Chapter 26

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

T iara screamed as the dragon with a tattered wing came in from over the body of water she had seen from her terrace. The dragon tipped at a dangerous angle, its rider barely hanging on as it tried to fly with the ripped wing. A second dragon and its rider flew beside them, trying to guide them safely.

Tiara didn’t realize they had traveled so far from the fortress entrance until she saw the old city far closer than she had ever imagined.

“Can you keep up?” Jaxxon yelled as she nodded her head. “Stay in my shadows!”

He cast shadows around them before picking up speed at an unrelenting pace toward where the dragon was headed. Tiara was falling behind, causing Jaxxon to slow down and help her. Several times, his shadows lifted her to her feet when she fell. She yelled for him to go and that she would be right behind him, but he refused to leave her unguarded. She felt awful for slowing him down, trying her damnedest to keep up.

The dragon dipped, its wing no longer working. It began falling faster and the lone rider screamed. A roar sounded as Kylo came from the east, flying beneath the smaller dragon to break its fall. But the weight was too much and both dragons crashed into the trees, toppling them before they finally hit the ground, rolling to a stop.

A piercing cry echoed around the mountain as the small dragon tried to raise its head. Again and again, the dragon stretched its neck, trying to swivel its head to search the ground. Its wails of anguish were gut-wrenching. The dragon unleashed a shrill roar when it found what it was seeking.

The dragon rider’s body lay some distance away.

Jaxxon fell to his knees as he gently rolled the dragon rider over. He was still alive but barely. Looking at the extent of the injuries of the fallen dragon rider, Tiara clasped her hands to her mouth, choking back sobs.

Blood gushed from the rider’s mouth as he coughed. His breath came out in short, wet gasps as each exhale carried more of his life force away. The rider’s eyes fluttered, glassy with pain and fear.

Kylo was covered in scrapes and bruises nearby but quickly moved to aid the downed dragon.

The dragon unleashed a heart-wrenching roar—a deep, mournful sound that echoed through the mountain range. It was a cry of desperation and agony. It continued trying to reach its rider, straining its muscles as it tried to pull itself forward on the ground. But his wing was torn, and it was severely injured. The dragon wailed, too far away to reach its rider.

The dragon’s eyes—their slit pupils wide with fear—were locked onto the rider’s face. The rider’s chest heaved once more before his eyes rolled back and slowly closed.

“Oh my god, he’s just a boy!” He couldn’t have been over fourteen, and judging from his injuries, he wouldn’t live to see his next birthday.

Jaxxon lifted the boy’s arms as the second dragon rider traveling with them gently lifted his legs. Maneuvering around broken trees and rugged terrain, they quickly carried the boy to his dragon .

The dragon cried out, watching as the two men gently placed the boy’s body against its large foreleg.

Jaxxon got on his knees, cradling the boy’s head. “Stay with me, young rider.” As the boy attempted to speak, blood gushed from the sides of his mouth.

Jaxxon’s elemental tattoos radiated against the sunlight as silver shadows arced through the air, swirling into a mist before rotating around the boy. Tiara blinked, stepping closer when she saw Jaxxon’s shadows flow below the surface of the boy’s bare arms.

“Stay with me!” he commanded again, his gaze pouring into the young dragon rider’s eyes.

The boy blinked, his eyes focusing. And then came the screams of pain when he looked down.

“Look at me,” said Jaxxon, pulling the boy’s attention back to his face. “You’re going to be fine. I got you!”

Jaxxon’s shadows continued roaming over the boy, the blood from his mouth slowing to a trickle. But his breathing remained unsteady as he tried to stifle his screams.

Bellowing, the dragon sent a stream of fire into the air. The fire swirled, bursting into violet symbols that joined Jaxxon’s shadows. The dragon magic ebbed and flowed with Jaxxon’s shadows until the boy’s body glowed.

“Warlord Jaxxon, I’m so sorry I failed you,” stammered the young rider, holding onto Jaxxon’s shirt like a vise. “I...I lost all our supplies,” the boy whimpered, each cry louder than the last.

“You did well! You kept your dragon alert and in the air despite its injuries.” Jaxxon’s tone was that of a proud warlord. “No one but you could’ve done what you did. You saved your dragon, and now we’ll save you!”

The boy nodded, coughing more blood as his eyes clouded.

“Oh no!” Tiara cried, falling to her knees next to the young boy. She wished there was something she could do.

“Look at me, dragon rider!” Jaxxon commanded with urgency. His tone seemed to pull the boy back to consciousness. He looked into the boy’s eyes.

“I need you to trust in Crelentian magic today. But this is going to hurt like hell.” And then, Jaxxon used his hand to reset the broken thigh bone jutting from the boy’s right leg.

They both screamed. Sweat rose across Jaxxon’s brow as his right leg shook. “Feel the thread of my shadow magic and that of your dragon! Hold on to it, and don’t let go!” Jaxxon shouted between deep breaths as he absorbed the boy’s pain. He was using his shadow magic to heal him.

Screaming as he kept his eyes on Jaxxon, the boy nodded. His dragon’s fire began to wane, but Jaxxon’s shadows only deepened in their power. He was sustaining them all.

The second dragon rider combined his powers with theirs. It turned the tide as the boy’s color began returning. The gash on his leg began to seal shut slowly. His breathing evened out. And then they worked on his second leg.

Unable to stomach the scene, Tiara turned her head. The sight of so much blood and exposed bone made her nauseous. She put her head between her knees, trying not to throw up. Suddenly, she turned as the ground vibrated with the movement of the dragons.

Kylo and the second dragon formed a circle around the injured pair. And then they roared—a call for help to the other dragons. The small dragon’s flames went out as he began to fade. Kylo and the second dragon placed their wings over him.

“Today is not your day to die. You still have chores to do, young dragon!” rumbled Kylo. His slitted eyes fixed on the small dragon like a magnet calling to iron. Kylo blew flames over him as the other followed suit. Dragon magic floated around all and blended with the shadow magic of the riders. A tornado of power swirled around them.

The dragon rider’s pupils dilated and soon mirrored those of his dragon. As the dragon rider’s wounds began to heal, his dragon scale tattoos shifted, syncing with his dragon’s magic. Their bond helped heal them both. The bond between dragon rider and dragon was a magical ensemble playing the same tune with beautiful precision.

“It’s working!” Tiara called out.

The wing of the fallen dragon began to shake as the skin started knitting together. It was miraculous to witness. Where once there were large gaps and shredded muscles and tendons, there was now soft tissue. The new growth was a translucent color. But Tiara had no doubt it would soon be a healthy black sheen covered in thick scales.

Turning back to watch Jaxxon, her magic stirred unexpectedly. He’s more than a warlord to these young men. He’s a father figure to them!

She was struck with the dueling sides of Jaxxon—the heartless and dangerous warlord—and the caring and protective Crelentian man. Her elemental tattoos shimmered to the surface, unfurling in soft tendrils of light that shot across the yards separating them, brushing across his lips. He turned briefly, and she could have sworn a soft kiss brushed her neck.

Warlord Jaxxon Hammer, I’m going to make you mine! She’d never been in love before. She’d never desired someone’s touch. But in that moment, love and desire filled her soul. And Tiara was not one to be denied.

Suddenly, she heard many dragons roaring. Raising her hand over her eyes, she looked to the horizon. Dragons and their riders were launching from the terraces that surrounded the fortress.

What did we do? Her heart lurched, realizing the importance of the terraces—the ones that she and her ungrateful friends had purged into darkness. Now she understood why men had jumped from her terrace when she’d taken over the lights. It was how they got quickly to their dragons. She’d been unaware of how their antics had jeopardized the security of the fortress. But now she knew she would never do it again. No wonder Jaxx was pissed!

The dragons flying overhead joined others at the border where the water breached the Villagio Mystic Mountains. They performed an acrobatic maneuver, diving into a tailspin while others shot up and over the mountains. The dragons blew flames of shadows. And in their wake, a strange black mist rose, enveloping the entire range in inky darkness.

She couldn’t see within the mist as it grew closer and closer. It would soon envelop the area around them. As the darkness moved closer, she saw dragons taking strategic defensive positions along the area.

Are they waiting to ambush whoever attacked that dragon and its rider? Fear gripped her as she realized they were in danger. What could take down a dragon?

Two more dragons who were as big as Kylo landed, their riders straddling their backs, and moving their hands in a complex pattern of shadows. Creating a huge net, they wrapped it around the small dragon and lifted him into the air. Oh my god! Will that hold him? But to her surprise, they lifted the dragon and carried him off. She prayed they’d make it to the dragon’s lair.

Kylo’s talons gently wrapped around the injured dragon rider as Jaxxon ran to Tiara. Before she could react, he had her over his shoulder. He jumped, landing hard on Kylo’s tail before running along his spiny back. He sat her on Kylo’s back, tucked safely behind a massive fold of scales and horns near his neck.

“Hold on!” he called as Kylo took off. He wrapped one arm around her, using his other to hold on to his dragon.

Leaning against his chest, she felt his heartbeat and knew it drummed for Crelentia.