Niyx

between the dragon’s legs and into the laboratory. Without hesitation he ran forward. He disintegrated the locks on the chains with his hoarfrost and tore them away from the whelp before the deadly ice could spread and harm the dragon. “Be still, little one. We will free you.”
“Niyx! You can’t just let it go. You don’t know why they have it here. What if it tries to kill us?” Onyx warned as he looked around Ice’s massive leg.
Niyx grunted as he released the last chain and the tiny green dragon fell into his arms. It curled up against his chest, mewling pitifully and trying to hide. Niyx shifted his arm to cradle it as best he could, then he whirled around to look at Onyx, his magic bleeding off him to cover the room in snow and ice. “What sort of horrible creature enslaves a dragon?” Niyx demanded, waving his sword around to indicate the laboratory around them. “They were experimenting on it. Taking its magic and power. An innocent baby dragon. I don’t need to know why. I know all I need to know.”
Onyx slipped on ice that raced past his feet into the house. “Niyx. What are you doing?”
“Get out of this house. Now. Quickly,” Niyx commanded as he stalked past Onyx and back into the hallway. He no longer cared to play games with the elves. They had proven they were no better than monsters in his eyes. “GO!” he roared when his brother didn’t move.
Onyx jumped into action, too startled to argue, and ran to the nearest window and climbed through it to escape.
Ice roared and surged into a destructive rampage in the laboratory, destroying everything in sight. Niyx let the dragon work out its frustrations as he calmly walked through the halls of the house. Wherever he went winter consumed. Ice and snow covered the floors, walls. The party was so loud no one had apparently heard the commotion they had made. When he finally came across the living his hoarfrost destroyed them, leaving nothing but bones. People tried to flee. He blew the doors shut with a gust of winter wind, trapping them inside. Every person unlucky enough to be left in the house was slain by his hoarfrost.
Then, when nothing remained but a devastated manor covered in snow and ice, Niyx stalked out into the yard. He mounted Ice and the massive dragon roared and rose into the sky, out of range of Aderaan’s archers long before they came running to assist.

CHAPTER TEN
Onyx hurried back to the Den as quickly as he could. He scowled and had to watch his step as he entered the tunnels. Hurrying down the halls of the underground lair was no longer possible. The floors were slick with ice and snow piled along the walls. Lazy snowflakes drifted through the air and a chill wind gusted through periodically. Was this what happened when his twin was angry? How had Niyx gained the power to control winter like this? Could he stop it? Onyx hoped that it was just that Niyx didn’t want to.
He made his way to the throne room to find Niyx sitting with a similar scowl on his face. Icicles and frost traced their way across Niyx’s dark armor and his black blade like cobwebs. The air was decidedly colder in here. Onyx could see his breath, and he shivered a little in his leather armor. “Niyx, what did you do? The entire city of Aderaan is up in arms now.”
Niyx tapped his fingers on the arm of his throne, an unmistakably displeased look on his face. “The dragons are the key to everything. When I touched the little one it showed me Aderaan fuels its magic by stealing it from captive dragons. Raijin’s light magic is woven with it. That is why it is tainted and I am vulnerable to it. It is how the elves learned to make Starsilver weapons. That is why Ice is one of the few left in the world. Most of the others are held captive in the city. Is it true Ruel also has dragon magic?”
Onyx flattened his long ears. How had Niyx found out about that? He knew it would do no good to deny the truth. “Rubei’s father had made a pact with a skeletal dragon for power, yes. I saw it come out of the ground when it granted Ruel its magic. But that’s different; they made a bloodline bargain with that dragon.” Onyx furrowed his brow. Niyx had seemed so emotionless until he saw the dragon. “Why do you care so much?”
Ice crawled down from the top of the throne to sit on Niyx’s shoulder and Niyx raised a hand to stroke the dragon’s chin. Niyx let out a displeased hiss, baring his fangs. “I am bonded to Ice. I found him in a trap when I was young.” Niyx rose and stalked past Onyx. “It is easier to show you.”
Onyx raised a brow but followed Niyx carefully through the halls. In one of the large rooms, the Night Creatures were busy at work constructing wooden nesting boxes full of straw. Large boxes. Dragon nests, Onyx realized. In one of the first, the tiny green whelping that Niyx had rescued lay curled, sleeping in a bed of warm straw. Kiril sat cross-legged next to it with both hands gently on its back, her eyes closed. Her eyes flew open at their approach, and she frowned at them.
Niyx nodded to her, then motioned Onyx forward. “Go. Rest your hand upon the dragon’s head. Gently. It is still injured.”
Onyx gave Niyx a wary look, but walked forward to obey. He reached his hand toward the whelp. He didn’t even have to touch it. The memories of torture and pain hit him with such force he fell to his knees, clutching at the edge of the nesting box to stay upright, his breath stolen from him. When he recovered, the tiny whelping was staring at him