The Traitor by A. Lombardo (i can read with my eyes shut TXT) 📕

viable threats. The third assault struck the pier, engulfing two vessels tied on either side of the blast. White and yellow flames floated on the water’s surface. The smell of Arkin oil, a sticky syrup that floats, caught in Kai’s throat, a smell he remembered from the battle for Port Anahita.

A dozen dragons took flight moments before a fourth trebuchet struck, and another Arkin oil-soaked ball flew into the air bound for the white tent. Three airborne dragons sprayed fire on the black-and-orange blaze as it hurled through the sky. A bright white glow blossomed around the boulder, and it blazed like the sun before it struck the ground. The projectile hit beyond the tent, creating a sizable crater, but the consumed oil had nothing left to give and burned out.

Roark’s men responded to his call and retreated out of the line of fire. All but three of the remaining dragons burst into the air: Raijin, Benmar, and Simone. A few circled over the gatehouse, and Kai spotted the point of a dragon killer—a massive crossbow big enough to take down a dragon in midflight. When did Diu install a dragon killer? He watched in horror as a bolt was launched from the wall, but Simone rolled, and the iron point missed its mark. Kai knew all too well how it felt to have such a weapon rip scales and crack bone.

The remaining Milnos men and a few Diu soldiers continued to retreat through the gatehouse into the city's safety—men pushing and running as if their lives depended on hiding within the thick city walls. The Regent and Queen Nola's appearance on the gatehouse parapet surprised Kai.

Does she mean to orchestrate this battle personally?

Shouts and commands volleyed around the field, bringing the orderly chaos around Kai into focus. A launch of arrows turned the sky gray, but a blast of dragon fire turned the projectiles into embers before they peaked. Simone flew over to the gatehouse, preventing the dragon killer from aiming as she singed the banners blowing in the wind, encouraging men to run away.

Kai watched as Simone flew to a safe distance and the men returned to take aim. Queen Nola’s defiant stare burred across the field as if she could will Iver dead once more.

Chapter 25

Exposed

Cannon fire and a flurry of arrows sent everyone running for cover and the safety of the forest. As Kai searched for Rayna, he found her running with Kendra and Sabastian. She was safe, for now.

Iver dragged Seth and Kai through the swarm of soldiers while the remaining dragons took to the sky. Their massive forms cast an eerie rolling shadow across the field.

While Roark and Iver discussed strategy, Kai studied the battlements along the walls. As the trebuchets cranked backward to reload, Milnos banners fluttered in the wind. He noticed someone was fighting against the retreating mass but could not see who disrupted the orderly flow filing into the gatehouse when the Admiral’s words caught his ears. “How do we use the dragons?”

“You do not!” Kai barked, letting go of Seth’s hand. “Dragons are not tools you wield like a sword, nor are they under your command.” The sounds of battle pulled Kai’s gaze to the gatehouse as the last few men disappeared into the city, and the young prince emerged before the gates slammed shut, leaving him alone on the outside.

Tears streaked down Aaron’s cheeks as he removed his royal crown. His expression turned sour, and he glanced up above the massive archway to his screaming mother. Although Kai could not hear their words, he imagined that Nola demanded his loyalty. The young man’s response came as he tossed the unwanted symbol aside and ran away from the gatehouse.

Soundless shouts chased after the runaway prince, but he did not stop. The Queen waved her hands in anger, but he would not turn back. Through the men, Kai searched for Seth when he caught a glimpse of his brother darting away from the protection of the King’s men. The twins, two halves of one soul, shouted and cried desperately, trying to close the gap between them.

Worried about his brothers and their exposure on the open field, Kai pushed through the soldiers when an uneasy feeling washed over him. Thoughts of death surrounded his brothers and gripped his chest, forcing him to run toward the unsettling moment. When he saw Regent Maxwell and a line of Milnos soldiers nock their arrows and take aim from the parapet, Kai gasped at the sight and increased his speed.

The arrows let loose, arching high before gliding downward. Kai’s heart pounded in his ears, and his mind warped forward in time, showing the possibility of the next moment. The edges of his vision blurred. Only his brothers remained in focus. As he took his next breath, three arrows pierced Aaron—one in the shoulder and two in the back, straight through his heart, dropping him on the field. Seth reached Aaron’s dead body and wept as the Regent’s men let loose more arrows. The fierce projectiles cut through the air, arching high in the sky, striking Seth. It was as if the arrows had stabbed Kai through his own heart as tears streaked down his cheeks.

Then Kai’s mind cleared and he snapped back into the present moment. It had to be a vision of one possible future. He looked to the sky and saw the arrows reach their peak above Seth and Aaron. As gravity took over, Kai held on to the moment, altering time, which slowed their descent. Propelled by fear and anger, he begged fate. Please let me stop this. With the perception of time within his grasp, Kai held his breath and pushed against the thick temporal distortion. There was little distance left between the deadly arrows falling toward Aaron and