Page 126 of A Dawn of Gods & Fury

This one is answered with a screech that rattles my insides and turns my blood cold.

We watch in horror as Caindra swings around and aims for the city wall, deftly maneuvering her body as bolts fly.

“Romeria!” I roar, my panic surging.

Caindra’s maw opens and a stream of flames spew as she coasts past, blasting the length of the rampart.

“Fuck.” I cover my mouth with my hands. The enemy will perish but so will the city and its remaining innocents.

I can just make out Romeria’s screams of “No!” as Lyndel’s great wall erupts in fire and bodies topple over it, falling to the ground.

Caindra swerves back around. The enemy soldiers who remain scramble to reload those ballistae not damaged by the ruthless dragon fire.

“She is a mother seeking revenge. There will be nothing left of the city or its people by the time she is done.” Abarrane’s voice is hollow as she echoes my fears.

Caindra’s giant maw opens again and another punishing blast sails out.

But this time it ricochets off the city wall, forcing the beast to bank hard to avoid her own flames. From between her claws, a glint of silver flashes. Romeria is channeling, protecting the city with a shield.

I’m momentarily struck by awe. Gesine once warned me that Romeria’s strength will be greater than anything I have ever witnessed. I’m seeing the truth of that unfold before my very eyes.

Her interference seems to quell Caindra’s urge for revenge. The dragon steers away from Lyndel, the sun glinting off her indigo scales as she speeds toward us, joining the other two dragons.

We run to Romeria and Jarek, staggering as they attempt to gain their footing.

“Are you harmed?” I ask, panicked.

“Define ‘harmed.’” Jarek studies the singed ends of his braids.

I dismiss him, chasing after Romeria as she sprints to Xiaric. I grab hold of her wrist, stalling her to check for burns. “That was reckless. Brave, but fucking reckless.” Anger seethes through me despite my relief that she seems well.

“I couldn’t let all those people burn!” She adds sheepishly, “But I didn’t expect the fire to bounce back like that.”

Xiaric bends his long neck to sniff at the barbed bolt anchored firmly through his wing.

“They hit that exact spot that immobilizes wyverns, according to Radomir.” Was it by fluke or skill? Since when do beasts have the latter?

“Your Highness!” a soldier shouts.

Both Romeria and I turn.

He points to a body lying near Xiaric’s open claw. It’s one of the enemy beast soldiers. The dragon must have snatched it off the wall before he was hit.

“Is it alive?” I ask.

The soldier pokes its arm with his sword, scoring its skin. “It doesn’t appear to be.”

“Secure it, anyway.” I note the crimson blood that seeps from the wound. That is odd. Nulling creatures bleed black, not red.

“Forget that thing.” Romeria worries her lip in thought. “How do we get that bolt out of his wing so I can heal him?”

“Without him killing us? He’s a wounded animal. They all respond the same.” Jarek looks doubtful.

“Give me a spark.” If there is one thing I’ve tested, it’s how hot my fire burns.

In a split second, one dances on the tip of Romeria’s finger.

Collecting it, I channel my affinity, allowing the flame to meld into the metal until it glows orange. Within seconds, the solid structure disintegrates and the top half of the bolt topples off, rolling to the ground.

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