Fire Rising

EPILOGUE

Kiril didn’t want to gloat as he sat drinking his Irish whisky at an Doras. After all, the Dragon Kings had won another round against the Dark Ones.

How many more they would win was anyone’s guess, but the air about the pub told him that the Dark were furious. Furious that another Dragon King had gotten loose, and furious that Taraeth had yet to deliver on his promise.

Kiril couldn’t wait to talk to Con. The King of Kings had some balls to go into the Darks’ palace as he had. But then again, Kiril expected nothing less from Constantine.

Suddenly, a ripple of surprise and shock moved through the pub. Kiril remained in his seat looking disinterested as he tried to pick up on the conversation.

What could have the Dark Ones almost giddy?

One female Dark began to clap her hands and laugh madly, as if her greatest enemy had been killed.

“I can’t believe it,” a male voice said from behind Kiril.

He couldn’t turn and see who it was, but the excitement was evident in his voice.

“What?” said a male voice that was deeper, wearier.

“Balladyn has captured Rhi!”

Kiril’s stomach clenched. Rhi had been taken? Why hadn’t any of the Dragon Kings told him?

Shouts came from all around the pub as the news spread. It seemed Rhi had many enemies on the Dark side, many that wanted to see her dead.

That wasn’t going to happen if Kiril had anything to say about it.

Ulrik molded himself to the stones and waited for the footsteps to retreat. He leaned his head back and looked up at the mountain he had once been able to enter without having to sneak in.

Many of the etchings of the dragons throughout had been done by him, but none of that seemed to matter to any of them.

His enemies.

His betrayers.

Ulrik slid from the shadows, keeping close to the wall as he entered the cavern. Anger infused him as it always did when he saw his Silvers kept caged like some savage beasts.

At least they were sleeping. He walked slowly to the enormous cage and let his hand glide over the silver scales of his dragons.

They couldn’t hear him anymore, wouldn’t recognize him as their King, but they would always be his in his heart. Until the day he could reclaim his role as a Dragon King and exact his revenge on Constantine.

It was a day he had been looking forward to for so very long. And it appeared closer than ever.

“Soon, my lovelies,” he whispered as he walked to each one and stroked them. “Soon we will take to the skies again.”

He couldn’t linger longer. With a pang of disappointment, he hurried to the entrance of the cavern before he was found. Ulrik paused when he reached it and looked back.

A smile formed when he saw one of the Silvers had shifted its face toward him.

They still recognized him.

“Soon, Con. Verra, verra soon you will pay for what you’ve done.”