Dragon's Blood (The Dragon's Gift Trilogy #2)

Damn, Alistair swore. We can’t bring Dareena this close to danger. One of us needs to take her back to Dragon’s Keep and warn Drystan about these intruders.

“You’re not taking me back to Dragon’s Keep!” Dareena cried, startling them both. Lucyan and Alistair whipped their heads around as one to look at her, and she glared back at them, defiant. “I may not be able to read your thoughts, but I know you both well enough. I want to find out what Count Kianor is up to. Perhaps I may even be of some help in stopping him.”

Lucyan and Alistair exchanged looks. She’s pregnant, Alistair protested. She shouldn’t be anywhere near Father.

Normally I would agree with you, but she is also the only one among us who can use magic, Lucyan said reluctantly. The least we can do is see this through, find out what is going on. If things get too hot, you’ll head back to Paxhall immediately.

Agreed, they continued, following the warlocks to the base of one of the mountains. Alistair and Lucyan hung back as they watched the warlocks begin the laborious ascent up a particularly steep one, using ropes and pitons to dig into the rock. Alistair followed the trail they were ascending and narrowed his eyes when he saw where it led to.

Do you see that cave up there? he asked Lucyan as his heart beat faster.

Lucyan followed Alistair’s gaze. The opening is quite large, he said, echoing Alistair’s thoughts. Do you think…?

A ferocious roar echoed from the inside of the cave, cutting off Lucyan’s thought. Dareena gasped as Dragomir shot out of the cave, spewing fire from his gaping maw. Even from this distance, Alistair could feel the waves of fury rolling off his father, and he cringed inwardly, as though he were a child rather than a full-grown dragon himself.

Blast it! Lucyan swore. He shot upward, and Alistair followed, hiding behind the clouds as they watched the battle below. Two of the warlocks were incinerated instantly. The mules, waiting on a sturdy ledge far below with one of the warlocks, tried to bolt back down the mountainside, but their collars blazed with magic, and the mules stopped in their tracks. The remaining warlocks, including Count Kianor, held fast, using a blue, glowing shield to combat the worst of the fire.

Unfortunately for the warlocks, the shield couldn’t withstand the onslaught—Alistair saw it flicker, and he knew Dragomir did too. Baring his teeth, the giant dragon swooped down, drawing close enough to incinerate the warlocks with one bellow of fire while remaining well away from their swords.

Before Dragomir could unleash the flames, Count Kianor raised his hands. Alistair caught the glint of brass bracelets around his wrists, and his father’s form blurred. The three of them watched in horror as Dragomir shifted back into human form, plummeting toward the jagged, rocky ground. He disappeared into a crevice, and the warlocks cheered while Alistair’s stomach sank.

By the gods, Lucyan said, sounding shell-shocked. Tariana said the elves had a device that could rip dragons out of the sky, but to see it in action… He shook his great head, disbelief in his eyes.

“We can’t get any closer,” Dareena said, her voice trembling. She stared down at the mountain, watching the warlocks continue their ascent with a mixture of anger and fear in her eyes. “If they see either of you, they’ll take you out of the sky as well.”

Lucyan leaned in and nuzzled his giant snout against Dareena, reassuring her they weren’t going anywhere. She smiled, leaning into him, and Alistair felt a momentary flash of jealousy that he couldn’t do the same. Staying out of sight, they watched the warlocks finish making the climb and enter the cave, carrying empty sacks in with them. Quickly, they began bringing the sacks back out, filled to the brim with gold and treasure, and lowering them back down using the ropes.

“So that’s where the treasure is!” Dareena exclaimed. “The warlocks are taking it for themselves!”

Fucking thieves, Lucyan fumed, his eyes blazing with anger.

Go find out what happened to Father, Alistair said. Dareena and I will take care of the warlocks. Your amulet should shield me against the effects of the bracelet, correct?

It should, Lucyan confirmed. But why do you get to have all the fun?

Because, Alistair said, sticking out his tongue, I’m the one who has the girl.

Alistair tucked his wings in at his sides and dove out of the clouds before Lucyan could answer. Dareena shrieked, or perhaps that was the sound of the wind screaming in his ears—Alistair couldn’t tell. He pointed his body directly at the cave just as two of the warlocks were coming out. Their eyes widened as Alistair opened his mouth, blasting them with fire. Their screams briefly rent the air before their lungs crumbled to ash, and the fire cleared, leaving nothing behind but charred human and plant remains. Count Kianor ran out of the cave, brandishing his bracelets, but as Lucyan had said, they had no effect. His face paled as Alistair moved closer.

“Wait!” Dareena cried. “Let me!” She jumped off Alistair’s back, her whip already crackling at her fingertips. The warlock tried to jump to the side as she flung it at him, but the whip coiled around his legs and brought him tumbling down. He screamed and writhed in pain, his body shaking uncontrollably. Dareena yanked on the whip, tightening it around him, and the warlock loosed a cry of such agony, it sent a shiver through Alistair.

“Go and get the last one,” Dareena said, meeting Alistair’s gaze calmly. “Before he gets away with the treasure.”

Alistair dove toward the ledge below, where the remaining warlock was busy ushering the mules down the mountainside. He’d been forced to leave several sacks of gold behind, but there were still three on the mules’ backs. Snarling, Alistair grabbed the warlock and flung him away, sending him tumbling into the vale below. The mules brayed in terror, frantically trying to get away, but Alistair used his bulk to block them while he ripped the sacks from their backs. Once they’d been unburdened, he let them flee, then flew back to Dareena.

“I didn’t want you to accidentally melt these,” she said, holding up the count’s bracelets. He lay on the ground behind her, passed out. “I think this is what the warlocks have been using to force the dragons to shift back to human form.”

Alistair rumbled his agreement. He landed on the ledge so Dareena could climb onto his back, then grabbed two sacks of the treasure and flew back down the mountainside to meet Lucyan. Even with the amulet to shield him, he could sense the wrongness emanating from those bracelets; if Lucyan tried to fly up here, he would be incapacitated immediately.