The Blood's Flame (The Dragons of Flareia Book 1)

Chapter 22 - Kylan

The Palace Beach

26th Year of the Ocean

3rd Moon

Kylan gasped as the flames died down, one of the attackers' scarves falling from their face to reveal dark skin studded with silver. There are Umbrassi soldiers here! He told Tenebrille. Have you heard anything of this? They're attacking the three of us Dragonheirs. Even I am not being spared.

He could almost feel the dragon freeze. Neither me or Seraphi received word of such an attack. He said. It is a wonder they reached Avalo unseen without my help.

At his side, he could feel Flae more than he could see her. The Ignisian Dragonheir was emitting more heat than he had ever felt even in the Umbrassi desert. She sent a pillar of fire towards one of the Umbrassi soldiers at such a speed that Kylan barely noticed it – but she sent her attack at the same time as Olivier, and as Olivier's water struck the fire, the beach became clouded in smoke. Kylan cursed. It would be suicide for Flae and Olivier to try and fight the armed soldiers while they were blinded by the smoke. He opened his mouth to warn the other Dragonheirs not to attack, then froze.

Tenebrille hid the entire country of Umbrassé from view of outsiders by bending light around it, making it impossible to see. If I could somehow bend the light around the soldiers, Kylan thought, perhaps I could render them blind and give us a fighting chance until the Avalonian guards arrive. He knew there was a chance nothing would happen. He knew if something did happen, it would likely hurt. But he couldn't stand back and let Flae and Olivier get themselves killed because their dragons' powers clashed.

As the smoke began to clear enough for Kylan to make out the outline of the closest soldier to him, Kylan focused on all the sources of light that were hitting the soldier – the light from the sun, the bonfire on the beach behind the Dragonheirs, the reflections off swords or his own piercings. As he concentrated on them, he felt a tug in his gut similar to when he lengthened shadows, or the nausea when he Shadow Travelled. Just when Kylan felt the ground spin beneath him, the soldier cried out in shock.

"I'm blind!" He yelled, slipping to his knees in the sand. "I-I can't see anything!"

Kylan wanted to laugh or cry out in delight at his success, but his head was still spinning as he fought to keep hold on the light around the soldier. He felt something warm drip onto his bottom lip, and reached up to discover his nose was bleeding. At the sight of his own blood, the world seemed to fall from beneath him, and he found himself on his hands and knees in the sand just like the soldier.

"Kylan!"

It was Olivier, who had dropped his hand so she could fight. He wanted to turn and meet her eyes, but he didn't have the strength. He wasn't sure whether she had seen the blood or merely seen him fall, but he hoped she wasn't putting herself in danger by reacting. But then she was by his side in the sand, her hand on his shoulder.

"Kylan!" She gasped, running one hand over his back – searching for injuries – while trying to get him to face her with the other. "Kylan, what is it? Where are you hurt?"

Kylan just shook his head, trying to stop the dizziness from consuming him.

Only metres away, the Umbrassi solder was still yelling. "What is this? What's happening?! I can't see!"

Kylan groaned as the blood from his nose ran down his chin. He pointed to the soldier with a weak, shaking hand.

Olivier's brow furrowed. "Are you doing that?" She asked breathlessly.