Chapter Sixty-Three

Daegal.

The ground split beneath us. A dominating noise thundered into the air and pulled my dragon from his resting spot.

I’d been so enthralled with my son, the look in his vibrant eyes and his tiny fingers. He was the most precious thing I’d ever seen in my life.

He smelled like something plucked from Heaven. I was missing out on his first moments because of this.

When I felt the ground splitting it was as if my heart had split with it. A new need to protect my family formed inside of me. Kelli had ruined enough in my life. She would not destroy this.

It wasn’t until the moment I exited the room and faced the ground cracking did I realize what we were up against. Whatever was inside there was large. I could tell by the way the ground shook before the crack.

I bent my knees and flew toward the field, looking down at the gaping crack and into the molten lava beneath it. Steam rose from the ground and billowed up into the air. If I hadn't been a dragon, it would have burnt my skin.

Stetson stopped beside me and hovered in the air.

I watched the liquid moving beneath the ground for several minutes. It was almost too much to take in. I wasn’t sure if Kelli was behind the lava or if it truly was that hot beneath our realm. But I knew I didn’t want to find out.

“Where is she?” Stetson asked. “Is she in there or is she already here?”

“I’m thinking she’s going to crawl up from that hell at any moment, but sadly enough, I think this is a distraction. She very well could be already here."

Stetson looked around me at the other dragons awaiting their fate. “Do you think she’ll go for Poppy or us, first?”

“I think she’s bringing something out of that hole and she’s going after Poppy. She wants to see me suffer at her hand. She wants to be the one that hurts my family. To take away my life like I took hers.” I looked up at Stetson. “He’s perfect,” I mumbled. “I can’t let Kelli take

Jeremiah away from either of us, but especially not Poppy, it’ll destroy her. She’s so in love. I feel it inside me right now. Even during this, it couldn't take away her love."

Stetson turned to face me, his wings shuttered in the growing wind. “We are not going to let that happen, Daegal. This ends today. It has to.”

A roar vibrated from underneath the ground and sent a shudder against me. The ground broke apart again, debris flying up as a giant claw maneuvered from the crack.

My heart hammered at the sight of the scales and talons as long as my body. I’d been right. It was definitely big.

Stetson’s gaze shifted to mine. “That doesn’t look good, Daegal," he whispered. “It’s as big as the caste.”

It didn’t look good at all. It looked like something pulled from the depths of Hell. The ground shook again, this time the ground pried open and another claw maneuvered to the ground.

“Get a dragon to Poppy’s room with Selena,” I told Stetson. “One outside of the window and the other standing guard in the hallway. Tell them to be prepared for anything and everything. She’s going to hit us with whatever she can conjure.”

Stetson flew over while the warriors made their way behind me. “What is that?” Irion asked.

“I think it’s a dragon,” I admitted. “Fitting right?”

He gave me a sheepish look. “That doesn’t look like any dragon that I know,” he mumbled. “How are we going to kill something like us? Fire obviously won’t kill it.”

That was Kelli’s angle. Give us something that we couldn’t hurt. I swallowed the lump in my throat, my fingers twitching at my sides in anticipation of the monster making its way onto our land. She wanted me to decide on who to save. My people or my family. She wouldn't get what she wanted.

“Have some dragons go grab half of the stakes made for Kelli. It’ll need to die the same way. Pierced through the heart. The ultimate death.”

Irion flew with several dragons toward the woods where we hid the stakes. My body thumped wildly as the ground split open again and I made eye contact with this monster.

His horns were giant. Everything about him screamed unnatural. Evil. Meant to kill.

There was nothing in the depths of his eyes. He was soulless which was fitting since he was crawling from the pits of Hell.

Irion made it over to me and I grabbed a stake from his hand, aimed, and hit the dragon in the eye.

His roar echoed in my eardrums and vibrated the ground. The other dragons belted him in the head with the stakes until he pushed open the ground and pulled himself out onto the ground.

Blood poured from one eye and drenched the ground as he pulled himself up to where he settled himself.

Trees fell over in the distance.

And the castle shook.

The entire ground felt unsteady. Like it would break to pieces beneath us.

The crack spanned from the field to the castle’s front steps. If it grew any more, it would pull the castle apart.

I had to get them out of there soon before our home sunk into the ground forever.

The dragon pulled his tail from the ground and took a giant step, immediately spraying fire along the field and my kingdom’s homes.

Anger seared up my spine. My dragon begged to be let free but I knew he was powerless against him. We didn’t need strength or fire in this situation.

We needed brains. A strategy.

Irion glanced at me as Stetson joined us. “Do you want us to shift?” he asked.

I shook my head. “No, we need to stake him in the heart. Have the dragons distract him and others fly beneath. Hit him as many times as we can. I just need a few for Kelli.”

If I could get Kelli in one spot, I would drive a stake clear through her. She would pay the ultimate price for this.

Irion pulled the dragons together as I faced Stetson. “Do you have dragons watching her room?” I asked.

He nodded. “Selena thinks she’s in the castle already. The protection spells are on both Poppy and Jeremiah. We’ll keep them safe.”

I yearned to be in there with them. To touch Poppy’s face. Tell her how good she did and cradle my baby in my arms. Help her heal. Not give her a heart attack minutes after giving birth.

“You want to go?” Stetson asked.

I nodded. “I need to protect my family. If you need me out here, I’m one second away.”

Stetson looked down at the dragon being distracted by the dragons. “He’s big but stupid.”

“I agree,” I said. “Can you make sure he dies, but no one else does? We’ve lost enough already. Don’t play the hero like your brother,” I said, a smile crawling up my face.

Stetson laughed. “Don’t be foolish, Daegal. I’m no hero.”

I flew toward the castle steps and landed on the front porch. The cement cracked beneath my feet. I stepped over the jagged line and made my way into the front doors.

I looked around the empty room and up the stairs.

I could smell Kelli. She was somewhere near.

Fire and brimstone lingered in my nose but nothing beat the smell of a sadistic witch.