Page 43 of Defy Me

She waved a hand and three demon dragons advanced on him. They stalked toward him, spotting the weakness in his stance. They hadn't yet spotted Yvaine, but they would know by her scent that she was here. He also saw in their eyes that they were reticent to do the witch's bidding. They stopped only inches from him and he didn't know if it was of their own will or if the witch had them all exactly where she wanted them.

"Geshtianna was supposed to guide you, not corrupt you with her own agenda. If I hadn't blocked you from communicating with the demon dragons you might have ruined everything. She will pay for her betrayal of me as well. If you don't want to join her in her six months of torture by my Annunaki, you'll do as you're told. Give me the girl."

Never. My brethren and I will overcome your hold. He was talking out his ass at the moment, stalling for time until he could figure out how to get Yvaine to safety. But every word was a promise. One he'd made before to the cursed, but never out loud to the Black Witch.You'll never be able to use us for your own purposes ever again. You want to fight your sister, do it yourself. We are done dying for you.

The witch scoffed at him. "Your brethren, as you call them, don't feel the same way, I fear. You've left them with something very dangerous, dragonling. Hope. They wanted you to free them so badly, as you promised to do. But they can all see the evidence now that you had no intention of saving anyone but yourself."

They wouldn't believe that.I have given everything to find a way to free them from your curse.

"Really?" Her cackle sounded like she had already won their debate. "If that were true, you wouldn't be holding the key to their freedom from them. You've made too many promises you can't keep and they grow tired of waiting. Better to stay with me and know their fates than wonder if you even care about them."

Yvaine gasped and tried to tell him something. Even the slightest distraction from her could give the demon dragons the impetus needed to attack. He had to stay focused on them if he was going to protect her. Many of them surrounding him were restless. They looked between him and the witch. He needed them on his side.I keep nothing from you, brothers. I don't have the cure for the curse yet. I was close. I will get the unicorn's blood and save you all.

"Lies. You hold what you need in your arms now. You're just not willing to sacrifice this one insignificant creature for the legions of your brothers. They will continue to suffer and die, fighting against the dragon warriors." Ereshkigal signaled to one of the Annunaki who drew out a sword and swiped it at Jett's injured wing. He reflexively pulled it away but exposed Yvaine in the process.

The demon dragons around him snarled and hissed, jumping over themselves and each other to see her, to feel her light.

"Jett. She's right." Black swirls of Yvaine's magic drifted in and out of the tight hold he had on her. "I can help them."

No. We don't know that you can break the curse.He'd always thought he would do anything to save his brethren, it had been his only thought in everything he had done. He would sacrifice anything. Anything, except for her. He wouldn't do that. He couldn't. He would die himself first.

"But you do know it. I am evidence of that." Jett's brother walked into the cave. The demon dragons weren't surprised he was there. He must have been in communication with them when Jett threw him through the shadow into hell.

Ereshkigal took one look at the uncursed man and threw her cloak up to cover her face. She backed away and signaled to her Annanaki to use themselves as a barricade between her and his brother. In a flash, Jett realized why. His brother signaled to one group of demon dragons who turned on the Annunaki and the Black Witch. His brother was not under Erishkigal's control and that scared her. The demon dragons didn't attack outright, instead they were coordinated, like never before, and they formed a continuous wall of fire. The two demon dragons on the outside flanks, flapped their wings at the fire and it pushed Ereshkigal and the Annunaki back.

Jett gaped at the sight of the powerful witch and her demons being repelled by an attack of such surgical precision. This was not normal behavior. Even the Black Dragon did not direct the demon dragons like this. If he had the dragon warriors might have been defeated long ago. Which made Jett wonder, did that fault lie with his father's command, or had his brethren resisted taking orders from the Black Dragon?

Ereshkigal fled the cave and Jett's mind finally felt unhindered. He could sense the thoughts of the cursed and connected with them. Most were angry with him and wanted him to give Yvaine over to them. They did believe he had tried to free them and didn't understand what was stopping him now. They couldn't understand her power over Jett.

His brother approached his hands held out like he came in peace. Jett wished that were true. "Jett, she broke the curse over me. She can save them all if you give her to us."

No. You don't know that's what changed you.

"What else could it be? Look at me. I am a man. When I shift, I am a dragon, pure in form, not some demented version tainted by the crone's demon curse." He let the dragon shimmer to the surface but did not shift.

She must have broken her spell over you too.He needed to believe that. If it had been Yvain, the implications were unbearable.

"Listen to me." Yvaine squirmed, trying to break free of his grasp. If she did and the demon dragons saw he did not have complete control over her, they would attack and he would lose her.

Shh, love.

She shook her body, fighting against him. "Don't shush me. Jett. I can help. I'm--"

He growled at them all, Yvaine, his brother, the cursed.No.

"We can not wait any longer. The crone and the Black Dragon grow more desperate as the dragon warriors grow stronger these past months. We have already lost many of our brothers. The final battle is ahead and we don't need to be a part of it. Let them kill each other. Give us the girl so we can escape. Prove you are our leader and here to save us all. You will be our Wyvern and we can live out our days in peace. Because if you aren't with us, you're against us and we'll have to kill you both."

The cave around them shook and an unholy screech tore through the air. Ereshkigal dropped from the shadows on the ceiling with a dagger in each of her hands. She threw one dagger at Jett and the other at his brother. She yelled her curse at them, "Igi hushaza hezuam! Igi hushbi ililiza hezuam!"

Jett and his brother both fell to the ground, His body curled up into itself and his skin mottled, turning from shiny black scales to the inky oil covered skin of the demon dragon.

Yvaine dropped to her knees beside his head and touched Jett's muzzle and as if she controlled him again, he shifted into his human form. She kissed his jaw, tears streaming down her face. "Jett, what's happening?"

"Yvaine," he croaked out. It was so hard to think. "Run, hide from witch. No get you."

"She's gone. The batstriches chased her away. What did she do to you?"

His vision blurred as fire burned him from the inside out, turning his skin to blackened ash. "Curse. Demon. Me."

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