Mireya's POV
"Brother?"
The word hangs in the air like poison.
Through the bond, I feel Azraeth's emotions explode—shock, rage, grief, and underneath it all, a betrayal so deep it makes my chest ache.
"You're dead," Azraeth says, his voice shaking. "I watched them execute you."
Kael smiles, and it's cruel. "You watched an illusion. A trick I paid good money for." He spreads his arms wide. "Surprise. I've been alive this whole time."
"You betrayed me." Azraeth's shadows start swirling around him, wild and dangerous. "You told the angels where to find Morwenna. You led them right to her!"
"I did." Kael doesn't even look sorry. "And I'd do it again."
Azraeth lunges. His clawed hand goes straight for his brother's throat. But Kael vanishes in a burst of red smoke, reappearing twenty feet away.
"Still so predictable," Kael taunts. "Still letting emotions control you. That's why you lost, brother. That's why they locked you away for five centuries while I walked free."
"Why?" Azraeth's voice breaks. "She was going to help us. Morwenna wanted peace between demons and angels. Why would you destroy that?"
"Because I didn't want peace!" Kael's eyes blaze red. "I wanted war. I wanted the angels to fall. But you—you were so blinded by love for that witch, you couldn't see she was making us weak!"
My mother steps between them. "This isn't the time—"
"Silence, human," Kael snaps. His gaze lands on me. "So. This is Morwenna's reincarnation. Smaller than I expected. Weaker."
Anger flares in my chest. "I'm not weak."
"Prove it." He raises his hand. Red fire explodes toward me.
I react on instinct. Black flames burst from my palms, meeting his attack. The two fires crash together, creating an explosion that throws everyone back.
When the smoke clears, I'm still standing. My hands are shaking but my fire held.
Kael looks impressed. "Well. Maybe not completely useless."
"Enough!" Mordaine roars, his massive form blocking Kael. "You will not harm the Dragon-Keeper."
"Relax, dragon. I'm not here to hurt her." Kael's smile returns. "I'm here to make a deal."
"We don't deal with traitors," Azraeth snarls.
"You will with this one." Kael's expression turns serious. "Seraphina isn't working alone. The angels have formed an alliance with the witch covens. They're planning something big. Something that will kill every demon and demon-bonded human on this continent."
Ice runs through my veins. "What are you talking about?"
"A purge." Kael's voice is grim. "They're building a weapon—a massive spell that will erase demon magic from existence. Anyone with demon blood or demon connections will die. That includes you, little Dragon-Keeper."
Through the bond, I feel Azraeth's disbelief. "That's impossible. That kind of magic would require—"
"Dragon hearts," Kael finishes. "They've been capturing dragons for decades. Draining them. Using their essence to power the spell." He looks at Mordaine. "Your kind is almost extinct because of it."
Mordaine's roar shakes the ground. "The missing dragons... they've been harvesting us?"
"For two hundred years." Kael nods. "Why do you think the angels are so powerful now? They're literally running on stolen dragon magic."
My head spins. This is too much. Too big.
"Why tell us?" I ask. "If you betrayed Azraeth once, why would you help us now?"
Kael's expression darkens. "Because this purge will kill me too. I may have betrayed my brother, but I'm still a demon. And I quite like being alive." He looks at Azraeth. "We need to work together. You, me, the dragon, the girl. It's the only way to stop them."
"I'd rather die than work with you," Azraeth says coldly.
"Then you will die. And your new bonded soul dies with you." Kael gestures to me. "Is that what you want? To lose her the same way you lost Morwenna?"
Through the bond, I feel Azraeth's internal war. He wants to refuse. Wants to kill Kael where he stands. But he knows his brother is right.
I touch Azraeth's arm. "We need information. We can use him."
"He'll betray us again," Azraeth says through the bond.
"Probably. But right now, he's more useful alive."
Azraeth looks at me for a long moment. Then he turns to Kael. "Fine. But if you even think about betraying us, I'll make sure you die screaming."
Kael grins. "That's the brother I remember."
My mother steps forward. "If the angels are planning a purge, we need to warn the other Dragon-Keeper families—"
"There are no other families," Kael interrupts. "The angels wiped them out. Mireya is the last one."
The words hit me like a punch. I'm the last Dragon-Keeper? The last of an entire bloodline?
"Then we need a plan," Mordaine says. "The purge spell—where are they building it?"
"The Celestial Citadel. The angels' fortress in the sky." Kael's expression turns calculating. "It's protected by wards that would kill any demon who tries to enter. But a Dragon-Keeper..." He looks at me. "You might be able to get through."
"Absolutely not," Azraeth says immediately. "She's not ready. She just awakened her power tonight."
"Then train her fast. We have three days before the spell is complete." Kael starts walking toward the buildings. "Three days before everything with demon blood dies."
He vanishes into the shadows, leaving us in stunned silence.
Three days. That's all we have.
My mother touches my shoulder. "Mireya, there's something else you need to know. About your father—"
Before she can finish, the sky lights up.
Not with dawn. With golden magic.
Angels. Hundreds of them. Flying toward the Ashlands in perfect formation.
"They found us," Mordaine growls.
At the front of the angel army, I see her—Seraphina, her white wings spread wide, her sword burning like the sun.
Her voice echoes across the wasteland: "Demon King! Dragon-Keeper! Surrender now or watch everyone you love burn!"
Through the bond, Azraeth and I share one thought: We're not ready for this.
Then the angels dive.
And the Ashlands explode into war.