Page 90 of Payne's Envy

I smiled. “She’s ours.”

Chapter Forty-Two

Joy

“Shift, female,”the creature said.

I ran to Payne as the ground shook beneath my feet. As soon as I grabbed his shoulder, I lost my grip as something crunched and cracked behind me. Like something was being ripped apart.

What was happening?

I turned slowly. The second dragon pulled a massive tree from the ground. When the dragon raised the tree above his head, my eyes widened. I had enough time to grab Payne’s arm.

Pain ripped into my collarbone and spine when a large hand smacked me before I could fade us. My stomach and chest collided with the tree. The air ripped from my lungs and white dots danced along my vision. I didn’t know which was worse. The sounds of my bones breaking or the agony of it.

I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe—

“No more tricks, female. I’m over the chase,”said the dragon, that smacked me like I was a mere insect.

“She is mine!”The second one roared.

My heart slowed. The burning pain stole my voice and the air I needed.

“Did I throw you too hard?” the dragon asked.

“She smells of this male,”the other said as he moved toward Payne.

“She will need a new male after I dispose of him.”

“No, I’ll kill him, then you next.”

The beautiful numbness of death’s kiss swept over me. Instead of feeling pain, I was tired. So tired. My eyes drooped.

No! I’d kill those dragons when I came back to—

I succumbed to the darkness.

____

I jolted awake, eyes shooting open. Revived and healed from my wounds, I yelled, “Payne,” and called forth my blade, only to stop short.

One beast lay in pieces. Literally. Trees were ripped from the ground. I must have been dead a long time because I couldn’t see Payne anywhere. The carnage in front of me must have been his doing.

I stared at my blade. The green of my essence gleaming around it. Luck was on my side that time in death. My powers didn’t fail me, but I wouldn’t always be that fortunate.

When Payne roared, pleasure swam in my stomach. I had no clue what he was doing or what part of the woods he was in. He was awake and could protect himself. That was the most important.

The second I moved, I sensed the change in the air. The evil aura slammed into my essence from behind. I whipped around, raising my blade. My power shot off my weapon, sending a wave of green just in time to repel the attacker’s magic.

The black magic met my power halfway and bounced off each other. The cloaked figure laughed.

“Joy, Harvest grows impatient.” I recognized Nadine’s voice as she cocked her masked face to the side. “Tell me, where is your sister? The baby one.”

Kitty was the one they were after.

“Are you here alone? That doesn’t seem too wise.”

Nadine was a witch, but not a very strong one.

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