Page 105 of Dragon Blood

The old dragon hesitated, seeing that it was Astred who attacked her.

She didn’t evade or block the second strike, but collapsed and shrank into her human form at Astred’s feet.

It was everything Astred could do to resist the urge to crush the old woman, prone in her submission.

Kai landed next to her, followed by several others.

Releasing her dragon, Astred screamed into Zadora’s face, fist pulled back, ready for a third strike, “You did this! You destroyed us!”

Zadora glanced at the tree line behind her, inching away from Astred toward a figure curled in the shadows.

Zayli. Unconscious, bruised, bones at unnatural angles.

“Where is Kolina?”

Odson answered, nodding toward Zayli’s inert form, “She’s out of the battle too, alive but in bad condition. A few survivors are looking after her on one of the smaller islands further out.”

Astred sobbed. “We need her. She’s the only one that can do this. The only one I can trust.” She turned on Zadora again. “You ordered Zayli to poison my mother.”

“I did, your highness. Zayli is innocent of my plan. She believed she acted on Council orders, but they were mine alone.”

“That is still treason,” Astred snarled.

Odson stepped up to the two Aeleftherians. “Astred, she’s been fighting as hard as the rest of us. Leave this till later. We need to get back into the battle.”

Astred advanced on Zadora, who remained uncharacteristically on her knees.

She’d never bowed her head to anyone, let alone this level of submission.

“I need to know how to activate the stone.”

Zadora searched Astred’s face. “The Star Stone?” Her face lit up at Astred’s nod, her voice breathless. “Give it to me. I can end this.”

Astred stepped back. “It was taken from you for a reason, Zadora. No. Kolina is the only guardian fit to touch it. She didn’t succumb to its power when she transported it to safekeeping.” She drew a deep breath. “I’ll use it myself. Tell me what I need to know.”

“You can’t. You need the star blood in your veins.”

Astred glanced at Kai. “Which I now have, though somewhat diluted. I… hear it.”

Kai’s features registered shock at this admission as he searched her face.

Astred held her focus on the matron.

Zadora glanced between Astred and Kai, her expression crumpling. “Oh, no. No, Astred, no. You’ll lose the link to the Dragon Mother. You cannot bond with this abomination.” She hissed at Kai. “Kolina told me when you were born that are not purely dragon or purely tiger, but that you are both. Like those creatures out there laying waste to our home. She should have heeded my command to destroy you.”

Hatred burned through Astred’s body, so that her hand snapped out, slapping Zadora hard across the mouth.

“Kai is my bond mate. My chosen life partner. You disgust me by speaking to anyone with such vile words, let alone a child of your own bloodline.” Astred drew a breath, suppressing the urge to strike Zadora again. Finding some measure of calm, she dropped her voice, “Release my mother from the spell you poisoned her with and all will be well, should we survive this mess you created.”

Zadora straightened from the shock of being struck. “But you’re the last of the Arakkil. The Oracle needs pure royal blood to maintain the connection. If you taint yourself, the Mother will reject you and we’ll all be lost.”

“Perhaps. But that will be up to the Mother, won’t it? Besides, if the current queen recovers, she might still produce another pure heir. Now tell me what I need to know.”

“No.”

“Astred, we don’t have time for this. They’re coming with the seal,” Odson growled, eyes to the sky. “We’ll find another way.”

“No, we don’t have time for this,” Astred advanced on Zadora again. “The vision was clear. The streaking star stone obliterated everything.”

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