Page 22 of Monsters of Air

Zilon stared at me for a minute, jaw flexing as that same worried expression from before colored his eyes. He stepped closer and I tensed, staring up at him. Like, actually up. These dragons were so damn tall!

Tears streamed down my cheeks, burning and mixing with the dried blood. I was sure this wasn’t how riders were supposed to act, but I didn’t try to stop them either.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered after a second.

“Let’s go!” Landers bellowed, already dragging the blue dragon to the tree line.

“Come,” Zilon said, grabbing my hand to drag me. I winced. “You’re hurt.”

I stared down at my hand, at the deep gash across my palm. It stung, and at the same time, I felt nothing. I was numb. Everything was numb.

I shuddered, Zilon took that as a sign to pull me closer to him, his arm wrapping around me and lifting me off his feet as he ran toward the trees.

“I can’t!” I tried to escape him, but he just held on tighter. I couldn’t leave Da there. I couldn’t leave his body to just lay there all alone, I needed to get back to him.

“We have to hurry. Before they come back. They never leave their dead.” I didn’t care if they came back. I couldn’t leave Da either.

“We have to go.” Zilon’s voice was soft and warm, his hold gentle, even as I fought him. He wasn’t giving me an inch however. The blood stained grasses were already getting swallowed by the morning fog.

I looked over Zilon’s shoulder, desperate to spot my father’s body. I couldn't see anything but mounds of bodies and streaks of red over the grass.

A few more steps and it was all gone. Swallowed by fog and dawn and an unforgiving world.

The other two were already in the tree line, Landers hovering over the blue one, saying something in a low voice. The black man frowned, his blue wings quivering, as he leaned forward and grimaced.

“What happened?” Zilon asked.

“Hurt wing,” the blue dragon said.

“Shit.” Zilon finally put me down as Landers reached toward the broken folds of blue scales.

“If you touch it, I will murder you.”

“Shit, Philit, calm down. I’m just trying to see the damage.” Landers clearly wasn’t going to listen to him. Damn. Man had balls.

“And if you want to keep your hand you will stop,” Philit said in a hard voice before his gaze went to me, his eyes darkening as Landers dropped his hand.

“And you, little rider. Landers told us about you, but with what he said…” he looked me up and down, clicking his tongue once. “He clearly has never seen a rider before. You are nothing special.”

Even though he was wincing through the pain, Philit’s words felt like a sucker punch.

“Gee, thanks,” I snarled, staring him down even though I was fully aware I was starting to cry again. “Guess my dad was right about you. All of you.” I glanced at Landers before looking away again.

“What did you do?” Zilon practically snarled, both of them turning on Landers who at least had the decency to blush.

“Nothing. Not that I didn’t try, I just didn’t have a chance.” Landers sounded nonchalant about it all. “Although I might have if her father didn’t stow her away and get himself killed.”

I didn’t know what I was doing. One second I was standing next to Zilon, and the next my fist had intersected with Landers’ cheek in a crack that came more from my hand than his giant face.

Pain flared up my arm, but I ignored it, ready to go again. Zilon grabbed me before I could, pulling me back into him as Landers rubbed his jaw with a smile.

He was smiling!

I punched him, and he was smiling.

That’s it! I was gonna punch him again. I made the move to, but Zilon pulled me back again. His hands on my arms as he slammed me against his chest.

“I hope the goddess crushes you,” I snarled, his smile grew.

---