Page 65 of Ever Dark Academy, Vol. 7

Without warning, Legion leaped up and grabbed the lowest of the dragon’s ribs with two clawed hands. They then began to climb up the beast’s body towards its head. The shock and rage at being touched by something that crawled on land had the dragon’s head rearing back.

And more than that.

The blue glow burned hotter. Blue flames licked out around the teeth.

Ryder, start moving, Grayson advised. Now!

“Legion, what about them?” Lawson called out as Ryder turned his huge bear body and swept up Khos in one large paw.

“We will find them again! No prey can escape me!” Legion laughed.

Grayson’s eyes narrowed. Oh, we’ll see about that, Legion.

“Then let’s take this thing down!” Lawson roared and his eyes glittered with evil delight. “C’mon, Natasha! Let’s climb!”

Lawson made a move to jump up onto the dragon’s chest much like Legion had, but Grayson was having none of that. Or maybe the dragon wasn’t. There was a personality, separate from his, at work here. One of its majestic forelimbs, tipped with claws, swiped across its body and hit Lawson full on. The Weryn Vampire was sent flying, head over ass, across the island, to land on ground. Dirt built up around his head and shoulders as he skidded along.

“Lawson!” Natasha cried.

“Leave him! Help me!” Legion commanded.

The dragon hadn’t ignored Legion while it had taken out Lawson. Instead, its other clawed forelimb had wrapped around Legion’s mid-section and was attempting to yank the Weryn Vampire off of its chest. But Legion was holding on for dear life. Natasha looked between them. Lawson was just now starting to sit up. His neck had been broken and maybe more. He was shaking himself slowly.

“Lawson…” She stepped towards him.

“Go to him and you’re done!” Legion roared.

Natasha’s head snapped to Legion and she gave him a look of such hot hate that Grayson hopped back a few steps in his bird form, though that look was not aimed at him.

“I’m all right!” Lawson called, his voice sounding slightly slurred. “Go help!”

Natasha gritted her teeth, but turned back to Legion and the dragon. She made to run and jump up onto the dragon, but a swipe of the massive tail had her backflipping away as it nearly took her head off. She landed in a crouch and almost immediately had to jump aside again as that tail slammed down into the ground where she’d just been, leaving a four-foot deep furrow. Natasha’s eyes went wide as she clearly imagined what would have happened if she’d been there. But she didn’t give up. Because, like Dani, she was no coward.

She raced towards the dragon again, avoiding strikes of that tail, keeping low and zig-zagging. Her powerful leg muscles flexed as she launched herself into the air. But Grayson merely moved the target. The dragon did not have to stay where it was. Oh no, he could make it fly.

He felt the creature–the remnant of it–yearn for the sky. It stretched its wings out to the sides and flapped, even though that was unnecessary. Natasha’s hands clawed at the empty air where the dragon had been. Her mouth opened in an “O” of shock as she fell to earth once more. She landed with a massive splash in the water.

There was a snap. Legion had broken off a piece of the dragon’s rib. They threw it up at the dragon’s head where it struck the bony jaw and had the dragon’s skull snapping backwards. Legion then leaped up a few more ribs, having wriggled free of the forelimb. The dragon let out a roar. It was so unexpected that Grayson nearly lost control of it. Blue fires were flowing out from its eyes and its mouth.

It’s alive!

Which was an absurd thing to think as it was bones and nothing more. But he could feel the possibility of it.

Caemorn, you have so got to explain this to me!

It reached for Legion again, but they jumped from rib to rib faster than the dragon could move. For something so large and ungainly they were surprisingly agile and fast.

Grayson, we’re off the island! Ryder’s voice came to him.

Grayson saw a bear lift its head from the tall grass near the beach. A Dire Wolf’s head joined it. He had gotten Khos free of all of the bindings. The bear made a motion for him to come.

You’re burning up, Grayson! I can feel it if you can’t, Ryder warned.

And Grayson suddenly did feel it. He staggered on his two bird feet. The dragon wanted to live. It wanted him to bring it back. Give it energy. More energy. And more energy. And more…

He thought of how Caemorn was able to bring back the dead, but he needed the power in the Kaly Palace to do it. Grayson only had himself to offer. And the dragon wanted all of him.

We need to keep them busy, he gritted out.