Page 61 of Here Be Dragons

There was a flash of pale gray in my peripheral vision, and suddenly, something large rammed into the she-dragon, who released me. I scrambled toward the hole I was digging, fighting the need to inhale. There was sand and blood everywhere, and I couldn’t see a thing, but I dug frantically.

Fuck! I needed air!

I was so close. I continued digging frantically, focusing on the hole, searching for that tiny flash of metal I’d seen earlier. When I looked up, it was to receive a claw in my face. I shrieked but only got a lungful of water.

Fuck. I’d failed.

But even as Gillisandra was tearing me away from the hole, my claws found something. A thick chain! I tightened my claws around it, holding on like my life depended on it—because it did.

The artifact was mine. I had won!

Chapter 33

Carly

Seth had opened aportal to the nearest piece of land the second we’d gotten news that Emmett had fished Desmon from the ocean floor, heart still beating but not breathing, and Liam, Seth, and I had run through it.

I was now pacing a trench into the sand as Mateo stomped on Desmon’s chest with his lion paws, trying to pump the water out of his lungs.

“Come on, you idiot, breathe!” he growled.

Eamon had conveniently disappeared the split second he saw Seth; the demon still held a grudge against all wizards. That left Emmett and Gunnar facing off against Gillisandra, who looked like she was ready to set everything on the tiny island on fire.

“Cheater!” she screeched. “You have a stake in the outcome. You aren’t allowed to help.”

“I only jumped in after he found the artifact. That’s perfectly legal. You’re just upset you couldn’t cheat him out of the win by slitting his throat after. Not very sportsmanlike, Gilly.”

The bitch had tried to kill my mate after he’d already won?! I stopped pacing and turned to glare at the dragoness, suddenlyreallywishing my magic was stronger and less passive. If I could, I would have formed a lightning bolt and speared her up the ass with it.

Desmon still lay on the ground in his dragon form, limp and unresponsive. I swear, if he didn’t wake, I’d spend the rest of my life hunting this bitch down. If she was forced to take a hundred-year nap, I’d slit her throat myself as she slept.

Gillisandra puffed out a jet of steam, then charged at Emmett, only to bounce back off an invisible wall. But it clearly wasn’t Seth who’d made it: the wizard looked just as surprised as any of us when it happened. The hairs on my arms prickled, and I felt a chill despite the tropical night air.

Before us appeared a demon. Not like Liam or Eamon. One much more powerful and ancient. He towered over even thedragons, and his presence was so overwhelming it was nearly impossible to breathe. This must be the Gamemaster Desmon spoke of, the demon that had set up this whole competition.

“Gamemaster! I would like to report a cheater,” Gillisandra said, as she recovered from smashing against the invisible wall.

The demon ignored the dragoness. Instead, he raised his hand high in the air and announced in a booming voice so loud I wondered if they heard him on the other side of the planet, “I declare Desmon the winner. This competition is finished.” He reached out a massive hand and touched Desmon, whom Mateo was still trying to revive.

Desmon instantly coughed and sputtered, spitting out one last mouthful of water before sucking in a breath of air.

“Desmon!” I immediately ran to him, not caring about his proximity to the Gamemaster.

It would take a lot more than a powerful demon to keep me from my mate. I wanted no part of these stupid games that nearly cost me the love of my life. When we got home, I was going to tell Desmon he couldn’t participate ever again.

“No!” Gillisandra yelled. “Emmett cheated! He charged in and got in my way.”

The Gamemaster peered down at the dragoness like she was no more than a speck of dust. “Emmett only appeared on the scene after Desmon obtained the final artifact. He had already won.”

“What about that shark?”

“I had my demons follow it. It was not Emmett or a shifter with superior intelligence. There is no rule against encouraging a dumb beast to join the fray. It could have attacked either of you. I have spoken. You have until sundown today to prepare for your sleep.”

And then he was gone, leaving no trace except for the slight smell of brimstone.

Desmon was in his human form now. He looked confused. “My mate. Why are you here? It is too dangerous—”

I shook my head. “The competition is over. You won.”

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