She closed her eyes the moment his cheek pressed against her head. How she, of all people, had come to enjoy the company of this Dragon, Arianna would never know. But with Florence starting her new life, and Eva and Oliver dead, he was the only one who knew her. He was the only one who’d seen her in her entirety.
“Cvareh,” she began, softly. “When you’re King—”
“If,” Cvareh emphasized.
“When,” she shot right back. Arianna would not tolerate dismissive language now. They’d come too far for it. “Do not forget the promises you made to Loom.”
“I would never.”
“Because I will hunt you and kill you if you do.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
She wondered if it was true—if he was sincere in appreciating that some part of their relationship—whatever it was—was strung together with vengeance and inter-world power struggles. It was certainly odd, but she’d lived an odd life. It was only fitting that the only companion she’d found at the end of the road would be the most inconceivable of them all.
“Cvareh—”
Arianna never finished her thought, which was likely a good thing, as she’d suddenly begun to feel dangerously sentimental. Cain bounded onto the balcony, and the expression on his face told them everything. Even still, nothing could’ve prepared her for his words.
“Yveun approaches.”
“What?” they said in unison.
“Are you sure?” Arianna had fully expected the battle against the Dragon King to be drawn out until its bitter end. She never expected the man to make the same mistake she had—to deliver himself neatly to her.
“I don’t think I would mistake the Dragon King,” Cain replied testily.
Arianna was too distracted by their luck to even think on it. They ascended through the manor to an upper level. Sure enough, a whole flock of boco cluttered the sky, approaching fast. Flanking one man were two Riders with large pennons strapped to their backs bearing the sigil of House Rok.
Arianna adjusted her grip on her weapon. One shot—all she needed was one good shot. The gun had that much left in it, at least. Arianna slowed her breathing as they neared. Just when she was about to take a sharp inhale and lift the barrel—
Cvareh stopped her. “Don’t.”
“We can kill him right now. We can end this.”
“You know I must. For Nova to see me as Dono, it must be a proper duel.”
Arianna glared at him, the gun, at the approaching king, but more at her circumstances in general. She knew it to be true, though every instinct screamed for her to just end it. Grand acts only created great openings for error.
“A duel?” Cain’s hand went slack as he became distracted by Cvareh’s words. “You’re going to duel him now? Why not before?”
“Because now, we can thrive. Tam will undoubtedly side with the victor. With more weapons like the one Arianna is holding, with Perfect Chimera, none will attempt to subvert our victory.” Cvareh’s eyes drifted back to her. “Because now, time is on my side.”
Did she hear him right? Arianna studied his face, searching. She wanted more—needed confirmation of what he was planning. Had his plan all along been to use her lungs against Yveun?
“Cvareh’Ryu,” Yveun called out, finally within earshot and hovering just above the platform. “I seek to challenge you. Are you finally done shaming your house with your subversions?”
“I seek to challenge you as well.” Cvareh ignored the bait and Arianna silently commended him.
She watched as Yveun landed. Her hands itched—to pull the trigger, to summon claws, to attack. She stood silently, however, forcing herself to stay in place, play her part.
Yveun’s eyes found her and then the handful of Perfect Chimera in their midst. “I wouldn’t have believed it if I’d not seen it with my own eyes. Xin has stooped so low as to work with Fen. How do you follow such a weak ruler that he must turn to the gray scourge of the earth for power?” Yveun asked the Xin assembled.
“How does Rok follow a man who drives his House to failure because he is too afraid of progress?”
“‘Progress,’ as you call it, is a threat to all of Nova, as it undermines the foundation of our traditions.”
There it was. There was the crux of it. Arianna watched as the other Dragons, both red and blue, considered what side of this line they fell on. Did they stand with an evolving world? Or did they cling to the order that had seemingly served them so well for centuries?
“Progress cannot be stopped once started, not even by a King.” Arianna made her voice heard. She made Oliver’s voice heard. She made Eva’s, and Florence’s, and every other Fenthri who had ever worked and died for the idea of a free Loom, heard and accounted for.
“And who would believe a Fen?” he sneered at her.
“Because I am evidence of it.” Arianna gave him space to challenge her on the claim, but Yveun’s silence was the loudest reply—so loud that the other Rok Dragons exchanged glances. “Because Perfect Chimera are here and will come to Nova in droves. The God’s Line will protect none of you. Work with us, or find out what it is like to live beneath a greater race.”
Enough Dragons actually seemed to think on her words that Arianna considered the whole claim worth it. Frankly, Loom had no interest in ruling over Nova—at least, she sincerely hoped that sentiment remained unchanged. But the Dragons didn’t need to know that. Let it cloud their minds and cast the shadows of doubt on their every movement.
“You lie.” Someone from Yveun’s entourage.
“Do you really want to take that chance?”
“Enough!” Yveun regained his control the only way he knew how, by shouting it back into place. It was the move of a desperate man. One that had Arianna wondering how she had ever allowed herself to be bested by him. “Will you duel me or not?”
“As the Xin’Oji,” Cvareh proclaimed proudly. “I will—for honor of Xin, for my sister, and for the title of Dono of all of Loom.”
There was no waiting in Dragon duels.
Arianna watched as both men exploded into motion. Yveun was a stronger, faster, and better fighter than Cvareh. But Cvareh had a weapon that he now deployed.
She felt the strange ache that followed a time stop, and looked on with everyone else as Cvareh moved from where he’d been about to be attacked, to the space just behind the Dragon King.
Yveun looked on in confusion; by the time he realized where his adversary had gone, Cvareh had plunged his teeth into the man’s back, drawing blood with fervor.
“Time?” Yveun roared. He bucked backward and Cvareh rolled off. Yveun twisted, lunging for him.
Another snap of magic. Another ache between her temples. Cvareh was holding the Dono’s arm, bleeding him from the wrist.
Yveun reached for the man, his hand stopping just before Cvareh’s neck. As soon as Cvareh released the Dono’s flesh, he took another sharp inhale of air. Arianna’s ears barely had time to hear the start of Cvareh’s lungs filling before time stopped again.