dragons breath 02 - dancing with flames

by Illene, Susan

  I patted him on the head. “Good job. Now, stay down.”

  I took off running, pulling my sword from its scabbard as I sprinted across the park. The dragon’s red eyes zeroed in on me. It started thumping my way like an enraged bull with its wings half-open for balance and steam puffing from his nostrils. A normal person wouldn’t go near it. I, on the other hand, couldn’t have stopped myself from attacking the green dragon if I’d tried.

  Every instinct called for its death. I craved it like a junkie who needed her next fix. My blood raced, strength poured through my muscles, and time almost stood still as I got closer. The dragon lifted one of its stubby forearms, ready to swipe me with its sharp talons. I put in a final burst of speed, slid across the ground, and sailed straight underneath it—narrowly missing the swipe of its claws. Holding my sword above me, I slashed into its chest with the jagged edge. The blade skimmed across the scales before digging deeper. It cut into tissue and caught on a rib. My body’s momentum jerked to a stop, and I twisted until I’d freed the weapon.

  With a guttural cry, I stabbed upward. The sword slid into the dragon’s stomach and hot, dark-red blood splattered over me. The beast let out a deafening roar that would ring in my ears for years to come. It swung its body back and forth, dragging me across the grass. I held onto the hilt like a lifeline as the blade ripped through the creature’s gut.

  The dragon’s movements steadily slowed as it bled out and lost strength. Above me, it shuddered and groaned. If I didn’t want to be crushed, I needed to get away fast.

  At the last second, I yanked my sword out and began rolling away from the creature. It swiped at me with its talons, slashing across my right arm and igniting a searing burn. I scrambled onto my knees to get clear. I’d only made it a few feet away when the beast fell heavily to the ground and rolled onto its side. The dragon weakly angled its head up enough to let out a mournful cry, but it wasn’t as loud as the first.

  I ignored the biting pain of my wounds and leaped to my feet. The beast was heaving now, struggling to lift itself back up. I couldn’t let that happen. The dragon had wounded me, and targeted innocent people. I narrowed my gaze on its swollen belly and lifted my sword with the tip pointed downward, aimed at the beast’s heart.

  Just before I made the thrust, a flash of movement from the corner of my eye distracted me. Another dragon approached. Its wings beat furiously, and it sailed across the park at top speed. Before I could readjust the sword for a proper defense, the red beast crashed feet-first into my chest, knocking me to the ground.

  Chapter 2

  Aidan

  A high-pitched roar broke the still air, loud enough for anyone in the area to catch it. Aidan winced at the female dragon’s wail for help. It wasn’t intended for him specifically, but he couldn’t miss the desperation in her call. She followed the roar with a telepathic plea for someone to save her, using an open method any dragon could hear.

  Aidan stiffened as soon as he heard her give her name—Matrika. She was the leader’s daughter for the Shadowan toriq, or “clan” as humans called it, and she was beloved by her kinsmen. It came as a surprise to him that she’d come alone this close to the edge of Taugud territory, considering the tensions between his toriq and hers. A few responses came back to her, but those dragons were too far away. No matter how much they hurried, they wouldn’t reach her in time to save her. Aidan had every intention of ignoring the call, despite being in close proximity, but Matrika sent another telepathic plea saying she was being attacked by a slayer.

  He knew of only one person that could be—Bailey.

  Aidan launched into the air and flew hard toward the female dragon. Her cries were growing weaker by the second until he feared she’d be dead before he even got there. The slayer didn’t realize who she was battling, or the trouble it could cause her. Bailey would kill Matrika, not realizing three more of the female’s clansmen were on their way. She didn’t have the skills or experience to fight that many dragons at once. Even if Bailey left the scene quickly, they’d still track her back to her human neighborhood. She and all her friends would be dead before the sun set. It was one thing to slay a lowly dragon, but the upper hierarchy required more planning and precautions to succeed without retaliation.

  He reached the park and found Bailey lifting her sword for the final strike. Unable to risk losing a moment, Aidan flew at full speed. With one final beat of his wings, he surged forward and pushed his feet into her chest, knocking her to the ground. Bailey let out a choked cry. His talons had punctured her skin, but it couldn’t be helped. This was the only way to stop her in time—the only way to save her from what she was about to do.

  Aidan landed a few feet past the slayer and roared at Matrika to flee. The female dragon gave him a surprised but grateful look and struggled to her feet. Bailey scrambled back up, reaching for her sword. Aidan swung around and knocked his tail into her legs. She landed face-first, catching a mouthful of grass and dirt. He’d trained Bailey to watch for dragon tails, but she’d been too focused on Matrika to notice. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she must have known he wasn’t her true enemy and calculated him as a lesser threat.

  The female dragon lifted into the air, flapping her wings ungracefully. She didn’t fly fast, and it was clear she was in pain, but at least she was getting away. Aidan felt mixed emotions as he watched her go. He wouldn’t have minded seeing the Shadowan clan’s princess die, but not at the price Bailey would have to pay. Aidan would do what he must to protect the slayer—even if she hated him for it.

  Bailey dove toward him with her sword raised, screaming obscenities. She did not have control over her instincts, and as the only dragon now available to attack, she couldn’t help coming for him. Aidan sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the strike she aimed for his head. Then he leaped on top of her and pinned her to the ground. Bailey struggled against him. She managed to free one arm and punched him in the snout.

  Pain tore through Aidan’s nose. It was a sensitive spot for dragons, and the slayer knew it. If he were to get through to her, he’d have to change to his human form. As Bailey continued to beat her fists on his face and chest, Aidan allowed his inner flames to flow outward and engulf him. The grass around them burned until nothing remained except dirt. The slayer herself wasn’t affected by fire, and she wore the black camrium attire he’d given her. It was impervious to flames as well.

  He took one more blow to the head before his change was complete. Bailey’s struggles subsided as the fire died down and she could see his face. For most dragon slayers, even his human form wouldn’t stop them from attacking, but he had held her close for two days during her transformation process. Partially so that she would get used to his scent, and partially because he wanted to help her through the painful transition in any way he could. She’d completed her rite of passage with the ability to see him as an ally and not an enemy. It was only his dragon form she couldn’t tolerate yet, though he’d been working with her on that as well.

  Bailey glared up at him. “Why did you stop me? I was a second away from killing it!”

  “Matrika has summoned every dragon in the area.” Aidan stood and helped the slayer to her feet. “I know of at least three who responded, and they are heading this way now.”

  Bailey threw her hands up. “So why not let me kill her first, and then we could go?”

  “I’ll explain that later.” Aidan picked up the slayer’s sword and held it out to Conrad, who’d just run up to them.

  The young man glanced at it without taking the blade. “Man, what the hell?”

  “Take it,” he said, forcing the hilt into Conrad’s hands.

  “It’s Bailey’s,” he argued.

  “Give that back to me.” The slayer attempted to maneuver around Aidan.

  He caught sight of several humans coming from their homes across the street. They spoke amongst each other, no doubt debating whether to join them in the park or not. That was the absolute last thing they should do.

/>   Aidan checked the sky. It was still clear, but it wouldn’t be for long. “You must get these people back inside. The dragon is a princess among the Shadowan, and they will come to avenge this attack on her.”

  “But she isn’t dead,” Conrad argued.

  Aidan’s inner dragon growled. Three dots had just appeared in the sky to the north, alerting him and the beast within him that they had minutes to spare before it would be too late and they’d have a major battle on their hands. He drew from shiggara, a mystical place where he could store a small number of useful items. A flask appeared in his hand. He removed the top and poured stinguise juice—a foul smelling concoction not unlike that of a skunk—across the ground where Bailey and Matrika had battled. He didn’t have time to fully remove the slayer’s scent since she’d fought in too large an area, but it would hide his and Conrad’s.

  Bailey covered her nose but didn’t say anything. She’d seen him use the stinguise juice after other battles she’d fought and knew its purpose. Aidan gave her a grim look. If she was going to keep attacking dragons on her own, he would have to give her a bottle to keep with her.

  Conrad took a few steps back. “That stuff is rank.”

  “Yes, but it will keep the Shadowan from looking for you.”

  Aidan glanced at the sky, alarmed to find the dragon shapes growing larger in the distance. He took hold of Conrad’s shoulders, turning him so that he could see the looming threat. “Get the humans to safety. Their lives are in your hands.”

  The young man swung around. “What about you and Bailey?”

  “I must take her away and hope the dragons follow us until we can lose them, but that will only work if you are not here to draw their attention.”

  Conrad nodded. “Got it, man.”

  “Are we going in my truck?” Bailey asked, giving Aidan a confused look.

  “No, leave it here. We will go the faster way.”

  Bailey dug into a pouch on her leg harness and handed over a set of keys to Conrad. “Which way?”

  The dragons would be here in two minutes. The time for discussion had ended, and Aidan couldn’t wait any longer. He let his fire consume him so that he could return to his beast form.

  “Wait, you can’t mean that way.” Bailey backed up a few steps. Through the flames, he could see her anguished expression. Any minute, her instincts would take over, and she would want to kill him again. He knew she wrestled with the guilt of that, though she tried to hide it from him.

  As his body shifted into a much larger form, he watched her wrap her arms around herself and shiver. She squeezed her eyes shut, delaying the inevitable for as long as possible. Once the flames died down, though, she scented the beast, and her lids flew open.

  Aidan didn’t hesitate to leap into the air, wrap his scaly arms around her body, and sail into the sky. He didn’t like carrying people and certainly not in this way, but he kept a tight hold on her. Bailey struggled at first, attempting to wiggle free. Once he climbed high enough, she stopped. Self-preservation took over, and even her slayer instincts saw that breaking away now would only result in her death.

  He dared a glance back and spotted the three Shadowan dragons still far behind. Aidan had a safe lead on them, but with the extra weight in his arms he couldn’t fly at full speed. They would catch up soon. The only option he had was to fly directly to his territory and hope none of his brethren saw him carrying Bailey. There would be no easy explanation for what he was doing with her. Other than his cousin, Donar, none knew Aidan had allied himself with a dragon slayer. If they saw him carrying her in his arms, they would know she could not be a normal human. Only a slayer could tolerate his scorching heat for long without burning.

  Aidan crossed the invisible line where the shape-shifter territory began and looked back. The three dragons were already turning around. For now, they were safe. Should the Shadowan return to the park and pick up the slayer’s scent, though, they would be able to recognize her if she crossed paths with them in the future. The only thing protecting her now was that they must assume Aidan planned to kill her himself.

  It would be some time before Bailey could return without risking drawing the Shadowan’s attention. He headed toward his secret lair, his gaze scanning relentlessly for any sign of his clansmen. Aidan prayed to the dragon goddess, Zorya, that his path would remain clear.

  Chapter 3

  Bailey

  I was going to slay the dragon holding me the moment my feet safely touched the ground. My entire body thrummed with the need to fight, to kill, but through my rage I recognized my situation. Falling would be bad, very bad. I might be more durable than the average human, but I didn’t think I could survive a hundred foot drop. Even if I could, it would hurt like hell and the resulting injuries would leave me unable to defend myself.

  A shudder ran through me when I glanced down. Not just because the houses and streets below appeared too small, but also because of what gripped me so tightly. Arms similar to a man’s—except with red scales—and fingers with long black talons were wrapped around my chest. The creature was strong, very strong. The massive chest radiated heat behind me like an inferno, and his heavy muscles rubbed against my back. This red dragon wasn’t as large as the green one I’d just fought, but he was fast to have captured me so easily.

  Somewhere in the back of my mind, it registered that he was familiar. Someone I had known for months, but while he was in this form, I couldn’t make sense of it. All I could think of was the need to free myself and shove a blade through his heart. Watch him die, as all dragons should. In the deep recesses of my soul, this bothered me, but I couldn’t clear my head enough to understand why.

  In the distance, I caught sight of another red dragon in the air. I stiffened at the same time as the beast holding me let out a low growl. The other beast flew a course straight for us. I estimated my chances of winning a fight against both of them while up this high in the sky.

  Not good. Not good at all.

  The dragon flared his red, leathery wings to slow down. The one at my back relaxed a fraction and made a throaty, rumbling noise that sounded suspiciously like a greeting. Wonderful—they were friends. I’d kind of hoped they’d do my job for me and kill each other, assuming they took their battle to the ground first.

  The two beasts flew beside each other for the next few minutes as we soared in an easterly direction past the outskirts of Norman and into the countryside. Ranches and farms dotted the land. There were no vehicles on the roads, and aside from a herd of cows, nothing moved below. It was eerily peaceful.

  I clutched the beast’s arms as he dropped lower, almost skimming the tops of the trees. It was getting late, and the sun would be setting soon. How I’d get home without my truck this far from town, I didn’t know, but I’d worry about that later. First, I had to kill the two dragons and hope I survived. A glance at my empty scabbard told me this wasn’t going to be an easy battle without a weapon. Maybe I would die, but I’d take at least one of them down with me.

  A small empty field appeared up ahead. Though I’d never seen it from above, I recognized it and the two-story house sitting at the far end. This was where I’d trained to become a dragon slayer. The one holding me and his flying buddy had been the ones to teach me. They kept a weapons stash inside the house and all I needed to do was get to it. These fools might have been the ones to train me, but that was their mistake.

  I braced myself as the dragon dipped toward the field. To my surprise, he dropped me mid-air. I fell about six feet, hitting the ground hard and rolling several times across the high grass. As soon as I stopped, I scrambled onto my knees and watched as the two dragons continued their flight to the edge of the tree line. It was only then that they landed.

  Pushing off the ground, I dashed toward them. Kill, kill, kill ran through my mind like a mantra. The very sight of them colored my vision with rage. Their snouts billowing steam, their red scaly bodies flexing with hard muscles, and their long tails with spikes on the
ends swishing back and forth—all of it grabbed my attention and drove me to attack.

  They tucked in their wings, and their bulky bodies went up in flames. I didn’t worry about that. The fire wouldn’t hurt me, and they were more vulnerable while some kind of metamorphosis altered them. In the midst of the flames, they transformed into what looked like demons. I put in another burst of speed, closing the distance. Just fifty more feet and I’d be on them. I caught sight of a sharp stick on the ground directly on my path and slowed briefly to grab it. Gouging their eyes out would be a good start. They’d still be able to hear and smell, but at least it would give me some kind of advantage.

  Just as I made it to the last dozen feet, the flames covering their bodies subsided. Men who mostly resembled humans—except for having yellow snake eyes—stood in the dragons’ place. Both had short black hair, olive skin, and toned muscles.

  Seeing them like that, I slowed my steps and dropped the stick. My rage ebbed away like the tide going out to the sea. I recognized Aidan, the leaner and lither of the two men. He had been the one who carried me here and organized my training. The other one was Donar. He was a big oaf and Aidan’s cousin. They were my two shape-shifter allies that I’d failed to recognize in their dragon forms—at least on a conscious level—and wanted to kill. God, I hated how little control I had over myself when my slayer instincts took over. It was like I became a different person.

  I started to apologize, but then I remembered what led me to this place. Aidan had dragged me here against my will. I narrowed my gaze on him. Just because I didn’t feel the need to kill him anymore didn’t mean I wasn’t still angry about what he had just done.

  “Are you out of your mind? First, you stop me from killing that dragon, and then you carry me back here, knowing what it would do to me.” What if I had tried to kill him mid-air? Sure, he had been smart enough to leave my sword with Conrad, but he had no guarantee I wouldn’t have fought him anyway.