Page 25 of Cage Me

Yes.

It tumbled, not flailing about like she thought it would, but spreading its small wings and riding the storm.

Shit.

Cage was easily in its sights, but it flew right past, tucking its body into an aerodynamic arrow and shot straight for the Black Witch.

What?

She hadn’t moved during the battle, except to press herself to the wall. She kept her tight magical hold on Jett, not letting him fall even an inch from the ceiling.

Had it released her only to assist the Black Witch?

The demon dragon circled the room, riding the wind. On its next pass, it dropped from the swirl of dirt and dust, crashing toward Ereshkigal.

She shrieked, throwing her arms up to block the attack, but she wasn’t fast enough to hold back the demon dragon cannonballing toward her. It crashed into her, rolling across the rock in a tangle of limbs and claws.

Jett, no longer trapped by her spell, dropped from the ceiling, spreading his own wings and lashed out at the Black Dragon. Cage didn’t miss a beat. He blew a new burst of wind that carried Jett past the Black Dragon and right in Azy’s direction. Those coal black of Jett’s were pissed as hell when he landed beside her.

“I’ll get him for that demon dragon’s death.”

This was war and if Jett wasn’t with them, who was he with? She couldn’t figure out if he was a good guy or a baddie. “Whose side are you on here?”

“Mine,” he growled. He lifted Azy in one of his claws, underneath her legs and made for the tunnel.

She pushed against him with her uninjured arm, but she was already feeling the effects of her wounds. “We can’t leave Cage.”

“Fuck me.Don’t any of you have any sense of self-preservation.”

Jett rolled his eyes, dropped her just inside the tunnel entrance and turned back to the battle. The Black Dragon had taken to the air and was showering fire down as the pools of lava shot up in spurts. Oh, shit on a shingle. Cage would be caught in the middle.

Jett flew for the ceiling and ran smack dab into a giant stalactite. It and half the rocks in the caldera rained down like hellfire on top of the Black Dragon.

“Get the fuck out of here, gold. That won’t keep him long.” Jett flew right over Cage’s head and into the tunnel, not bothering to stop for Azy this time.

Cage was at her side before she even blinked. He grabbed her up and followed Jett into the darkness.

“Up ahead and to the left is Fallyn’s armory. Maybe we can make a stand there.”

Cage and Jett followed her directions and in another few flaps of their wings she saw the light coming from the cave where Fallyn had hoarded swords and Christmas ornaments.

Neither were going to do them much good if the Black Dragon came calling. She imagined throwing broken glass bulbs at his face and that made her feel a little better.

Jett went through the cave entrance and a power like electricity snapped and sparkled across his skin. “Ouch.”

He landed in a skid and a thud inside the cave. Where he had crossed now sparkled like some kind of force field across the entry to the cave.

Cage pulled up short, landing directly in front of the entryway. He still cradled Azy in his great claw, holding her away from the power. “She has it shielded somehow.”

He sniffed and poked at the energy field at the doorway. “The spell doesn’t have an effect on me. But, I’m not going through without you.”

Azy reached her hand out and through the sparkling energy. Where she touched it, the sparkled faded and she felt nothing, just as when she’d gone into Fallyn’s cave before. If Jett hadn’t crashed through, she wouldn’t know any kind of barrier was even there. “I’ve been in there. I didn’t even know there was a spell.”

Cage glanced over her shoulder and shoved her into Fallyn’s cave, following right behind her.

“I won’t have a dragon stealing my hoard.” Fallyn stood just inside the entrance, a sword held with the tip pointing at Cage’s throat.

A rumble sounded in the tunnel behind them. Jett got to his feet and took a stand in front to the entry, blocking it with his body, his tail poised to strike at anything that came through. A stream of demon dragons ran past the cave, not a one of them even glancing in their direction. They all stayed silent until the final one was gone.

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