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Marli’s eyes never left the librarian in flight, well ahead and somewhat below her. At this height, the only sounds were the winds howling around her head and back along her scales.
They’d just reached the coast and climbed into the upper atmosphere to avoid human eyes, when the scales on her nape prickled.
Glancing behind her, she saw only the sky, but from below a massive scaly form rushed up, colliding with her, stealing the breath from her lungs. Instinctively, she tucked her wings close to her body and spun away, with a hard kick to put distance between herself and her attacker.
Gasping, she managed enough distance to see that it was definitely a male she’d never encountered before, but smelled distinctly familiar. Someone she knew, but hadn’t seen in his dragon. Her heart raced with fear and betrayal. Her mind kicked back to the attack at the waterfall and she nearly turned feral as she finally drew breath enough to snarl.
The urge to rend and tear overwhelmed her sense of cool tactics as she looped around him, raging and snapping.
He wasn’t deterred as he lunged for her, jaws clamping on her tail. He snapped his head back and forth.
As she was wrenched from side to side, pain streaked up her spine so badly her gut churned, threatening to release its contents. Her pack slipped from her claws and disappeared into the ocean.
Using his force against him, she fought through the pain, twisting, and leveraged a hind claw into his face, slicing a nostril open.
He roared, releasing her.
She instantly tucked into a barrel roll, rocketing through the air away from him. It was all she could do to get her breath back and infuse her brain with enough oxygen to think straight.
She was sure the librarian was following her kinswomen back to Aeleftheria, but she couldn’t let her get so far ahead that she lost her on the island.
The male dove after her again. Just as he was about to reach her, she spun away, snapped her wings open and changed direction.
A deep roar from above shook her to her bones.
No! Not another!
Frantic, she searched for the source so she could dodge the newcomer.
A male, nearly as big as Jori, soared toward her.
Her heart stopped.
Goliath?
Oh, goddess, no!
She rolled out of his way, belatedly seeing the other figures right behind him.
No, no, no!
Were they coming for her? For her Aeleftherian sisters? Aeleftheria herself?
Was this the end of the truce and the beginning of her home’s destruction?
Her breath came too fast. She couldn’t think; terror overwhelmed her as the first male arched toward her again.
She struggled to gain more altitude.
Another male soared past her so fast and hard, the turbulence nearly sent her into a tailspin.
She caught herself in time to see Stenlen collide with the unfamiliar male, forcing him down toward the ocean.
Gasping, she finally registered that Sten had just saved her.
Goliath and the deputies looked her over before following their leader to capture the offender.
Giddiness replaced the fear.
