Page 118 of Catastrophe

“This isn’t the time to live out your ‘how to train your dragon’ fantasies.” But with our bond shut off, she couldn’t hear me.

“She knows we cannot copulate, correct?” Dralie asked.

“I haven’t got a clue what’s going on with her at the moment. Just don’t let her fall off.”

A roar shook the trees, and birds flew off with a squark of fear. We turned to see giant flapping wings, green wings, that bobbed over a hill on the horizon. At this distance, I couldn’t tell if it was Fafnir or the other dragon, but he was coming with the fury of someone whose plan had been foiled.

Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck.

“The abomination.” Dralie hissed.

Not Fafnir? Great. But there was still a dragon charging toward us, spewing fire, setting the surrounding trees alight.

“Shake Clawdia off. We can’t defend ourselves with her on us.”

“Of course we can.”

The noise attracted the task team, and the locked roof door shook as they attempted to get through.

Clawdia patted our back. “Charlie, we need to fly now. Lead the dragon away from here before—”

The door flew off its hinges, and we dodged to avoid it while everyone spilled onto the roof.

“Oh god.” I heard Clawdia moan.

We glanced around to see the dragon had disappeared into the smoke and flames it caused from the forest fires. Even if the team were able to escape the building and drive away, the smoke would be too thick to see and the fires hot enough to melt the wheels.

“Baelen, Daithi, you need to portal everyone out of here now,” Arabella called.

“We can’t leave.” Isaac protested. “We have all our equipment and documents here.”

“Do you want to die?” Clawdia yelled. “Who cares about your documents when the whole building is going to be engulfed in flames?”

Daithi saw sense and formed a portal, but just as the blue swirl formed, the air shifted as the dragon swept in from above. Screams pierced our ears, and we jumped to the edge of the building, roaring as the green beast circled us.

I felt like a seal on an ice float.

Sigurd raced to our side and threw his hands out, a spell on his lips, and the dragon stopped almost in midair to stare at the man, egging him on.

“Sigurd no.” Clawdia called. “Get away.”

But her voice was lost to the chaos of bullets, spells and curses being fired at the dragon. The dragon didn’t respond to the dangers. He continued to stare at Sigurd as he circled the roof of the building. Whatever spell Sigurd attempted failed, and the bullets missed.

How hard is it to kill something when it’s right in front of you? There’s thirty odd supernaturals on this roof and not one of them can aim? Guess it’s down to us.

I tried to tell Clawdia to get off us, but her bond was still locked down tight and she wasn’t listening to anyone. I could vaguely hear Zaide and Baelen trying to talk her down, but she wouldn’t budge, her hands clenched around scales on my back and her feet dug in.

If we were flying, she was determined to come with us.

“We need to do something. We need to lead him away from everyone while they escape.” I told Darlie, and we moved to perch on the edge, our wings spread to catch the wind, but the dragon wasn’t interested in me. Something seemed to pass between Sigurd and the dragon.

One moment Sigurd was there, yelling out yet another failing spell and the next, he was ashes as heat blew passed us in a streamlined gust, targeting only him.

“No!” Clawdia shouted.

I didn’t look. We took off after the beast as it flew away into the smoke and we roared, breathing our own gust of fire at it. The flames must have singed his tail because he cried out and turned furiously on us.

“Dodge!” I yelled as it sprayed more fire at us and we twisted away. My heart pounded loudly in my head. “Fuck me! Oh, my god that was close.”

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