Page 38 of The Dragon King

Such fanfare for a dead man.

Sitting on my haunches, I curl my tail around my legs, unconcerned with the dragon before me. He growls, and I laugh a puff of smoke at him. His lips pull back in a snarl, but the Eris, the master of ceremonies, steps between us, his deep magenta scales almost black in the fading light. Lifting on his back legs, Eris’ wings flap twice as his voice rings out, “Silence!” A hush falls over the amphitheater. “Clan leader Inchel has issued the Challenge.” I glance around again. No sign of Tatha. “This is a fight to the death. The winner will take the throne. This is Lord Inchel’s first Challenge. This is Lord Kemermir’s thirty …”

I tune out Eris, looking more closely among the boulders and the crowd of dragons spread around us. She’s not here.

I snap my head to Inchel, and his grin has my fire surging up my throat. “What have you?—”

“The Challenge has begun!” Eris’ proclamation drowns out my words, and he ducks as Inchel leaps into the sky, his wings flapping hard.

I don’t think so.

Launching upwards, my giant wings carry me to my enemy. The dragons roar behind me, the rules of Challenge keeping them grounded. My shadows spear out, grabbing Inchel’s tail, but he flicks free. I need to get closer.

Inchel shoots into a thick cloud, and I smirk. His bright-green scales will be easy to pick out even in the cover of the thick vapor. I slip into the mists of the cloud, pulling my shadows around me. Drifting silently, I wait.

A disturbance in the air currents is all the warning I have, but it’s enough. I tuck my wings, spinning, catching Inchel in my claws. I rake my talons down his side and dig my hind claws into his leg. He roars as we fall. The misty tendrils of the cloud whip by as the force of our descent pulls at my scales. I snap my jaws at his neck, but he twists away, getting enough leverage to slam his hind foot into my stomach, his claws sinking deep. A grunt of pain pushes from my chest, and I thrash my tail against his wings. Muscle and membrane tear under my assault, but he sinks his talons deeper, yanking up, tearing open my belly. I unfurl my wings, and with a groan, I pull us up and deeper into the cloud cover. The roars below get louder, the crowd upset at missing the fight.

I snarl into Inchel’s face. “What have you done to Tatha?”

Magma drips from the corners of my mouth, and Inchel’s scales sizzle and spit. He snaps his teeth at me, but I hold him back as more of my flesh tears under his claws.

“If you want your precious Mate to live, you will fall to me.”

My muscles burn as I fight to keep us both in the air, but I push past the pain, rage fueling my body as I pull him closer, wrapping my tail around his throat. “I will kill you for touching her.”

Inchel yanks his claws to the side, opening me up to my ribs. He pushes me, and the punch of pain spasms through my muscles, allowing him to rip free of my grip. He flaps backwards, just out of reach, but his breath is ragged, and his ruined wings struggle to keep him level with me. My shadows race across the space between us, ready to rip his wings from his back, but his scream stops me. “Kill me, and she dies!”

“Where is she?” My shadows pause, swirling with my rage, but holding back for now.

“It doesn’t matter.”

“WHERE IS SHE!”

He glances in the castle’s direction, and I turn.

“If you disengage from the Challenge, you forfeit.”

But she will be alive.

“I have people in place. If you forfeit to try to save her, she dies. If you kill me, she dies.”

My mind races as we circle each other. Is he lying? If not, can I kill Inchel and get to Tatha in time?

Inchel smiles, and I roar. My fire erupts from my mouth, and the scales along his right side sizzle. He hisses in pain, the fire eating away at his right wing, but glee shimmers in his wide eyes, madness pulling a laugh from his throat. “You must fall. For the sake of your Mate.” He backs away as I try to get closer, his wings beating double, his eyes shining with triumph. “I have you, Kemremir. The great shadow dragon will fall to me. To ME!”

I reach for the bond, searching for the flutter in my chest. It’s there, but it’s weak, sluggish. I get the feeling she’s fighting; she’s trying. Tatha is a fighter. She’s my Heilsi.

I have to give her time.

One great stroke of my wings propels me forward. I tuck them into my sides, spearing past Inchel, who turns to keep me in his view. My tail slashes down his left leg as I pass, tearing through muscle.

The air currents carry the clouds away, and the sky darkens to the deep purple of the approaching night as Inchel screams after me. I slow, and just as I feel him swipe for my tail, I lift my chest, spreading my wings. The drag tears at the membranes of my wings, and a tendon snaps. Ignoring the pain, I think of Tatha as Inchel shoots under me before he can stop himself. Fire bursts from my throat, searing down his spine as I fall behind him.

I may not be able to kill him … yet … but I can cause him a substantial amount of pain.

I spit fire at his flank, but he spins out of the way, rolling onto his back and shooting fire back at me. My shadows intercept most of the flames, but a few burns my scales, and my stomach wound screams in protest. Blood shines on my dark scales from my abdomen down my left leg. Bright red drops trail behind me, and I know the blood loss is going to catch up to me soon.

Inchel charges, but I dive. The valley comes back into view, and the dragons bark and snap their wings, enjoying the show. Skimming the theater, I search for those amethyst scales.

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