Sid leaned over and tried to catch his breath. “Yeah, but how did you get onto the dragon?”
Skye searched the cave. “I see four dead orange dragons. Where is the white one?”
She was avoiding the question, and he let her. For now. Sid nodded toward the entrance. “He must’ve fled when we started killing them all.”
Aspen flung her arms around him. “Are you okay?” She patted his body as if she were searching for injuries.
“Yeah. Rowan’s not though. His arm needs to be checked out.”
Aspen left his side and fumbled with Rowan’s sleeves. “Your whole arm is shredded. What happened?”
Rowan clenched his teeth. “Dragon teeth when I shoved the sword into his mouth.”
Aspen whistled. “You might want to avoid that in the future. Hold still. I can heal it.” Aspen healed Rowan, and soon the only evidence that his arm had been hurt was his torn shirt and dried blood.
Sid spun on Skye. Now that they were all accounted for, he needed answers. “You still haven’t explained how you got on the dragon’s neck.”
Skye frowned. “Turns out that gift from the underground dragons came in handy. I camouflaged. Flew up there and turned into a human.”
Sid rubbed his face. “Okay, you’ll have to show us all that later, but we need to find as many of those swords as we can and get out of here. Yukio could be back any second. Let’s go.”
Sid wanted to get out of canyon dragon country before they regrouped. Skye showed them where the swords were. They grabbed a handful and hurried out of the cave. They flew for about a half hour, and he spotted a stand of trees they could land in.
They touched down. “I need to tell you guys something,” Hazel said, rubbing her hands on her jeans.
All eyes turned on her.
“I listened to the dragons’ conversation the entire time we were in there. I told Val about them on the way, and he thinks I should tell all of you.”
Sid felt a little silly that he hadn’t thought about doing that. He’d gotten so good at blocking out the conversations because it was distracting to have other people’s thoughts floating around in his head.
“Yukio was thinking about his plans. He was trying to work out if staying and fighting would be beneficial. I’m not sure he realized you were the kings, or he would’ve stayed and fought.”
“Go on,” Sid said.
“The arctic dragons plan on killing everyone who is not on their side. But first they’re going to kill as many humans as they can,” Hazel said.
Dammit. This was too much. The war was raging on, and they still hadn’t done a single thing. They had to get their heads on straight and figure out what to do. “Anything else?”
“I don’t know. It was fuzzy, but in his thoughts there was an image of all the dead woodland dragons. I’m sure he was there.”
“Why’d he flee?”
“He had something he had to do and didn’t think it was important, but was commanded to go. He was actually irritated that Candide sent him on that mission. It was hard to make out what that mission was. His thoughts played out like a dream. A couple of other canyon dragons were with him. They were flying over the ocean.”
Hazel hesitated for a second and frowned. “The humans I saw him killing though. They weren’t in Alaska.”
“Where were they?” Sid asked.
“Las Vegas. I recognized one of the casinos”
Rowan jumped up. “Let’s go. Skye and I know where we can stay.”
Sid furrowed his brow. They were acting rash again, without thinking of a long term plan to defeat the witch, himself included. “Why should we go to Vegas?”
“Because that’s where the action is. We need to see what they are doing. See if we can stop them. Don’t you think?” Rowan asked.
Aspen stood. “He’s got a point. I think we should go. We might even be able to save some lives.”
This was the right thing to do, but for the first time in his life, Sid was scared. He wasn’t sure what they would find in Vegas. Would the humans already be slaughtered? It was possible Sid and his friends would not be able to fight because there would too many dragons. But really, how many dragons would the canyons send to take out a city? Surely, only a few would be sufficient. Dragon fire went a long way. They could defeat a few dragons.
They took to the sky and followed Rowan and Skye into the city and landed on the top of a building. They all changed, and Skye said, “Let me do the talking.”
She opened a door to a small room with an elevator. She approached the guard, who studied her skeptically. “Weren’t you here a few days ago?”
She smiled sweetly. “Yes, with Raul Kingston. We’re supposed to meet him here, but I think we beat him.”
Sid froze at the name. Skye was taking them into the enemy’s lair.
The guard nodded and directed them toward the lobby.
As soon as they were out of earshot, Sid rounded on Skye. “You’re taking us to a place Kingston stayed?”
“Why not?”
“Because what if he told someone else about it. We could be walking into another trap.”
Skye raised her eyebrows. “Unlikely.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because none of the arctic or canyon dragons can turn into humans.”
Dammit. She was right. He still didn’t like this. He felt completely out of control. “True, but we don’t know if anyone else has betrayed us.”
The elevator doors opened. “It’s a chance I’m willing to take.”
A woman met them at the bottom of the elevator. “We weren’t expecting you back so soon.”
Skye gave the woman a sugary smile. “I know the way. I just need a key. Thanks for all your help last time.”
“Very well. When will Mr. Kingston be joining you?”
“Tomorrow, I think.”
The woman handed Skye several room keys.
They entered a large villa. “Rowan and I will be staying in that room over there.” Skye pointed to a door next to the kitchen. “There are three more bedrooms upstairs. I think we could all use a nap, and then we’ll regroup.”
Sid was irked at how she’d taken charge, but he was tired. They needed to do something, but between waking at three a.m. and fighting, he’d think more clearly if he got some rest. He needed to have his head on straight if he was going to plan how to win.
They all woke up a few hours later and gathered in the living room.
Rowan didn’t even bother sitting down. “I need Aspen and Hazel.”
“Why?” Sid asked.
“Because I’m going to train them in sword fighting while you three figure out what we should do next. They need to learn so they can defend themselves.”
Sid nodded. As much as he hated to think of Aspen fighting a dragon, she needed to learn how to fight. Aspen and Hazel followed Rowan down a set of stairs.
The others were just out of earshot when Val started talking. “We should see if we can find the dragons who are going to attack Vegas.”
“I think that sounds reasonable. They’re probably hiding in the mountains. It’s also possible that what Hazel heard won’t happen for quite some time, but we should look,” Sid said.
“We should split up,” Skye said. “We can cover more ground that way.”
“No. We stay together. The prophecy was clear on that,” Sid said.
“We can’t spend 24/7 together. I thought that was metaphorical. We’re together in spirit. We have the same mission. Right?” Skye asked.
Val rubbed the back of his neck. “I agree with her. We can’t stay together all the time. If it is only a few dragons who are going to attack, we may have a hard time finding them. This will be better.”
Sid shook his head. They were going to get killed if they split up. “I don’t like
this.”
Skye leaned back into the couch and crossed her arms. “Two to one. Maybe this is why there are three of us.”
Sid pressed his hands against his eyes. “Maybe. I was the first. Doesn’t that count for anything?”
She dropped her voice. “Don’t try to bully us into giving you what you want. We’ll be fine, and Val and I are allowed to make decisions as well.”
Sid scowled and was about to retort.
“Also, I’m a little confused,” Val said.
“Why’s that?” Sid was ready to move onto bigger things, like how to kill Candide.
“Hazel said they were planning on killing all of the humans. Does this mean the war has started? I mean, I guess it did with the woodland dragons, but it feels like we’re still talking about when the war starts, but it already has.”
“Yeah,” Sid said. “It has. The prophecy said it would start fast, and it did. Right under our noses the arctic dragons declared war and gathered allies. Also, I have no idea what to do about the humans.”
“So what allies do we have?” Val asked.
“Right now? Not much. Like I said, we didn’t even know the arctic dragons had declared war. The woodlands are dead, but we’ll have both Murdoc and Sequoia if we need them. Do you think the fire and sea dragons will fight with us?”
“I don’t know, but we need get them soon. Fire and sea are not natural allies. If we force them to fight side by side, there will be trouble.”
“We’ll just make sure they don’t fight together. We need to recruit them first. That should be our next step. Let’s take care of what we need to here and then recruit dragons to be on our side. We’ll start up north with the royal dragons. I have a few I trust who can lead the dragons and help them prepare. Then we’ll head to Hawaii and gather the fire dragons. Skye, can you find the sea dragons?”
She nodded. “Yeah. No problem.”
Sid let out a breath. Plans were forming. This was good. He felt better when they had some clue as to what they would do.
Are you okay? Aspen asked.
They were flying near the eastern mountains. So far there had been no sign of the canyon dragons.
Picked up on my tension?
It’s easy now. What’s wrong?
For one thing, I don’t like being separated from the other kings. For another, I feel like the war was thrust upon us, and all we are doing is cleaning up messes. We need to act. Do some of the attacking. Otherwise, we’re going to lose. We need to defeat the arctic dragons, not just sit around and defend ourselves. I’m sick of doing nothing.
Aspen rubbed the back of his neck. We’re getting there. I can fight pretty well with a sword. Turns out Rowan is an unusually good teacher, or this is something we’re gifted with.
Sid snorted. I’d go with gifted.
Sid flew over the top of a small mountain and saw hundreds of canyon dragons sleeping on every surface. His blood ran cold. He dropped quickly and landed behind a few trees.
Did you see that? he asked.
Yeah, they aren’t going to just start a few fires.
The dragons are going to slaughter the humans. All of them.
We need to warn them.
They did need to, but he saw Yukio and a canyon dragon conversing not too far away.
We will, but first, we’re going to eavesdrop.
Sid took off again, but stayed in the trees. Thankfully the forest was not dense. He was certain Aspen got hit in the face by a few sticks, but he couldn’t risk flying out in the open. He opened his mind to see if he could hear the dragons. About thirty feet from the pair, Yukio’s voice entered his mind.
You’re certain your dragons are prepared to take out every human in Las Vegas? We need to send a message to the American president that we are taking back our land.
Yes. We are ready. We will attack as soon as the sun dips below the mountain. It won’t take long. Where do you need us to go after that? Los Angeles?
No. The witch needs your help in Hawaii.
What does she need in Hawaii?
We are going to the fire dragons.
Sid had heard enough. He took off in the trees again, and when he felt safe, he soared out into the open sky.
Where are you going? Aspen asked.
To warn the humans.
What about Val?
What about him?
He has a right to know what they are planning.
I’ll tell him when we are done. Sid needed to protect the humans first. They didn’t have much time.
Sid knew this was risky. Val deserved to know about the fire dragons, but Sid could only do so much. Right now that meant saving as many humans lives as possible. Then they’d worry about the fire dragons.
Sid touched down in the backyard of a large home. He changed into a human and pounded on the back door.
A bleary-eyed man with jet-black hair answered the door. “Obsidian. What are you doing here?”
Sid pushed past him and sat down in the spotless kitchen.
“I’m sorry for my abruptness, but this is urgent. Aspen, this is Jeffery. He’s a royal dragon who works as a liaison for us here in Vegas. Jeff, do you still work with the mayor?”
“I do. How can I help you?”
“There are several hundred canyon dragons camped out in a mountain to the east. In a few hours they are going to attack Las Vegas. You need to evacuate the city.”
Jeff snorted. “Yeah, right.”
“I’m serious. If you don’t want those people to die, you’ll do it.”
Jeff creased his eyebrows and frowned. “You’re serious?”
“Very much so. The prophecy of the three kings is being fulfilled. War is upon us. The arctic and canyon are starting with humans.”
“Holy shit. I’ll go to him right away.” He raced from the room, and Sid yelled after him. “We have other work to do. Will you send me an eagle and let me know what happened?”
“Sure,” Jeff yelled from another room.
“When you’re done, come home. I’m recalling all the ambassadors. We have a war to fight.”
Sid stepped outside and called an eagle. He only had to wait about thirty seconds before one arrived. They always hung out around ambassador’s homes. The eagle bowed deeply.
How can I help you, Your Majesty?
Gather a few friends and find Skye and Valentine. Tell them to meet me at the top of La Madre Mountain.
Also, send a few others to warn the fire dragons. Tell them the canyon dragons are coming to attack, and Val will be in touch soon.
Aspen scrambled on his back. What are we doing?
Watching. We can’t fight. There are too many of them and not enough of us. But we need to witness what happens. I hope Jeffery is successful.
Sid needed to see exactly what his enemy was capable of. This war was bigger than he ever even imagined. He hadn’t planned on the arctic and canyon involving the humans.
A half hour later, both Skye and Val had arrived.
“What are we doing?” Val asked.
“Waiting. They will attack soon. I sent an ambassador to warn them.”
Val frowned. “So we are going to watch while they slaughter a whole city of humans?”
“We can’t fight. We’ll die. There are too many of them. We need to see what we’re up against. There is no way to know unless we watch. I’m hoping to get a feel for their plan and observe their weaknesses. We’re spying.”
“They’re going to kill millions of people.”
“Not if Jeffery is successful. We’ve done everything we can. You wanna fight them on your own. Go ahead. You’ll be dead before they even reach the city. By watching we can effectively warn others and prepare. Also, one more thing…”
Skye squealed, interrupting their conversation.
“Loo
k, here they come.” She pointed off into the distance.
He was about to tell Val about the fire dragons, but now it would have to wait. He had sent an eagle to warn them though, so that weight was off his chest.
The canyon dragons flew in low and fast. Everyone watched. Sid was acutely aware that no humans were fleeing the city. His stomach clenched at the loss of life they would have today. Jeffery would die too. He’d stay with those people. He’d lived among them for many years.
The dragons divided up the city into grids, and they broke off into twos or threes. Aspen gripped Sid’s arm.
“There’s so many,” she whispered.
There was a pause, where it felt as if the entire city held its breath. The dragons hovered over buildings and neighborhoods. Then in one bright orange blast, every dragon let out his flames.
Vegas was a giant fireball. They were too far to hear the screams, but Sid was certain they were there, or perhaps the people died instantly.
Hazel wailed, and Val pulled her close.
Aspen hadn’t moved. “All those people. Gone.”
Sid knew he should be worried about the people, but he was more worried about the way the dragons behaved. They flew into the mountains before the humans even had fighter jets in the air. Sid was terrified. These dragons were systematic and well trained. All before the kings had even realized that war was upon them.
“We need a plan.” Sid stood at the head of the kitchen table. No one had said much on the way home.
“No kidding,” Skye responded. “Did you see them? The humans didn’t stand a chance. I’m scared to turn on the TV and see the casualties. From what Murdoc said, it was similar when they killed the woodlands. No one sees it coming. They just attack. They know exactly what they are doing. How are we going to beat them?”
Sid ran his hand through his hair. This whole situation was a mess. “I have no idea, but there’s more. When Aspen and I overheard the conversation between Yukio and the canyon dragons, we heard where they were heading next.”
“Where?”
Sid wasn’t looking forward to Val’s reaction, but he had to tell him. “Hawaii.”
Val jumped to his feet, anger blazing in his eyes. “What the hell, Sid? What were you thinking? You couldn’t have told me this before?”
The Kings: The Dragon Kings Book 5 Page 3
