Page 34 of Song of the Dragon Rider
“Holy crap, this is incredible!” she yelled over the roar of the wind, her voice filled with excitement and not a drop of fear, which surprised me. Was it because she was my mate? “I mean, I feel like I’m starring inHow to Train Your Dragon,but you’re not exactly Toothless!”
I rolled my eyes. I had no idea what she was talking about, but it didn’t sound like a compliment. I banked sharply, causing her to shriek and tighten her grip. I didn’t like being compared to something called Toothless.
The next target loomed below us: another hidden entrance to the underground arena, this one a larger, more fortified structure. I swooped low, the rush of wind flattening the grass as I opened my maw and unleashed another inferno. The fire sprayed across the building like liquid sunlight, consuming it in moments.
“Nowthatwas dramatic.” Cat’s voice carried an edge of dark humor. “I wonder how big other dragons are, or if you’re the version of Vhagar, becausedamn, you’re huge!”
I ignored her and swiftly rose back into the sky. The city below was a patchwork of chaos as the flames from the first building spread to neighboring structures. The glow of destruction reflected off the river that ran through the city, bathing everything in an eerie, apocalyptic light.
“Over there!” Cat pointed toward another structure on the outskirts of the city, her tone urgent. “That’s the main vault entrance. If we hit that, we’ll cripple them for good.”
I banked hard and headed for the target, my wings slicing through the smoke-filled sky. The vault was heavily reinforced,its stone walls designed to withstand sieges. But stone meant nothing to dragon fire. I hovered above it and drew in another deep breath, the flames in my core hotter and more intense.
With a roar that shook the air, I unleashed everything I had; the fire exploded from my mouth in a concentrated, searing beam. The stone walls cracked and buckled under the heat. Within moments, the entire structure was ablaze.
Cat whooped from my back, her laughter echoing through the night. “Takethat, you shady bastards!” she yelled. “That’s what you get for trafficking humans and hosting death matches… as well as making Arya sell you fake paintings!”
I turned my head and gave her a knowing look… Did she really think the vampires couldmakeArya do something she didn’t want to do?
“Okay, okay,” she conceded. “So Arya was probably doing this willingly, butIwasn’t, so I’m a victim here!”
I huffed and turned my attention to the sky. I flew us higher, circling the destruction below. The city was alive with madness and confusion now as people ran, screamed, and tried to contain the raging inferno. But it was too late. The underground arena and its network of corruption were gone—reduced to ash and ruin.
As we soared above the burning city, Cat patted my neck. “Not bad, Damien,” she said, her voice filled with a mix of awe and satisfaction. “Not bad at all. I can’t wait for the next time. Too bad Royal Prince Bai is incinerating the estate, or else I would have loved to do that one, too,” she sighed wistfully.
I growled.Next time?A faint flicker of amusement curled through me.She thinks there’s going to be a next time.
But as I carried her back toward safety, I couldn’t help but think,Maybe there will be.
With the deed done, Cat adjusted herself and held onto the ridges on my back, her eyes reflecting the fire's fierce glow. “Let's go,” she said, her voice firm. “Before someone sees us.”
With a mighty flap of my wings, we left the fiery chaos behind to reshape the fate of the Southern District’s darkest corner.
11
CAT
After Damien shifted back into his human form, we walked back across the border to the Northern District, far away from the pandemonium and destruction we caused at the black market. With the hoods of our cloaks pulled low over our heads, we navigated the streets under the cover of darkness and tried to avoid being seen. Damien reached for my hand and tugged me closer to him. The warmth of his skin on mine felt like a warm blanket had covered my entire body. It was a sort of protection and safety I didn’t like feeling from him. He was too unreliable.
Silence between us stretched as we walked, filled only by the soft echoes of our footsteps on the cobblestone. The night was cool and the earlier adrenaline slowly ebbed away, replaced by quiet tension.
“You did well tonight,” Damien finally broke the silence, his voice low and introspective. “I didn't expect you to handle everything so... efficiently.”
I snorted softly, and the corners of my mouth twitched into a reluctant smile. “What, you thought I'd freeze up? Damien, I'm not some damsel in distress. I can handle a bit of fire.”
He chuckled, the sound rumbling through the quiet night. “No, I didn’t think you would freeze up, and I know you're no damsel. It's just... you're full of surprises, Cat.”
The way he said my name, tinged with a hint of something undefinable, made my stomach flutter against my will. “Well,” I said, exhaling slowly, my voice tinged with something softer, almost wistful. “You don’t know this about me, but back in my world, I was in the Army.”
That got his attention. His eyes widened, a flicker of curiosity and disbelief crossing his features. “You were a soldier?”
I nodded, a faint smile pulling at my lips. “82nd Airborne Division, baby,” I said with a wink. “I was a paratrooper. The skies were my domain, which is why I don’t freak out flying around on the back of a dragon. I’m kind of an expert at high altitudes.”
Damien’s brow furrowed as he processed my words. “Paratrooper?” he echoed, clearly puzzled. “What does that mean? You… rode other dragons?” he growled. There was a hint of something dangerous in his voice, like the very idea of me ridinganydragon other than him was an unforgivable crime.
I laughed so hard I had to stop walking, leaning on a nearby wall for support. “No! No, Damien, we don’t have dragons where I’m from. Trust me, if we did, I would’ve ridden into battle like a badass Khaleesi.”
He tilted his head, his confusion deepening. “What’s a Khaleesi?”
