Page 121 of Firebird
He hurt our treasure.
She crouches against a tree. Makes herself small and unseen. But I see her. I will protect her. I purr to let her know I am here. She is safe.
I slide my body in front of her and roar at the enemy, then slice my tail down upon the rubble of the enemy’s lair. It crumbles beneath my might. He will do the same.
He roars. He leaps at me, jaws open.
Fool,this lowly demon.
I beat my wings and embed my claws deep into his flesh. The ripeness of blood. I relish the cracking of bones. He whips his head and curls his neck to clamp his jaws onto me.
Too late. I have my teeth in his throat. I rip it from his body, just as he belches fire. The flames burst from his mouth and the hole in his throat I have made. My scales protect me. I toss his head to the side and roar my rage to the skies. My voice shakes the trees and the earth with my power and rage.
I am death incarnate, and the world will know my wrath.
My enemy’s demon spirit is already gone. But my rage needs more. I slice my claws down his body. It twitches in the final throes of death, his tail curling and shaking. Then he is still.
My fury is not sated. I summon the fire in my belly and pour it ontothe carcass of the demon who thought to take my treasure. The stench of his burning corpse fills me with sweet pleasure.
Still, it is not enough. I inhale deep and blow a stream of fire into his lair, toppling the roof and incinerating everything within. There will be nothing left of him. Not a stone of his home, not an ash or a bone. I will devour all with my flames.
“Julian!”
My mate stands beside a tree, completely bare, her slender body lit by my firelight. She is weary. She is weak. She needs protection.
A whiff on the wind brings my attention to other dragons nearby. I should kill the uncle. I should not let him live for what he’s done to me and mine.
“Julian.” A low whisper, a soft plea.
My treasure. My mate.
I must protect her. We will go.
XXXVI
MALINA
Somehow, I summoned the strength to crawl out of Ciprian’s home. I’d watched from the base of a tree in his side garden while Julian ripped him apart. His red dragon was a monumental beast with black horns and black-tipped wings. His golden eyes promised death to all who opposed him.
And yet, I did not fear him. He was my dragon,myprotector.
Ciprian had sliced my tunic down the back and was entertaining himself with the blade and his foul taunts. I’d been falling into despairthat I’d been outwitted by someone as despicable as Ciprian, but then Julian came. He’d heard my call.
“All is well,” I whispered, stepping naked over stone debris from Ciprian’s crumbled house toward my dragon, my beautiful beast. “I am well,” I told him, raising a palm toward him.
He crouched his body to the blood-spattered terrace, Ciprian’s headless corpse roasting in Julian’s fire beside him. Julian purred deep as he lowered his head at my approach.
Nude and still dizzy from the drugged wine, I stumbled toward him and wrapped my arms around his giant snout, laying my cheek and torso against his warm, smooth scales.
“I’m all right now,” I murmured.
Even as I felt listless and weak, there was a new strength inside me, and I knew instantly what it was. Our bond. Mine with Julian and his dragon. We were one, and we were mighty together.
He rumbled a growl, and I realized I was nearly asleep, resting against him.
“All right.”
I stood straight and looked into one of his narrowed, golden eyes blinking slowly and contentedly at me, reminding me of a cat warm in the sunlight.
