Chapter 25 - Draco

To have Lily in my arms again fuels my very existence.

It’s unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. I’m stronger, more powerful. Faster as I fly through the clouds and take her as far up as possible.

Though I utilize the cloak of invisibility that allows us to fly through human territory unnoticed, the shield doesn’t hinder Lily’s ability to see me. It never has before, but I’d used my fire breath before to put her into a mild sedation so she wouldn’t experience the flight.

Right now, it fills me with profound glory to watch her smile from ear to ear, admiring the view of the earthly heavens and hidden treasures she’s never experienced.

“No,” she shakes her head as she looks up. “I’ve never traveled out of Seattle before,” she explains, much to my surprise.

I hadn’t realized that she could hear my thoughts. Hear the questions going through my mind, asking if she’d ever traveled before. It’s the other thoughts racing in my mind that has my cheeks filling with heat. If I was in human form, I would be blushing for my memorization of Lily as she gazes at the earthly heavens.

We call it heaven because this is the only heaven we’ll ever truly know. As immortals, we live and breathe for earthly life. We cannot possibly fathom a life for our souls anywhere but here. We are born as dragon shifters, or dragonspirits, created solely to serve humanity.

“Heaven on Earth,” Lily giggles coyly as she cups a hand over her mouth. She knows she can hear me and is shy about it.

And that’s the moment I realize that I cannot truly live in a world where she no longer exists. Where her mortality might take her away from me. Where the air I breathe will no longer have Lily’s breath in it, even if it’s just a fragment or tiny speck of her breath.

No…

What’s going on with me?

Shaking off those rather intrusive thoughts, I focus on the invisible road we travel. Over Mount Everest, passing the Pyramid of Giza, and crossing the Atlantic Ocean before swerving over South America toward Aurora Island.

As we circle the San Juan Islands before heading toward the dome, terror alerts the Vulkan siblings.

“Brother!”

Just as Felix calls for me, a thunderous vibration sets off, rippling into the Pacific Ocean. It is as if a volcanic eruption has taken place. To the outside world, Aurora Island cannot be seen. It appears as part of the ocean, and any navigating systems owned by humans don’t show that an entire island exists there. Even ships pass by, and the centrifugal force of the dome automatically pushes anything unwanted away.

But something is terribly wrong. As I ease my way toward the dome, my vision clears enough to be able to see inside; I notice what’s going on.

Fire lashes out in short breaths from the dragons who fight on the island. Some on the mountain, others midair. But the fight is against another clan.

“Blaze Legion!” Aragon growls, his mental signal ringing out in all of our eardrums. “They’ve attacked while we were away!” He screams angrily before rushing through the dome, flying calculatedly enough to knock a Blaze Legion dragon out of the air.

“I’m gonna get you to safety,” I assure Lily as I soar through the dome and make for the castle. All around me, the treacherous howls and screeching cries of those being injured fill my eardrums with dread. I don’t look left or right; just keep my focus on the castle.

My only quest right now is to get Lily to a safe—

“Draco! Look out!” Lily warns, but her warning comes too late. A gust of fiery air comes rushing our way from the left, blinding me momentarily. And from the other side, I’m punched in the jaw by a fist I can only feel, not see.

The impact is not only surprising, but it’s forceful enough to throw me out of balance and lose Lily in the chaos of it all. I howl to the gods as I fight to get the air in my lungs back, as well as my vision as I blink rapidly.

As soon as my eyesight is back, I witness Lily plummeting through the air with flailing limbs. I flap my wings and soar toward her, grabbing her in my arms just in time before she hits the ground.

Her body still quivers in my arms, the effects of the fall lingering in her bones. The immense fear is evident in her eyes—round and brown as they stare at my face with marvel, like I am the hero she’s been waiting for.

My dragon huffs with relief as I set her onto her feet on the ground floor. Behind me, the war rages on as painful cries of the Aurora Dragons reverberate from the air and into my heart.

“I have to go,” I tell Lily, even as if pains me to say the words mentally.

“Go help your people,” she encourages me as she reaches out a trembling hand.

I haven’t fully wrapped my head around the fact that she can hear my telepathic voice, but I know it’s because she’s fated to me. That also means that she serves as the guidance I need in this time, and I set off for the mountains as Lily rushes into the castle.

“Draco Vulkan…” A menacing voice enters my mind, drawing my attention to the mountains peak where a bloodshot red dragon lurks.

It’s the leader of the Blaze Legion clan: Cadmus Blaze.

“I see you’ve found your human slut,” he snarls into my mind as I make my flight toward him. He peels his lips back in a cynical smile while the tip of his tail remains pointed by his shoulder. As if he’s preparing to drive it between my eyes.

I’m on high alert, maintaining caution as I fly closer.

“So this was all a part of your plan?” I ask cautiously, narrowing my eyes at him. I keep a safe distance, hovering around the Blaze Legion Alpha while the war rages on behind me. Luckily, my brothers and sister are able to keep the opposing dragons at bay.

We have a set rule—no killing of Dragons, even if it means placing our lives in danger. But Blaze Legion seems hellbent on hurting us.

“Aurora Dragons should have never accepted the Council’s ruling,” Cadmus growls.

“It’s a ruling made by the council for a reason,” I remind him, gliding closer. “We are barbarians if we don’t follow any rules.”

“We are born to be beasts, Draco. We are born as monsters.”

“Perhaps that is true for you,” I hiss at the uncouth dragon. “But I would like to hang on to my humanity.”

“Suit yourself,” are his final words before his tail plunges through the air toward me.

My quick reflexes allow me to dodge, unharmed. But when the sound of a human’s screaming distracts me, I’m pierced through the shoulder.

Whatever the abduction was, it seems to have been a decoy for this grand plan. This blind-sided attack came when the Vulkan siblings were out of the island. As I howl from the pain, I turn just in time to see one of my own being consumed by fire.

No!

But that’s not all I see.

From the very top of the mountain, a Blaze dragon has Lily dangling from its talons.

“You treacherous bastard!” I growl as anger boils inside me, pumping my veins with the adrenaline I need to push past the pain in my shoulder. Using all my might, I aim for Cadmus with the pointed tip of my tail. The unbreakable crystal on the tip serves as a dagger that plunges into his chest.

It’s enough to have him wincing in pain as he falls over on the mountain in a heap. As soon as he’s down, I twist around and make a beeline for the top of the castle.

The Blaze Legion dragon who has Lily doesn’t let her go. Instead, it keeps her in its clutches as if challenging me. Will I attack? Only if Lily’s life is more important.

“Draco!” Kairo bleats in my mind. “You get Lily!”

From behind the castle, Kairo appears in preparation for the attack. I nod once at her, and she flaps her wings to get the Blaze Legion dragon.

But our plan is intercepted when my back is set on fire. My first instinct is to extinguish those flames before being consumed by them. And I flit into the castle, hitting my back against the wall.

As the fire on my back dies out, Lily is knocked out of her captor’s claws. She falls down toward me—but not without hitting against the railings of the balcony. Panic sets in when a crack of ribs fills my eardrums. I’m not fast enough to catch her, only in time to grab her before she falls all the way down.

And when she’s in my arms, she’s out cold. Lying unconsciously, her body limp as I hold her.