Page 82 of Dragon's Code

“Grey was here,” I say. “My brother tried to get him, but he was gone before he got there. Not before he did his damage though.”

Mayor Smith gives me a sorrowful look. “Who did you lose?”

“We’re not sure she’s lost, but my brother’s mate might wake up a vampire. We don’t know what that will do to their mate bond. Our clan witches are working on her now.”

Mayor Smith nods. “If you need any help, let me know. Fae have some healing abilities that might come in handy.”

“Thank you.”

“I’ve already been on a call with the governor, and he’s talked to Washington D.C. For the time being, any supernatural creature that needs sanctuary can come here and get it.”

“Thank you again,” I say. “Did we get most of the humans out in time?”

“All the hotels were cleared in time. Most of the staff was even out. If we have any loss of life, their families will be compensated.”

“Are the humans still scared of us?” I ask.

“They were until they saw the live footage I made sure to show them who shot first. Until they realized that it was us that saved them from the hotels, not the humans holding them all hostage. We may have made some enemies but I think we made some allies too.”

The roar of a semi-truck comes right before it storms through the smoke like a monster in the night. We all scramble to get out of the way before getting hit.

I scream when I see that in the back of the truck is one of the cages. It doesn’t have any humans in it. Just one passed-out dragon.

“Declan!”

The truck continues to plow down the boulevard. I leap into the air and hope that my wings will catch the wind just right. I pump my wings as hard as I can trying to get up above the clouds of smoke. The truck has a huge lead on me.

I’m exhausted. I’ve used so much energy shifting and fighting. But I keep fighting to catch up. That’s my brother. My family.

I manage to get above the truck. It’s speeding down the highway, knocking cars out of its way, plowing through anything and everything.

I nose dive right for the truck and just as I’m about to stomp on the truck cab, something hits me hard from below. There’s a harpoon in my chest right near my armpit. The cable connected to the harpoon jerks to a stop when it’s at capacity and I’m yanked from the sky and the earth rushes up to catch me. I hit with a loud crunch, not sure if it's the vehicles under me or my bones breaking. Everything hurts, the wind’s knocked from my lungs, and the pain of the harpoon stabbing me becomes overwhelmingly searing hot. I let out a scream of anguish before slumping in defeat.

Whoever hit me is no doubt racing to me to finish the job, but I can’t get up. I’m afraid to shift with the harpoon lodged inside of me. It could kill me in my human form.

I reach out mentally for my brother. I push along the seams of the wall of his mind keeping me out. I try to talk to him anyway.Declan? Are you all right?

There’s no answer.

I keep expecting to pass out, but the pain comes in waves and wakes me back up. It feels like I’m laying there for hours. Someone should’ve finished the job by now.

Weakness gives my muscles the shakes. Exhaustion makes it hard to stay awake. Every time I try to move I’m greeted with more pain than I’ve ever experienced in my life. As I lay there, nearly drifting off, forcing myself to stay awake, there’s a searing, scalding, unbearable pain where I’ve been struck. I let out another roar and try to flail away from the pain, which only creates more pain.

“Can you shift?” A deep baritone voice is close to my ear but I can’t see who it is and I don’t recognize the voice.

Shift?

“I’ve removed the spear. Can you shift?”

I don’t know if I should.

“I can’t help you when you’re a dragon. Shift back.”

I close my eyes and try to focus on my human form. It’s like trudging through molasses as I shift back into my human form, but I manage it. A blanket is thrown over my body and I’m lifted into someone’s arms.

It has to be one of my brothers. It has to be someone that knows me.

“What’s your name?”

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