Chapter 9 Talon #2
"Your mate's something else," I admitted.
Sloane's chest puffed with pride. "She's everything."
And that right there? That's what I wanted to know more about. That absolute certainty. That bone-deep knowing.
Maybe after we saved the world, I'd finally understand what that felt like.
But in the meantime, I had to let Sloane know his dick was out.
"Hey buddy, hate to be the one to tell ya this, but… your dick is out. Like, wayyyy out."
Misha walked up and nodded in agreement.
"I'm aware. And I don't give a fuck." Sloane turned and began to walk away.
"Hey! I was just trying to help! This doesn't seem like the time to be showing our naked cocks to whoever, and I NEVER say that!"
Misha clapped me on the back. "Good looking out."
I kissed that big ass demon right on the cheek. "You always appreciate me. Now, let's get this show on the road. Or… the sky? Yeah, let's get this show in the sky!"
Holy tits on a fucking dragon, this was the most epic shit ever. My thighs were clamped around sleek scales while the wind whipped through my hair, making me feel alive in ways that only murder usually did. The massive beast beneath us rumbled, and I couldn't help but pat its neck.
"This is way better than that time we rode those buffalo," I shouted to Felix, who was sitting behind me looking green around the gills. Poor bastard never did well with heights unless he was the one flying.
'I'm going to throw up on you,' he projected into my mind.
I barked out a laugh. 'Do it, and I'll push your ass right off this dragon. You can use your own wings then.'
The dragon banked hard to the right, and I heard Felix's grunt of displeasure.
Below us, the holding pens came into view—giant metal cages filled with imprisoned dragons.
My blood began to boil at the sight. Who the fuck cages dragons?
Asrael was going to get my foot so far up his ass he'd be tasting my boot for weeks.
"There!" Felix pointed to a clearing large enough for our dragon to land. As we descended, I could see the guards patrolling the perimeter. Six of them. Child's play.
'You take the three on the left, I'll handle the right?' I suggested, already reaching for my blade.
Felix's response was immediate. 'No killing unless necessary, Tal. We don't know who's under mind control.'
"You're no fun anymore," I pouted, but agreed. The guards had spotted us and were moving in perfect synchronization right toward us, despite the massive uncaged dragon. Definitely under mind control, then. Fuck.
"Remember the vapor," Felix reminded me, hopping off the dragon’s back and pulling out a small vial filled with swirling golden mist.
I rolled my eyes. "Yes, Mom. I remember."
“Once I uncork this, I need you to flap those wings hard!” Felix shouted to the dragon. The giant winged creature winked and let out a growl so massive the ground beneath us rumbled. Oh, big lizard daddy was ready to rock.
The first guard reached us, and I ducked under his swing, sweeping his legs out from under him. These puppets were strong but predictable. Felix moved like water beside me, gracefully avoiding attacks while uncorking his vial.
"Duck!" I called out, clotheslining two guards who tried to rush us. The satisfying thud of their bodies hitting dirt made me grin. "Gods, I love my job."
Felix released the vapor, and I screamed, “NOW!”. The dragon began flapping his huge wings, and the mist spread quickly, enveloping the guards. One by one, they dropped to their knees, the vacant look in their eyes clearing.
"What... where am I?" one asked, looking around in confusion.
"Long story, buddy. Cliff notes version—evil dick is controlling everyone, we're the good guys, stay here and don't die." I gave him a thumbs up and turned to the dragon cages.
The dragons inside were magnificent—and pissed.
Can't blame them. I'd be pissy too if someone stuck me in a cage. Though there was that one time in Vegas... But that was different. That was consensual cage time. I bet my sweet little Bun-Bun would love some consensual cage time. She’d act like she’d hate it, obviously.
That’s what she does, but luckily, I got her figured out.
"Ready?" Felix asked.
I nodded, already moving toward the locks. "Let's free some scaly babies."
The locks were enchanted, but that's why they brought me. I might not be the smartest demon in the room, but I could break any lock ever created. Aside from my devastating good looks and charm, it was my special talent.
As I worked on the lock with my handy traveling tool kit, Felix kept watch.
“Stubborn fucking enchantments,” I cursed as I muttered my own magic and used the spelled tool that had never let me down.
The dragons inside pressed against the bars, their reptilian eyes fixed on my hands.
The vapor would have spread to them by now, so once we got this cage open, it was going to be party time.
"Almost got it, big guys. Then you can go torch whatever the fuck you want. Well, almost whatever. Maybe avoid the village? Those folks have had enough shit to deal with lately."
The lock clicked open, and I jumped back as the cage door swung wide. Somewhere between thirty and forty dragons emerged slowly, stretching their wings to their full span. It was fucking majestic.
"We did it!" Felix whooped. "But Tal? Try not to adopt any of them. We don't have room at home."
The air around us seemed to vibrate with magic suddenly. "What the hell—"
My words turned into nothing as the dragons we'd just released stood before us now as men. More naked ass men. They looked at each other in awe.
"Are all dragons shifters?"
"Most are," a voice replied, and I realized I'd asked my question aloud. "Who are you?"
Felix and I looked at each other and then back at the dragon man. Felix spoke. "We're The Exiled, and we're here to liberate the demons and dragons from Asrael!"
At the mention of Asrael, deep growls erupted from the group of shifters, and one of them even shifted back into his dragon form.
"Where is he?" one demanded, eyes scanning our surroundings.
"At the castle, planning on executing a bunch of good dudes and who knows what other sort of evil nonsense."
The dragon who had shifted back snorted, blowing fire from his nostrils.
"That's so fucking cool," Felix complimented.
"What's the plan then?" the man who seemed to be the leader of this group asked eagerly.
"We're going to fly to the castle and wreck his plans and then kill his ass," I stated, matter-of-fact.
"Then why are we still standing here with our dicks out?” Felix called out. “Let's go!"
The group took off running in different directions and exploded into giant dragons, immediately taking to the sky in effortless beauty.
"See? That's what I was saying to Sloane—" I started before Felix pushed me, urging me to start flying behind the dragons. I expanded my wings and took off. "About the dicks! You know what I mean, Lixy?"
"Yeah, brother. There's a time and a place to have your whole naked dick out and about. Honestly, I never thought you knew the difference…"
I twisted through the air and fluttered my fingers along with my wings. "I've matured. I'm basically a war consultant and scientist now. I've left my dick-out days behind me."
Felix clapped with sincerity. "I'm so fuckin' proud of you."
Godsdamned right. Everyone should be.
The dragons moved like a well-oiled murder machine through the sky, their massive wings casting shadows over the land below. My own demon wings felt inadequate in comparison, but I'd never admit that shit out loud.
'Do you see that?' Felix's voice filled my head as we approached the capital. Smoke rose from multiple locations, and the sounds of battle echoed off the castle walls.
'Fuck yes, I do. Looks like the party started without us.' I did a barrel roll because why the hell not? Life's short, especially when you're heading into what looked like absolute chaos.
The closer we got, the clearer the scene became. Dragons—both free and still under control—clashed in the sky. On the ground, demons and witches fought against what appeared to be Asrael's mind-controlled army. It was beautiful in the most fucked up way possible.
'We should split up,' Felix suggested as we descended. 'Cover more ground.'
'Try not to die,' I projected back, scanning the battlefield for any sign of the execution platform. My heart rate picked up—not from fear, but pure excitement. This was what I lived for. Battle, organized chaos, screams, the blood, the absolute mayhem of it all.
A guard noticed me as soon as my feet touched the ground. Poor bastard didn't even get his sword up before I had him pinned. "Quick question—where are they doing the executions?"
He spat at me. Rude.
"Wrong answer." I headbutted him, watching his eyes roll back. "Anyone else want to help a brother out?"
Three more guards rushed me. Now this was more like it! I ducked under the first swing, using my tail to trip the second guard while my fist connected with the third's jaw. "Seriously, though, has anyone seen a bunch of dudes about to be murdered? It's kind of important."
A blast of magic shot past my head, singeing my hair. Oh hell no. Nobody fucks with the hair. I spun around, catching sight of a female guard channeling another spell. Without thinking, I jumped, appearing right behind her. "That was just uncalled for."
She screamed, but I already had her in a chokehold. "Executions. Yes or no?"
"The... the courtyard," she wheezed. "But you're too late."
My blood ran cold. "What do you mean by too late?"
But she was already unconscious. Fuck.
I dropped her and started running, jumping over bodies and debris. The castle courtyard was on the other side of this mess, and I needed to know if we'd failed. If those poor bastards were already dead, I was going to paint this whole fucking place red.
A dragon crashed into the ground nearby, sending me flying into a wall. "Watch where you're falling, you overgrown lizard!" I shouted, pushing myself up. My shoulder was definitely dislocated. Perfect.
I slammed it against the wall, popping it back into place with a grunt. "That's going to hurt tomorrow."
More fighting broke out around me, but I ignored it, focused on my goal. The courtyard. I needed to get to the fucking courtyard.
Finally, I broke through the crowd and saw it—the execution platform. My eyes scanned the wooden structure, looking for bodies, for blood, for any sign of what happened.
Three men were fighting viciously, and I grinned.
I’d recognize that head of red hair anywhere.
Bram was back-to-back with Khol, the two of them taking on Asrael.
Thank the stars, we were just in time. I scanned the mass of bodies and spotted Saige walking toward the platform, her eyes locked on Bram and her father.
Her face was an expression I hadn’t seen yet, one of complete focus and determination, and her entire being seemed to be illuminated, like a flare of brightness in a sea of dark.
A demon was heading right for her, and I screamed, “Milady!” in an attempt to warn her, but it was far too loud.
He was nearly on her when Saige suddenly flung her right arm out in his direction.
Vines erupted from the ground in a direct line from her body to the enemy, exploding from the cobblestones with such violent force that the demon went airborne before the vines wrapped around him, engulfing him and immobilizing him completely.
“Damn,” I whispered. “Milady is a badass…”
Satisfied that she could handle herself, I couldn’t hold myself back another moment. I dove into the fray without a second thought. Fuck Asrael, his time was done.