Page 110 of Dragon Blood

Its power both challenged his shadow barrier and boosted his dragon magic, which he funneled back into the shield, praying it was enough. That he was strong enough to protect Astred from whatever came.

It didn’t take long. The screams and roars deafened him as Zadora fought multiple enemies, nearly upon them. Kai fought against the urge to go to her aid, giving himself instead to the desire to preserve Astred’s life, no matter what the cost was.

She was all.

He could not let her die.

Eyes closed, he tucked his head and tail under the protection of his wings, ignoring Astred’s attempts to shove him off. She intended to go down fighting. If she survived this, she’d probably hate him forever, but if she didn’t, then it didn’t matter.

Nothing mattered more than keeping her alive.

He gripped her tighter as the stone’s magic vibrated harder, the closer it came. The screams of battle growing louder, until the sudden pop of silence. Astred stopped struggling. After several breaths, she rested her head against his.

Then, the rush of an inferno slamming into the shadow barrier swirled around them. Jaws clenched, he drew on every ounce of magic he had to reinforce the pocket of the netherworld he had built around Astred’s body, as he held the liminal space between the shadow world and the earthly one.

The only sounds were the rushing of his blood and their breaths—both his and Astred’s—and the crackling of his scales against the onslaught of the blast assaulting his magic and body.

Chapter 38

Oncetherushingstopped,the sounds of wind and waves returned, and something bounced off Kai’s dorsal scales with a hard clang and a thud as it hit the sand.

Astred twisted her head slightly to look up at him.

Still, he didn’t move as they listened.

He wasn’t sure that he could move, every muscle was locked in place. Every inch of his back ached, his wings more so.

Astred’s magic fizzled against his chest as she released her dragon form.

Her small hands were soft against the rough skin of his dragon’s cheek.

“Kai.”

He opened his eye into her stricken face as she grappled with what had just happened.

“Let me out, Kai. I have to see… I have to see what’s left.”

He eased the hold on the shadow magic, allowing light to stream in through the spaces between his domed wings and haunches.

Everything ached as he struggled upright. He felt baked, like the one time he’d fallen asleep by the spring without a shade, only a hundred times worse.

Tilting his head to look over his back, his scales sizzled and gleamed like striated titanium dunked in a scalding ion bath. His wings were blistered where the membrane was thinnest.

“Oh, Kai,” Astred’s hands followed his body, wanting to soothe the damage, but careful not to touch him, lest it cause him more pain.

He doubted he’d be able to fly like this, and swimming in ocean salt water wasn’t any more appealing.

Finally, both turned to look at their surroundings.

All that remained of the lush palm trees were charred sticks, resembling clusters of spent matches.

The sky was empty. No dragons or creatures of other kinds, no roaring and slashing. There wasn’t even a wisp of smoke. Nothing floated in the ocean. No broken boats, no broken bodies.

Finally, Kai released his dragon magic, allowing himself to collapse to his hands and knees with a strangled groan. As he did, a stream of glittering mist appeared overhead and descended to Kai.

The mist gave way to Bayn, his features drawn and pale.

“How is it up there?” Kai asked him between breaths.

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