Page 140 of Dream Reaper

And the world exploded in fire, smoke, and ash.

A shockwave pummeled into Jerrid and flung him backwards. He sailed through the air, a roar wrenching from his throat. His body hammered into the ground, embedding him into the soil. Dry leaves crunched around him as he shifted, groaning, peeling his long neck off the crackling leaves.

He lay only a few feet from the collapsed forms of Ava and the dark elf prince. Too weak to maintain his shift, he partially returned to his human form and crawled toward them, throwing up his wings to shield them as ash and molten sparks drifted from the sky.

The sparks singed his leathery wings, but he gritted his teeth and endured it.

He stared down at Ava beneath the shadow of his own wings. She wasn’t moving. His heart began to thunder in his chest, pulsing beneath his skin.

He hadn’t fought this hard to lose her now, at the end.

He reached to brush his fingers against her cheek, sliding them over her jaw to rest on the gentle curve of her throat.

Her blood pulsed beneath his fingertips.

His gaze flew back to her face as her eyes blinked lazily up at him. A relieved sob clawed at the back of his throat—such an unmanly thing to do at a time like this.

“Hey there,” he rasped, his smile weak and trembling. “Glad to see you’re still with me.”

“My…my chest hurts,” she rasped, wincing as she pressed a hand over her heart.

He shoved her hand aside and tugged the collar of her tunic a little so that he could search for a wound. Her collarbone and the upper swell of her breasts looked pristine.

“I don’t see anything.” He hurriedly shoved her collar back into place, his face growing hot when he realized how inappropriate that had been.

But she just blinked up at him and continued to rub the spot. “It’s getting better, I think. Maybe I just used too much magic.”

“You did use a lot of magic, Meat Pasty.” He frowned down at her, worried she might burst into flames or vanish before his eyes.

“Meat Pasty again. I’m glad to see Dragon’s still in there, even if he is still comparing me to food.” Her mouth curved into a smile, her eyes swimming with tears. “You aren’t going to eat me, are you?”

The dark elf prince pushed himself up on one elbow, rubbing at his eyes. “I’m confused. Who is food?”

The prince’s head bumped against the underside of Jerrid’s wing, and Jerrid cleared his throat.

“Best sit still for a few minutes, Your Highness. The air is a bit unpleasant right now. I’m trying to keep it off of you. There are embers blowing around out there.”

The prince drew his knees toward his chest and sat with his hands linked, his arms holding his bent knees in place. Ava sat up too, groaning with the effort.

Jerrid leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “You were incredible, Meat Pasty.”

Her cheeks darkened, and she snuck a look toward the prince, who thankfully couldn’t see them. But even if he could have, Jerrid wouldn’t have cared.

He’d seen the prince kissing his dune elf bride and knew that the elf wasn’t shy about public displays of affection.

“Meat Pasty?” the prince echoed with a slight frown. “That’s not…very nice. Is he talking to you, Ava?”

“Yes.” Ava threw back her head and laughed. “I didn’t like it at first either. But it grows on you.”

Her gaze met Jerrid’s and held, and the heat in her eyes said things her mouth did not. His chest warmed as he imagined asking her about those secret things later, when they were alone.

“I’ll take your word for it.” The prince lowered his chin to his chest, his shoulders drooping with exhaustion.

Thick layers of ash coated Jerrid’s wings when he finally dared to peel them back, allowing the cool night air to rush over them, chilling their sweaty skin. Ava and the prince both scrambled to their feet. Jerrid turned to face the ruins, and his stomach clenched at the sight that awaited them.

The ruins had been demolished, nothing more than a pile of rubble. Ash continued to float on the air, and a few embers still lit up the darkness like tiny fireflies floating in a lazy breeze.

Ava’s breath caught in her throat, and the prince snapped his face toward her.