Page 11 of Fire Dragon
Fired a second time. Missed. Reloaded.
She released a breath, waiting a split-second longer, fired again and the shot was dead on. The dragon began to fall.
Just as she was adjusting for the final shot, a gust of wind hit her on the back, her knees failed and she was airborne.
I’ve got you. Hold with levitation.
She kept her position.
He made a sideways slide and caught her, placing her back in the saddle.
She reloaded her rifle.
Once there, however, the last dragon was on them.
Fire coursed over them both. She buried her face and felt the answering surge of power from Liam’s body as he strengthened his energy shield around her and for this moment it surrounded her.
She was safe, but it was damn hot.
Gotta roll and I’ll be battling. Hold on.
Right.
She was already pressed against his body, her hands clinging to the edges of two nearby scales. As he rolled, his body pulled inward. She felt his entire tail whip around.
She couldn’t see anything, but she felt the blow as he struck the other dragon hard. She brought her pistol into her grip and forced herself to watch as Liam grappled with the dragon. If she could take a shot, she would.
But it was all she could do to hang on as the battle continued. She felt the other dragon strike a blow against Liam’s side, the powerful tail-strike vibrating up and down Liam’s long, muscled body.
Liam began to fall.
Liam? Was he okay?
Hold steady.
Right. He was doing a feint. But would it work?
She saw the dragon flying toward them. She’d be crushed if it struck.
Take a shot with your pistol, Emma, straight and true. Aim for the eye.
The Magi’s bright yellow eye, tiger-lined with black, loomed closer and closer.
With the handgun in her right palm, she secured her grip on the closest scale for balance, her knees pressed like iron against Liam’s body. She felt a protective vibration of energy pass through Liam only this time, she knew she could access it. The small part of her that was dragon took hold and attached. It was Liam’s energy shield the one he used to cover and support four miles of dragons.
She couldn’t believe she’d done it and that she’d done the attaching.
The enemy dragon added a strong bat of his wings, coming in for the kill. The horizontal slit of his grotesque eye stared at her and she knew the Magi was having a laugh at her expense.
But even as Liam started to pivot in order to protect her from the brunt of the hit, she said.Wait. Let me take the shot. I can do this.
You’re not in position.
I will be. Trust me. Hold.
Secured by the energy flowing from Liam, she rose to her feet and faced the oncoming beast. She held her pistol with both hands.
Emma, are you standing up?
