The few ideas they’d attempted so far had gotten several of their members killed. There was no easy way to fight dragons unless you were fireproof, and the clever beasts learned any tactics humans came up with rather quickly. The only tried and true method I’d found that worked was to get up in their face and poke my sword into them until they died. Once again, fireproofing required. If I could have talked Aidan into some special gear for Miles and his group, it might have been different, but he refused. I suspected he worried they’d come after shifters as well.
Miles stepped in front of my window, and his gaze shot to Christine. “Who is that?”
“A woman whose daughter was just taken by the dragons.”
His gaze softened a fraction. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
Christine sniffled. I probably could have mentioned her daughter in an easier way, but Miles tended to put me on my guard. He was too stiff and completely lacked a sense of humor. Danae and I had pulled numerous pranks on him during the summer hoping to lighten him up, but nothing worked. I suspected he was born without the necessary facial muscles required to laugh or smile.
“She won’t be here too long, don’t worry. I just need to take her with me to talk to Earl.”
Miles nodded. “No problem.”
“How’s it going?” I asked while we waited for the other guard to open the make-shift gate.
Miles glared at me. “It would be better if you joined my group and helped us out.”
“Sorry, but missing kids take priority,” I said, giving him an unapologetic look.
“Yeah, and how is that going?” He crossed his arms.
“I know where they are now. It’s just a matter of getting to them.”
“You know!” Christine grabbed my arm. “Why didn’t you say that?”
“Yeah, and why haven’t you rescued them already?” Miles narrowed his eyes.
I caught a glimpse of Earl standing in his yard down the street, watching us. The second guard had removed the barrier, opening the way for my truck. “I’m only explaining this once so if you want to know, you’re gonna have to get someone to take over guard duty and join us.”
Not bothering to wait for his reply, I hit the gas pedal and hurried down the street. Ten minutes later I had everyone gathered in Earl’s living room, including Miles, Justin, Danae, Conrad, and Trish. As soon as they’d seen me enter the neighborhood, they’d figured something was up for me to come here in the middle of the afternoon. Christine might not have recognized me right away, but she was happy to see Conrad. They were now sitting next to each other on the couch, and he was doing his best to console her while appearing rather upset himself.
“Okay,” I said, pacing in front of everyone. Moving around helped me focus, and it reduced the anxiety I felt at having so many people looking at me. “Some of you may have heard from Conrad that a bunch of dragons are living at the airport.”
Earl nodded, but everyone else shook their heads. I’d told Conrad to keep the news to himself until I had more information, and he had apparently taken that order to heart.
“At my current count, there are seven children there,” I said.
“And how many dragons?” Miles asked, looking at me with disdain. “Since you just left the kids there without rescuing them.”
Danae punched him in the arm. “You are such an asshole. Let her talk.”
Miles ground his teeth, but he kept his mouth shut.
I turned my attention to Earl. “We checked out the place during the morning when they were sleeping in their dens. There was no way to get a precise count, but with Aidan and his sister’s help we were able to determine there are at least seventy or eighty.”
“His sister?” Earl scrunched his nose. “Since when are you working with more of them?”
Christine held up a hand. “Wait, who is Aidan?”
“He’s a shape-shifter dragon,” Conrad explained. “Bailey has a truce with a few of them since they hate the pure dragons as much as we do.”
“A what?” Christine asked.
Justin snorted. “I wouldn’t have believed it either if I hadn’t seen it for myself.”
I addressed Christine, “Have you seen any red dragons flying around before?”
She nodded jerkily. “Twice. I’ve been wondering why there are two colors.”
“The red ones are shape-shifters, which means they can look like humans or turn into dragons. They’re sympathetic to us, and they even have humans living with them in their fortress.” That was about the most abbreviated explanation I could give.
“They have a fortress?” She shot a look at Conrad. “How did I not know about this?”
“From what we heard, it came over with the dragons. Bailey and I ain’t seen it, but it’s supposed to be somewhere south of Lake Thunderbird. I’m not tryin’ to get too close to that.”
“Oh,” Christine said, still appearing lost and confused. At least we’d managed to distract her from her grief over her daughter. “And they can look like humans?”
“Except for their creepy yellow eyes,” Justin said, scowling. “That’s how you know they’re something else.”
Aidan and his clan were going to have their work cut out for them if they ever wanted to win humans over. Half the people in Earl’s neighborhood still questioned what they’d seen when they caught Aidan shifting forms. It was one thing to discover a mythical creature like a dragon exists—they’re only a step away from dinosaurs. It was another to wrap your head around the idea of someone capable of being both a human and a dragon. The open-minded people accepted it fairly readily, but those with a tendency toward skepticism had a much more difficult time.
“Alright,” Miles spoke up. “If there are eighty dragons surrounding those kids, how can any of us get to them without us all getting killed?”
I clasped my hands together. “That’s what I came here to tell you guys. Aidan’s clan is planning to attack the dragon den in three days. While they’re battling it out, his sister and I will sneak in and grab the kids. All I need is for a few of you to wait nearby with transportation to get them away.”
“I’m game for that,” Conrad said.
Danae nodded. “I’ll be there too in case any of the kids are injured and need my help.”
I suspected she’d want to come regardless, but someone with healing skills would definitely be a bonus. “Good.”
“I’m comin’ too.” Earl slapped his knees. “If we need to get away fast, ain’t no one know these streets better than I do.”
Justin cocked his head. “What will you do after you get the kids to us?”
I shrugged. “Make sure you get out of there safely.”
“I’m going to get the maps,” Danae said, getting up from her seat. “We need to plan a strategy.”
“Is there something I should do?” Christine asked, gazing at me with fear in her eyes. I’d only wanted her here so she knew we had a plan, but I didn’t actually expect her to do anything dangerous. A little busy work might not hurt her, though.
“Well, we need to find a way to contact the other children’s parents.” I glanced at Earl. “Can you get in touch with Hank?”
He scratched at his beard. “Yeah, I got a way, and you—” he gestured at Christine, “can help Hank figure out what to say. There are gonna be a lot of worried parents out there, and it couldn’t hurt for you to lend your voice.”
She nodded. “I can do that.”
“Oh, and we need to get some snacks together for the kids,” Trish spoke up. “I bet they’re going to be hungry when we get them back here.”
Everyone else started talking at once. I left them to their plans and headed for the kitchen. Trish’s mention of food reminded me I hadn’t eaten since that morning, and I couldn’t handle being around that many people at once for much longer anyway.
Chapter 32
Aidan
Most of the toriq gathered on the field outside the fortress, observing the Bitkal. Aidan’s cousin, Dona
r, had already won his first round against Gvaram. It had been a good fight, but Gvaram’s warrior skills were not at the level of his grandfather—the pendragon who ruled before Throm—whose reputation had been legendary. Donar had conquered his opponent in less than five minutes with only one slice in his arm to show he had even been in a duel.
Phoebe and Sabryn were just taking the field. The two female shifters stood at about equal height—a couple of inches shorter than Aidan—and the women had similar builds. Sabryn had about ten more pounds in muscle on her, though. It likely came from the hours of exercise and practice she did each day, always working to prove herself against her male counterparts.
The females shifted into their dragon forms and after nodding to indicate they were ready, Throm let out a roar for them to begin. Each lifted into the air and flew straight for the other. They clashed in a flurry of wings, biting and clawing at each other. Phoebe chomped into her opponent’s shoulder, and Sabryn bit her in the neck. For more than a minute, they were locked into that position, flapping their wings heavily as both refused to let go. Their angry growls filtered down to the ground. Each attempted to bite down harder but getting the right amount of leverage was more difficult in the air.
From behind Aidan, he overheard several males placing bets on who would win. The odds were almost even. Many hoped Phoebe would win, but most thought Sabryn had a better chance. It would all come down to who managed to get the fatal blow that would make the other shifter submit. Aidan believed his sister to be a fine warrior, but even he could not predict the outcome of this match.
A loud snap sounded, and a strangled cry came from Sabryn. Phoebe had bitten down hard enough to break her opponent’s left shoulder. It wouldn’t stop Sabryn from fighting, but the pain would slow the female warrior down. She had already lost her grip on Phoebe’s neck, taking away that advantage. Sabryn used her good arm to lash out, raking her talons across Phoebe’s face and slashing her left eye. Aidan winced, sympathetic to his sister’s pain.
Phoebe snarled, then ducked her head low and rammed into Sabryn’s injured shoulder. Unmercifully, she pushed the female warrior down toward the ground. Sabryn struggled against her opponent, managing to strike a few weak blows. But when her wings faltered, she had to grip Phoebe just to keep from plummeting to the earth. Everyone held their breath as the females lost altitude at an alarming speed. They hit the ground with a flurry of dust and loud grunts, tangled together.
Aidan clenched his fists, waiting to see if they would rise.
Relief assailed him as Phoebe lifted herself and braced her hands and feet on either side of her opponent. Sabryn lay on her back, howling in pain. Aidan’s sister opened her jaws wide and struck at the female shifter’s throat. Before she could get a proper grip, Sabryn bended her knees and dug her feet into Phoebe’s lower belly, sending her flying off.
Aidan’s sister’s landed hard on her butt, and her wing snapped. She let out a strangled cry. Breaking a wing bone was a lot like busting one’s toe. It wasn’t significant enough to incapacitate you, but it hurt enough you needed a few moments to overcome the pain.
Sabryn rolled off her back and rose to her feet, holding her injured arm close to her. While Phoebe attempted to tuck in her wings so that she could get off the ground, the other female shifter charged her, moving swiftly despite her wounds. Sabryn dove on top of Aidan’s sister and latched onto her neck. This time, she had the proper leverage to do real damage. The female warrior growled and bit down hard, showing she meant business. Aidan knew from experience it was impossible to get free from such a hold and if his sister did not surrender, Sabryn was within her rights to kill her opponent. He prayed to Zorya it did not come to that.
Phoebe struggled for a minute, resisting the inevitable for as long as she dared, but then she called out telepathically for all to hear. I submit.
Aidan sighed—relieved and yet disappointed. He had truly hoped his sister could take Sabryn and continue to the next round of the Bitkal. She had been the only hope among his siblings, and it would have been helpful to have such an ally as the toriq’s leader.
Throm marched across the field with a scowl on his face. He shot a disappointed look at his daughter before moving on to congratulate Sabryn. While he did that, Aidan hurried toward his sister, who still struggled to rise off her broken wing. Phoebe was much heavier in dragon form, but he managed to lift her onto her feet. She let out a little moan, then shifted into human form. The expression in her eyes when the flames died down was not one he would ever forget—humiliation and shame. Phoebe hung her head low as he escorted her off of the field. She moved slower than normal, the effects of the damaged wing now reflecting in her back.
“He’ll never forgive me for this,” she said softly.
Aidan took her to the edge of the crowd where they could have a little more privacy. “Our father will forgive you before he does me. At least you participated in the Bitkal.”
“We must be such a disappointment to him.” She wiped away some of the blood running down from her injured eye.
He ignored the start of the next duel between Nanoq and Elgar. Aidan had full faith the Captain of the Guard win against Zoran’s old friend. Elgar was a competent warrior, but he lacked strategy and finesse.
“Perhaps we can redeem ourselves tomorrow during the battle,” Aidan said, hoping to take Phoebe’s mind off of her lost duel. He had never seen her this upset.
“Maybe,” she said, not sounding all that convinced.
Cheers rose up from the crowd. Aidan turned to find Nanoq had laid Elgar flat on the ground. The growling warrior struggled as the captain tore into his belly with his sharp talons. Still, Elgar did not yield. He began swinging side to side, attempting to knock Nanoq off of him. The captain lashed out and bashed Elgar in the head with a force that nearly snapped his neck. His eyes turned dazed as his body slackened.
With Elgar’s throat now bared, Nanoq took advantage. He bit down hard with his teeth digging deep. Still, no cry of submission came. The crowd turned quiet. Nanoq had a death lock on Elgar that he couldn’t possibly break. Aidan could no longer see if the dragon on the ground’s eyes had sharpened since the last blow he took. A long minute passed where no one moved, including the two contestants.
Finally, Throm called out, “Finished. Nanoq is the winner!”
The captain let go of Elgar and backed away. Aidan finally got a full view of the dragon on the ground. Though his chest rose and fell with each breath, he lay still. Throm called for the healer, who came running a moment later. Others joined in to help carry Elgar off the field. The blow to his head must have been even harder than it appeared.
“Brain damage,” Phoebe murmured.
“The healer will handle it.”
She glanced at Aidan. “At least I don’t have to worry about fighting Nanoq.”
He wouldn’t have minded a chance to duel the captain, but it was too late for that now. “Sabryn will fight him next.”
She nodded. “Zorya be with her because that is going to be one battle she might not win.”
“Agreed.”
Aidan took his sister back to the fortress to tend her wounds. There would be a brief break to allow Nanoq to recover before the next duel so they wouldn’t be missing anything. They reached the apothecary, and he ordered her to sit on a bench against the wall. There was a male shifter in attendance there, but Aidan preferred to take care of Phoebe himself.
“You don’t need to fuss over me,” she protested.
He moistened a cloth and dabbed it at her torn cheek. “You are my favorite sister, of course I must tend you.”
She glared at him. “I’m your only sister.”
“Even if there were more, you would be my favorite,” he said, a teasing note in his voice.
Some of the tension eased from her shoulders. “Thanks. I don’t know what I would do without you.”
Aidan took a poultice the shifter handed him and began to rub it into Phoebe’s wounds. “Spend time
with Ruari, I suppose.”
“Very funny. The very thought of it is going to give me nightmares tonight.”
He decided to change the subject. “I haven’t told you this yet, but one of the stipulations in the treaty I negotiated with the Faegud requires matings between our toriqan.”
Phoebe froze. “What? Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?”
“If you have not noticed, we have been rather busy lately.” More than once, Aidan had tried to find the right time to broach the subject, but it seemed to never come.
“Did father request you put that in the treaty?” she asked, frowning.
He shook his head. “Hildegard demanded it.”
“Sweet, Zorya.” Phoebe’s expression was unreadable.
“One of father’s children must mate with one of the Faegud. Hildegard required that as part of the treaty as well,” he said, nervous of his sister’s reaction so far. Aidan couldn’t begin to judge her mood. All he knew was that with Zoran out of the running that left only him, Phoebe, and Ruari. The odds of their brother going along with mating a Faegud dragon were slim.
Phoebe averted her gaze. “I had not expected this.”
“I am hoping you might be interested in making the sacrifice.”
She rose to her feet. “I’m going to need to think about this.”
Before Aidan could reply, she hurried out of the room. He stared after her, wondering at her reaction. Should he consider that a good sign? At least she had not outright denied the possibility of reuniting with her lover—whoever that might be.
With nothing left to do, he returned to the Bitkal. Aidan had just reached the spectators when they roared with excitement and chanted Nanoq’s name. He must have taken longer in the apothecary than he thought. The next duel had already finished.
He weaved his way through the crowd to reach the front and found Nanoq stepping away from Sabryn. Both dragons were covered in blood. There was a deep gash across the captain’s face and another one across his chest. Sabryn’s shoulder looked worse than after she had fought Phoebe, and her throat had puncture wounds in it.
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