The joints, I realized, when blood splattered across the floor. To be mobile, the scales there had to be softer, weaker.
Trust a Dragon to know how to slay a Dragon.
Xumi spun and slashed with her talons, but she couldn’t connect. He moved like lightning, too fast to see more than a flash of metal or scale, or a gleam from his eyes. Although he was forced to his human form by the collar, he used his wings to distract, flaring them and drawing her attention, while the blade did its work.
The hand with the chain still wore its manacle and covering, rendering those talons useless. But he used the dangling bit of chain to slug her across the temple, and I saw her stagger.
Xumi was now a fully emerged Dragon. The dungeon was large enough to house her beast, but only just. Her green scales ran red with blood, and she crashed into the walls as she fought. Her talons, teeth, and tail were lethal weapons that forced Talakai to jump and dodge. She couldn’t fly, but she certainly used her wings to add lift to her lunges.
All Talakai had was his sword. But as Xumi leaped, slashing at him with her talons, he darted beneath them, and then jumped. One foot landed on a forearm, and the blade flashed in the overhead lights as it stabbed deeply into the base of her wing...
She shrieked as the wing went limp. Talakai was already in motion, spinning off her other side to slash her flank.
Blood sprayed across the walls.
Xumi twisted, but he was already gone, darting between her legs to stab hard where her hind leg met her body. He wrenched the sword free as she kicked viciously at him, and he ducked beneath her leg to emerge on the other side.
I caught a glimpse of his eyes, then. Still wild, gleaming indigo above a snarling mouth. But his movements were lightning fast and fluid—every inch the assassin he was.
As the fight moved across the dungeon floor, I ran to Lucas and helped him up. He was human once again, although he’d regrown his scaled bodysuit.
“Ugh,” he said, rubbing his head. “I am a much better thief than I am a warrior.”
Matt, Cody, Maddy, and Logan surged through the doorway. They skidded to a halt, staring in amazement at Talakai.
Matt ran over to me. “You okay, Angel?” He reached for me, but I flinched away. My beast still prowled, restless and eager.
“I’m okay,” I protested when his gaze rested on my blood-covered arm. The wounds had already stopped bleeding.
Matt’s hands clenched as Xumi lunged at Talakai, missing and crashing against the wall. “We have to help him.”
“I want a piece of that too,” Cody snarled as he shifted back to six-foot-plus of gorgeous naked male. Maddy and Logan remained beasts, their glowing eyes watching for an opportunity to join the battle.
My eyes returned to my Dragon. As I stared at the swirling maelstrom that was Talakai versus Xumi, the Dragona staggered.
“Wait,” I said when Cody stepped forward. “Talakai’s got it. And he deserves this.”
The big Sabre paused. Then the broad shoulders slumped, just a little, as he bowed to another’s personal need for justice. Maddy glanced at Logan, and they took a step back, too.
It was at that moment that Xumi’s long head twisted to snap at Talakai. My heart almost stopped, but he vaulted clear over it to land high on her neck, near her head. As she shrieked and reared, wings thrashing, he sprouted toe talons, sank them deeply, and spread his wings for balance. He reversed the sword in his hands, double-fisted it, and I saw his big shoulder muscles heave as he thrust the blade straight down.
It penetrated her neck right at the base of her skull, ramming home to the hilt.
For just a split second, everything froze. And then Xumi exhaled in a long whistle and collapsed, hitting the floor with a crash. Her wings sent several of her torture devices tumbling.
Talakai’s wings carried him up, and away to a perfect landing. He strode up to her, planted his foot against her skull, and ripped the sword free. His ribs heaved, and with his wild eyes and the gore-streaked weapon in his hand, he looked crazed.
“Remind me never to piss off our bloke, there.” Matt’s voice reflected his awe. He was covered in open, bleeding cuts, and for some reason, my eyes fastened on four claw slashes over his shoulder.
“I saw Dragons,” I said, somewhat breathlessly.
“Yep. Seven,” Matt admitted.
My eyes widened. “You fought seven Dragons?”
“Well, we had help,” he admitted, turning that shoulder away from me. Which was when Tyrez, Dani, and Aria emerged from the hall. Each had a gore-encrusted tailspike in hand.
“We only got one of Xumi’s sons,” Tyrez rumbled. “And the remaining one will have called in reinforcements. So the sooner we vacate the premises, the better.
