Page 28 of Lady Dragon
The War of Fire had been aptly named. This voyage was as instructional for Samansa as it was revealing to Kirek. Her mother hadn’t only sent her daughter here to keep her safe from assassins or to show the dragon proof of a massacre so she could officially disavow it. The queen must have anticipated what seeing this would do to Samansa as well.
Findharmonywith the dragons. Your rule depends on it.
Perhaps the entire realm depended on it.
Samansa emerged from the carriage on shaky legs, trying not to trip over her skirts, while the guards struggled to calm their dancing mounts. The horses were spooked, and Samansa was, too. Her skin prickled as she took in the ruined buildings, the empty square. The village was a graveyard—none of the inhabitants remained, if there were even many that had survived. The shattered remains of houses lurked in the haze around them like ghosts, a thin forest rising not far beyond, which luckily hadn’t caught fire.
Samansa had barely gotten her feet under her when Kirek strode forward into the smoke to get a closer look. She wantedto call the dragon girl back, but Kirek had probably been right—there wasn’t anything that could hurt her.
But there was plenty that could hurt Samansa, she remembered, when a terrible roar shook the earth beneath her, making her stumble. Horses screamed and reared.
Kirek was a ways from her, not yet out of sight, when a massive heap of smoking, charred rubble—probably the old town hall—erupted in an explosive shower of splintered wood beams and broken stone. Samansa couldn’t see for a moment, but then, out of the dust and burning debris, rose a huge, black dragon.
A dragon that had obviously been lying in wait.
Forher, she realized with breathless fear, when the dragon turned on her. The creature only took a moment to balance herself on thick, powerful hind legs, wings spreading into the air and blocking out the hazy sunlight, before the wide spear of her triangular head swiveled and giant green eyes locked onto Samansa. Far quicker, the serpentine neck, as thick as a tree trunk, bunched and then struck out like a snake—a snake the size of a building. Teeth as big as swords flashed, and gaping jaws came lunging straight for her.
Those teeth never reached her. Fully expecting to be devoured whole, Samansa had closed her eyes—and opened them on a scene she’d never witnessed before and hoped never to again.
Adragonfight.
A shimmering, purplish-gray dragon had crashed into her assailant, dragging the first strike wide of Samansa and smashing both dragons into the ground. Surrounding trees swayed and the earth shook beneath the princess, sending her to her knees,but she couldn’t tear her eyes away. The black dragon continued twisting and clawing, throwing Samansa’s defender over top and scattering the ruins of several more buildings as if they were toys. Now the princess saw, as they both careened into each other and the soot rubbed off scales, that the attacking dragon was more brown than black, and was far bigger than the newcomer.
But the newcomer was faster. She struck like twin daggers, there and gone, to the other dragon’s slower, heavier broadsword movements, her tail lashing behind her like a cat’s before she crouched and struck as quick as lightning.
Cat, thought Samansa deliriously, tears springing to her eyes, a fierce pressure squeezing her chest as she felt her fingers digging into the charred earth.
The purplish-gray dragon wasKirek. It was now as plain as day, and not only because of the silver eyes. She was also the most beautiful creature Samansa had ever seen.
And she was fighting for her life.
The other dragon was using her greater strength and weight to try to pin Kirek. The smaller dragon was mostly avoiding those attempts as they rolled through the wreckage and reduced the remains of the village to dust. But all it would take was one successful attack, the princess knew, and it would be over.
Samansa couldn’t stand the thought of watching Kirek die.
When will I get to return the favor and saveyou?
I eagerly await the day.
The guards had formed a huddle around the princess, but they were too focused on the brawling dragons to notice Samansa draw into a crouch and duck behind them. By the time theyspotted her slipping away, she was already well exposed—and runningtowardthe fight. She heard their cries behind her, but she ignored them.
“You want me, don’t you?” Samansa heard herself shrieking at the top of her lungs as she ran, barely in control of her own voice. “I’m right here!”
Dragons hadexcellenthearing, it turned out.
As Samansa had hoped, the giant brown dragon immediately ceased her assault on Kirek, those green eyes refocusing on the princess. Scaled limbs and tail flexing, the dragon coiled, snakelike once again, ready to strike. This time, Samansa could see a glow deep between the teeth barring that cavernous throat—ready to complete with fire what jaws alone hadn’t managed before. The dragon’s neck extended, her mouth opening to reveal uncurlingflamethat ironically froze the princess in her tracks—
ButKirekstruck first.
Samansa didn’t know if Kirek had been hesitant to slay the other dragon during that first strike, but there was no hesitation in her now. This time, she went for the kill. Her teeth found their target and sank to the bone in the brown dragon’s throat. And then shetore. Flesh ripped and blood sprayed like a castle fountain, followed by gouts of fire that found a new exit—away from the princess. The great dragon came crashing down just feet away from Samansa, the huge green eye staring at the sky even as her limbs still shuddered, a wide chunk of her neck missing, the gaping wound sizzling and steaming and oozing.
All it had taken was one successful attack, just as it would have in reverse. And Samansa had given Kirek the opening by charging into danger. The princess could hardly believe she’ddone it—her legs were shaking and her head felt as light as the smoke and ash drifting in the air.
Neck swiveling, Kirek whipped around to look at her, blood dripping down her scaled chin, her silver eyes narrowing across the too-short distance between them. And then sheroaredat a deafening volume. The wind of it blasted the princess’s hair away from her face, sending her skirts snapping like a banner.
If Samansa had been expecting thanks for jeopardizing herself, she was sorely mistaken. But she got the message anyway, even if her ears were ringing too much to hear anything:
Get back.
