Page 45 of Dragon Revealed (Dragon Kings 1)
She heard more movement behind her and turned to see a pink dragon no bigger than a dog. It was in a tiny cage, barely able to even turn around. The petite dragon had no fight left. It didn’t even glance her way with its blue eyes.
She turned back to the red dragon. “We’re going to help you.”
“This is the last place you should be. And you will pay for your insolence.”
The sound of Arn’s voice behind her caused her blood to turn to ice. Jeyra slowly pivoted to the council leader. “How dare you? This city put their lives in your hands and look what you’ve done. The poor animals are dying!”
“It’s because of these poor animals, as you call them, that we remain safe.” He crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes. “Someone had to put a stop to the killings. I made sure it happened since no one else could.”
Jeyra was flabbergasted. “The dragons killed, but so did we. And I have a feeling they’ve come here to free the ones you captured.”
“No one cares why the dragons aren’t coming, only that they don’t have to fear for their lives anymore. The last dragon attack was your family. You can thank me for there not being more.”
Jeyra shook from anger and contempt. “What happened to that last dragon?”
“It woke from my spell before we could get the chains locked. It got away and flew straight to those responsible for trapping it. The animal slaughtered nearly the entire family before he flew off, but we killed it in the end. Thanks to warriors like Rankin. Then again, you would know how good he is. Isn’t that right, Jeyra?”
She smiled coldly at the council leader, the fury coalescing within like a whirlpool of wrath.
Arn snickered and clasped his hands behind his back. “The moment I learned Varek had escaped, I knew that he would return for the dragons. And I knew you’d help him.”
It was only because of Varek that she knew that there were designations of magic, but as far as she knew, no one on their realm had named their type of magic. But there was something altogether sinister about Arn now that she saw who he really was. “What are you exactly?”
“Oh, that doesn’t matter,” he said with a twist of his lips.
She glared at him. “It does matter. You have helped foster the fear of magic amongst everyone in the city, all while deceiving and hiding what you are.”
“You’re upset because I was smart enough to use my natural abilities? You’ll forgive me if I don’t care. But let’s turn to the things you should be concerned with. For instance, the fact that your life ends now. You were warned what would happen if you kept poking around. You so wanted to know about your family, but if you had uncovered what you sought, then you would’ve discovered what I and warriors like Rankin had put things into place to safeguard Orgate.” He took a step toward her. “You gave the council and the city your loyalty when you became a warrior. Who cares if a couple of dragons die to make sure we’re safe?”
Jeyra gave him a scathing look. “You make me sick. To think I thought you a fair man. You’ve gotten to where you are by duplicity and magic. That goes against everything we are as a people.”
“We aren’t anything!” he bellowed furiously. “We’re brought here as infants by beings no one sees. We have no family, no connections. We have nothing.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. We have a beautiful place to call home. We have life, and we make family with more than blood. You’ve completely missed the very idea of what it means to be alive. I can’t believe I didn’t wake up to all of this sooner.”
“Because you wanted the simple life,” he stated with a sneer. “You wanted justice for your family. I got it for you. Kill the pink one. You’ll feel much better when you do.”
“I think I’d rather put my spear through your heart.”
Arn chuckled and shook his head. “Oh, my dear, that simply isn’t going to happen. You let the one chance you had to join us slip through your fingers.”
“I’d rather die than join you,” Jeyra said right before she lunged at Arn, thrusting the point of her spear at his chest.
With just a wave of his hand, the weapon flew from her grasp. She knew it was a losing battle, but she couldn’t walk away. All of a sudden, she found her spear once more in her hand. Jeyra smiled even as confusion flitted over Arn’s face.
“How can that be?” he asked in bewilderment.
Erith moved from around the other side of the red dragon and rotated her wrist, the blade of her sword swinging through the air. “You didn’t actually think Jeyra came by herself, did you?”
As she spoke, the clothes Death wore melted away to reveal her black attire. Out of the corner of her eye, Jeyra saw Cael moving around the red dragon, removing the manacles.
“Who are you?” Arn demanded.
Erith smiled chillingly. “I’m known as Death or the Mistress of War. By either name, I’m going to take your life today for what you’ve done to these dragons and all those before them.”
Jeyra blinked at Erith, seeing for the first time the power contained in such a petite form. She wanted nothing more than to battle Arn herself, but she didn’t stand a chance without magic. The moment Arn and Erith were locked in magical battle, Jeyra made her way to the pink dragon’s cage.
She glanced up to see Erith doing some kind of flip through the air, her foot connecting with Arn’s face. Jeyra smiled, silently cheering for Death. She faced the cage. Jeyra smiled at the Pink, but the small dragon wouldn’t look at her. She fought against more tears when she saw how deep some of the scars went on the dragon’s scales. Jeyra tried to open the door but found it locked. She glanced around for keys, but when she couldn’t find any, she used the tip of her spear to pick the lock. She thought the dragon would rush out when she swung open the door, but it didn’t move.
“Come on,” she coaxed in a soft voice. “We’re here to free you and take you home.”
Jeyra glanced back to see Arn getting a strike in against Erith—the first since their initial clash. The smile on his face vanished when he saw Erith’s ferocity. Jeyra turned back to the dragon and cajoled and enticed, but the Pink wouldn’t budge. Finally, she concluded that the only way the dragon would leave was if she picked it up.
Still, she hesitated. Even though this was a small dragon, it had magic, and it could hurt her with its talons, teeth, and fire. The marks she saw on the dragon were only a portion of what it had suffered. If it attacked her, she would bear it. Because the dragon deserved to see the sun again. It deserved to be free. Jeyra drew in a deep breath, then reached into the cage and managed to get her arms awkwardly around the dragon. The Pink didn’t fight her. It lay limp in her arms.
“I’m sorry. I’m so very sorry this happened to you,” she whispered over and over as she carefully drew the diminutive dragon from the cage.
When it was finally out, Jeyra adjusted her grip, and the dragon laid its head on her shoulder. The tears came again. She turned to face Erith and Arn. Her movement caught Arn’s attention. When he saw that she had the Pink, the rage on his face was short-lived as Erith plunged her black sword into his heart.
The life drained from Arn as he crumpled to the floor. Erith retrieved her weapon just as Cael flung off the last chain containing the red dragon.
