Page 54 of Cast By Flames (Dragon's Breath)
Roaring, he began spinning in circles as fast as possible. Fields, trees, other warriors in the periphery, and the fortress spun through his vision. The shifter at his tail lost his tenuous hold and soared into the other two, still separating themselves. The female flapped her wings and avoided Aidan’s snap in her direction. Panya was lithe and slyer than the others, with a determined glint in her yellow gaze.
Aidan looked down upon her, so much tinier than him, and swiped his claws at her face. She scrambled a few feet away and let out a barking sound that indicated laughter. This female would not go down as quickly as the others.
Crouching low, he gathered his muscles and leaped on top of her. He moved so swiftly that Panya couldn’t dodge his attack in time. Aidan put his considerable weight on her wings and hind legs, pinning her to the ground. She’d become one of the most lethal warriors in the toriq and would be a great asset in the coming war. Still, she needed to suffer defeat to continue improving her skills.
He eyed Panya’s neck. A swift bite on the throat could end the fight, but she’d ducked her head down to make it difficult. As he snorted steam into her eyes, she began to twist and buck wildly. If he aimed wrong, she could be seriously harmed. Only a clean strike would do.
His hesitation cost him.
Panya dug her sharp teeth into his right bicep and tore through his muscles so deeply she struck bone. Agony lanced through him. None of his people had inflicted such severedamage today—not from a lack of trying. Good for her, even if it hurt him. He needed to learn lessons today also, and she’d taught him a good one.
Too bad she’d left the side of her throat exposed as she stayed clamped down. Aidan snapped his fangs, sinking them deeply enough to make a point and show her the error she’d made. Panya let out a muffled cry of pain and released his arm.
He slowly backed away and watched as she tried to twist to her feet. During their struggle, he’d crushed several bones in her wings, making it more difficult for her to rise. The other warriors who’d finally untangled themselves rushed to help her. Panya growled at them and rolled onto her belly, shakily lifting her body while her right wing hung crookedly.
That level of independence would sometimes serve her well, but only if she recognized when to accept assistance. For some battles, the best method was to work in teams. Only in her early thirties, Panya was still young and had much to learn, but she was cunning and vicious.
Aidan’s wounded bicep began to close faster than he’d ever seen.
So much about him had changed. With his growing power and size, fighting his people had become more effortless—at least when he didn’t hesitate. Not one of them had half his strength or speed. Even with him adjusting to his size, Aidan caught on to his advantages quickly. That might have been encouraging, except they faced overwhelming odds against an enemy who would not hesitate to annihilate them.
He needed to push them and himself to their breaking points. He’d been given a gift when he took leadership and brought his toriq together. They trusted him to see them throughthe dark war ahead. He’d do whatever it took to ensure as many of them survived as possible—even if it meant causing them pain now. It was always better to make mistakes and learn from them when one’s life wasn’t on the line.
Aidan shifted his gaze toward ten fresh warriors.All of you, attack me now!
They hesitated for only a moment.
Fresh strength ran through his body as they swarmed over him. Aidan couldn’t begin to understand how it worked, but he didn’t grow tired as quickly as before, and most of his wounds healed in minutes—even deep ones. He felt unstoppable, but he knew the Kandoran would be the real test, and battling their large forces would take everything he had. Likely more.
Aidan bit, clawed, and flung away the warriors as fast as possible. The coppery taste of blood filled his mouth, and the grass under his feet puddled with red. A few shifters managed to injure him, but he hardly felt the pain.
He had sunk into a hyper-focused trance that allowed him to anticipate the moves of every dragon near him and act before they did. Some managed to maneuver and save themselves, but before long, he’d created a pile of moaning warriors.
Aidan kept calling more and more to fight, but after a mere twenty minutes, only two remained standing of the thirty originally on the field. Both were bloody and torn, swaying on their feet. They had little left to give but refused to quit yet. He appreciated their fortitude.
He began to move toward them when Bailey stepped into his path.
“Nice work, pendragon. Wanna try fighting someone your own size?” she asked, craning her neck to look up at him with a sly grin.
Though amusement lit her gaze, he also noted a hint of shock as she took in his enormous dragon body. Not including his wings and tail, he was now ten times her proportions. She hadn’t seen him in his beast form lately since their schedules often kept them apart. When they were together, it was in the castle, and he remained in his human form. This was her first time seeing his extensive changes.
His beast sent laughter into her head.Only your ego is equal to mine, misanna.
“Ha! You’ve definitely got me beat there,” she said, putting a hand on her hip. “But I’ve fought bigger than you.”
He paused to admire his fierce mate and the mother of his child. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, with her black hair high in a ponytail except for a few tendrils that framed her flawless and delicate face.
Her black camrium top was laced tightly to hug her chest and waist, and he envied her pants for how they encased her hips, rear, and legs as if they’d been glued to her skin. Despite her diminutive size, she stood before him as a fierce woman.
Yet he feared hurting her. She was his life, soul, and all he’d lived for these past years.
I am much stronger and faster now,he warned.
They had not dueled with each other for a very long time. He’d recently watched her train with some of his warriors and discovered she’d advanced her skills considerably while on theEast Coast, but he’d also grown more powerful. Bailey had no idea how much.
She rolled her eyes. “Maybe, but I fight dragons your size all the time, and none of them hold back. They want me dead. On the other hand, you only practice with subjects who aren’t trying to kill you. Why don’t you prove you’re as strong as you think,pendragon.”
She was provoking him, and he enjoyed it.
