Page 76 of The Cursed Queen

"Well?" the leader questioned. "What's it going to be? Are you going to come quietly, or do we have to do this the hard way?"

"As enticing as that offer sounds, I'll have to pass. You want me, come and get me." I lept into the air and took off, flying awayfrom the mountain and my mates, expecting them to follow me. They did. If there were a time to put my training to the test, it would be now. The dragon riders were hot on my tail, spewing flames in my direction, but I swerved around to avoid getting hit. My reflexes had improved since the last ambush. Even with multiple streams of fire coming at me, I managed to dodge them without losing too much altitude.

This game of cat and mouse couldn't last forever. Building up my dragon's flame, I spun around, whipping my arm out to create a ripple of fire in their direction. The dragon riders scattered to avoid my attack, but that made it easier for me to decide who to go after first. I charged for the one closest to my left, getting close enough that he couldn't order his dragon to incinerate me. the knight raised his shield to block my incoming kick, but I pushed myself up and flipped over him, landing behind the knight. Before he could turn around, I blasted him with a torrent of amethyst flames that engulfed him in seconds.

I felt the second he died, and the magic that was controlling the dragon faded. Now that I was part of the den, I felt a mental connection to every dragon, even the ones recently freed from their magic imprisonment.

"If you want revenge on the druid knights who captured you, then please help me," I mentally pleaded to the freed dragon.

The dragon wasted no time in assisting me. I hopped off his back, going after one dragon rider while he went for another. I dove low to avoid the dragon's breath of fire, sailing under him before whirling around his tail and landing on his back. The druid knight already had his sword out, expecting my approach. He let out a cry as he charged for me, whipping his sword out to slice at me. I jumped back to avoid his attack, then swiped at him with my claws. The knight blocked it with his shield, whipping around and going for another slash.

I avoided most of his sword, but the bastard managed to slice an inch of my shoulder. The wound stung, but I could still move my arm, so I ignored the pain.

The knight smirked. "You don't think we only coated the arrow heads in Dragonsbane, did you?"

My eyes widened as my body registered the all-too-familiar chill of the Dragonsbane filling up my arm and shoulder. I cursed under my breath.

The knight laughed. "I wonder how many more doses your dragon can take before it finally dies. You know a shifter can't survive without both halves of their souls, right? Or did your little playmates forget to tell you that?"

It didn't matter if I knew that or not. I wouldn't let my dragon die. Not when we were this close to regaining our bond. Commotion up ahead had me looking over the knight's shoulder. The dragon I rescued was busy fighting off another dragon rider when the other two riders started tackling him from all directions. The dragon tried escaping but was soon hit with three streams of fire.

"No!" I screamed and was about to help him, but the knight blocked my path with his sword.

"Nuh, uh, uh, not so fast, little princess," the knight taunted.

I growled at the asshole while I watched helplessly as the dragon, who barely had a taste of freedom, plummeted into the ocean. I couldn't tell if he was still alive or not. If he was, then barely. I needed to save him before it was too late.

"Typical," the knight spat. "You're as useless as a dragon as you were a druid. How does it feel knowing you'll always be a failure, no matter what species you align with?"

Things were not looking good for me. Drayce and Andriel hadn't found me yet, and here I was, facing four dragon riders with no backup. I could try to have them chase me again, butI also needed to save that dragon before it was too late. What could I do?

"For the honor of the Zeffari Kingdom!" The knight shouted as the other three dragon riders prepared their dragons to breathe fire on me. I looked at the knight in front of me in horror. Was he mad? If they hit me with that many flames, he'd be burned alive, too. Looking into that stone-cold expression of his, I saw the resolve in his eyes. He knew he'd be collateral damage and was ready to die if it meant taking me with him. Strangely, I felt a sense of admiration for his sacrifice, but it was for the wrong reason. He'd die a warrior, but there was no honor in what he was doing.

A wave of crimson flames came for me. The knight closed his eyes and embraced his fiery demise as he was soon lost in the inferno. I was not ready to die without a fight. I pushed back against the flames with my own—crimson against amethyst. The combined force of three dragons was proving to be too much for me. I held on for dear life, but I knew I wouldn't last.

My dragon stirred in the hidden depths of my subconscious, sensing that I was in danger. I felt her agitation, her desire to assist me, but the remaining two chains were holding her down. Feeling my muscles ache, and my energy draining, I feared for the end. I feared it, but I wouldn't give up until the end. Screaming at the top of my lungs, I pushed back against the inferno, calling on every last ounce of strength I had left.

My dragon was fighting her own battle, finding enough strength to break through the remaining confines of her form. She let out a fierce roar that caused my bones to shake, pulling herself up, the chains trying their hardest to keep her down, but she wouldn't stay down. She was fighting back. She was fighting to get to me.

The chains snapped; the first one... then the second.

She was free, and her roar of triumph rang.

My body erupted in a tornado of amethyst flames, breaking through the crimson torrential flames threatening to incinerate me. My body grew. What remained of my soft flesh morphed into dark scales. My hair receded and spikes protruded along my back. I was shifting. My dragon reached the surface of our bond and was taking over. I let her.

I hopped off the newly freed dragon as I shifted into my dragon form, breaking through my violet flames and letting out an apex roar. The knights stared in shock, surprised by my transformation. So was I, but I also felt delighted. Our bond was mended. My dragon was free, and her thoughts and emotions were as clear to me as crystals. I felt love. I felt longing. Most of all, I felt relief.

We were united as one and were ready for round two.

One of the dragon riders prepared another blast of fire, but I matched it with my own. Our flames collided, but the blend of my dragon and druid magic proved too strong for the pure-blooded dragon to fend off. My flames broke through his and blasted the dragon out of the sky, incinerating his rider instantly.

"Dammit, shoot her! Take her down!" The leader yelled in frustration as he and his remaining soldier prepared a joint fire attack.

Before it could reach me, another burst of crimson flame collided with theirs. I looked up in time to see Andriel and Drayce finally making their way toward us. The dragon rider subordinate charged after my mates while I dealt with the leader. I collided with his dragon, whirling around in midair while trying to overpower the other.

"Fucking useless cunt. Just die already!" The leader spat as he unsheathed his sword. Right as he jumped onto his dragon's head, I opened my massive jaw and pushed him into my mouth with my tail. He screamed as he fell toward me, dropping intomy throat as I closed my mouth and swallowed him whole. He died instantly.

The leader's dragon regained his self-awareness and loosened his grip on me. As for the remaining knight, he perished easily, thanks to the combined strength of Andriel and Drayce. They were all gone.

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