Page 71 of Secrets of Ruin

The possibility didn’t deter her. After everything she’d endured, the only thing she feared was losing someone she loved, especially Brokk. Whatever else was out there could come at her because she would destroy it.

The others had followed her into the jungle; she didn’t know how many trailed her, but their voices came behind her as they tried to find her path.

She knew Lexi, Cole, Varo, Orin, Maverick, Del, and Sahira would be back there, but how many more would continue fighting after the battle they’d waged?

They’d all done so much already, but there was still more to do. She couldn’t blame them if they left, but she hoped the union they’d all created would continue to bind them.

Just when she was sure the jungle would never release her from its grasp, she emerged from the trees and skidded to a halt before she slammed into Brokk’s back. When he glanced at her, she saw the sad resignation on his face, but instead of telling her to leave, he held out his hand.

When their fingers entwined, she sighed in relief. The jungle may be determined to never let them escape, but he was here with her, and they’d endured far worse than this place.

And now, they had a new hazard to face, as before her rose a mountain of rocks that didn’t tower as high as the pyramid but were as daunting.

Overhead, much like they had with the pyramid, the towering trees shaded the stones, but the sun beat down on the fifty-foot-wide, flat stone at the very top. She imagined that’s where some of the ophidians basked in the sun.

The tails of some of the ophidians vanished into the crevices between the pile of rocks. Once those tails were gone, no sign of movement stirred from within the rocks as more of their army crashed through the jungle to emerge into the clearing surrounding the mountain.

A few seconds later, Cole, Lexi, Varo, and Del emerged from the trees. Orin, Sahira, Zeth, Vorn, Elsa, Leland, and Maverick soon followed them. Pip sat on Orin’s shoulder while more of the brownie army emerged.

The dragons flew in an arch as they circled the mountain. The sirens briefly debated joining them, but in the end, they were too afraid of being accidentally eaten to take to the sky too.

Alina and two others descended to stand with Lexi as the last of their army joined them. From what Kaylia could tell, despite the brutality of what they’d endured since returning to Doomed Valley, none of their remaining army had left. Many had died, but the survivors were united in this fight.

Her eyes stung, and her chest constricted, but now was not the time to get emotional over everything they’d achieved. They were together even if they still had what remained of these monsters to destroy.

“What is this?” Cole asked.

“I think it’s their real home,” Ryker said. “They all entered into the holes between the rocks.”

“We can’t follow them in there,” Orin stated. “That would be pure stupidity.”

“We can use fire to chase them out,” Alina suggested.

“And what if my king is in there? They won’t care about leaving him to burn.” Ryker studied the rock formation before focusing on the dragons near Lexi. “Can you tear it apart?”

All eyes turned to Alina as she started to smile. “We can.”

Alina propelled herself into the air while the other dragons remained to stand guard over Lexi. Alina rose high with her wings spread and the sun a background against her powerful body.

She released a series of sharp cries before turning, tucking her wings against her side, and diving toward the rocks. When she was almost to the structure, she unfolded her wings to slow her ascent and hovered in the air as three more dragons descended to join her.

Together, the four of them tore off the top rock and flew it over the jungle, where she released it before she returned; more dragons descended to lift and carry away pieces of the mountain.

Together, the dragons steadily worked to carry off more and more stones. They broke down the mountain and tore away the ophidians’ home.

As they did so, they revealed the hidden chambers the ophidians slithered through. Many of them were about five feet high, some were higher, and a few were barely large enough for them to slither through on their belly.

Soft debris filled some of those chambers, making it clear they slept there. The pyramid was where they played; this was where they lived.

As more of the rocks broke away, leaves and branches rattled on the other side of the clearing. Kaylia suspected it was goblins fleeing the structure, but the creatures didn’t try to attack them again. They hadn’t been paid enough to stick around and were abandoning ship.

The ophidians must not have opened a portal yet; they probably still believed they had the upper hand. She doubted they’d ever considered that something might dismantle their home piece by piece; their arrogance, and mistake, would get them killed.

CHAPTER SEVENTY-ONE

The dragons were halfway through tearing the rocks apart when the emperor emerged from beneath the pile. Kaylia hadn’t seen the hole in the side of the rocky mountain until he slithered from it with a man in his arms.

“Leo,” Ryker breathed.