Page 133 of Veiled Flames
Saxon races toward his dragon.
Of course.For a moment, I forgot I’m a dragon rider.I can yet save her.
Snapping out of my stupor, I follow Saxon’s lead and climb atop Xendus so quickly I’m fully mounted before the dragon master, even though he had a head start and my dragon’s larger.
Master Saxon glances toward me, and I see the terror and determination in his eyes. He doesn’t love Rosomon like I do, he couldn’t possibly, but he does feelsomethingtoward her and can’t face losing her either. The truth in his eyes becomes even clearer, as Xendus’ knot expands in my ass and my vision improves.
“Follow them!” I urge my dragon to fly.
Xendus doesn’t budge, and I hear Saxon similarly urging Surath to take flight. Not only my vision, but also my hearing is enhanced by my bond with my dragon. Even across the field, I can hear Saxon speaking to his dragon, and I sometimes heard him in the air as we flew.
“Fly!” I shout. “Follow them. Now!”
Xendus growls below me. Then he finally flaps his wings and lifts into the air. Surath and Saxon rise at the same time.
The four of us follow the behemoth, but the beast flew away with great speed and had a head start. And the creature’s now banking, as if he plans to cross through the barrier mountains toward the veil. What if demons choose this moment to break through?
“Rosomon!” I shout, hoping her hearing is also enhanced, but she’s so far away. “Don’t go that direction! Don’t fly the behemoth anywhere near the veil. You’re not even armed.”
His name is Zogar, not behemoth!Xendus’s voice booms.
Other than his name, I’ve heard no words from my dragon. But his voice is so clear now, it’s as if it resides in my mind.
“Hurry,” I tell him. “If the veil ruptures, she can’t defend herself against the demons.” They’ve flown over the mountains now, and we’re finally gaining ground against them.
Zogar will protect his queen.
His queen? I’m glad I can hear Xendus more clearly now, even if what he’s saying is nonsensical. What do dragons know of royalty or marriage, or other matters of humanity.
He growls beneath me.
Then, the only thing I sense is terror. My own terror.
Rosomon’s dragon, Zogar, is headed directly toward the veil, and flying so quickly, it looks as if the beast plans to smash directly against it.
“Faster!” Saxon urges Surath, and I do the same with Xendus.
The veil parts. A massive rupture, more than triple the height of yesterday’s and far wider. Gray light, more like the absence of light, pours through the gap.
The alarm bells sound. Soon, riders will arrive to slay whatever demons break through. But we’re far from camp where almost all ruptures occur. It will take some time for any riders to reach here. Did Rosomon’s dragonpurposefullyfly toward an unguarded section of the veil? If so, why?
Unlike Saxon, I didn’t gather arms before mounting. I don’t even have a sword. I was too focused on Rosomon, too desperate to be in the air beside her. It never occurred to me that her dragonmight disobey her or put her in danger. Perhaps Saxon was right. Perhaps women do lack the mettle required to ride dragons—the force of will to guide the beasts. I should never have encouraged her or helped her escape from her room this morn.
Xendus grumbles below me, and a horde of demons breaches the veil. Fear closes my throat.
Zogar continues forward, racing directly toward the gap, toward the demons. He breathes a massive stream of fire, but instead of using his fire to seal the veil, he aims it at the demons as they swerve and swoop. The monsters wail and shriek, and hundreds drop from the sky, landing in steaming globs on the rocky surface below.
I don’t even check to see whether any got past him. I don’t get the chance.
I watch in horror as Rosomon’s dragon carries her straight through the rupture and into the Darkness.
“Follow them!” I tell Xendus.
But instead of obeying me, Xendus slows. Surath slows too. Saxon is shouting at Surath, also insisting she fly through the veil. Our dragons are defying us. I didn’t think that was possible.
No further demons pass into the Light, but my terror intensifies.
The reason no more demons have crossed is because they already have something to devour. They already have Rosomon. She could already be dead.
