Page 55 of Phoenix Rise

“Which one still lives?”

The voice was a hoarse ghost of normal. The big Dragon stiffened, looking beyond me, and I turned to see Talakai moving up on us. Gore covered just about every inch of him. I was pretty sure that most of it wasn’t his own. But his eyes—they burned with a manic gleam that had Lucas backing away, and a low rumble emerged from Tyrez.

Aria eyed him uneasily. “Was an unusual color. Bronze.”

“Brock.” The name hissed from my indigo Dragon, and his lips curled into a snarl.

“What you did with Xumi—” Cody shook his head. “To kill a Dragon with only a sword, that was really something.”

“If I had to use my teeth, I was going to finish her.” The words were barely decipherable, more growl than speech.

“It’s over,” I said, but I really had no idea if it was, or wasn’t.

Matt held his ground beside me. The violence radiating off Talakai had every warrior in the room twitchy as hell.

But this was our Dragon. I wasn’t afraid of him. Although maybe I should be—his eyes were flaring like a strobe light. But as I searched his face, I thought he was there. Or, at least, part of him was.

He handed the bloodied sword to me, hilt first.

“But—” I said. “It’s yours. Not mine.”

His jaw clamped, and a muscle jumped in it. “If I am ever again worthy of this sword, I will ask for it back. Until then, will you keep it safe for me?”

I met his gaze, and my argument died on my lips. What I saw matched what I sensed. Every second, Talakai was fighting to stay human.

So instead of denying that he was a mess, or stating the obvious—that he needed help, I took the sword. “I would be honored,” I said.

Something deep inside him relaxed, just a little. His gaze rapidly moved away from mine and found Lucas. “I need to fly.” His voice was so raspy I could barely understand him. “Get this collar off.”

Matt stepped forward. “We have to get out of here, mate. Can you hold until we do?”

Talakai swallowed. “I don’t know.”

He was wound so tight, like he was standing on the razor’s edge of sanity. I moved to stand to one side of him, and Matt the other.

“Come with us,” I said. “We will take you home.”

19

Talakai

I was Guild.

I was Dragon.

And I was losing my mind.

I’d thought killing Xumi would liberate me, but I should have known it wouldn’t be that easy. Because she was only part of the problem.

The larger part was Anna.

Even meeting her eyes as I attempted to give her my sword—the expectation within them, of whom she wanted me to be...

She had no idea I was a monster.

The faces floated free, now, bombarding me with their names and their lives. I could barely see through them, only peripherally aware of Anna and Matt walking with me. I needed to set my beast free—to fly high and fast—to find solace in the heavens.

Cara awaited on the academy side of the gate. Her concern flooded me as she approached, her hands outstretched. But they froze when I growled at her.

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