Shadow of the Moon

Chapter 17

Estella

I thought I was going to die. I was ready for it, but then Kaelen had moved off the dais. As soon as he reached us, fire erupted from his palms, a roaring inferno that engulfed the space between us and the dais. The flames danced and writhed, casting flickering shadows on the stunned faces of his brothers. The air filled with the crackle of burning magic and the sharp scent of ash.

My heart was a hollow ache of grief. I watched in stunned disbelief. My family was gone, murdered before my eyes, and I had been powerless to stop it. I had stood frozen, paralyzed by fear, as Cyrus and Thallia were struck down, as A-pa's blood stained the marble floor.

King Phoenix and his sons had watched with cold indifference, their faces devoid of any emotion except a cruel satisfaction. Only Kaelen, the youngest, had shown a flicker of compassion, his eyes filled with a helpless sorrow.

And now, this boy, this child who should have been safe in his mother's arms, was risking his life to protect me. A wave of warmth passed through me at his bravery.

Raedon, momentarily stunned by the sudden inferno, loosened his grip on me. I seized the opportunity, twisting free from his grasp just as Kaelen's fist, wreathed in flames, connected with Raedon's jaw. Sending him stumbling backwards, his knees.

"Run!" Kaelen shouted, his voice cracked and was high pitched, reminding me just how young he way. He grabbed my hand, his grip surprisingly strong, and pulled me from the throne room, towards the hope of escape.

We sprinted down the seemingly endless hallway, guards scrambling out of our way as Kaelen raced us through the halls; some guards even bowed their heads at the prince. We burst through the doors, my eyes struggling to adjust to the sudden onslaught of sunlight. The world was a blur of colors and shapes.

“This way!” Kaelen yelled, pulling me towards a cluster of trees that offered a momentary respite from the blinding light.

An arrow whizzed past me, its sharp point grazing my arm, drawing blood. I barely registered the pain, my focus solely on escape. Kaelen, his face grim, his eyes fixed on the castle gates, let out a piercing whistle that echoed through the courtyard.

We burst through the gates and into the open desert, the sand burning beneath our feet, the sun beating down on us with merciless intensity. My breath came in ragged gasps, my vision blurring with exhaustion. But I couldn't stop, not now. We had to reach the shimmer, had to find safety, had to escape the clutches of the cruel king.

“The shimmer,” I panted, breaths shaky. “My guards are just beyond the magic,” I said. Kaelen didn’t say anything but nodded and shifted our course.

A shadow fell over us, and I looked up in dread. A massive bird, its wings outstretched like a predator's embrace, descended from the sky. It landed with a thud that shook the ground, sending a plum of sand into the air, blinding us. Raedon, his face contorted with rage, sat astride the creature, his eyes fixed on me with murderous intent. Kaelen and I nearly fell trying to stop, our feet slipping in the loose sand.

I recognized the creature from Kyros's descriptions. A Phailel, a powerful predator used for both transport and combat. My heart pounded in my chest, fear gripping me like a vise. We had escaped the castle, but we were not safe yet. I could see the shimmer visible just over the horizon.

“We didn’t make it,” I whispered, tears threatening to fall.

Kaelen pushed me behind him, his hand flaring with flames as he squared off to his brother. Kaelen was shorter than me by half a foot, his body was that of a lanky boy, yet he was trying to shield me. I gripped his shoulder, prepared to throw myself in front of his brother.

Raedon rolled his neck and began his dismount, his hand reaching for the sword at his hip. But before his other foot swung over the saddle, a deafening roar ripped through the air.

Cara.

The magnificent Wrioron surged up from behind the dunes, her scales glinting in the sunlight, her eyes blazing with a fierce protectiveness. She charged towards the Phailel, her powerful legs churning up the sand, her jaws open in a fearsome hiss.

Cara’s nostrils flared, her scales rippling with fury. Her eyes roamed over me, as if assessing my injuries. I felt a heat bloom in my chest at this wonderful beast checking to make sure I was alright. She whipped her head back to the cruel prince, taking a few large steps so that she placed herself between us.

Kaelen ushered me forward and I wasted no time. I clambered onto Cara's back, remembering how Kyros had shown. The memory of his twisted in my heart, but I had no chance to dwell on that loss as I settled myself between her shoulders.

I turned to reach for Kaelen, but he simply shook his head, his eyes filled with grim determination. He let out a sharp whistle, and Cara charged towards the shimmer. I watched as Kaelen's form grew smaller and smaller, my heart aching with a sense of foreboding.

“No, Kaelen!” I screamed; my voice ripping out of my throat.

But my pleas were lost in the wind, carried away by Cara's powerful strides as she raced towards the safety of Tenebris.

Raedon, his face contorted with rage, leaped from the back of the Phailel. He landed with a thud, his sword flashing in the sunlight. Before Kaelen could react, the blade sliced through the air, finding its mark with a sickening precision. Kaelen's eyes widened in shock, his hand flying to his stomach as blood gushed between his fingers. He crumpled to the ground, his lifeblood staining the sand.

"No!" I screamed, my voice raw with anguish. I watched in horror as Raedon, his face twisted in a triumphant sneer, wiped his blade clean on Kaelen's tunic. The world seemed to tilt, the sunlight dimming as a wave of nausea washed over me.