The Dragon was flying over the jungle now. Not so soft a landing—but I sent the lightning out to touch its talons. And then its legs.
It flinched, and hissed at me, but kept flying. The Bellati on its back leaned down—he had a gleaming red crystal in his hand, and laid it against the Dragon’s skin. Its energy flowed toward the ice forming on its scales—and thawed it.
I pushed back and refroze them. But my Ice Drake was already struggling in the grip of the drugs. Caliel was, as well, trying to stop them from affecting me, while also keeping a tight rein on my monster—who wasn’t interested in sharing anything with me, body or otherwise.
If Caliel lost all control, I might never be human again. But at this rate, freezing an entire Dragon was likely going to take more time or ability than I had.Time for Plan B. Or C,I said.The Drake isn’t working, here. We need to put her back.
Caliel and I fought the Ice Drake for control. Scales fell free from my skin as we flew, and my human reasserted itself.
Now, if I could just reach the damned sword…
I was aware of Riggs, running for all he was worth, screaming obscenities. I squirmed, trying to reach the hilt. I figured stabbing it up into the belly above would be effective.
Dragon scales are resistant to regular swords,Riggs panted through my brain.
This isn’t a regular sword,I reminded him. A useless thought, because it was a no go—hampered by the net, I couldn’t get my arms raised above my shoulders, let alone reach thesword. Plan D, then. By bending myself almost in half, I finally reached my ankle and pulled free the knife I had there. I began to saw frantically at the net, but the strands were thick and stiff.
Before I’d managed to cut through more than a few of them, the Dragon dropped lower, and I saw a clearing. Strange fog rose from it.
As we flew through, the heat hit me. Not fog.Steam.The trees and ferns and moss had been burned away, and my stomach clenched. As if the underworld Dragons hadn’t been confirmation enough, there was only one thing who could have done that.
Victor.
No, no, no, no!Riggs’s desperation beat at me as he chanted in time to his running footsteps. And from deep within him, I sensed something savage trying to tear its way loose.
The underworld Dragon deposited me in a heap on the scorched ground. They didn’t bother to remove the net, and I had to struggle through a drugged fog to roll to my knees. I still clutched the knife, for all the good it would do me.
Caliel managed to keep me awake. Barely. If only I could reach the damned sword…
And then what?Caliel said, sounding exhausted.
I can use the sword on him.
This sword’s magic is not about being able to slice the Fire Drake’s testicles off. It’s about unlocking potential. You try it, and he might sing a higher note for the three seconds it takes him to melt its blade.
Then we can use it to control the Ice Drake,I snarled.
Victor is fire to your ice, Bree.
I couldn’t understand why he seemed to be giving up.But he’ll get the sword…
I don’t see any way around that now,Caliel stated.
My gut clenched as Victor walked out of the steam. He was human, but his skin was covered in bright-orange scales, and licks of flame drifted off his fingertips. The thought of us losing the sword, and to him of all beings, made me physically sick. At least he wouldn’t be able to wield it. But then we would no longer have it—and Riggs needed it.
For all we know, this is what Fate has in mind for it.Caliel sounded suddenly and strangely calm.
“Hello, Bree,” he said. “How nice of you to drop in.”
As Riggs’s running footsteps echoed through my brain, an eerie, shrieking howl sounded from the jungle far behind us. The wild rage in it prickled across my skin.
Sid had unleashed his beast.
“Your team is coming for you.” The grin Victor gave me sent chills up my spine, and he raised a hand. A gout of flame shot six feet into the air. “That will besuchfun.”
How could I have ever thought this man was redeemable? He would fry them all. Nothing my team possessed—no strength, no talent—was any answer for this. And if Riggs came, he would die alongside them.
I was the only possible answer to the Fire Drake, and I was literally tied in knots.
