Page 64 of Dragon Rivals of New York

I certainly love it.

Chapter 30

Kyro

I’veonlyflowntothe Gold Temple once without it turning into a fight. That was for the Blessing of Midas and Jeslyn’s daughter. Every other time I’ve made this trip, it’s ended in scratches and scars. Or worse, death.

Hopefully, this time will be different.

As predicted, Adrianna and Midas called on all the trained warriors in both hordes to take back the Gold Temple, which is why we’re now flying over the Atlantic far above the clouds.

I glance at Jethro. He’s so graceful, especially in this form. His scales have a golden hue to them that glints in the dying light of the sun, making him look as if he’s glowing.

For us, the hordes will battle to save the Gold Temple.

So we can spend forever together with our mate.

If we don’t die first.

I think of Nadia, of how many times we flew like this, and how she’s gone now, and I say a silent prayer to the goddess that she won’t take Jethro and Sora from me, too. If Sora never makes it to the pools, what will happen to Jethro and me? Would he still want me? Would I still want him?

And if something happens to him during this fight… I picture Nadia bleeding out in my arms, her face morphing into Jethro’s.No!I shake my head and fire bursts from my mouth.

Jethro and a few others on our team, including Otto, give me confused looks before focusing back on our goal.

Midas and Adrianna split the two hordes into four teams. We’ll attack from all directions at once, hoping to surprise and overwhelm them. Jethro and I are on the east team, flying out over the ocean before we’ll spin around toward land. Hopefully, they won’t expect us to come from the east like that.

Once we’ve gone far enough out, I give the signal to head back.

I’ve spent a lot of my life fighting. Not just because I have a temper, but because we had to scrape for everything we had in the Silver Horde, carve a place for ourselves in New Jersey, and fight to hold it. I’ve spent all of my adult life running security at a sex club. I’m good with my fists. Even better atintimidating people into not using theirs.

But I hate fighting.

My heartbeat is as unsteady as my breaths. The pit in my stomach is dark and hollow. A sense of foreboding settles on my back like a weight.

The temple is a dark blip on the horizon. Forty dragons circle like vultures waiting for a kill. It’s more than before. Almost twice as many as we have with us.

Otto shouldn’t be here. I blow fire in his direction, trying to send him back, but he doesn't break formation. None of us should be here. We should have come up with a better way. A smarter way.

As we close in, a sick feeling has me slowing down. The Ruby Diamond Horde doesn’t charge towards us. They hold their place in the sky and wait for us to get close.

Otto pulls ahead, and I want to call out for him to stop, to slow down, to stay back. I roar and chase him, but he’s lighter and faster and younger than me. He breathes fire as the first dragon attacks, swiping Otto with a claw and a wing at the same time.

Otto ducks and twists away while Jethro and I corner the dragon who attacked him, breathing fire from both sides of him. He falls, but we’ve taken too much time on one dragonand the others are on us. It’s a storm of teeth and tails, claws and fire. I can’t tell up from down. I’ve lost track of Jethro and Otto. All I can focus on is staying alive.

Out of the corner of my eye, a spot of red shoots into the sky.

No.How…? Before I can get out the roar to retreat, I hear Midas sound the call. But it’s too late.

An ear-splitting screech fills the air. It takes all my focus to stay alert enough to avoid the claws that try to swipe my belly. The sound is deafening. I roll and search for Jethro. He’s a hundred feet away, diving for a shape falling toward the water below.Otto.

Pain splinters my awareness as my ear drums pop, but I press on. I’m closer than Jethro and make it to Otto seconds before his unconscious human form hits the water. With claws extended, I grab his shoulders and lift.

It feels as if someone is jamming hot pokers into my skull through my ears. My vision is cloudy. My sense of direction, disoriented. Clenching my teeth, I focus on the mass of land that is New York. Home. I just need to get Otto home and make sure he’s okay.

This is too familiar. I carried Nadia, just like this.

And she died.

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