"It's good to be back..."
Cold winds blew. Arokh and Morghus dropped through the blackness, their riders relying on their eyes to find Delon. He couldn't have fallen far, and he could only have gone down... Runeblade had to have taken them to the right place.
Rynn held on to Arokh and her desperate hope, eyes straining to see even though she knew her efforts were futile. She tried calling her brother's name once, but there had been no response.
Down they flew, deeper into the endless night and the increasing cold...
"I see him!" Arokh shouted. "Rynn, I see him!"
"Delon!" Rynn shouted eagerly. "Can you hear me?"
Still her brother didn't reply.
"I think he's unconscious," Morghus roared. "I'll grab him. Rynn, open a gate to get us out of here. We can decide what to do next when he recovers."
Rynn heard the sweep of his wings as Morghus sped after Delon.
"He has him," Arokh said after a few seconds. "Open the Rift, Rynn. Let's get out of here."
Rynn complied, and the swirling portal appeared above her. She waited stubbornly for Morghus and Ebontyne to leave with Delon first, then Arokh went after them. The gate snapped shut as they left.
* * *
They had returned to Drakan in a field of short grass. Once landed, Rynn almost flew from Arokh's back to see her brother. His eyes were shut tight and his breathing shallow, his skin cold to the touch, but that didn't stop her from hugging him fiercely. Wiping away tears, Rynn gratefully accepted Ebontyne's cloak to wrap around him and cushion his head.
Then the two women and dragons crept a short distance away to leave him in peace.
"What do you plan to do now?" Ebontyne asked softly. "Your brother is safe. Will you help us find and put an end to Navaros?"
"I want to get him somewhere secure first," Rynn said after a moment's thought, "but I'm willing to help. Arokh?"
"Where you go I go," the red dragon said simply. "Any idea where we look first?"
"We might try getting our hands on one of his death magi," Ebontyne suggested grimly. "It'll be hard, but if anyone knows where he is..."
The others nodded in agreement, then glanced around at the sound of grass rustling.
Delon stood up, one hand rubbing his head. He looked around, blinking at the two dragons. Then his eyes fell on Rynn.
Rynn grinned like an idiot, a feeling of amazing joy bubbling up inside her. "Delon!" she said, starting towards him.
Her brother's mouth curved into an answering smile, but a voice that wasn't Delon's answered her. "It's good to be back." His hands moved fractionally and a white light spun around him. A second later, he had vanished.
Stunned to silence, Rynn stared at the place he had just vacated. A sudden, terrible combination of emotions churned the pit of her stomach. Disbelief, betrayal, emptiness...
Fear.
They had just brought Navaros back into the world.
End of Book One…