He would do anything to save Tressa. If the Black refused to fight, he would fly back on his own and do his best to save her. He would die trying. He would never, ever give up on her.
Sophia looked at the ground. "It is not up to me."
"You can rally them," Connor said. "Mestifito can stay here, hiding like a fool if he pleases. That matters not."
"It isn't just Mestifito. The others fear they will lose their own dragons if they engage with Donovan.” Sophia looked up at the sky. The blood moon shone through the branches, casting its corrupt light on them. "He can't be defeated."
"We can't give up," Bastian said. His throat tightened. "He has Tressa. We can't leave her. Connor and I still have our dragons. We can fight."
Sophia laid a hand on Bastian's arm. "Then do what you must. I won't ask you to risk your life for my great-granddaughter. But I will be forever grateful if you do."
"So that is all?" Connor asked. "You won't come?"
"What can I do?" Sophia threw her arms in the air. "I am an old woman. The dragon I rode on is now human. I have no army to command, just frightened people who don't understand what is happening. Should I force them to risk their lives for one person? Even if it is the person I love most in this unhinged world?"
"I would." Bastian meant it, too. He would risk everything for her. He'd died once to protect Tressa. He would do it again. "Come on, Connor. There is nothing here for us. The sooner we get back to the Vulture's Tower army, the sooner we can end this."
"I'm sorry, Bastian." Sophia reached out to him. "You must understand. I can speak to them again, but I make no promises."
"I will never understand," Bastian said. He turned his back on Sophia, stomping out of the dead forest, leaving his last hope for reinforcements buried underground. "Are you coming, Connor?"
"Already beside you," Connor said as he matched Bastian's stride. "I expected more."
"As did I," Bastian said. "Instead of coming back with an army, we will return empty handed." He stopped, placing a hand on Connor's shoulder. "If you want to go to the Meadowlands and leave with the last of them, I'll understand. Tressa would, too."
"I know she would," Connor said. "But I would never forgive myself. Neither would Hazel. She knew what we were going to do. If I never return, she will make sure my boys understand I fought for them. I won't leave the Dragonlands. Not ever. Even if it means dying here."
The two men traversed the forest, quickly finding the door to the Vulture’s Tower where they had left it. It stood alone between two trees, the tower invisible. They stepped in, and Bastian was again amazed by its magic.
“Well?” Krom asked, expectant.
Connor shook his head.
“We’re not done,” Bastian said. “I refuse to give up.”