Page 32 of Catastrophe

“Like an akari titan bastard could win a fight against a faei. You aren’t worth the time.”

I moved so fast he didn’t even see me coming, restraining his hands behind his back. My teeth were at his throat. He froze. Even his breath stopped, although his pulse hammered hard under the pale skin of his neck.

I brushed my teeth along his neck and whispered, “You are too proud, faei. I could kill you all and not feel an ounce of guilt. No one would even know. So please, spare yourself and follow my instructions.”

I shoved him away, into the dark arms of his mate, and they all gaped at me, shock and fear making them pale and wide-eyed.

Through gritted teeth, I ranted, “Why would I be here if not for Charlie? How could I have portaled here if I didn’t use the blood of his birth mother to find him? Why would I try to prevent the capture of Fafnir? Why would the shadow want to prevent the capture of Fafnir? Think. The longer you delay us, the longer Zaide suffers.”

“You can’t just set him free even if you think that’s Charlie. He’s not listening to anyone right now,” Laurence acknowledged with a nod to the dragon, who thrashed against the barrier again.

“Did you attack him?” I asked.

“Well …”

I didn’t give them the time to reply. I could see their guilt and indignation on their faces. “Most creatures will fight when they are attacked. He just needs a reminder of who he is.”

I was confident Charlie was inside the beast, just as I was behind the shadow’s possession, but I wasn’t sure whether the dragon would be prepared to return to life behind Charlie’s human eyes. Nor did I know how to convince him to. While I’d met many drakorians, my knowledge of their beasts and power was limited.

But I’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. First, I need to free him. And I’m running out of patience.

The group exchanged glances in the silence that followed, and I could see their doubt, suspicion, and confusion as clear as day.

When Savida demanded, “Laurence, drop the cage,” my brows raised in shock at his serious tone and demeanor.

“He’ll fly away.” Laurence replied with a frown.

Daithi began, “Savida, what are you—”

“Drop the cage,” Savida said again, his jaw tightening and his wings fluttering with agitation.

“He is Fafnir. I’m sure. There are no other dragons,” Sigurd added in a panic.

“I don’t think I should,” Laurence hesitated as he looked at the protector and then at me. I smiled, enjoying this new bit of chaos.

“Are you actually listening to—” Daithi moved to touch his mate, but Savida jerked away from him.

“Drop the cage!” he shouted.

“What’s wrong?” Daithi asked, his face emotionless except for the small crease in his forehead.

“Charlie freed me. And we’ve caged him. He needs our help. Drop the cage.”

“Sav.” Daithi sighed and rubbed his face.

I slapped Savida on his back and nodded with approval. “I like you, daemon. You have a good heart.”

Savida’s seriousness lifted at the mention of his species. “Have you met many daemons?”

I chuckled. “I am happy to tell you more of your people as soon as we have Charlie under control and we’ve portaled to Clawdia and Elizabeth.”

“I’m going to drop it,” Laurence said quietly after a pregnant pause.

“Don’t!” Sigurd shouted and jumped in front of Laurence’s hands, but the barrier fell. He turned, the fury on his face unlike anything I’d seen before, and hissed, “You fool. You’ll be sorry when he kills us.”

“Stay still,” I told them as we watched Charlie's large, scaled body stumble when his thrashing against the cage stopped as the cage disappeared. Realizing that he was no longer trapped, he looked cautiously around. He huffed his frustration and sent a glare our way before he walked, or stumbled, further into the forest.

We followed him from a safe distance. He could definitely hear us, since humans from miles away could hear Laurence’s heavy breathing, but Charlie ignored us as he maneuvered through trees with an awkward gait. He eventually came to a stop when he reached a small, sandy beach on the edge of the island.

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