Iron Flame (The Empyrean, #2)

by Rebecca Yarros

“You taught us well, Professor,” Bodhi says, holding his hand in place. “Maybe a little too well.” Damn. “He can counter signets,” Xaden tells me. Well, that’s fucking terrifying. The rest of the professors look upward as dragons fill the skyline, their wings flaring on approach. Green. Orange. Red. Brown. Blue. I look up, spotting Tairn’s rapid descent. Black. Xaden grabs my waist as the walls shake under the weight of the mass landing. Claws dig in, shredding the masonry as dozens of dragons—maybe more—perch on every available space. Some fill the mountainside behind us, and others claim the top of the turrets in the quadrant, hovering like living sculptures. “We won’t stop you,” Devera says to Xaden, then shifts to where her own dragon perches beside the parapet. “In fact, some of us have been waiting to join you.” “Really?” Bodhi grins. “Who do you think left the news about Zolya all over Battle Brief?” She nods. A smile lifts my mouth. She’s exactly who I’ve always thought she is. “We’re leaving within the hour,” Xaden calls out. “Your choice is as simple as it is personal. You can defend Navarre, or you can fight for the Continent.”