Page 54 of Dragon Rivals of New York

Text sent, I collect a plate of fruit and cheese and two glasses of water. I’ll worry about the temples and the hordes later. Right now, I’m going to take care of my mates.

Chapter 25

Jethro

Soraiswrappingmyback with clean gauze when I hear Cyrus yell, “Where is he?”

My best friend storms into the bathroom a second later, his new wife close on his heels.

“Are you okay?” Finley asks, looking from me to Sora.

“We’re fine.” I tuck the last of the gauze in on itself and pull Sora to my side. “Aren’t you supposed to be on your honeymoon?”

Cyrus chuckles and wraps an arm around Finley. “You think I could keep this one away after she heard her best friend was attacked?”

“Hey, you wanted to come back just as much as I did.” Finley pokes him in the rib with her elbow.

“How did you even hear about it so soon?” Sora asks.

“Athena was missing her Auntie Fin, so I was on the phone with her and Jeslyn when Kyro texted Midas.” Finley’s features tighten. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah,” Sora reassures. “I’m good. But… what about the temples?”

“Midas sent scouts. We should hear—”

“They’re back,” Kyro says, entering the bathroom and cutting Cyrus off. “There are Ruby Diamond dragons at the Silver Temple, but only three.”

“Why send so many to the Gold Temple and so few to the Silver?” I ask.

“Maybe there are more coming? Or they assumed we’d go to the Gold Temple.” Kyro leans against the bathroom sink.

“It is the superior temple.” My rib is good-natured, but Kyro just glares.

“Midas and Adrianna are here talking strategy now,” Cyrus says.

“Strategy for what? So they can fight?” Sora’s voice raises an octave. “How many will die if we do that?”

We’re all silent. Dragons aren’t easy to kill, but we’re extremelylethal. And we don’t know how many the Ruby Diamond Horde sent. There were at least twenty outside the Gold Temple, but there could be more inside. Their horde is three times the size of any other horde. Even with both the Silver and Gold Horde fighting together, we’ll be outnumbered.

“They’ll leave once Goddess Week is over, won’t they?” Sora asks the question I don’t want her to ask. I can see the wheels turning in her bright little mind. Her jaw sets, her shoulders pull back, and tears leak from her eyes. “We can’t fight them. I won’t let anyone die just so I can become a dragon.”

“It’s not that simple, lovely.” I brush her hair off her shoulder and turn her to face me. “You heard the priest and priestess. The goddess wills it that our hordes combine. We have no way of knowing what might happen or what consequences there might be if we don’t.”

“There might not be any consequences. But if we fight, we know there will be. People will get hurt. Some could die. No.” She shakes her head. “We can’t.”

She pulls away from me and leaves the bathroom. Kyro and I both move to go after her, but Finley stops us. “Let me talk to her.”

The two of us share a look before nodding in agreement. Finley follows Sora while Cyrus stays with us. There’s an awkward, thoughtful silence before my oldest friend says, “Seems you two have made your peace.”

“He’s in love with me,” I tease, smirking at Kyro.

“Never.” He crosses his arms over his massive chest, the veins in his forearm popping.

“Oh, it’s happening, Ky,” I say. “Just wait.”

Cyrus laughs at my antics, but Kyro stomps out of the room.

“Are you really okay?” Cyrus asks.

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