Blood of Dragons Read online

  He lets out a frustrated sigh, but doesn’t answer.

  “You know I can do this,” I add, watching his face for any tells of a lie.

  For a moment, he simply studies me, deep bags of exhaustion under his eyes. A second later, however, he nods.

  I smirk.

  Victory.

  “This all sounds delightful,” I say to the crowd gathered before me, interrupting their arguments. “Shall we get started? Now works for me.”

  To my surprise, Jett’s smile falters as I accept his challenge. It takes me a minute to realize he was hoping I’d back down. Jett already knows a bit of what I can do—I suspect he wanted to hide my true potential from the others. He figured I would tuck tail and run, effectively hiding my power from the rest of them.

  Oh, the poor fool.

  To his credit, the Darrington Boss recovers quickly. “As this is a test of natural ability, you’ll need to remove your weapons.”

  “Of course.”

  And you know what, I make a show of it— just to mess with him.

  First, I unbuckle the gun’s holster at my side and gently let it fall to the ground. A few of the daggers in my boots are next, and one by one, I toss aside each weapon I have hidden on my body.

  It takes a while.

  I never break eye contact with the Darrington Boss, and I’m careful to over-exaggerate every movement to remind them all I’m more than a damsel in a pretty dress.

  As the last dagger falls to the ground, I nod to him. “Your turn.”

  “With pleasure.” There are no smirks this time. No arrogant tilts of the head.

  Right now, it’s all business.

  Though I expect a few guns to be tossed aside, the six Bosses spread out along the field. The handful of generals and advisors who joined each of them quickly retreat to a safe distance.

  Before long, the six Bosses all stand a fair distance apart, each of them facing me.

  And, in unison, they shift.

  The ground rumbles as their forms hum with energy. Their skin shifts color. Their bodies blur. Clothing rips apart as they grow into the beasts that live within each of them.

  In moments, six towering dragons loom over me, glaring down with glowing eyes. Several shake their bodies to loosen up after the shift, while others stretch their wings. A few of them roar into the sky as they sink into their dragon forms.

  The roars seem to trigger a cascading ripple of energy through the woods behind them. The forest rumbles. The trees quake. The crack of snapping branches barrels past us as the tension builds, and I wonder if this time, the armies waiting on standby won’t be able to resist anymore.

  For a moment, the world goes quiet. The breeze ruffles my hair as I wait, my body tense, for chaos to erupt.

  I’m not disappointed.

  All at once, dragons soar into the sky from the woods. Hundreds of them. Thousands, maybe. The flurry of wings hitting the air drowns out all other sound. It’s a never-ending torrent of dragons and wings and claws, and they quickly block out much of the sun.

  The world around me darkens as hundreds of dragons swirl overhead, casting blurred shadows across me as they rumble through the sky.

  In the swarm above, dragons snap at each other and growl in warning as others come too close. At any moment, a full-on brawl could erupt through the armies, and this entire estate would end up as nothing but ash and ruin in their wake.

  Most people would cower and run.

  Most people would regret their decision to accept this “little duel.”

  But I just grin with gleeful mischief. I think this is going to be quite a bit of fun.

  Chapter Nineteen

  This swarm is far worse than the one that appeared in the sky when I first got my magic.

  When I was kicked into the pit and refused to die.

  There are easily a thousand dragons here, if not more, blocking out the sun.

  Preparing for war.

  The Bosses scream into the sky, and the dragons above seem to hear some kind of command that I miss. One by one, the thousands of shifters drop to the ground and land behind their Bosses.

  Before long, the six fully-shifted armies fan out across the grassy field like spokes on a wheel. They bob their heads, growling and adjusting their wings as they all focus on the center of the circle of dragons.

  On me.

  I briefly look over my shoulder to find Drew, Tucker, and Jace standing in a row behind me, each glaring at the populated field around us. Arms crossed, each man surveys the gathered shifters with a grim expression. Levi towers behind them, thunder rumbling in his chest as he protectively scans the dragons around us.

  And, to my surprise, the dojo’s army fills the grassy field behind Levi. Behind me.

  The dojo has made its declaration—they honor and protect me, so long as Jace orders them to do it.

  The ground shakes beneath us, and to my surprise, I find Isaac Palarne stalking cautiously toward me through the makeshift arena we’ve created in the grass.

  My first challenger.

  The dark green dragon digs his claws into the ground with every slow and purposeful step as he sizes me up. The powerful muscles along his arms tense against his scales.

  He’s going to charge, and the admirable dragon is giving me quite a bit of warning.

  The spikes on his wings glisten sharply in the sun as he coils, ready to spring. His square head angles toward me, his gaze focused and calculating.

  I square my shoulders and clench my fists, summoning the white light along my skin.

  Let’s do this.

  Isaac darts at me like a bullet out of a gun, and I roll easily out of the way. Recovering is easy, and I calmly walk the edge of the arena as I survey my opponent.

  As he and I circle each other, I notice the Bosses watching me thoughtfully, studying my movements.

  I’m not worried. I’ll get to do the same to each of them in just a moment. They’re going to betray their own secrets today, no matter what they think they’ll glean from me.

  Isaac thunders along the ground with the practiced grace of a seasoned fighter. Every step is made with intention. Every tilt of his head has purpose, and he never once leaves any part of his body exposed. The muscle in his legs and neck ripple slightly with every thundering step, and a low growl builds in his throat as he prepares for his next blow.

  He’s brilliant, and I would never want to truly face off with him in a battlefield.

  Thankfully, this is all just a test. Today is about pushing boundaries. Assessing skill. This little match of ours isn’t about drawing blood or breaking bones, but I figure the less noble of the Bosses won’t be as opposed to that as Isaac is.

  Let’s see how fast he can be.

  I let loose a shot of my magic, aiming loosely for his head. Before it can reach him, he effortlessly ducks the blast.

  Hmm. He’s even faster than I thought he would be.

  I’m tempted to aim at his chest, to see what his response time is in closer quarters when the target is bigger and the risk is worse.

  However, I refrain. I don’t want to hit anyone else by accident when he inevitably avoids the blow.

  I decide to bluff, instead.

  I summon another surge of white light into my hand, training my eyes on his chest as if I’m going to fire. He growls and charges toward me, closing the gap almost instantly.

  I could roll out of the way, but I don’t.

  This time, I decide to meet him head-on.

  A dragon like Isaac? He can take it.

  Instead of jumping, instead of darting out of the line of fire, I cock my arm and meet him halfway.

  My enhanced dragon strength lets me do what would crush a normal human—and I punch a dragon Boss in the face.

  My fist hits his forehead, and a thundering boom cuts through the air from the impact. The muscles in my arms scream in protest, but I hold my form. The force of the mighty dragon before me resisting my blow drives my heels into the ground. With my
knuckles practically embedded in his skull, he pushes against me, sinking my heels deeper into the grass.

  Dirt and rubble kick into the air, casting a thin fog around us. When the dust finally clears, he and I both breathe heavily from the effort of our duel. My fist rests resolutely on his forehead, a bit of steam billowing from beneath my knuckles.

  Our eyes lock, and the connection opens in a rush.

  They will not play fair, he silently warns. Prepare for blood, and do not die.

  I figured they would cheat, I admit. But thank you, regardless.

  He nods and steps away, the last bit of steam dissolving with a hiss into the sky as not a mark is left on his face. He offers me a regal bow to signal he’s done, and our duel ends in a draw.

  One down. Five to go.

  Before I can even relax, Harper barrels into the open arena.

  The stunning thunderbird growls with anticipation, her shoulders tense as she sizes me up. Her gorgeous lilac scales are laced with glowing blue veins, and a beautiful symbol glows on her forehead—I’ve never seen it before, and I don’t know what it could mean. Massive horns curl from her skull, arching gently above her as she sizes me up.

  She dives playfully toward me, and I roll easily out of the way. Her tail swipes at me before I can recover, though, and it takes all of my strength to duck that as well.

  I grin, looking over my shoulder at her. “Cheater.”

  A quick laugh escapes her before she charges again.

  We duck and parry, each blow faster than the last, and honestly it’s just plain fun. Harper is a beast—fast and powerful, every bit as skilled as I imagined. She tests me, pushing my boundaries, but there’s no challenge here. There’s no threat.

  I lose track of what I wanted to test in her ability, and I just let myself enjoy the match.

  In fact, I haven’t had this much fun since Irena and I last practiced our swordplay together, just before the Vaer tried to steal her from me.

  I grit my teeth to shove the thought from my mind. Even in a lighthearted sparring match, I can get seriously hurt if I don’t pay attention.

  Harper swings her spiked tail at me. I flip backward to avoid the blow and land effortlessly on my feet, the fingers of one hand resting against the ground for balance as I kneel.

  Judging by the excitement in her glowing eyes, she’s as lost in the match as I am.

  Her throat hums, the looming echo both ominous and thrilling, and a quick burst of purple light shoots impulsively from her mouth.

  At me.

  I don’t miss a beat—hell, I don’t even think about it. I lift my hand and fire a small blast in response, doing my best to match the size of hers.

  They hit, our aim perfect, and a blinding flash of light cuts through the air. I shield my eyes with an arm to protect my vision, and when the smoke clears, Harper roars excitedly into the sky.

  “Show off,” I mutter, but I can’t hide my playful smirk.

  Briefly, my gaze flits toward Jace—only to find him scowling at his Boss. Electricity crackles across his skin, and I suspect he’s none too happy that she and I got carried away like that. I can tell he wants to tear into her, but to do so here would undermine her rule.

  Oops.

  Though Harper and I square off to continue, a massive black dragon jumps between us. He spreads his wings, blocking my view of the purple dragon across from me. The new contender roars, fire building in the back of his throat as he stares me down. The snarling scream pierces the air as it rolls over me.

  Victor Bane.

  He snarls, his red eyes blazing as he stalks slowly closer to me. Everything about his dragon is jagged and rough. Spikes like black ice stick from his face. Hooked claws protrude from the end of his wings. The serrated, uneven scales look sharp as knives, and they even glint ominously in the sun.

  My smile fades. It would seem my pleasant little duel with Harper has been cut short.

  As the Fairfax Boss slowly retreats to the sidelines, she snaps impatiently at the air. Her body brims with anger, nearly shaking as she aches to sink her teeth into Victor. Instead, she paces along the front lines of her army, and I tense for my third battle of the day.

  Unlike Harper and Isaac, Victor isn’t going to play fair.

  Without missing a beat, he lets loose a stream of fire. This close to him, I can’t avoid it. There’s no room to move. No room to roll out of the way. My choices are to block the fire, or die a crispy death.

  On instinct, I do the only thing I can think of.

  I fire back.

  Blinding white light shoots from my palms as I meet his attack. The flames billow around me, heat nearly boiling the air as his molten breath rolls past me. Sweat pools along my face and neck. It takes everything in me to not double down. To not blast a hole through his chest. I actively fight the urge to concentrate more energy into my counterattack, to straight up kill him for trying to pin me like this.

  These assholes are going to play dirty, and I need to meet them head on.

  The stream of fire stops, but I take the chance to drive home how little I care for his methods.

  I pause my beam of energy only long enough to take aim—right for the bastard’s face.

  I fire again, and my magic shoots into the air. He roars and ducks out of the way, but he’s not as fast as Isaac—or me.

  The blast grazes one of his horns, shattering the tip. He roars in pain, baring his knife-like teeth as he snaps at the air mere feet from my face.

  “Bring it!” I demand, virtually roaring back at him in my rage.

  He charges me, and I dive easily out of the way. He swipes at my head with his claws, and I evade him—barely.

  His talons dig into the earth where I was only moments before.

  Smoke billows from his nose as he lowers his head, pausing to reassess his next move. The black dragon slowly circles me, growling aggressively as he decides what to do next.

  My muscles begin to scream at me. My body is being pushed to its limit, far more so than any session with Zurie, but I can’t get tired now.

  I still have three Bosses left to duel, and I’m not quite done with Victor.

  Behind me, another dragon roars—the pitch of her voice a bit higher than the others I’ve heard so far today.

  Careful not to turn my back on either of them, I tilt my body until I can see them both.

  Elizabeth Andusk stalks into the ring, apparently ready to take her turn against me. She doesn’t strike me as a fighter—more of a princess—and I’m astonished to see her actually join the duel.

  Her golden dragon is radiant, the scales shimmering like the sun’s rays. Every step is graceful, like a dancer on a stage, and her tail slinks delicately from side to side as she walks the edge of the arena.

  A black stripe runs from her forehead clear down her spine, and I find it odd that some Bosses have this line along their backs—while others don’t.

  Victor Bane snaps at her, apparently not done with me yet, and she lifts her head in defiance. Her wings instantly spread open, dazzling and bright as they reflect the sun. Bane winces, squinting as the light blinds him, and slowly backs toward the edge of the arena, giving up his place in the fight.

  Now unchallenged for her place in the ring, Elizabeth lowers her wings and circles me. Her jeweled eyes glint in the sun, seemingly a dazzling array of colors. Every step is smooth and fluid, and the way her tail coils behind her reminds me of a snake.

  I had assumed Elizabeth was a woman of comfort and elegance, and I suspect she won’t be able to hold her own very long against me.

  Elizabeth charges me, blindingly fast, nothing but a blur of gold in the sunny field. I roll out of the way, but her wing clips me.

  The force sends me rolling across the grass, and I grimace as I push myself to my feet. It’ll take more than a little love tap to keep me down. I summon my magic, daring her to try it again.

  It would seem she’s been paying attention to my other fights.

  She strut
s, a self-satisfied smirk playing at the edge of her mouth, and I can see her getting cocky. This is why she’s combatant number four—she quite intentionally let others go ahead of her, to test me and see what my limits are.

  Little does she know I’ve only just begun.

  She snarls, backing away from the white glow of my skin as if she’s allergic.

  “Scared?” I ask, smirking.

  She shouldn’t have shown her cards. As vain as Elizabeth is, I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s merely afraid my magic will leave a scar on her pretty face.

  I know she’s fast, but I want to test her reflexes. I aim a bolt of magic at her head, and she barely ducks out of the way in time. She snarls, furious, and quickly slinks back toward the sidelines.

  “Done already?” I taunt.

  Before she can even respond, a towering gray dragon steps in front of her, the silvery sheen of his scales almost on par with hers for sheer brilliance. A bright blue stripe runs down his spine, visible only briefly as he snaps at her to back away, and a trail of frost billows from his nose as he returns his attention to me.

  Aki Nabal.

  His dragon—by the gods, it’s something else, unlike anything I’ve ever seen.

  A row of spikes lines his chest like spear tips, and he puffs himself up as he studies me. The effect makes him seem even larger, somehow even taller, and it almost hurts my neck to look up at his face as it looms in the sky above me.

  Unlike the others, Aki isn’t one for games.

  He instantly charges. His jaws snap at the air, second after second, driving me backward as I barely duck out of the way each time. With each crack of his powerful jaws clomping the air, too close for comfort, it takes everything in me to avoid the blows.

  I’m barely an inch away from a broken arm. Broken leg. Broken femur. Every time, I only just avoid a gruesome injury, and I realize I misjudged Aki.

  He’s a clever, cunning man—and quite an adept fighter. This man is fast, and it’s clear he’s been studying my movements more closely than anyone else thus far.

  With every shift of my weight, every change in direction, he’s there with a counter. His tail whacks me hard in the stomach several times, throwing me onto my back. My head hits the ground hard with each blow, my world spinning even as I force myself to roll out of his reach.