the sky burned. A crystal hung around her neck, a flame dancing inside it.
"Who are you?" Olasar whispered, staring up at her.
She came to stand above him, staring down through her golden mask. In one hand, she held a sack. Her other hand rested on the pommel of her sword.
"Olasar," she said to him, her voice itself like caressing flame. "Hello again."
He squinted, staring up at her; she stood dark before the wall of fire. Her golden mask glimmered. He tried to rise but could not. Welts rose across him, seeping. The pain spun his head and sweat drenched him.
"Show yourself," he managed to say, reaching for his sword with charred fingers.
Slowly, the woman removed her golden mask… and Olasar snarled.
You were right, Lyana. Stars bless us.
"Solina," he whispered hoarsely.
Her face was golden, her eyes blue, her lips cruel. A burn mark ran across her face, from forehead to chin and down her neck. She traced the scar with her fingers.
"My line of fire," Solina said softly. "You remember how your son, the great Prince Orin, burned me." She opened her sack and held it upside down. A severed head rolled out. Half the head was burned into pulpy, red flesh. The other half was locked in a cry of anguish.
"No," Olasar whispered, then howled in the night. "My son! My son." Tears filled her eyes.
Solina nodded, smiling softly. "He burned me… and so I burned him. And so I will burn all of you."
Olasar shook his head. Though the pain suffused him, he managed to rise to his feet. He drew Stella Lumen, his ancient sword. The fire of the phoenix army blazed against the blade.
"I took you into my court," he said, voice trembling but still strong. "I raised you as a daughter. I—"
"You lie!" Solina screamed. Suddenly her eyes blazed, and her fury twisted her face. "I was no daughter to you. I know, Olasar. I know what happened to my true parents. I know that you killed them." She laughed and touched the crystal at her neck; the flame inside it danced. "But I am strong now; I have the strength of the Sun God. As you killed my parents with steel, so will I kill you. Goodbye, tyrant. May your soul forever burn in the court of my lord."
She drew her sword. It crackled with fire and she drove it forward. Olasar parried, sparks showered, and his blade shattered. Shards of steel flew.
Solina snarled and her blade thrust. It drove into Olasar's chest, burning, blazing, twisting inside him.
He fell. Solina laughed above him, and all Olasar saw was the thousands of firebirds flowing north, burning all in their path, heading to the heart of his realm… and then the flames flooded his world, and he saw nothing else.
LYANA
"No," she whispered, eyes stinging. Her breath died within her. "Stars, please, no… Stars, no."
The image seared her. Orin's head, severed and charred, rolling from a sack. It stared up at her from below, hundreds of yards away, but dragon eyes were sharp, and she knew it was him. Tears blurred Lyana's vision.
"Orin, stars… my Orin."
My love. My betrothed. My prince.
She watched as Solina pulled her sword free from the king's body, this woman who had once been like an older sister to her. Smirking, Solina sheathed her blade, leaped into the air, and flames engulfed her. She spread fiery wings and took flight as a phoenix, a flaming beast the size of a dragon. Her shrieks tore the air.
"Kill every last dragon!" Her voice stormed through her beak of fire. "Soon we fly to Nova Vita."
Lyana had heard enough. She had to warn them. The king had commanded her. Growling, she spun around and began flying north. I will warn them. I will save our city.
She shot through the battle, eyes narrowed. Around her, dragons were still dying, burned in the grip of phoenix talons. Three of the firebirds dived toward her, leaving trails of flame. Lyana flew sideways, dodging them, and flashed
"Who are you?" Olasar whispered, staring up at her.
She came to stand above him, staring down through her golden mask. In one hand, she held a sack. Her other hand rested on the pommel of her sword.
"Olasar," she said to him, her voice itself like caressing flame. "Hello again."
He squinted, staring up at her; she stood dark before the wall of fire. Her golden mask glimmered. He tried to rise but could not. Welts rose across him, seeping. The pain spun his head and sweat drenched him.
"Show yourself," he managed to say, reaching for his sword with charred fingers.
Slowly, the woman removed her golden mask… and Olasar snarled.
You were right, Lyana. Stars bless us.
"Solina," he whispered hoarsely.
Her face was golden, her eyes blue, her lips cruel. A burn mark ran across her face, from forehead to chin and down her neck. She traced the scar with her fingers.
"My line of fire," Solina said softly. "You remember how your son, the great Prince Orin, burned me." She opened her sack and held it upside down. A severed head rolled out. Half the head was burned into pulpy, red flesh. The other half was locked in a cry of anguish.
"No," Olasar whispered, then howled in the night. "My son! My son." Tears filled her eyes.
Solina nodded, smiling softly. "He burned me… and so I burned him. And so I will burn all of you."
Olasar shook his head. Though the pain suffused him, he managed to rise to his feet. He drew Stella Lumen, his ancient sword. The fire of the phoenix army blazed against the blade.
"I took you into my court," he said, voice trembling but still strong. "I raised you as a daughter. I—"
"You lie!" Solina screamed. Suddenly her eyes blazed, and her fury twisted her face. "I was no daughter to you. I know, Olasar. I know what happened to my true parents. I know that you killed them." She laughed and touched the crystal at her neck; the flame inside it danced. "But I am strong now; I have the strength of the Sun God. As you killed my parents with steel, so will I kill you. Goodbye, tyrant. May your soul forever burn in the court of my lord."
She drew her sword. It crackled with fire and she drove it forward. Olasar parried, sparks showered, and his blade shattered. Shards of steel flew.
Solina snarled and her blade thrust. It drove into Olasar's chest, burning, blazing, twisting inside him.
He fell. Solina laughed above him, and all Olasar saw was the thousands of firebirds flowing north, burning all in their path, heading to the heart of his realm… and then the flames flooded his world, and he saw nothing else.
LYANA
"No," she whispered, eyes stinging. Her breath died within her. "Stars, please, no… Stars, no."
The image seared her. Orin's head, severed and charred, rolling from a sack. It stared up at her from below, hundreds of yards away, but dragon eyes were sharp, and she knew it was him. Tears blurred Lyana's vision.
"Orin, stars… my Orin."
My love. My betrothed. My prince.
She watched as Solina pulled her sword free from the king's body, this woman who had once been like an older sister to her. Smirking, Solina sheathed her blade, leaped into the air, and flames engulfed her. She spread fiery wings and took flight as a phoenix, a flaming beast the size of a dragon. Her shrieks tore the air.
"Kill every last dragon!" Her voice stormed through her beak of fire. "Soon we fly to Nova Vita."
Lyana had heard enough. She had to warn them. The king had commanded her. Growling, she spun around and began flying north. I will warn them. I will save our city.
She shot through the battle, eyes narrowed. Around her, dragons were still dying, burned in the grip of phoenix talons. Three of the firebirds dived toward her, leaving trails of flame. Lyana flew sideways, dodging them, and flashed
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