Page 126 of Dragon Fires Everywhere
I put the fairy-tale nightmare down on the stack of other books. I try to magic some sort of protective case around them,but I’m spent.
Then Azrael puts his hand on my shoulder. “Try now.”
I feel his magic pump into me, and I’m able to do it. I make a safe holder for all the books, then magic it all to the witchlorearchives. Before I can say or do anything else, Azrael shifts into his dragon form again.
It’s a shimmering brightness, and then he surrounds me, gleaming scales and hisimmensity. And he simply lifts me up and, in a graceful maneuver, plants me on his back.
Then he rises up and flies out of the hole he made in the roof.
But he doesn’t go to Main Street. He soars over the roof and straight down in front of Carol’s house, where my father is at the gate, still fighting against whatever wall has kept him from getting into the house.
“How did you break through?” I ask Azrael as he lands in front of my father.
“Magic, Georgina. Of course.” He inclines his giant dragon head toward my father. “Mr. Pendell.”
“Ah. Mr.... Dragon?”
“Azrael. Azrael Evermore. Now, let’s save the world.”
He uses a wing to place my father on his back, right behind me.
“Oh,dear,” Dad breathes, wrapping his arms around my middle and holding on tight.
Azrael jerks his head up at the sky then, so I do too. And I see... crows.
So many black birds, circling above us.
Reinforcements, he said. Azrael somehow got them to come. To help. They aren’tfreeyet. I know that. But they are all riskingpainfor this. Risking whatever they can give.
Because we need to work together.
And because my dragon asked.
I hold on to him tightly.Thank you.
I wouldn’t be thanking me yet.
But this is literally our last, best weapon. Maybe ouronlyweapon. Working together, no matter how hard it is.
I can hear the voices echoing from the wedding. The readings must be over because I can hear Jacob’s voice. The vows are starting.“We have to hurry.”
But one of the big ravens flies in front of us and leads us down to the ground. He’s violet-eyed and huge. He morphs intoa man as he lands.
“You’d better be right, dragon,” Gideon says darkly. Then he holds out his hands, palms up. And I realize with a start that...Azrael had to have gone to Gideon. Specifically. Found Crow Island, rallied them allandtheir king. No matter his pride or his fears.
Gideon mutters a few words in a language I can’t quite work out, and a sword appears. He holds it for a moment. I understandthat it is very heavy—and infinitely precious.
His eyes gleam as he offers it to me.
I’ve never seen it in person before, but I know it at once. The sword from the book.MybookandCarol’s.
“The sword of unity,” my father says in awe. “It’s supposed to be a myth. A—”
“Fairy tale?” I supply for him.
He chuckles. “Yes.”
I lean down and take the sword from Gideon. It feels right in my hands. Not heavy at all.
