She wound up again to try to hit me. I twisted, trying to avoid her, but wasn’t quick enough. Right before her open palm made impact, she dropped like a stone. The ruby circlet stayed in my hand as she fell, her tangled hair falling around her face.
Curled on her side, Taryn didn’t move. Worried, I started to reach down to her when she let out a loud snore.
I straightened up and glanced around. Farrah stepped up, hands outstretched toward Taryn as she silently mouthed her spell.
“Took you long enough!” I clutched the circlet to my chest.
Farrah finished her incantation and tied off her magic. With the spell complete, she stuck her tongue out at me. “You’re welcome!”
“How long will your spell hold?”
“About a quarter of an hour. If you need her to stay asleep longer, I’ll need to recast the spell.”
“That’s good enough. Here, help me destroy this thing!” I waved the circlet in the air.
Farrah joined me, throwing random spells at the circlet in an effort to break it. Her magic ripped at the still-attached veil, quickly turning the gauzy fabric into rags. But her spells bounced harmlessly off the circlet. It didn’t even look singed.
The torn veil was getting in the way, so I ripped it off and began banging the circlet against a nearby bench. The jewels stayed intact.
“Try melting it!” Farrah shouted.
I reached within, recalling the spell I had used against the bandits who had invaded our camp weeks ago. I had more control now, so I wasn’t worried about accidentally roasting Farrah. I concentrated, bringing forth fire and heat into my hands. But even though I called forth my hottest flame, the circlet remained unharmed.
And it was pulsing with a heartbeat of its own. Its magical aura had steadily grown stronger, aided by Hendon’s attempt at stealing the essences of all the people at the wedding. Holding the small crown in my hands, I could feel it writhing like a living, breathing creature. I found myself looking between the circlet and King Hendon without knowing why.
Hendon and Joichan were circling each other. Joichan was bleeding from a myriad of cuts; a few guards lay on the ground nearby, but there were still enough men continuing to harry my father. Hendon didn’t seem particularly eager to press the attack; I realized his goal was to weaken my father enough so that he could eventually overpower Joichan.
Hendon waved his arms lazily. The jewel at his neck pulsed. The dragon recoiled. The circlet in my hands throbbed as well, cycling from blush to crimson to burgundy.
Two guards had my mother’s arms pinned. “Unhand me!” she commanded imperiously. “Did you hear what I said? Release me this instant! I am your queen!”
Upon seeing my mother captured, Joichan growled and lashed out at Hendon. Hendon swiped with his sword, creating a new slash of blood on the dragon’s golden hide. Joichan growled again, sounding weaker than before.
“Oh, does this upset you?” Hendon swung his sword from Joichan to my mother. “Surrender, or she dies.”
Joichan roared, but the massive beast backed away. Hendon stroked his necklace and began a sonorous incantation, pointing at the dragon. Joichan howled in pain, a terrifying sound that caused all the fighting to cease. Some of the guards fled; others clapped their hands to their ears. Beyan, now opponent-less, started to make his way to the queen. Rhyss engaged a guard who tried to stab Beyan in the back.
But Joichan’s cry caused them to have trouble walking; it was as if the air had turned to mud or snow that they were forced to wade through.
The circlet glowed again.
My face flushed, as red hot as Hendon’s jewel and the circlet in my hands. I breathed in, and as I exhaled I transformed into my dragon self, faster than I ever had before. While I wasn’t as large a creature as my father — maybe about a third of his impressive size — I was still imposing. And unlike Joichan, I was uninjured. For the most part.
Now fully in dragon form, I roared an answer to my father’s cry of pain. Hendon whirled around, paling at the sight of a second creature to contend with. Taryn’s wedding crown encircled my hand like some odd piece of dragon jewelry.
Screams echoed around the courtyard as those left got a look at me. The loudest and shrillest of all was the Queen of Rothschan, who had apparently revived long enough to see me become a dragon. I had a feeling that after this new shock, she had fainted yet again. Poor lady. I’m probably not what she had in mind for a daughter-in-law.
Farrah clapped her hands in delight. “Girl, you gotta show me how to do that!”
Across the courtyard, Rhyss and the guard both broke off from their fight to stare at me, slack-jawed.
Farrah yelled at Rhyss, “Pay attention, you idiot!”
He blinked, almost casually disarming his still-stunned opponent. The guard didn’t hesitate, hightailing it out of the courtyard after one last fearful glance at me and my father.
Even with Hendon holding her at sword point, my mother’s pride and love for me were evident as she gazed at me, eyes shining with unshed tears.
And Beyan just grinned. Like he had somehow known all along.
“I knew it!” Hendon’s angry shout echoed around the courtyard. “I always knew you were some sort of abomination. How your mother could love and shelter such a disgusting creature, I’ll never understand.”
Snarling, I bared my teeth and advanced on
