Thread of Frost

Ch. 53: Burning Angels

Seraena turned. Vulcan emerged from the gloom, half-crouching on the back of a glittering dragon. A silver circlet sat on his cropped hair. He looked like a dark prince out of hell, Seraena thought grimly, which was undoubtedly the whole point. Her cousin had always had a flare for the dramatic.

She let out a string of filthy curse words. Anna raised an eyebrow.

"Impressive," Anna said. "Not many people know that last one."

Her words were slurred and sluggish. For the first time, Seraena noticed a thin sheen of sweat on the other girl's forehead. Her grip tightened on the saddle. "Seven burning hells. Where did Vulcan get a dragon from?"

"Well," Anna said, "I imagine he wasn't keeping it in his pocket." She shivered. "Can you roast him alive?"

Seraena shook her head. "Fireproof skin."

"Oh, right," Anna said glumly. "Shame."

"Can you scare him to death?" Seraena asked. "With your..." She wiggled her fingers. "You know."

She already knew what the answer would be. Anna's skin was clammy, and she was half-slumped over the saddle. She looked more equipped to take a nap than fire upon an enemy. And sure enough, Anna shook her head.

"Drained my energy," Anna slurred. "Need to recharge."

"Shame," Seraena sighed. "We'll have to do this the old-fashioned way, then."

She nocked an arrow. Vulcan leaned closer to his dragon; her cousin was close enough now that she could see the white of his smile through the smoke. Something in her chest tightened. She pulled the string back.

"Incoming!" a voice called.

Seraena spun.

Two dragons swooped down. Mack and Alfie were sitting on the back of the beasts, wearing identical grins and matching golden armor. Seraena frowned. "For gods' sake. I could have accidentally shot you, you know." Neither boy looked particularly concerned, and she sighed. "Where have you two been?"

"Covering ourselves in glory," Mack said. And then, as an afterthought: "You look terrible, Cidarius."

Anna offered the ghost of a smile. "Cheers."

Mack flew closer. "Did you throw yourself off a cliff?"

"Long story," Anna muttered.

A blast of flame seared through the sky. Seraena swore, urging Kyllini sideways; she had to grab Anna's shoulder to keep the other girl from toppling off. Her skin felt fever hot. Vulcan let out another burst of fire, his wild laughter echoing across the battlefield, and Kyllini had to roll to avoid it.

"I don't get it," Alfie said, his brow furrowed. "Why is Vulcan firing? He knows that we can't—" He glanced at Anna. "Oh."

Realization struck Seraena. "He thinks Anna has God-Slayer."

"For the record," Anna said, looking rather green from their somersault, "I do not have fireproof skin."

"Again," Seraena sighed. "Shame."

Vulcan cocked his arm back. Something sailed through the air, and Seraena ducked. There was a bang. Heat tickled the back of her neck, and she twisted around in time to watch several black feathers drift towards the ground. Mack made a noise.

"What is that?"

Anna sighed. "Some sort of explosive."

Vulcan's hand blurred again. Seraena swerved to the left, cursing as the explosive burst into a shower of heat and dust. If they had been a second later, she thought grimly, they'd be human confetti by now.