The shadows found the gate.And now they’re coming.The hatchling’s words hung in the sanctuary like a death sentence. The air itself seemed to freeze, thick and unmoving, as though the mountain held its breath.No one moved. No one spoke. Even the hatchlings had gone silent, curling tightly against their mothers while the shattered sanctuary walls still bled trails of black smoke.Vaelrion stood directly in front of her, a living shield of scales and fire. His arm remained locked around her waist, holding her close as though the shadows might reach for her again at any moment. Dragonfire flickered beneath his skin, casting faint gold light across the dark veins spreading slowly across his chest where the shadow had struck him.And gods— That terrified her more than the prophecy.“You’re hurt,” she whispered.“I am alive,” he answered.“That’s not the same thing.”His jaw tightened, the only sign he’d heard her.Across the sanctuary, the silver hatchling whimpered, her small body trem
Last Updated : 2026-05-27 Read more