Page 13 of Hot for the Dragon

"Carmen." He drawled the name, injecting just enough derision to make her jaw clench. "The day I pledge loyalty to you is the day hell freezes over, and demons start ice skating."

"Still the same arrogant bastard."

"And you're still picking fights you can't win," he replied, studying her with deliberate casualness. "A rebellion against the Council? Really? You always did have more ambition than sense."

The other dragons tensed, but Archer didn't spare them a glance. They weren't the threat here.

"You know how this ends," he continued. "Blood in the streets. Dragons falling from the sky. For what? To prove you're the strongest?"

Carmen's eyes narrowed, a muscle ticking in her jaw. The air crackled with tension, and Archer could smell ozone - a sure sign Carmen was fighting the urge to shift.

Carmen's lip then curled into a sneer. "The strong survive, the weak perish. That's nature's law." She paced the clearing like a predator sizing up prey. "And the strongest should rule - which is me."

Archer rolled his eyes. "And what happens when someone stronger comes along? There's always someone stronger."

"No one is stronger than me." Her words carried the weight of absolute conviction.

"Your army's what - a dozen dragons? Against an entire town of supernatural beings?" He crossed his arms, letting his disdain show. "Even if you win, you'll lose half your forces. Then what? You'll be too weak to hold what you've taken."

"I have contingencies."

"Like what? More wings you've bullied into submission?"

Carmen's smile turned razor-sharp. "You'll see."

The ominous reply made his scales itch beneath his skin. Something wasn't adding up here.

"Why do you even care, Archer?" Carmen's voice dripped with mockery. "You've never given a damn about anyone but yourself."

Daphne's words suddenly echoed in his mind. "Because innocent people got hurt this time." He couldn't believe he was actually saying this out loud. "They lost their homes, their businesses-"

Carmen's laughter cut through the air. "Since when does Archer Hawke care about collateral damage?"

"He has a point."

Archer's heart stopped as Daphne stepped forward. Damn it, what was she doing? The other dragons' heads snapped toward her, nostrils flaring as they caught her non-dragon scent.

"And I've been watching your followers," Daphne continued, her voice steady despite the predatory gazes fixed on her. "They don't seem as convinced of your cause as you think."

Archer fought the urge to grab her and drag her back. The other dragons would see her as prey, a mere witch presuming to speak to their better.

Carmen's voice turned to ice. "They don't need to be convinced. I'm the strongest. They follow me because they have to."

Archer watched with a mix of exasperation and grudging admiration as Daphne stepped forward further, her chin lifted in defiance. The gathered dragons towered over her small frame, yet she showed no fear.

"Strength isn't just about who can hit the hardest," Daphne's voice rang clear across the clearing. "It's about standing up for what's right, even when it's difficult."

Archer suppressed a groan. Great. She was going to get them both killed with this inspirational speech nonsense. Dragons didn't do moral philosophy - they respected power, plain and simple. Yet he couldn't help noticing how some of the younger dragons shifted uncomfortably.

"You all know this is wrong," Daphne continued, her green eyes sweeping across the gathered dragons. "Destroying homes, burning businesses, terrorizing innocent people - that's not strength. That's bullying."

A bronze-scaled dragon lowered his head slightly, and Archer caught the flash of shame in his eyes. Interesting. Maybe the little witch wasn't completely off base.

"You don't have to follow this path," Daphne's voice softened. "You can walk away. Choose to be better than this."

The emerald dragon to Carmen's left actually took a step back, his wings folding closer to his body. Archer's eyebrows shot up. Well, damn. The flower shop owner had more steel in her spine than he'd given her credit for.

But Archer knew better than to hope. Dragon culture was built on displays of dominance - centuries of instinct wouldn't be overcome by one impassioned speech, no matter how genuine. He moved closer to Daphne, ready to grab her and shift if things went south.

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