masses and permeate the Lands .
A shadow fell over him. Markum froze, needle in hand, realizing he may never see his prince to show him what he had found. This was the end of the line. He had been discovered.
But when he turned it wasn’t a Crape soldier who greeted him; it was Ramie and Fraul.
Ramie stared at the man’s split skull before his eyes drifted to the needle in Markum’s hand.
- - -
It was a known fact dragons had an inner mode of communication, but as Ren held the dragon hunter down he grew nervous. Had the golden dragon he had helped before spread his scent to the silver? Although his instincts were usually correct, this time his life hung in the balance.
As the silver drew a deep breath, for a split second Ren thought his instincts had failed him; but when he heard the deafening blast he knew the fiery wrath had missed him.
Ren turned to find the dragon watching him with a twinge of annoyance. Its tail lashed back and forth, knocking pieces of the pulley in the air. Ren slowly rose to his feet, the dragon hunter with him. When the man reached for the lance Ren blocked him. The man hesitated before backing away.
People too terrified to move had cowered under wagons and taken cover in the trees. The dragon hunters had retreated, but many were nocking their arrows.
Ren’s eyes sought Aidan. She crouched between the hunters and the dragon, back once again bleeding from her morning torment. Ren took a quick appraisal, seeing again what he already knew in his heart. Aidan was trapped. The dragon blocked all paths of her escape, and if it breathed its fiery wrath at the hunters Aidan would be charred.
The bows were nocked and ready but the dragon had already seen them. Now it was a race against time. The dragon reared back. The dragon hunters took aim.
A sword lay discarded a short distance away. Ren lunged for it just before the dragon spewed fire and landed between the dragon and Aidan. The silver beast bellowed a warning.
Ren grabbed the nearest hunter’s bow, hampering his aim. A few stray arrows shot past, well out of range. One of the dragon hunters shoved past Ren and fell to his knees, arrow aimed at the dragon’s chest. Aidan stumbled forward to stop the soldier but one of the hunters circled his whip around her throat, dragging her back.
Dragon’s fire enveloped the kneeling hunter but the man had already let the tainted arrow fly. It embedded deep in the dragon’s chest. The dragon screamed to the dawn.
Aidan fell to her knees, trying to pull the whip from her throat. Ren brought his sword down, severing the whip and some of her captor’s fingers.
“Are you all right?” Ren asked, kneeling beside her.
She nodded in his shoulder. Her eyes found his. “Hurry.”
Ren spun, desperate to reach the arrow. It only took one arrow to weaken a golden dragon. The silver was much larger, so it would take two or three, but Ren couldn’t delay. The silver needed to escape. Even if Ista knew nothing about the dragon’s ability to awaken the red crystal, Ren wanted the sire far away from Stardom. As he took a few steps forward and lifted his hand to call to the arrow, the dragon turned and focused its uncanny blue eyes on Ren.
Ren thought he saw an understanding flicker in the silver’s gaze, a human understanding. Before he could decipher the change, a shrill scream shattered the air. It was a cry so piercing not even the wails of the dead could compare.
Aidan careened to the ground. No soldier touched her, no wound was on her, but death was in her eyes. Then everything became still. Not even the dragon moved. The air became thicker. Ren dropped to his knees and lifted Aidan’s body in his arms. Her eyes fluttered open. “Something hurts.”
“Aidan? What is it? Tell me what is happening.”
Aidan shook her head. “Ren, please … ” She brought her hand to his face and brushed his lips. “Please.” A fiery desperation lit her eyes, matching the one churning deep in his soul. For
A shadow fell over him. Markum froze, needle in hand, realizing he may never see his prince to show him what he had found. This was the end of the line. He had been discovered.
But when he turned it wasn’t a Crape soldier who greeted him; it was Ramie and Fraul.
Ramie stared at the man’s split skull before his eyes drifted to the needle in Markum’s hand.
- - -
It was a known fact dragons had an inner mode of communication, but as Ren held the dragon hunter down he grew nervous. Had the golden dragon he had helped before spread his scent to the silver? Although his instincts were usually correct, this time his life hung in the balance.
As the silver drew a deep breath, for a split second Ren thought his instincts had failed him; but when he heard the deafening blast he knew the fiery wrath had missed him.
Ren turned to find the dragon watching him with a twinge of annoyance. Its tail lashed back and forth, knocking pieces of the pulley in the air. Ren slowly rose to his feet, the dragon hunter with him. When the man reached for the lance Ren blocked him. The man hesitated before backing away.
People too terrified to move had cowered under wagons and taken cover in the trees. The dragon hunters had retreated, but many were nocking their arrows.
Ren’s eyes sought Aidan. She crouched between the hunters and the dragon, back once again bleeding from her morning torment. Ren took a quick appraisal, seeing again what he already knew in his heart. Aidan was trapped. The dragon blocked all paths of her escape, and if it breathed its fiery wrath at the hunters Aidan would be charred.
The bows were nocked and ready but the dragon had already seen them. Now it was a race against time. The dragon reared back. The dragon hunters took aim.
A sword lay discarded a short distance away. Ren lunged for it just before the dragon spewed fire and landed between the dragon and Aidan. The silver beast bellowed a warning.
Ren grabbed the nearest hunter’s bow, hampering his aim. A few stray arrows shot past, well out of range. One of the dragon hunters shoved past Ren and fell to his knees, arrow aimed at the dragon’s chest. Aidan stumbled forward to stop the soldier but one of the hunters circled his whip around her throat, dragging her back.
Dragon’s fire enveloped the kneeling hunter but the man had already let the tainted arrow fly. It embedded deep in the dragon’s chest. The dragon screamed to the dawn.
Aidan fell to her knees, trying to pull the whip from her throat. Ren brought his sword down, severing the whip and some of her captor’s fingers.
“Are you all right?” Ren asked, kneeling beside her.
She nodded in his shoulder. Her eyes found his. “Hurry.”
Ren spun, desperate to reach the arrow. It only took one arrow to weaken a golden dragon. The silver was much larger, so it would take two or three, but Ren couldn’t delay. The silver needed to escape. Even if Ista knew nothing about the dragon’s ability to awaken the red crystal, Ren wanted the sire far away from Stardom. As he took a few steps forward and lifted his hand to call to the arrow, the dragon turned and focused its uncanny blue eyes on Ren.
Ren thought he saw an understanding flicker in the silver’s gaze, a human understanding. Before he could decipher the change, a shrill scream shattered the air. It was a cry so piercing not even the wails of the dead could compare.
Aidan careened to the ground. No soldier touched her, no wound was on her, but death was in her eyes. Then everything became still. Not even the dragon moved. The air became thicker. Ren dropped to his knees and lifted Aidan’s body in his arms. Her eyes fluttered open. “Something hurts.”
“Aidan? What is it? Tell me what is happening.”
Aidan shook her head. “Ren, please … ” She brought her hand to his face and brushed his lips. “Please.” A fiery desperation lit her eyes, matching the one churning deep in his soul. For
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