Page 132 of The Demon Tide

“I’d sense the dragon,” Yvan says, nostrils flaring, and Kam Vin nods, her hand resting on the hilt of her rune sword.

The drifting clouds of fog break apart for a moment, and a lone blue speck catches my eye, skimming the river’s surface then soaring up in our direction like a sky blue shooting star. It vanishes once more from sight as the patchy fog closes in around it.

Yvan grips a firmer hold of my hand before I can sound an alarm, his entire body tensing, his fire power surging as he lets out a sibilant hiss. My eyes widen at the chilling reptilian sound. He’s abruptly a whole other being, his face lethally severe, his flaming eyes riveted on the fog below as it shifts and the blue speck is briefly visible once more, elongated and much nearer.

Fear seizes hold.It’s a dragon. Flying straight toward us.

It’s found us.

My heart stutters as fog obscures the blue dragon again and I reach for my rune blade.

Yvan’s fire magic snaps in tight and begins to spark with a ferocity so hot and violent its radiating aura takes my breath away. He releases my hand as he, Kam Vin, and Lucretia calmly rise and Lucretia begins to murmur spells, water power swelling on the air. I rise alongside them, drawing my Ash’rion and powering up ice magic to combat Wyvern power.

The fog-clouds shift and the dragon emerges into view, and I realize with a bolt of alarm that it might be as big as Naga.

Bigger.

Yvan throws off his cloak in one smooth movement, his lips lifting in a vicious snarl as his fingers flex, his dark horns arcing up from his hair, his hands taking on a molten glow, brightest at his fingertips, dark claws forming. “He has his sights set on Elloren,” he growls as the dragon begins a rapid swoop toward us, its sides marked with glowing Noi runes.

“Can you best him?” Kam Vin asks Yvan as she draws her swords with a smooth, metallic scrape.

“I can,” Yvan seethes as his wings accordion out from their tattoo impression to their full breadth. “I’m going to drive him off.” He brings a foot to the skiff’s rail and contracts his wings inward.

Black Witch.

The words hit my mind along with a flash of vermilion fire. Realization ignites as the familiar red flame flashes brighter, purple sparking in it—this isn’t a blue dragon at all, but a rune-marked white one.

Alarm punches through me.

“Stop!”I cry, lurching forward to grab hold of Yvan’s arm before he can launch his lethal self at Raz’zor, my gaze flying to Kam Vin and Ni Vin and Lucretia. “Draw down your weapons! I know this dragon! He’s pledged fealty to me!”

Yvan’s head whips toward me, fast as a blur, astonishment strafing through his power. “Thisis the goat-size dragon?”

“It is,” I say, amazed by Raz’zor’s enormous size.

Raz’zor breaks through the fog, soaring up until he’s flying beside us, the sight of my horde-kin kicking up a euphoria deep in my chest. He’s like moonlight taken form, his huge, gleaming ivory-scaled body tinted blue from the countless Noi runes marked on his sides, a small purple rune emblazoned on the base of his neck. His powerful muscles beat broad, pale wings in a rhythmicwhooshas I marvel at our sudden reunion.

Death to Vogel, Raz’zor sends into my mind as red and purple fire sparks through my lines, and a heady relief sweeps through me. I move toward him, right up to the skiff’s edge.

Raz’zor, I send out to him.Are you the dragon the Vu Trin sent out to search for me?

A lash of angry fire. To scent and to capture. But they do not know that you have my fealty.

Another wave of relief breaks over this blessed stroke of improbable luck.

They got the runic band off you, I marvel, the throat-band that kept him small as a lamb now absent.

Or’myr Syll’vir, friend to Dragonkin, broke my bonds,he sounds out in my mind, and I’m stunned to hear his mention of my cousin.My fire has been fully unleashed as well, and strengthened with his purple flame. And now I will fight with you and together we will render the Gardnerians’ flesh to ash and consume their bones.

“Elloren,” Yvan says, his hand coming to the small of my back. “Do you have a mind connection with this dragon?”

“I do,” I reply, meeting his questioning gaze. “We’re a horde.”

An incredulous laugh bursts from Jules and I turn toward him. “You never cease to be full of surprises,” he notes, his bespectacled gaze studying me with lively amusement.

“How ever did you manage to secure a Vish’nile dragon’s fealty?” Kam Vin demands, clearly thrown. “That can takeyears.”

I spare her a glance. “I think we skipped a few formalities because of someserioustime constraints—” I break off, distracted by the reddened fire magic that’s now combining with my own to whip through my lines along with Yvan’s golden flame.

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