Braeden groaned as he hit the floor, rolling across stone until he came to a stop at last in the center of the cave. For a moment, he remained on the ground, motionless. Then he stumbled to his feet, his face a grimace of pain and determination.
“You thought you could turn him against us,” Steele hissed. “I hope you’ll enjoy watching your friend die. I saved that moment just so that you could enjoy the sight.”
“You will leave,” the chimera roared now out of the darkness. The shadows at the back of the cave were shifting quickly, sizzling with power. “You will have no seat on the council. I will kill you myself if I have to!”
“As if you could keep me from claiming what is mine, old monster.” The fire dragon moved forward, shifting effortlessly back into his dragon form. He parted his jaws, flames flickering in his nostrils. Shadows rippled across his fiery scales—and then he exhaled, a lance of red-hot fire racing straight towards Braeden.
In reflex, Braeden had hastily raised his arms, trying to shield himself. But the obsidian cuffs were still encircling his wrists, locking his powers.
Right now, he was just as defenseless as an ordinary human. Liana cried out in terror as she saw the flames rushing towards him.
And then, there was a sudden flash of light.
The symbol of fire on the fourth plinth abruptly burst into flame. From out of nowhere, a shield of fire appeared, surrounding Braeden.
When Steele’s attack hit the shield of fire, it sizzled. For a moment, it burned so high that the flames reached the ceiling of the cave—but the shield kept its form.
And when the flames burned down again, Braeden was still standing in the center of the circle of flames. He was completely unharmed, his eyes wide with shock.
With a roar of anger, Steele shifted back to human. His eyes were completely black, Liana realized, and there were flames dancing in them.
He bared his teeth in rage. Then he raised a hand. Flames were dancing in his palm, quickly growing until a ball of fire was hovering over his hand.
“More chimera magic? It won’t save you now,” Steele growled. “You’ll die here like the traitor you are. You’re no longer one of us, Braeden. You have betrayed the fire, and so you will die by it.”
Liana cried out when Steele hurled the ball of fire straight at Braeden.
Bu
t again there was a sudden flash of light. And this time, there was no shield of fire springing up. Instead, there was a high, ringing sound.
The cuffs of obsidian around Braeden’s wrists split in half and dropped to the floor.
Then Braeden raised a hand. And just like that, Steele’s fireball halted in the air.
Braeden closed his hand into a fist. The fireball vanished.
Shocked, Liana suddenly realized that there were flames dancing in Braeden’s eyes as well.
“You’re wrong,” Braeden said calmly, his voice echoing through the cave. “You are the one who has betrayed the fire. And the fire has judged you, Steele.”
“You know nothing,” the dragon shouted, his words coming out in a furious howl. “And your tricks won’t save you. You’ll die now—”
Again Braeden raised his hand. He stood there, calmly, as Steele rapidly shifted and breathed another jet of fire at him.
The fire vanished before it ever touched Braeden. Steele roared in rage.
“Your reign is over,” Braeden said. There was something old and powerful echoing in his voice now. “The fire has chosen a new champion.”
Then Braeden shifted, and Liana couldn’t hold back a gasp.
She had never seen Braeden in his dragon form before. He looked somewhat similar to the other fire dragons. His body was clad in red scales from head to toe, his wings black.
But unlike Steele, whose body seemed covered by shadows that raced across his scales, there was a warm glow to Braeden’s body. His scales were gleaming in brilliant hues of yellow, orange and red, promising warmth and light in the darkness.
“The dragon of fire,” Timothy said, awe in his voice. “It was Braeden all along. But how can that be?”
Braeden spread his wings—and then he rushed at his enemy, breathing a gust of fire that enveloped Steele.