Page 120 of Dragon Unleashed

The Virrey snarls in rage and his men crowd around him. They edge toward the trees, the Virrey always covered from any direct shot by the advancing P.I.G. A crack rings out, echoing around the empty clearing, and an officer hits the deck, clutching his leg. Shit, of course the Virrey’s men will try to shoot their way out. He’s ruthless. Why did I think this would be easy?

Out of the thicket, right where the Virrey is headed, steps a camera crew, a reporter babbling into his mic.

Stuck between the news crew and the police, the Virrey’s men are forced into a skirmish. They’re too damn far away to make out clearly what’s happening.

Suddenly the Virrey peels off. He’s going to make it. To get away. I can’t hold back any longer. I burst out from our hiding spot, Chano and Zephyr on either side, blocking his escape.

The Virrey slews to a halt. Dust billows up from the ground, coating his nice shiny shoes.

“You,” he hisses.

I can’t help myself. I bow.

A mistake. He’s cornered and a very powerful ascended supe. The Virrey changes to his wyvern form faster than I thought possible. One giant lash of his tail sends Chano sprawling in one direction and Zephyr in the other.

Slitted eyes stare me down, and his forked tongue flicks toward my face. With a yell I jump backward, rolling to get away from the clawed foot that strikes for me. I lose precious seconds as the pain of my own shift rips through me. Horns explode through my forehead and my clothes tear as wings whip out of my back.

I’m too slow. The Virrey is on me. A giant lizard shouldn’t move so quickly. He bowls me over, pinning me to the ground. I blast fire at him, but his scales simply take on a shiny metallic hue. The bastard doesn’t even flinch. With a scream of effort, I yank myself out from under his claw, ripping my wing to get free.

Agony sheers through me. I roll away, losing my dagger in my escape. A claw slashes down, missing me by inches. I spin and duck, but I can’t lose him. I’m off-kilter with an injured wing. He lands a blow, a long gash opening my thigh. My leg gives way and I stumble, crashing to one knee.

Farrell’s frame barrels into mine and he thrusts me behind him.

“Stop.”

The Virrey doesn’t listen, his beady eyes alight with fury. He plows toward his son, claws slicing the air. Farrell jumps back again, and again. Drawing the Virrey away from me. Why doesn’t he shift? My demon form might not hold up against the Virrey’s wyvern, but Farrell’s a damn dragon. I take in the sheer number of people here and it hits me. He doesn’t want to out himself. Even now, he’s protecting himself, and the rebellion from being exposed to the Angel King.

He’s going to die.

Before I can think of what to do, a squat form with spindly wings barrels into me.

“Hi sis,” the familiar voice hisses and I stumble.

Seth.

There’s only one problem. I’m not his sister. The very last of my loyalty to him is ripped away as he faces me down, leaving only the sly, miserable asshole in front of me. I already beat him in a fight once. And I’ve been training.

Reaching deep inside, I tug on my aether. Lacing it through with air, I pick Seth up in a whirlwind, sending him high into the sky, and dumping him on his head far from the fighting. His crawls upright and I see the moment his cowardice wins out. With the Virrey’s back to him, Seth slips away into the trees.

Good riddance.

Chano strides toward me, Zephyr at his side. He thrusts my dagger back into my hand. I nod at the standoff between the Virrey and Farrell.

“Together,” he mouths.

Leaping for the wyvern’s tail, I narrowly avoid the sharp-as-fuck ridges that stick from the end of it. I crawl my way up, digging my dagger in, flicking scales out of place, gouging, using my weight to stop the Virrey slashing at people with his death trap of a tail. Zephyr’s on one of the hind legs, holding on fordear life and chanting maniacally. His body is bathed in an eerie white glow as he rattles off his angelic magic.

The Virrey’s tail lashes again and I my hold loosens. I scrabble for purchase on the smooth scales. He swings quickly to the other side and I fly through the air, my broken wing flapping uselessly, and land, winded and covered in dirt. My aching muscles fight me as I sit up. Only yards away, Chano hacks mercilessly at the wyvern’s leg. I hear a loud ping as he finally saws through a tendon, and he’s off, dashing under the belly of the beast to attack the leg Zephyr’s on.

The Virrey rears up, throwing everyone off.

It’s only then I see them.

The rebellion. Hundreds upon hundreds of supes swarm out of the woods.

The wyvern roars triumphantly. Idiot thinks they’re here for him. In mere seconds they swarm the Virrey’s men, holding them back, subduing them.

“Stop,” Farrell bellows.

---