Chapter 6
Where is your escort? The dark blue dragon stalked towards me when he spotted me walking out from behind a large pile of boulders.
He hadn’t introduced himself but I assumed it was Erec.
Vizor had said he was enormous in his dragon form and he wasn’t kidding.
He was easily double the size of Vizor, other than Cerri and Thorod he had to be the largest dragon I’d ever seen.
Unease rippled through me but I kept it off my face.
And why are you late? I’ve been waiting here for days.
I rubbed my skin around the collar. We’d tried to get it off last night but without the key it was no use.
Me being confined to this form made our plan even more dangerous but I was determined to see it through.
Vizor hadn’t liked it—despite the fact it was his plan to begin with—but had reluctantly agreed to stay the course.
Well? Answer me! The dragon roared in my mind. I will not tolerate disobedience from my wife.
Not your wife, I signed while also pushing the thought out. Just to be clear. You are Erec, right? It’d be really embarrassing if we killed the wrong dragon.
What? He went from annoyed and pissed off to predatory alert in a second as he jerked his head up and scanned the flat surface of the mesa. When he found nothing out of ordinary, he lowered his enormous head back down to me, nostrils flaring. Explain yoursel—
He was so focused on me that he missed the dark shape diving from for him from above.
I waited until the last possible second before throwing myself backwards just as Vizor slammed into him.
Erec’s maw opened in a roar that echoed through my mind as he threw his head back, curved horns stabbing into the smaller dragon’s flank.
It killed me that I couldn’t do anything to help Vizor but my part in this plan was very clear. Distract Erec for the initial attack—then run as fast as I could before part two of our plan started.
My legs pumped as I raced towards the edge of the mesa where another large collections of boulders sat.
I’d spotted them when Vizor dropped me off hours ago and before I’d hidden closer to the center of the mesa, downwind of Erec.
A clawed foot rose over the mesa’s edge and slammed down into the earth.
I skidded to a halt just as the enormous reptilian head broke over the surface.
The trakdis were here.
Fuck. Vizor had said he’d steer them toward the other side of the mesa.
They must have changed direction after he’d lured them this way and before shooting up in the sky to attack Erec from above.
One thing of the many things I’d learned about Vizor this week was he wasn’t completely devoid of the arrogance all dragons carried, he didn’t let that arrogance blind him to common sense.
There was no way Vizor could kill Erec on his own.
The other dragon was too large and had a vicious reputation.
Maybe if I’d been able to shift we could have taken him out together but even that was unlikely.
That’s why Vizor had directed his attack towards Erec’s wings.
We didn’t need to kill the bastard—we just needed to keep him grounded and let the trakdi do it for us.
Of course, the plan had been for me to hide while Vizor maimed my would-be-husband and then grab me—flying us both out of the reach of the trakdi’s jaws.
But that plan was falling to pieces as I watched not one but three large beasts finish their climb onto the mesa.
The trakdi were similar in shape to us but without wings and a little lower to the ground.
Their jaws were also considerably larger.
Something I was acutely aware of as the larger of the three swung its head in my direction, black eyes gleaming with hunter.
It’s mouth slowly parted, revealing rows of oversized teeth jutting out in different directions.
The earth shook beneath my feet as the two dragons continued to battle it out behind me.
Two of the trakdi swung their heads towards the dragons and the larger meal they represented.
The dark quills that covered their body rose up into hackles before they lunged forward, their long tails snapping behind them as they ran.
The third trakdi remained. Eyes locked on me.
Well, that’s not good. Carefully I glanced over my shoulder to where Vizor was still fighting Erec. He was bleeding heavily from multiple wounds and limping with every step he took. Erec’s right wing was shredded and draped over his body. It would heal but not before the trakdi got to him.
I couldn’t just stand here and wait for Vizor to pick me up. The trakdi was going to pounce on me any moment. I swallowed as an idea formed in my mind. One that was based on a pure hunch that Vizor was still denying even with everything between us.
Did I trust that he cared more about me than keeping his secret?
It didn’t matter. If I stayed here I was dead. Of course if I was wrong… I was also dead. Eddie always said I played it safe too often. Time to be a little wild.
I saw the moment the trakdi’s hind quarters bunched and took off at a dead run—straight towards it.
The beast that haunted our lands leapt forward and I dove beneath it.
The rush of air from jaws snapped shut brushed over me as I rolled several times and then sprung back to my feet, not looking behind me to see what the trakdi was doing.
The world shrank down to the distance between me and the edge of the mesa.
My steps faltered as the ground shook. The trakdi was closing in on me. I ran faster.
Vizor! I mentally screamed. I really hope you were lying about being a weak telepath. Because you’re going to have to catch me in about fifteen seconds!
Don’t you fucking dare! His voice tore through my mind, perfectly clear and strong. Weak telepath my ass.
Ten seconds! The edge loomed in front of me. To hesitate was to die. I leapt off the mesa, twisting around just in time to see the trakdi skid to a halt, half its body went over the edge but it managed to claw its way back up.
As I started to free fall, I didn’t panic. He would make it. I knew he would. A second later, dark glistening scales shot over the ledge and barreled down towards me. Vizor flew beneath me and I grabbed one of the spines that ran down his back as he straightened out and flew us back up.
Are you fucking insane? Vizor roared at me.
I took in several steadying breaths. Ha. Knew I was right about you.
He didn’t say anything but I could feel him vibrating with tension.
I won’t tell anyone, I told him gently. Not even my friends if you don’t want me to. Even though I think you’re underestimating them.
A grumbling huff rolled through my mind and Vizor hovered above the mesa as we watched Erec battle the three trakdi.
Despite his size and impressive fighting ability, it was still three against one.
He couldn’t fly thanks to Vizor and the trakdi’s quills protected them from fire.
It didn’t take long for them to tear him apart.
I probably should have felt a little bad about it, but the prick had essentially bought me. And Vizor had told me a little about Erec’s cruel reputation. His death felt like a win, win for everyone.
We’ll go to Ralis, report Erec’s demise, then fly back to Anspolis. Vizor started flying south. Your father might throw you back in the dungeon, but I’ll make sure Cerri gets the idea to claim you as a protege. That status will make it more difficult for your father to send you to another city.
He’ll still try to marry me off again, I warned. Garlon doesn’t give up easily.
Anyone who steps up to claim your hand dies, he growled. I’ll take care of it.
Are you sure about this? I leaned down on his back, placing my face against his warm scales. If we just tell Cerri, she’ll help us, I know she will. Regardless of what she feels about you, there is nothing my friend won’t do for me. Her and Eddie are good people.
Then let them keep being good people. Maybe you’re right and they’ll change the world someday. But I still have my doubts. All that matters to me is that you’re safe. So your friends can continue protecting you their way—but I’ll do it mine.
By continuing to engrain himself politically with my father and Thorod.
By publicly opposing Cerri and many of the others who fought against Thorod even while making sure they anonymously got information to undermine him.
Information he’d be able to pull directly from the minds of Thorod and Garlon courtesy of his telepathic skills that were every bit as good as Eddie’s.
It was a dangerous game that could get him killed someday. And it meant I’d have to lie to my friends and be very careful about what I thought around Eddie.
It’ll make you the villain in their story, I thought sadly.
That’s fine, he replied smoothly. I’ll happily be the villain to everyone else—but never to you.
I closed my eyes. Alright, my love. Let’s go to Ralis…and then go home where the game of deception will begin.
She could have the perfect revenge—at the cost of her life.
Read more of the epic romance, magical action, and endless banter of the Lost Legacies series in A Shift in Shadows!