Page 95 of Marked Dragon

As Ladon collapsed, Cassidy grabbed for the dagger with her talons, but blood coated the edge, and her scaly skin slipped off the blade.

“I’ve got it,” Theron said. He rushed past Sol and me to her side, then yanked the dagger out as Vlad reached his mate.

Are you okay?Thorn connected. The ground shook as he raced toward me.

I took in the area. All eight guards were lying on the ground, out cold. All of our people seemed all right, but Saphira’s gaze was fixed on something just beyond me.

I jerked in that direction. Wyvern stood there, equally still. He was focused on Saphira as if nothing else in the world mattered.

Clearly, Saphira had found one answer she’d been so desperate for earlier—whether Wyvern and Sol were handsome. Apparently, she approved of Wyvern, judging by the tangy smell of arousal wafting off her.

Now wasnotthe time for this.

Thorn roared, rushing toward Wyvern. Though he was in dragon form, it was clear that Thorn was beyond pissed. Wyvern was obviously the one who’d ratted us out to Drake.

The threat was enough to snap Wyvern out of his daze.

“I’m sorry.” Wyvern lifted his hands. “I thought I was protecting the thunder! I didn’t know he’d come here and torture us.”

Smoke trickled from Thorn’s nose.

In fairness, no one understood that the prince is that horrible.I’d hoped that no leader could be that cruel, but Drake was obviously a product of his grandfather, the former marked dragon who’d used his magic to force people to do his will.At least, they hoped he wouldn’t be.I touched Thorn’s arm to send him some calm.

“Look, I know Wyvern messed up, but we have a more pressing issue.” Theron rubbed the back of his neck. “There are forty more warriors back with the thunder. Drake left the majority there to ensure no one slipped away. If he makes it back, he’ll send them here, and your scent won’t have time to dissipate if you leave now.”

My pulse thundered. We should’ve expected more warriors. Of course, Drake would bring a large number with him after what had happened at the wedding.

Worse, we couldn’t fly away, not after Sol had nearly died at Drake’s hands.

Shit. Tyson,Thorn connected.

I couldn’t swallow. Tyson had flown after Drake.

A gunshot rang out. Something horrible was going down.

Brenton took off toward the noise with Saphira and Errol on his tail.

Even though Tyson wasn’t blood, he’d become my family. When I flew after them, I expected Thorn to argue, but he and his parents followed as well. We all raced toward the threat.

As we rose higher, I saw twenty dragons winging toward us in the distance with just as many in human form on foot below.

Drake had mobilized his troops.

Thorn,I connected.You need to go.This was all about catching and killing him. I couldn’t risk that.

There’s no way in hell I’m leaving you,Thorn replied, his own stress seeping through.Even if I run, they’ll chase after me. It would be hard to get away with numbers like this.

I looked at the ground and noted two figures closer to us than the oncoming warriors. Drake and Tyson. Tyson was naked and passed out on the ground. Drake squatted next to him, one hand gripping Tyson’s hair to keep his head up. He held a dagger at Tyson’s throat, and blood trickled down his neck.

Despite my being airborne, the world shifted around me.

CHAPTERTHIRTY

Drake lifted his head,a victorious sneer on his face.

Leaving to save Thorn wasn’t an option. Neither was allowing Drake to cut Tyson’s throat.

Throwing his head back, Brenton let out a thunderous roar.

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