beast narrowed its eyes. It loosed a second high-pitched screech and hissed.
"Easy girl." He rubbed the draco's neck doing his best to put it at ease.
The draco opened its mouth and flashed its. The beast hissed, and in a blur of motion, sank its teeth into the leather armor covering his thigh.
Pain erupted across his leg. He howled and leaped from the draco's saddle.
The draco twisted its neck and pulled away a mouthful of leather.
Rika shifted into a forest cat and bounded toward the draco. With a roar, Rika bore her fangs.
He pulled himself across the straw carpet until he reached the safety of the stall's far wall.
The draco shrunk away from Rika and lowered its gaze. The creature squawked a low whimper of submission and tried to push its head beneath the piled hay.
Rika stepped back and shifted into human form.
Pain throbbed in waves from the wound in his leg.
Rika pushed a lock of hair behind her ear and knelt beside him. "Are you okay? Let me see it."
He sucked in air and tried to control his labored breathing. "I'm fine. It's just a scratch." He covered the wound with his hand knowing Rika would never take his word for it.
Rika jerked away his hand and gasped.
His stomach sank and he stole a quick glance at the wound.
A six-inch gash ran along his thigh where the draco's teeth had dredged a furrow through his skin.
"This is something you can't mess with Ronan. You have to channel and fix it."
"It's not as bad as it looks." Pain throbbed in his thigh, and it took all his effort not to touch the magic blazing just under the surface.
Anger flared in Rika's eyes. "You're as stubborn as a mule."
"I'll be fine, but I need a bandage to stop the bleeding." He strained his neck and glanced through the stall's open door. "There's a blanket hanging in the corridor."
Rika retrieved the blanket and returned. She ripped a strip from the fabric and bound the wound. The anger hadn't retreated from Rika’s eyes. "You'll get an infection."
"I'll have Mistress Henley make a poultice before I leave," he said.
Rika gaped. "Leave? It won't let you near it."
"Can you soothe it?" He said.
"I might, but why should I?" Rika said. "Even if you can make the draco fly, what's to prevent it from dumping you off a hundred feet in the air?"
"I want you to command it," he said. "You know. With your guardian's magic."
Rika shook her head. "I can no sooner do that than you can grow wings and fly yourself to Dragon's Peak. My magic doesn't work that way."
His stomach sank. "If I can't make the draco fly me out of Forth, there's no telling what might happen. What if I accidentally wipe out the entire village?"
"You won't."
"You don't know that Rika." He ran his fingers through his hair. "What if I destroy all of Meranthia?"
Rika's lips drew into a thin line, but she didn't answer.
"Perhaps I can help." A raspy, inhuman voice answered from the adjoining stall.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Trace’s Hovel
Danielle’s boots clattered against the splintered stone.
Sharp echoes rattled from the citadel’s high walls.
She walked the subterranean hallway alone. In fact, the citadel’s prison hadn’t confined a single person in over a hundred years.
She paused outside a rusty iron door and summoned her courage. Trace had left her for dead while imprisoned in the desert camp. Every time she visited the emperor, she fought an urge to squeeze the tyrant’s throat.
She touched the seed pouch dangling from her waist belt. The seeds offered a modest sense of security, but she would never underestimate Trace. She let go a deep breath and pulled on the door’s iron ring.
The door groaned and swung outward. The prison cell came into view revealing a congealed wall of pure spirit.
Unlike a regular shield meant to serve a temporary purpose, Ronan built this one to last. The energy flowing through the barrier had slowed to a virtual standstill.
The room-sized shield trapped the man sitting inside. A man who sat
"Easy girl." He rubbed the draco's neck doing his best to put it at ease.
The draco opened its mouth and flashed its. The beast hissed, and in a blur of motion, sank its teeth into the leather armor covering his thigh.
Pain erupted across his leg. He howled and leaped from the draco's saddle.
The draco twisted its neck and pulled away a mouthful of leather.
Rika shifted into a forest cat and bounded toward the draco. With a roar, Rika bore her fangs.
He pulled himself across the straw carpet until he reached the safety of the stall's far wall.
The draco shrunk away from Rika and lowered its gaze. The creature squawked a low whimper of submission and tried to push its head beneath the piled hay.
Rika stepped back and shifted into human form.
Pain throbbed in waves from the wound in his leg.
Rika pushed a lock of hair behind her ear and knelt beside him. "Are you okay? Let me see it."
He sucked in air and tried to control his labored breathing. "I'm fine. It's just a scratch." He covered the wound with his hand knowing Rika would never take his word for it.
Rika jerked away his hand and gasped.
His stomach sank and he stole a quick glance at the wound.
A six-inch gash ran along his thigh where the draco's teeth had dredged a furrow through his skin.
"This is something you can't mess with Ronan. You have to channel and fix it."
"It's not as bad as it looks." Pain throbbed in his thigh, and it took all his effort not to touch the magic blazing just under the surface.
Anger flared in Rika's eyes. "You're as stubborn as a mule."
"I'll be fine, but I need a bandage to stop the bleeding." He strained his neck and glanced through the stall's open door. "There's a blanket hanging in the corridor."
Rika retrieved the blanket and returned. She ripped a strip from the fabric and bound the wound. The anger hadn't retreated from Rika’s eyes. "You'll get an infection."
"I'll have Mistress Henley make a poultice before I leave," he said.
Rika gaped. "Leave? It won't let you near it."
"Can you soothe it?" He said.
"I might, but why should I?" Rika said. "Even if you can make the draco fly, what's to prevent it from dumping you off a hundred feet in the air?"
"I want you to command it," he said. "You know. With your guardian's magic."
Rika shook her head. "I can no sooner do that than you can grow wings and fly yourself to Dragon's Peak. My magic doesn't work that way."
His stomach sank. "If I can't make the draco fly me out of Forth, there's no telling what might happen. What if I accidentally wipe out the entire village?"
"You won't."
"You don't know that Rika." He ran his fingers through his hair. "What if I destroy all of Meranthia?"
Rika's lips drew into a thin line, but she didn't answer.
"Perhaps I can help." A raspy, inhuman voice answered from the adjoining stall.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Trace’s Hovel
Danielle’s boots clattered against the splintered stone.
Sharp echoes rattled from the citadel’s high walls.
She walked the subterranean hallway alone. In fact, the citadel’s prison hadn’t confined a single person in over a hundred years.
She paused outside a rusty iron door and summoned her courage. Trace had left her for dead while imprisoned in the desert camp. Every time she visited the emperor, she fought an urge to squeeze the tyrant’s throat.
She touched the seed pouch dangling from her waist belt. The seeds offered a modest sense of security, but she would never underestimate Trace. She let go a deep breath and pulled on the door’s iron ring.
The door groaned and swung outward. The prison cell came into view revealing a congealed wall of pure spirit.
Unlike a regular shield meant to serve a temporary purpose, Ronan built this one to last. The energy flowing through the barrier had slowed to a virtual standstill.
The room-sized shield trapped the man sitting inside. A man who sat
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