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The floor shook as the structure caved in over the kitchen. Megan and Alyssa ran to the others, and Ash struggled to maintain her connection with Eiko and open another portal. Fear gripped her when there was an explosion at the front of the house. Tendrils of shadow burst from the portal to grab Ash and the others and yanked them into clean night air four feet above the ground and a hundred yards from the fire.
They hit the ground hard, and Ash jumped up to ensure that everyone was still alive. Dale and Jenna were unconscious but not in enough danger to need her blood. She scanned the yard but didn’t see the vampires she’d imprisoned earlier.
Damn it. They must have broken free.
Ignoring Ash, Megan gathered her family close and worked on rousing her husband and teenage daughter. Alyssa stood nearby in shock, barely flinching when the burning house collapsed with a deafening crash, sending smoke and embers into the sky.
Jenna woke up and screamed, “What the hell is that?” pointing at the dragon flying overhead.
Ash groaned. “Megan, take your family to my house. You’ll find help there. Don’t stop for anything.”
Megan helped Dale stand, and the four ran into the darkness. Ash turned back to the fight. Uuka’s panthers had taken out both vampires, but they were now targeted by the dragons.
“We need to take out their wings!” Ash shouted, skidding to a stop.
That’s no small task when we are confined to the ground. They’re too fast.
Ash smiled as confidence welled within her. This, she knew how to do. Thinking back to the battle with Nikoli, Ash called, “I’ll get them on the ground. Be ready.”
The panthers nodded as Ash went into the street. Shadows pooled everywhere, flickering in and out of existence as flames lit the night. She felt their presence around her, offering their power. Ash gathered it, reveling in the darkness and welcoming it like an old friend.
When the larger of the two dragons, a deadly-looking red-scaled beast, flew toward her allies, opening its mouth to bathe them in flames, Ash flung dozens of shadow tendrils into the air. The shadows eagerly wrapped around the dragon’s snout, cutting off the flames. The dragon made a tortured sound as it was forced to swallow its fire, and its throat started to glow.
She then sent out shadows to pull the dragon to the ground. “Now!” she cried, yanking her hands down.
The panthers launched their lithe bodies into the air and landed on the dragon’s back. They clawed and slashed at its wings to ensure that the creature couldn’t take to the sky again. Ash sent whips of magic to encircle the Therian, holding it captive.
Chuki, who had remained in human form and was fighting with a sword, jumped onto the beast’s head and ran her blade through its eye and the brain. The dragon died, but its fire continued to burn.
That was incredible, Uuka sent.
“Thanks. I’m not sure I can do it again, but I’m willing to try. Where is the other scaly bastard?” Ash asked.
Chuki grinned. “It flew off after you grabbed this one. I don’t think they were expecting you to be that powerful. It was an impressive performance.”
Ash looked around. The street was now quiet and calm. “Where is everyone? That was loud enough that the whole neighborhood should be out here gawking.”
My prowl has magic that helps us hide in plain sight. The others remained asleep through the commotion. We will help the family forget so they think it was merely an electrical fire or something similar.
“I sent the Addams to my parents.” She sighed, her shoulders slumping. “It’s my fault they lost everything.”
Chuki shook her head. “They didn’t lose their lives, thanks to you. We could not have saved that family. Between insurance and the reimbursement Luca will send, they’ll be fine. Let the blame rest where it belongs. That isn’t with you.”
Ash shrugged. “I’ll try. It’s hard when I know they only attacked to hurt me, but that will have to wait. What the hell are we going to do with the bodies?”
CHAPTER TEN
Five Hundred Years Ago
Timofey Petrov should have kept his big mouth shut. If he had been wise, he wouldn’t have questioned the ambush King Nikoli had ordered, especially not in front of others. Clearly, he was not a smart dragon.
He’d been exiled from the Therian kingdom for insubordination, and he was lucky he hadn’t been killed. Nikoli had been in a foul mood and taken it a step further. As if exile was not enough, the king had forbidden any of the Therian clans from offering him aid or even speaking to him.
As Timofey left the palace for the last time, stripped of all rank and honor and erased from the histories of his people, his rage grew. One day, he would joyfully take his revenge.
He walked for days, unable to stop until he was far beyond the lands of any Therian clan. At first, he welcomed the isolation. Timofey built a small, comfortable home and made a life. Centuries passed, and he never saw another living being aside from animals. Lacking companionship, Timofey turned his home into a palace and told himself he wasn’t lonely.
His only companions were silence and anger. Timofey’s grip on reality and his mind slipped like the mad king who’d banished him. He was consumed with hatred for Nikoli, and that animosity grew to encompass all dragons, including the other half of himself. He stayed in human form during his banishment. Denying his nature contributed to the deterioration of his mind.
