“We do just as we'd planned. I take him out. I end this threat.”
“Fire against fire?” Alyx didn't sound convinced. “But you heard what Gareth said. Steele's not—”
“He's still a fire dragon.” Braeden ignored the swirling of darkness within him. “He's forged some sort of unholy alliance with something he should never have touched. But he's not the master of darkness. He's still a fire dragon—tainted, but of the fire. Which makes it my duty to deal with him.”
“He's wounded you before,” Alyx pointed out, worried.
Braeden turned to face her. He raised a hand to brush a strand of hair out of her face.
He had to keep her safe. He had to. And there was no other way.
“I wasn't trying to fight him before,” he said. “I was trying to escape. This time—this time I won't hold back.”
***
Braeden left an hour later.
The chimera had summoned the other elemental dragons to Sky Home, but Braeden couldn't wait. It was as if the chimera's touch had awoken the darkness inside him.
You can't win, Steele's voice hissed inside his mind.
Braeden kept grimly silent.
I will rule, Steele continued to gloat, and you will all kneel before me.
Braeden didn't try to shut Steele up this time. Instead, he focused on the dark presence inside him, flying straight towards where the dark power seemed at its strongest.
Steele had made a mistake.
Oh, he'd managed to infiltrate Braeden's mind, which was infuriating.
But at the same time, he'd left a part of his power inside Braeden. And Braeden now used the wisps of shadow within him like a compass, allowing it to lead him straight towards Steele.
He hated that he'd been forced to leave Alyx behind, but soon it would all be over. For better or for worse.
I will destroy you, Steele growled. I will burn you to ash. I will—
Braeden blocked out Steele's voice. He'd been
flying for over an hour. And there, before him, now spread a rocky valley.
He couldn't see signs of human civilization, which was good.
Not good was that Steele had made it out of the erupting volcano so quickly. Braeden had hoped that they'd have a few more days—but then, he hadn't known at the time that Steele had made a pact with Darkness itself.
No wonder he'd seemed nearly as strong as an elemental dragon.
Braeden didn't even try to hide his approach. Steele would be able to feel him, the same way that Braeden had been able to use the darkness inside him to find him.
This was it. This was the encounter they both wanted. This was where it would end.
As soon as Braeden reached the valley, a strangely dark dragon spread his wings and rose up.
Steele.
He looked different now. Before, his scales had been red, flecked with darkness here and there.
Now, it seemed as if the shadow had taken over Steele’s entire body. Darkness moved across his scales. Every now and then, Braeden was still able to see a glimpse of dull red, but mostly, his body was covered by shadow.