Page 104 of Dragon Blood

Bayn called out, growling, eyes turned toward Aeleftheria.

In the distance, the sky continued to churn, with dragons fighting over the archipelago.

“Come on. Bayn will ensure the ship’s safety before he follows,” Kai swam away from Astred before resuming his dragon form.

He followed her through the water, building up enough speed to push up into the air to regain flight and altitude. The sensation of the dragon’s neck cracking under the power of Kai’s jaws lingered, churned his gut. He never in his life had imagined he would ever have to kill another. Heart heavy, he now knew he could. Glancing at Astred’s dragon form, his heart pounded, knowing that if he hadn’t, she’d be dead.

He turned his attention to the chaos ahead.

So be it.

This is everyone’s fight.

Chapter 35

Therushofwindand Astred’s pounding heart filled her ears as they flew toward the battle raging over Aeleftheria.

What was left of her. Everything they’d built was gone. The Citadel and her towers were nothing but crumbled stone.

On the distant horizon, several ships approached, smaller winged figures launching to join the enemy ranks. Not dragons. Other.

She banked to intercept a few who were already engaged, threatening to overwhelm an Aeleftherian guardian and an unknown female defender, whose scent reminded her of one of the refugee camp dragonesses.

With no mercy left in her, she came in hard, prepared to shred and break, and rend limbs. Regardless of the GPSA’s policy to subdue and contain, this was clearly a fight to the death.

Her throat thickened.

Odson had brought everyone with him that he could.

She wouldn’t send their corpses back.

Unseen by their attacker, she angled the strike to the back of the enemy’s neck. The snap of bone, the spray of blood. The enemy tumbled into the ocean. Eyes wide, the guardian and the refugee looked to Astred, chests heaving. They were exhausted, struggling to remain airborne.

Below them, those that didn’t make it dotted the ocean, Aeleftherian guardians, allies, and enemy corpses dragged together by ocean currents.

Too late.

Too. Fucking. Late!

She roared her fury.

A dragoness with metallic scales soared past Astred’s line of sight.

Not Kolina or Zayli.

Older. Scarred. Bleeding.

Zadora.

Astred dimly noted that she’d never seen any dragon so battle scarred as this one.

Dragon Star. Aeleftheria’s greatest warrior.

And her greatest traitor.

The fury returned. Astred went after her, knocking her from her balance, sending her crashing to the island she seemed intent on.

Astred skidded to a halt beside her, allowing her momentum to lend force as she curled her claws into a fist, connecting with Zadora’s snout with a scream fueled by betrayal and hatred.

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