Aric seized the shards of the Crown. Fire and pain tore through him, but he held them, forcing them together.
The Serpent shrieked, lunging, shadows clawing at his flesh. "It will consume you!"
"Maybe," Aric growled, his voice like thunder, "but not for you."
The shards fused in a blaze of light, forming a Crown of molten ash upon his brow. For a moment, he felt everything—the weight of ages, the power of gods, the endless hunger of fire.
Then he turned it upon the Serpent.
Flame and shadow collided in an explosion that split the cavern.