There’s a gland at the base of the tail. You dip your beak or claws in it—
Okay, I am not putting my beak in my butt.
It’s not in your butt—
We’ll stick with wet feathers.I decided.
Tell me that, when we fall out of the sky.Iskar sounded indignant.
I ignored him as we flapped into what had become a driving rain. Havoc stayed right on my tail, but his wings often faltered, and I could almost feel his pain. I couldn’t imagine having those things chewing through your body.
It killed many Dragons.Iskar’s voice was filled with sadness.Only his incredible healing ability is keeping him alive.
Although Havoc was a grade-one asshole, rage surged through me at the thought of him dying. Almost visceral, as though I considered him a part of me…
It was what had driven me out of the warm, dry inn into the cold drizzle. To see if the Dragon was okay, out there alone in the forest.
Before I could contemplate that, he moved up alongside me. His words barely carried to me over the rushing wind, and I slowed to hear him. “I stills can’ts raise Riley.”
I didn’t understand that. “C-could Rafael have put-t her into a deep sleep?”
He spoke partly through his teeth. “Isobel’s nots moving as fasts as us. Buts if we cans feels her, she cans feels us. Ands she’s got a groups dropping backs.”
His words were a warning. To get to Isobel, we’d have to go through what she’d sent.
“Do you have a head c-count?” I asked.
He hesitated. “Can’t tells for sures. Multiple Dragons and Bellatis.” He peeled lips back from his teeth. “Wes won’t stands a chance, with mes likes this.”
Gryphons are far from defenseless, but they can never stand against a Dragon,Iskar warned.We need a game plan.
I surveyed the heavy cloud cover above us.They’ll likely conclude Havoc is dealt with. And they won’t know I can shift to Gryphon.
True,Iskar said cautiously.
Can you land us for a few minutes?To Havoc, I said, “I have a plan. C-come with me.”
“Fuckings perfect,” he growled.
Vali followed us down to a section of cliff where Iskar brought my Gryphon form in for a graceful landing.
Very nice,I said.
Sarcasm will get you everywhere,he sniped.
Havoc had no sooner landed than he curled in on himself, and hissed in pain. He was our best weapon, and at the moment, barely functional.
I turned to Vali and Kiko. “Isobel’s sending Dragons with Bellati riders back-k to finish us.”
Kiko’s eyes widened.
Havoc managed to uncurl himself long enough to state, “One’s Brock.”
“Brock-k? Xumi’s son?” When the red Dragon nodded, I growled. I knew all about the son of Xumi, who had led the underlords to massacre my biological family. The Black Guild had done the deed, but the underlords had sent them.
Brock hadn’t led the initiative, but he’d certainly been part of it. I clacked my beak open and closed.
With taloned fingers clutching his middle, Havoc watched me. Despite the wet, all the feathers down my neck had bristled erect. “Brock’s a fuckings bastard,” he stated. “You hads dealings withs him?”
