I won’t watch you die to save everyone.

“Professor?” The man slowly pushed himself to a sitting position. Blood freely poured from he claw marks on his back. Sorcha ran to his side and healed his wounds before he suffered a dire fate.

“Rowan, that’s my cousin Pàrlan. We’ve exchanged hundreds of letters over the years,” Aislinn sought to clear the misunderstanding.

“What? Pàrlan?” Rowan looked from her to the Danan noble who stood well enough. He looked like Rowan’s literature teacher; he was younger and had pointed ears. He had the same light brown hair and black eyes.

“Yes? My name is Pàrlan. I’m not a professor, and my family name is not Riordan,” the nobleman declared. “Now that we’ve cleared that up, please provide a report of your findings. What did those foolish humans do?”

Rowan focused on the task at hand and sheathed his sword. “Domhnall Leòideach and his direct subordinates signed a contract with Aonghas. They weaken the seal enough to get dark powers and serve Annfayn up on a silver platter.”

“Aonghas wants to turn us into demons so we can undo Mairwen’s seal ourselves,” Aislinn concluded. “My magic was the final catalyst they needed to begin the invasion.” Sadness and regret were evident in her voice.

“The battle is not lost yet,” Fionnbharr assured her. “In fact, your magic will be the catalyst to create a new cornerstone, one that will extend throughout the entirety of Siofra Forest,” he turned to Pàrlan. “Bring Mairwen’s Raiment, she’ll need that to perform the ritual.”

Pàrlan was alarmed. “The ritual of Findlaech? That’s too dangerous. Let me do it,” he demanded.

“What’s the ritual of Findlaech, and why is it so dangerous?” Rowan inquired.

A grim expression overtook Pàrlan’s features. “It’s the spell closest to Mairwen’s original seal. The danger lies in making the caster vulnerable to darkness. She could die, or in the worst case, she could become a demon.”

Aislinn stepped forward. “I’ll do it.”

Rowan shook his head. “I’m with the professor on this one, there has to be another way.” Pàrlan gave him an annoyed look.

Aislinn narrowed her eyes. “Is this not my destiny? Is this not why you’ve come to me?” She challenged him. “Besides, it’s as Isolde said earlier, our victory is already assured. It is written.” Her features softened, and she took his hand into hers. “Trust me. We will save everyone.”

Rowan gritted his teeth. “That includes you, right? I won’t watch you die to save everyone.”

A bright smile shone on her face. “Don’t worry, this won’t become my twilight,” she promised, then she gave him a sly wink. “I still need a companion for Corbenic’s founding celebration.”

Sorcha wore a pained expression as she approached Aislinn. She handed her granddaughter a locket and opened it to reveal a shining white stone. “This will offer some protection when you cast the spell,” the queen explained. “Make sure you hurry back here and return it when you’ve completed the ritual.” She tried to smile, but her effort was in vain.

Aislinn enclosed her hands around Sorcha’s. “Don’t worry. I know it looks better on you than it does on me.” The two briefly laughed at the self-deprecating joke.

Pàrlan approached them with a shimmering, ethereal white robe. “Here,” he offered it to Aislann with a pained expression.

The princess took the gem and the robe and walked to Rowan’s side. She carefully put the robe on and felt new power well up inside her. Aislinn affixed the gem to a clasp that held the robe together around her neck. “Well? What do you think?”

Rowan was taken aback by how beautiful and divine she truly looked. His mouth hung open, indicating his loss for words. Aislinn lightly giggled, amused by his reaction. Isolde rolled her eyes and lifted his jaw closed with a finger. “You look very nice, now let’s be off,” she stated quickly.

They stood before the castle and watched the battle for Annfayn’s soul continue. “Continue forward. Your book indicated where the ritual must be performed: the leyline that rests between Annfayn and Corbenic,” King Fionnbharr ordered as he marched with his queen beside him. Fionnbharr and Sorcha touched the ground with their weapons. Golden glowing vines erupted from the ground and lashed out at the demons. Dozens were crushed into smoke in moments.

“Bring the wounded and vulnerable into the castle! Sorcha and I already sanctified the grounds, the demons can’t get in,” The king issued another order. His soldiers immediately obeyed and set to work bringing their people to safety. The vines grazed the Danans, who had taken on dark traits and purified them.

Rowan, Aislinn, and Isolde ran against the current of wounded and scared Danans. Something bothered Rowan. A sense of dread nagged at him, but he couldn’t explain it. “Ais-” he began to call for her. A dragon’s roar echoed through the city. Flames streamed from the sky and incinerated numerous flying demons in an instant.

Pàrlan ran to them, wielding a sword in one hand and a shield in the other. “I sent a summons to the great dragon Raghnall. It seems he appeared to aid us once again.”

Raghnall landed before them, his black and green scales reflecting the demonic flames that began to consume the city. He stood before them on all fours, a fanged smirk forming on his long face. “Heh. A boy who leapt through time.”

Rowan stood in awe of the dragon before them. He was large enough to crush a person in just one hand, and immediately reminded Rowan of the mountain carving that scared him as a child.

Raghnall raised his head and roared into the sky. The flames that threatened the city danced at his command and flew into his maw. Once the flames had vanished into the dragon, he returned his attention to the group before him. “I shall carry you to the leyline, but it will be up to you to complete the ritual.”

Raghnall bore Rowan, Isolde, Aislinn, and Pàrlan on his back. Aislinn sat toward the front with Rowan behind her. Isolde held onto Rowan’s back closer than necessary. Rowan felt something like a magical field hold them firm on the dragon’s back. Air currents whipped by them as the dragon navigated through the trees and branches that gave Annfayn its natural ceiling. Raghnall beat his wings and rose above the treeline. The world unfolded before Rowan.

“The king’s elite warriors will meet us there,” Pàrlan reported, bringing Rowan back to reality.

“So Ceallach and the others made it out okay,” Rowan said in relief.

“Yes. They were wounded, but those foolish humans were defeated. It’s a shame they could not smite that lord as well,” anger was clear in Pàrlan’s voice.

“Rowan descends from that wretched family, so I’m quite happy that Lord Domhnall escaped,” Aislinn commented, her voice betraying a hint of annoyance.

“Aww, you like me more than you hate them. I’m touched,” Rowan joked. Aislinn looked behind her and cutely stuck her tongue out at him.

Raghnall landed and lowered his body so Rowan and the others could dismount. “Prepare yourselves, Aonghas will not be denied his freedom forever,” he warned them.

“He will be denied this day,” Ceallach assured the great dragon. He and his comrades arrived fresh from another battle. Their clothes and armor were torn, but pure confidence radiated from them.

“This day and every other, until Mairwen herself finishes the job,” Rowan declared, slamming his fist into his hand.