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"Stay here. I'm gonna go look for Drako."

I frowned when the warmth and comfort left me alone with only my thoughts. My body ached from the fall, but I couldn't let Grayson and Drako do all the work.

As I rushed to the window, I saw Drako's dragon form was larger than I expected but the dragons that chased him were bigger. His tail had been slashed and he seemed to have lost some of his fire, but he still moved with ease as they pursued. He was fast but not nearly enough as the two beasts caught up to him and grabbed at his tail with their claws, but he just kept moving.

Icy blasts were hurled in his direction, but he was able to dodge them. He turned and shot fire back at them in response.

I watched in horror as his legs gave out from underneath him and the two large black beasts grabbed him by the wings and dragged him to the ground like a bag of potatoes. I gasped, shocked to see a shadow dragon up close. I knew what was coming next. The larger one, who seemed like the leader looked down at Drako, snarled menacingly before it opened its mouth and threw its head back and began to chomp on the dragon.

Drako screamed loudly in pain, and I could see his eyes go wide with terror as he tried to get away from the massive beast. I wanted to help him, but I couldn't move and my heart felt like it would stop beating if this kept happening. I wasn't sure I wanted to watch what happened next but something inside me compelled me to continue watching because I knew what was going to happen next. I wanted to be there. I didn't want to leave the scene.

Suddenly the large beast fell backward onto its stomach, releasing its grip on Drako and letting him roll free. He lay there for several seconds before scrambling back into a defensive stance, flapping his wings and staring at the large dragon while breathing heavily.

What? Did he win? Was all this a trick? Why did he lose? There must have been more tricks he used or maybe even a surprise attack! Maybe he'd come up with some new way to defeat this huge dragon...right?

The beast let out another roar and Drako tensed again, preparing himself for a fight.

This time, when it charged at him, he dodged, turned around to avoid being trampled, and flew up so high that I couldn't see his silhouette anymore. He was probably circling to check things out and see where his opponent went next.

The large beast followed him without hesitation. I saw Drako take an unexpected dive toward the ground then rise sharply, almost flipping midair before flying straight down again. I held my breath as the big creature closed in behind Drako once again. It was getting closer! This is it! My heart pounded in my ears as the beast lunged forward, jaws agape, ready to swallow him whole.

He flew straight toward it, making a sharp turn just in time to avoid being hit. He swooped down over the monster's head, then twisted in midair and made a sharp turn in the opposite direction. Again, he dove toward it, dodging just as quickly as before but now making turns in order to throw off his pursuer.

After a second of maneuvering, he shot into the air again, turning hard left and zigzagging back and forth. The beast followed closely behind, closing the distance between them as he tried to shake his elusive enemy off. But it wasn't long before Drako's tactics started to wear on the beast's endurance and the longer he maneuvered the closer it got until its massive jaws snapped shut around Drako's leg.

It shook its head back and forth violently, causing Drako to fly forward and off balance for a moment. As the beast's head turned upward to try to grab Drako, Drako landed on top of his chest and clamped his talons down firmly around the Shadow Dragon's face. For a moment, they hung suspended above the ground as both creatures struggled against each other.

And then, suddenly, Drako released the beast's jaw and let his body fall backwards so that his feet kicked free of the beast's neck. When the ground came rushing up, Drako rolled and sprang back to his feet, slashing his talon across the face of the Shadow dragon as he passed.

As I stood watching him, I felt the adrenaline rushing through my veins. My dragon demanded to be set free, but I knew I had to wait. I searched the sky for Grayson but couldn't find him. There was a loud roar, and I turned my attention back to Drako.

From behind him, a second dragon appeared. It roared at Drako threateningly before launching itself forward and taking aim with its teeth. Drako turned just in time to dodge but it was too late. The beast's fangs tore through his side and pulled him sideways.

Drako landed hard, tumbling and rolling across the grass as he struggled to right himself. He took stock of himself and realized he was bleeding profusely, and he needed to get moving. The wound was deep and would slow him down significantly if he didn't act soon.

Gripping his wounded wing tightly and pushing himself to his feet, he raced past the large beast. Blood covered his scales and he struggled to fly. A few feet away, Grayson was in a fight of his own. It had been years since I had seen Grayson’s dragon form and I almost didn't recognize him. The dragon he fought was as big as the other two and just as strong too. Its scales were bright green unlike Grayson’s red scales that made him easy to spot. Grayson stood no chance and every time he attempted to escape the creature was faster, throwing him aside like a ragdoll and continuing his pursuit.

As I watched, the last of Grayson's remaining energy drained away as his giant attacker finally caught up with him, tearing into his shoulder with its sharp claws. The Shadow dragon flung its tail at Grayson, trying to cause as much damage as possible. Just before the impact, Grayson was pushed aside and went hurling to the ground. He looked up to see Drako absorbing the hit that was meant for him then disappeared.

I watched in horror as Drakofell back down to the Earth. Blood ran down his scales, turning them from blue to crimson. His breathing was harshand uneven, and he was struggling to get his claws into his wound. He looked back up, his wide red eyes staring right into mine. It almost felt like we were the only ones left on this planet. A sudden pain pierced my heart. I wasn't sure what it was at first, but then I realized it. I'd never seen him look so defeated, or scared... It hurt me. I didn't want to see him suffer anymore, even if I had to die myself.

I quickly looked around for Grayson, but he was nowhere in sight. I pulled off my jacket and held it against Drako's wound, watching as he struggled to breathe. Within seconds, he slipped intounconsciousness, and I knew he was slipping away. I closed my eyes, knowing I wouldn’t be able to bear seeing his death.

The last thing that I saw before losing consciousness, was the sky turning red.

Chapter Eighteen

Drako

When I came to, in my human form, I was covered by blankets. The fire had long since died down, and only the moonlight shone through the open curtains. It didn’t seem as if anyone else was awake yet.

My stomach felt like it had been wrung dry from dehydration, and when I moved my arms above my head my joints popped and crackled with a bone-deep weariness. I stretched, slowly rolling onto my side. The mattress was still warm where Scarlett’s body lay, but I hadn’t had enough energy to even turn around for more than a few seconds before I drifted off again.

As the hours passed, I grew increasingly restless. Eventually, I got out of bed, careful not to wake anyone else up. I padded over to the window seat and peered outside at the sky through the sheer curtains. It looked as though it might start to rain soon – there wasn’t anything I could do about that now; there was no point in delaying anymore. My feet padded on the cold floorboards as I made my way across the room and to the door, pulling it open with ease and stepping into the hallway.

The events leading up to my injuries came flooding back to me. I remembered falling, thinking I was going to die, and not knowing how I managed to survive. The night was still and peaceful until a loud crash disrupted it. Startled by the sound, I felt my pulse quicken. My chest felt tight, and I struggled to breathe. The fear that they had discovered that I was still alive swept through me, making it difficult to focus.

"What was that?" I asked, walking towards the window.

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