Page 41 of The Last Dragon
This rage doesn’t seem like it’s for the sake of destruction.
This feels like vengeance.
Nida gestures for me to back away, signaling that we’re too close to the dragon’s fire range. I take a few quick steps back and she follows, keeping my bolt trained on the beast. Damn it. The dragon landed too far—too far for the ballistas to reach from here. I flick my gaze back to the towers behind us—the Defenders eagerly waving their hands for us to bring the dragon closer. But this thing isn’t moving.
Turning my gaze back to the beast, I notice two dark figures catching the light to the left of its wing. Eryca and Ilian. They must have seen me when I entered the field and followed. Eryca whistles, catching Nida’s eyes. Nida quickly aims her thumb at her chest, signaling that she’s the one attempting to distract, and Eryca backs away behind Ilian in case they need to switch.
Another pair of two hunters and trackers sneak up behind the dragon on each side. We got it cornered. The beast is on high alert, but we can’t shoot without irritating it. If one of us misses, there’s a chance it’s going to attack and kill half of the squad. I can’t have that.Think Zel, think. No, that’s not my role. I have to trust Nida. I swallow hard, keeping my breath steady.
Her fist is down, slightly extended to the side, mirroring its threatening stance. The dragon watches. Any movement can agitate it. She drags her feet across the dirt sliding toward the dragon’s right side. Its massive head follows her, tracking her every step, while the rest of us fade into its peripheral blur. From its perspective, we are near invisible. We have to stay still. We have to keep it grounded. Nida glances at the tail. I flick my eyes to Eryca who is doing the same.We’re in harmony.In control.
Nida extends her fingers to signal the beast is calming down as it closes in, curious on what’s in front of it. Good. That’s what we want. The calmer the beast, the faster we can kill it. Without laced bolts, the only thing we have is our daggers. And the best place to aim a dagger is under its wing. Or the throat. But one ofus needs to get there. It has to be me. My hand strays to my hip—curling my fingers over a dagger’s hilt as I watch the beast come closer and closer to Nida. In seconds, the dragon’s snout is only a reach from her. She’s steady. Silent. Not meeting the beast’s gaze—making herself as least threatening as possible. I lock eyes with Nida. She knows what I want to do.
Damn it, Nida, scare it. Make it flutter its wings.
But there’s nothing.
Instead, she remains still. Frozen. Her eyes on the dragon. Her right leg digging into the dirt.
As if she’s backing away. Scared.
A soft curl falls, framing her face, swinging back and forth with every breath. A quick flutter stirs in my chest, and before I can finish my breath, the dragon slowly arches its neck and a faint click—like flint striking steel—snaps through the air. The dragon’s eyes lock onto Nida.
Three heartbeats. Three seconds.
That’s all I have.
I drop the bow and sprint toward her, relying on nothing but my legs and the adrenaline surging through me. I grab her arm as she freezes, pulling her close just in time. I hit the ground, twisting, pressing her body against mine—right under the dragon’s jaw. Its scorching breath washes over us, her face dangerously close to mine. If I burn, then I burn. The heat sears, but I hold her tight, praying it doesn’t notice us.
Eryca and the other two Trackers throw a few water bombs at it to extinguish the fire. She throws another water bomb at me. The splash cools my heated leathers, soaking my back.
The dragon roars in anger, small drops of water clinging to its snout. I grip my dagger, aiming for the soft spot under its jaw. But just as I lift it, the dragon beats its wings and shoots up into the air, zigzagging to avoid the bolts, my strike frozen midair.The roar fades into the distance as it heads north away from the Stronghold. I yell out in anger.
Failure.
My chest feels like it’s going to explode. Blood rushes through my head. All I hear is my raging heartbeat. Pain circulates over my body from the heat of the fire. Some fire sparks have burned right through my leather jacket. I take a deep breath and get myself on my feet. Moments later, Nida jumps to her feet beside me. The pain fades and turns into pure, vicious anger. All I can think about is how much I despise having her near.
“What was that?!” I grunt, taking off my mask. She stammers, but I don’t let her speak. “You could’ve gotten us killed!” I step closer to her, my pulse elevating. “Didn’t you know what you needed to do?”
“I did, it was just that—” she stutters her words, stumbling as she backs away from me.
“Why did you freeze?” I grit my teeth at her.
“Calm down,” she says quietly, raising her hands.
“So are you going to tell me why you froze?” I ask. But she remains silent. “You can’t, can you?” Her mouth remains shut, and I let out a scoff. “My Tracker shouldn’tfreeze,” I hiss, turning on my heel.I have to get out of here.
“Hey,” she yells. “You can’t just expect me to read your mind when you’re barely letting me in!”
I want to step away even further, but those words draw me close. “You want to say that again?” I say, my voice low. Now I’m really pissed.
“Yes,” she says. “You think nobody is worth anything unless they match your stubbornness in battle.”
A grunt escapes me as my jaw locks, bones grinding against each other, echoing in my skull like the sound of fury I can barely contain. I take another step closer.
“You’re so...insufferable,” I manage. Heat crawls up my spine, and it’s not from dragonfire. I flex my fingers, curling them in to try to contain the anger.
“Me?” she snaps. “I’m the insufferable one?”
