Page 108 of Tears of Gold

A sigh of relief escapes me as my qi pools back in one place and I can finally teleport freely again. The cluster here has been crushed, and my opponents fall back, attempting more long-range attacks to keep me pinned down. Skye roars somewhere nearby, the splash of his water whips in full swing. Doubling down, I zap across the flank, leaving a trail of bodies.

A tingle of anxiety runs through me a second before I hear the feral roar of a dragon who’s not Skye. A shadow falls across the glade. Looking up, I find a winged beast twice as big as Skye plummeting toward us.

Shit! No wonder they called him a dragonling. I spy movement through the trees in orderly military ranks. Don’t tell me we've only tangled with an advanced guard?

Squatting, I press my hands to the ground. I pour my qi command into the earth, yelling with pain as half a mile of ground erupts with jagged ice spikes. Screams of the wounded echo through the forest. An instant later, Skye is at my side.

“Fall back.” I wobble as I rise, and he grips me in one giant claw.

Suddenly, his head snaps around. “Harper!”

Fear flashes through me, and I warp myself to the back door to find a squad has breached the barrier. Harper stands in the doorway, his face a grim mask, light flashing from his steel knives as he lunges forward. A goblin lies dead across the threshold and the rogue's twin blades deal mayhem in the narrow choke way, but at every opening, a sprite standing back blasts him with qi. Harper's shields are holding the onslaught but barely. One bolt slips past him into the cabin, and Ava screams as it hits the privacy screen the guys set up for her.

There’s no way I’ll let them take Ava.

I have the element of surprise, but a nasty piece of defense magic flares as I attempt to run the sprite through. I flash away as hot flames reach for me. She spins, coming after me faster than I anticipated. Her double wings burr like wind in dry grass.

She bares her teeth at me, revealing sharp fangs. Despite being half my size, her qi packs a punch like Skye’s. She points, sending me sprawling with pure power bolts. Ducking under my swing, she reaches an open palm to my chest, malicious pleasure lighting up her face.

Shit! I tense, focusing my shields.

Giant teeth snap shut around her in a sickening crunch, releasing a puff of magenta blood. Skye’s head is a welcome sight where the sprite stood, and I gasp in relief.

“Thanks.”

“Thought I told you not to push yourself?” Skye growls as he follows me through the back door, resealing the gap in the barrier.

I pat his neck, both of us taking a brief inventory of each other's state. Skye has a few wounds, nothing life threatening, but blood loss could weaken him if this drags out and his qi burns low. I have plenty of qi, but it aches like a scorpion’s sting to use. I reach a hand for Harper, and he clasps it, eyeing my shoulder. His adrenaline pumps, but he hasn't broken a real sweat yet, and he’s calm and focused. It strikes me that apart from my calculated military training, Harper is the most experienced out of the three of us in real skirmishes.

“You okay, Ava?” I call.

Her face appears under the edge of the bed. “Yep. Feeling useless though.”

“Don't worry about it,” Skye reassures her. “Your safety makes us stronger.”

I lift my hands to raise a second barrier, but Skye stops me. “Save it. We have a problem.” His tail whips in anger, crushing the dining table.

A primal roar outside makes us freeze. The barrage on the barrier stops, and a penetrating gravelly voice calls out.

“Prince Skyevalin Li Dralo! Let's talk.”

Harper and I turn to stare at Skye. Our silver dragon turns an eye-smarting shade of crimson.

“Skye?” I ask, but he explodes through the front door. I zap to stand near the window. The barrier around us crackles as Skye pours furious strength into it.

“You say that name again and I'll flay your qi, Farax! What the fuck are you doing with Davinas?”

I've never heard Skye so mad. Steam leaks from his scales, and his tail thrashes, scoring the ground. A hundred yards away, the copper dragon twice his size backs up a step.

“We want the same things you do, Skye.”

“You don’t have a fucking clue what I want!” Skye roars. “You've condemned all dragon kind with your stupid involvement!”

“Wake up!” The dragon he called Farax roars. “We’ve been condemned for the past two hundred years! We need the human girl, Skye. Just let us take her. You can come with us to see she's treated well, since you seem to care.”

Skye snarls. “And what happens when you've baited your kitsune? What happens to Ava then?”

The adult dragon—Farax—flinches.