Chapter 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Zerek dropped Rylie. "Run."

The acrid aroma of dragon fire overtook his nose and stung his throat.

With no time to think, he dislodged the trusty knife from his sleeve and spun around. Dense mist covered every inch of space from the lawns to the drive, even shrouded out the castle.

He clutched the velvet pouch tied to his belt, absorbed as much of the power of his sigil as was possible without withdrawing it and placing it on his person. He was not going to give the enemy a chance to steal it.

Dragon scales slithered under his skin, then emerged, covering his body from head to toe.

His bones shifted.

As did his muscles.

Pain flared throughout him, forcing a roar from his throat.

Sparks emitted from Zerek's mouth as his spine cracked, unfurling his wings.

God, but it felt good to have his dragon-side back.

Until it wasn't.

Heat licked at his feet.

Zerek dropped his gaze and studied the ground.

Gossamer tethers crept up from the earth and wrapped around his ankles. The vaporous ropes snapped taut instantly, pulling him out of balance. He fell onto his back, his spine slamming dirt and gravel.

His breath caught.

The mist remained.

Blindly, Zerek flung his blade into the thick fog.

A roar vibrated across the area.

The familiar sound deafened his ears to the point of pain, then got sucked up into the ether along with the mist.

Father.

So that was the Draco Magnus referred to.

The dragon stepped forward and swung his large head low. Reddish-brown scales covered him from top to bottom, the darkest reds centered at his chest. Steam emitted from his horns. He flicked his tail as if agitated. "Still living for worthless humans, I see." He took a single step forward.

The ground shook.

Zerek scrambled to his feet and withdrew his sword. "Stand back or so help me I will kill you."

"You'd kill your own sire?"

"You never acted toward me the way a father should have."

"You never deserved a father. I gave you only that which you deserved to get from me."

Bastard. How he hated the man.

The dragon snickered. "Who is it this time? Did you return for a shifter? A slayer?" He raised his gaze to stare beyond Zerek's unfurled wings.

"Leave her be."

"Ahh…you weakened your guard for a whore's sake." He tsked. "From day one you were a disappointment. Always shying away from death and darkness. I never understood how I sired just such a weak, worthless son."

Zerek lunged.

With one twitch of his claw, the massive dragon raised a talon and gouged Zerek's body from his cheek to his thigh, then pushed him down, pinning him to the ground.

The dragon swung his head lower and sniffed. "Kill me and you die. For you are nothing without me. I forged the dragon inside you. I forced it to emerge, to overtake the wolf in you. To overtake the human in you. From the moment you slid out of your slain mother, I nurtured the beast you were destined to be." He backed away.

Zerek struggled to his feet, blood dripping from the left side of his body. "You made me into a killer."

"It was all you are worth being. But now you are even less than that. You. Are. Nothing. Not even worthy of the spit that falls from my mouth." He raised his head and opened his massive jaws, scalding steam spewing forth from between his sharp, pointed teeth.

Zerek covered his face with his bloodied arm, the force of his father's breath knocking him to the ground once more. His scales burned from the hot steam, nearly paralyzing him. He shifted back to human form, his melding energies spent.

"You are so not going to kill him." Rylie stepped forward.

"Get away, Rye." He was not having her die for him.

The dragon froze. He cocked his head to the side and squinted as if assessing the situation.

Rylie aimed her slingshot.

The dragon laughed. "And what do you intend to do with that, human?"

"Take you down."

"As if." He rolled his flaming red orbs.

She let the stone go. It whirled through the air and hit the dragon square between the eyes. Then she reloaded and targeted the beast's lower extremities. She fired off the next volley and waited. As usual, she did not miss her intended mark.

The dragon fell, the ground trembling.

Wind swirled in every direction.

Looking up, Rylie snapped her gaze to the sky.

A second dragon flew overhead. He swooped down, his massive purplish-black body sparkling in the moonlight. He flexed his mighty claws and in one grab, snatched the fallen dragon, then tossed him in the air and rained fire on him.

A deluge of ash sprinkled down, vanishing before it hit the ground.

The second dragon ascended back to the clouds and flew away.

Rylie ran to Zerek. "Don't leave me, Zee. You can't. Not now. Not after all this."

Zerek fell limp in Rylie's arms.

The ground shook.

The lawns fell away.

The world blurred and then all turned black.