Page 78 of Dragon Unleashed
My dragon recedes, and I return to human form, falling to my knees and vomiting as the venom wreaks its havoc.
Gods.
If I die here...
I vomit again, and from above me, Constantine laughs.
The rage builds inside me again. My dragon stirs. Out of reach, thanks to the venom’s effects, but through blurry eyes, I spot the broom handles in the dirt nearby.
Fuck it.
I’ll fight until I can’t stand. And even then.
Not a single one of these fuckers will get their hands—or claws—on Paige. Even if it kills me, I will protect her.
Another creature comes for me. A three-headed dog complete with triple the teeth and more than enough speed to rip a small chunk from my arm.
I grab the handles just in time and shove the pointed end of the wood through two of its brains. The third head responds by howling and then falling dead at my feet.
I vomit again and go back to fighting.
By the time I look back at the ledge, Constantine’s expression has fallen from confident to concerned. He should be. Exhaustion clinging to the edges of my awareness, I continue fighting, pushing farther into the cavern toward the ledge where he waits.
I shove my stake through the heart of some creature who looks like a man but with fangs instead of teeth. The other wounds I’ve inflicted seem to have no effect but this one—a stake through the heart—finally affects him. He staggers and falls away, a viscous sort of blood oozing from the wound. I don’t bother retrieving the stake and, instead, leave him impaled with it.
Hurrying forward, I leap onto a lower rock jutting from the cliff and grunt with the effort. From above, Constantine snarls a curse. I keep climbing, trying like hell not to vomit since it’ll only slow me down. Below me, the remaining creatures try to follow. I pause to kick out against the closest one and then climb faster.
When I reach the ledge, there’s a sharp bird cry, and something winged dives at me from the air. I manage to shove my last remaining stake through its feather-covered breast, and the creature spirals away until I hear it hit the dirt below me.
Finally, I hoist myself onto the ledge, but Constantine is gone. I swing my gaze around to where I last spotted his book. Also gone.
With a groan, I pull myself to my feet and look for another exit. The rock is solid against the far wall, though, and I find no sign of a door or means of escape.
Turning back to the cavern, I spot a single figure moving slowly through the carnage toward the tunnel.
Forgetting the venom in my veins, I launch myself over the edge, arms spread wide as I call for my dragon. It stirs far too slowly for me to recover, and I manage to partially shift just as I slam into Constantine from behind.
Pain explodes in my body as we both go tumbling over bloodied corpses. Constantine cries out as we skid to a stop, each of us flung in opposite directions, and then, everything is silent.
I have no idea how long I lay there.
When I blink, I can’t even be sure I didn’t lose consciousness. The thought has me gasping and sitting up so fast my stomach swirls. Arms and legs. No scales. But I’m alive.
My ribs ache so badly that I grit my teeth against the pain of breathing. Forcing myself to stand, I scan the bodies littering the cavern floor.
Constantine is gone.
A sound draws my attention, and I look over to find the book lying open on the floor, its pages fluttering wildly. Suddenly, the cover swings shut with asnap, and everything is silent.
I make my way toward it, reading the title printed across the front: Constantine the Great.
Freedom, he’d said. That’s what he wanted. It’s what he gave all of these creatures by bringing them here. Escaped from their own stories, every single one. With the sole purpose of wreaking havoc on an unsuspecting world.
I have no idea how I managed to send him back, but all that matters is he’s gone. Paige is safe. Hissing through the pain, I scoop the book into my arms and hurry back through the passage to find my mate.
Chapter21
Paige
