“Surrender, Morgana,” I urged. “Give up this foolish pursuit of power, and I will spare your life.”
“Never!” growled the usurper queen. Skye raised a sword to Aiden’s throat. “If you make a move, your High Fae minion will die.” The blade in Skye’s hand gleamed obsidian. If his throat was cut with her blade, Aiden would surely die.
Morgana smiled, reached into her cloak, and took out the Book of Abraxas.
“You think you have won.” Her eyes strayed to my companions. “But I still have the book, and I know how to use it.”
Tristan growled at the sight of it, and a ball of silver fire hurtled toward Morgana. She held up her hand and a shield formed around her. The silver fire hit it with such force that it raced over the shield in a wave of fury, scorching the ground around her. But Morgana remained unharmed, protected by magic from the ancient book. Only Abraxas could destroy the Book of Power, and the book seemed to protect itself as well as its bearer.
Morgana laughed hysterically. Wind whipped around her, churning up the earth as she read from the Book of Abraxas. Beside her, a portal started to open. “With this book, I can summon others like Dragath.” Her eyes gleamed with the prospect. “I will summon an army of them.”
I held out my hand, unleashing a wave of scorching white light at her, battering her shield, but the magic of the Book of Abraxas was too powerful. Even my magic could not get through her shield. “Don’t do it, Morgana. Something worse than Dragath could come through that portal.”
“That’s what I’m counting on,” Morgana sneered. “I will be Queen of Avalonia, whatever it takes.” She raised her hand in the air and dark shadows wound around the portal. Something was forcing its way through.
Tristan and Ashara moved forward to meet whatever it was.
I blasted more magic at her shield, this time aiming for the portal, but the magic of the Book of Abraxas protected it.
“We must get her to drop the shield. The book is protecting itself. If I can get past its shield, I can destroy it once and for all,” said the great dragon, his voice tense. “Have faith in yourself, Aurora. You can do this.”
I nodded as three demonic creatures, eyes dark as night, ravenous with the need to devour souls, stepped out of the portal.
Tristan’s sword lit up, and Ashara’s staff glowed.
Sebastian and Victor drew runes on the ground beside me. The army at my back tensed.
“No one can stop me now,” Morgana shrieked as her demonic creatures shifted toward us, ready to pounce.
In that moment I instinctively knew what to do.
“I was born to stop you, Morgana.” My resolve was clear—this time I would not fail.
I held up the Dagger of Dragath and gathered my magic. We needed more warriors, and if my grandmother could not send the fae army in time, then I would summon my own.
I bent my knee and swiftly plunged the Dark Dagger into the ground, into the very heart of Avalonia itself, sending out a call of ancient magic, the power of summons, a call of light.
“Warriors of Illaria, hear me now! Cast off the veil of darkness that keeps you from this world. Rise and fight! Defend Avalonia.” My voice rose to a crescendo as the ancient magic of Illaria Lightbringer arose once more. “The Dawnstar summons you!”
Both armies stilled.
Over the horizon where the sun crested the hills beyond the plains, a mighty force reared its fearsome head. Magic crackled and the sky lit up as a power older than time itself awoke.
I looked to the east. Sunlight glinted off the shields of an ancient army, swords flashing with silver fire.
The fire-fae warriors of Illaria Lightbringer! Thousands of them!
At the helm, her white-and-gold cloak spread out behind her like wings billowing in the wind, stood my mother in full battle regalia, resplendent and shining like the morning sun.
Morgana wavered at the sight of Illaria’s immortal warriors, and her shield fell.
She dropped the book.
“Abraxas!” I screamed, summoning the great dragon.
Abraxas roared, a sound that could be heard at the very ends of the world.
Morgana shrieked in terror as dragon-fire engulfed her and the Book of Abraxas in a flaming ball, burning brighter than the sun itself. Everyone shielded their eyes as the great dragon appeared. Morgana and the Book of Abraxas were reduced to ashes where she stood.
With the book gone, the portal closed.
A burst of silver fire erupted near Skye as Aiden broke out of his bonds, grabbed the obsidian blade from Skye’s hand, and plunged it into his sister’s stomach.
Elayna Firedrake raised her sword, and it flashed silver with a fire deadly to demons and darkness alike. “For Avalonia!”
“For the Dawnstar!” shouted the mages, the witches, and the Brandorians.
“For the Dragon Queen!” shouted the fae army as a massive wave of ancient fire-fae warriors crashed into Morgana’s demon horde, swords blazing.
They cleaved through the darkness, making way for the age of light.
The Return of the Dragon Queen
The ballroom at the Star Palace in Illiador glittered with a thousand stars, magically floating around the great arched ceiling.
I smiled. This was definitely Penelope and my mother’s doing, I could tell. It was made to look like the throne room at the Crystal Castle.
My father sat on his throne, regal and happy, with my mother, the love of his life, at his side. Tristan stood close by with Ashara. They had become rather attached to each other recently.
I stood at the foot of the stairs leading to the dais and looked over at my parents. Of course Rafe wasn’t here. He had to return to Eldoren and deal with restoring his own kingdom. But he did promise to return, and this time
