Page 85 of Magic & Secrets
Once Calla landed on my back, I regained my concentration. I wanted to burn the Elven city to ash to punish them for turning on us. The Bane Shifters fought Von Ehlinger and their Armgard many times to protect Elatalora. For them to turn on my kind sent me into a rage. When I reached for fire, for the first time, I found it.
Calla’s touch kept me focused. I needed to remove her from harm. There was no telling how long I could remain in dragon form. She was vulnerable as long as she restrained her magic.
Rather than burning the city to the ground, I flew away from Elatalora. We passed the approaching New Armgard. I waited for them to attack, but they only watched us fly overhead.
My wings took a little getting used to as I created miles of distance between Elatalora and us. The more I flew, the more comfortable I became with this form.
As Calla stroked my throat, her touch erased my earlier rage. We were together, far from the crowded streets of Elatalora now.
For an hour, I expected my dragon form to break. I flew lower to the ground in the event Calla and I came tumbling down.Eventually, I realized I could control this form as I did my other ones.
For centuries, Bane Shifters had struggled with their dragon forms. The Murade were frustrated by our lack of success. We gave up trying. Thanks to my mate bond, my dragon form felt effortless.
We left Varema Territory and flew over the human territory of Orvician. My plan was to remain a dragon until we reached Hallehian Territory, where Mt. Elysium was located. I wasn’t sure how long such a trip would take.
During the flight, Calla stroked my neck. If she kept touching me in such a beguiling way, we’d need to land to mate soon.
Before I could enjoy Calla’s body, I spotted three dark objects in the distance flying away from us. Eyesight sharpening, I realized they were the Murade’s attack helos on standard patrol duty.
I slowed my pace, gliding lower to avoid detection. Calla stroked my throat to signal she also spotted them. We sailed slightly above the forest top. I prepared to land and hide in the tall trees. Hesitating, I imagined myself crashing in a mess of limbs, going head over tail, and squishing Calla in the process.
My moment of uncertainty allowed the Murade soldiers to spot me. The helos switched directions in unison. Hiding was no longer an option.
Roaring a warning to Calla, I flapped my wings harder and elevated us. The lead helo opened fire with its artillery.
The blasts of energy bounced off my armored flesh. Calla shifted positions on my back. Before I might worry she was hurt, I felt the ancient magic of Solme Divige fill the air.
Calla ran along my neck and over my head. She leapt off me, diving like a missile, and smashed through the lead helo’s front window into the cockpit. As her swords sliced into the pilots, the helo shuddered and began to spin.
I breathed fire at the helo to the left, setting it ablaze. The one on the right stopped firing at me. The soldiers hesitated, possibly hoping to retreat.
Dropping downward, I leveled out with the spinning helo. Calla instantly jumped out of the open side door and landed on my back. Her fingers stroked me warmly, letting me know she was safe.
The final helo switched from mounted artillery fire to energy missiles. I dodged the first shot while the second one clipped my left wing. Flying past them, I slammed my tail into their rotor blades. The helo immediately lost altitude.
I flapped my wings with more intensity, rising as the helo dropped to the ground. As much as I wanted to land in a location where we could hide, I knew the Murade’s soldiers had called in the sighting before they attacked. Reinforcements would be here soon. Rather than risk Calla, I needed to create distance between the downed vehicles and us.
I finally located a valley between two lines of forest. Slowing my descent, I replayed the sight of Calla attacking the helo. She wasn’t delicate despite what my mate bond insisted. She could protect herself if I landed poorly.
The field’s emerald grass danced in the gusts of wind created by my massive red wings. Dropping with a grunt onto the soft ground, I dug my talons into the soil to settle my momentum.
Calla jumped off immediately and ran around the front of me. I didn’t shift right away, taking a moment to admire her golden, windblown hair framing her beautiful face. Calla cradled my snout and nuzzled her nose against mine.
“You are majestic,” she cooed in a lovestruck tone. “I can’t believe you can become this incredible beast.”
Her gentle touch forced me to shift. My lips collided with hers, craving comfort after fearing for her safety. Calla wrapped her arms around me, intoxicated by the same need. We suddenlyfreed our lips and looked around. The field remained empty except for us, yet the quiet felt like a lie. We had found ourselves in Orvician Territory with the Murade on the hunt.
“We should find cover,” I said, taking her hand. “We’ll keep moving south.”
Calla jogged with me until we reached the tree cover. I sniffed the air, trying to catch the scent of any possible predators. Finding the forest filled with only small animals, I focused on Calla, who had already unstrapped her weapons.
“When you fell off the bridge, I thought you might be dead,” she explained breathlessly.
“I can’t die.”
“You can,” Calla insisted while yanking off her clothes.
“Not by an Elf’s hand.”
