Page 132 of The Dragon's Gambit
The loud screech of the dragon could be heard across the entire area as his body hurled into the earth just in front of Reiya. His green eyes darted around wildly as the red liquid gushed in pools onto the ground. The shine in his eyes began to fade, until the life was drained from his body. Meanwhile, otherbodies had begun to fall to the ground as Dex and Weston began clearing the skies. The differences between the rogue dragons and the royals were clear, even with their numbers.
A shadow began to fall over Reiya, and she looked up at the sky. A new group of dragons soared in the air. At the front was a dark red dragon … Xander. They collided with the remaining rogue dragons, not taking any prisoners. There were no second chances, not when it came to Reiya’s safety.
Suddenly, another group of dragons flew toward them. This group came from beyond the kingdom’s boundary. In seconds, the sky was peppered with more dragons joining in the fray. The rogue dragons had decided to go all-in on the battle, no longer willing to hide in the shadows. It was as if someone had commanded them that this was their moment, but who?
“Reiya, we need to get away from here. This isn’t safe.” Chelsie gripped her arm, and Brody rumbled in agreement. As he looked behind them, he let out another vicious roar. The two girls spun around to see what had him so upset.
Standing there was the disgusting man in purple, but he wasn’t alone. At his side was a familiar old man whose face carried the weight of years. He was one of the past kings of the Southern Kingdom. The man with the two granddaughters. His dark orbs glared at Reiya, while Clovis smirked at his side.
“The demons have promised us positions of power … yes, all we have to do is deliver you to them,” Clovis hissed out with a smug air.
“You really think those demons will give you what you want? You’re just a pawn they can use. Nothing more than a tool for them,” Reiya spat out bitterly. She wasn’t afraid of Clovis. Him she could handle. It was the old man she was leery of. He would be a very powerful opponent … arguably too powerful.
Xander is close enough to link with, so we won’t be burned, right? Or is he close enough? I’d love to come out and removethat man’s head from his body, but this one is your showdown. Still, you know how to shift if you need me. I can heal you too, Reiya,Lumi reminded her from her subconscious.
Thanks, Lumi. I might need your healing after this,Reiya thought as she looked at the old man again. Why would he do this? He was in a position of power.
“Don’t worry, princess. I don’t want you dead. Your friends here, though … I don’t need them alive.” Clovis stared at them icily as he shifted into his gray dragon. He blew fire from his mouth at Brody, who stood unwavering in front of Reiya and Chelsie.
Reiya quickly brought up a shield of water in front of Brody and sent the blast hurling toward the man in purple. It was the old man who made the next move. With a glance at the water, it disappeared. A gaze of fire that sizzled the water instantly. He turned and gave her a sinister smile. “Is that the extent of your power … ‘fairy’?” his old voice hissed out mockingly.
Reiya furrowed her brows at Clovis. “Why?”
Clovis laughed. “You wondered why I always wore purple. It’s because purple is the color of royalty. Yes, princess. I am royalty. I am his illegitimate great grandson. I should have acquired the throne. It shouldn’t be Weston. It should have been me.”
“I’m confused. You don’t look like the other royal dragons … in size.” Reiya could not feel any power radiating from him.
“You see, I had two sons. My firstborn son should have been my rightful heir, but alas, it wasn’t with my mate. It was from a female who visited during a mating party. My son grew up here, and through the generations, the family was pulled under this kingdom’s rule. If he had grown up in my kingdom, he could have retained his power. It’s just a way the dragons keep order. So, I decided that this time … this time, I would back my firstborn son’s legacy. Our interests align as well. Dragonsshould never take anything but a dragon as a mate.” The old man sneered at Reiya.
“So, you are giving up your position of power to be a subject of the demons for your great grandson?” Reiya folded her arms and stared the old man down confidently. She was, after all, his deity’s mate. He just didn’t know it. The loud screeching in the sky caused Reiya to look up momentarily at the battle above them. The rogue dragons were losing, but it was still a mighty fight.
The old man seized this moment, this split second of distraction, to thrust a powerful gust toward the group in front of him. The wind hit the three, sending them sliding backward. Brody quickly regained his footing and tried to take most of the brunt of the wind in order to shield the girls.
It didn’t feel like getting hit by wind at all, though. It felt like being hit by a scorching metal bat. The force of it left a scalding red mark on both her and Chelsie. Reiya spat blood out of her mouth and used the back of her hand to wipe it away. She looked up, feeling anxious for Brody, knowing he was shielding them.
Reiya jumped forward and sprinted in front of Brody. He was there to protect her, but he was her brother, and they wouldn’t kill her, unlike him. She took the next wave head-on and crashed back into Brody’s fur.
So much for being impervious to magic,Reiya thought wryly as the pain rippled over her body.
Lumi answered Reiya’s thought.Xander has moved farther away in the fight. He isn’t close enough.
Reiya forced herself on trembling feet and stood upright defiantly. Brody and Chelsie also took their stances at her side. They weren’t weaklings. They were strong. This was just the difference in strength. It showed how important the dragons really were in battle. The strength in the dragon royalty was farsuperior and was one of the reasons they never needed to rely on others. Still, they were not about to go down without a fight.
Reiya concentrated on the energy around her. She blocked out the sounds above her, letting them fade into the background. Instead, she focused on the colors of energy around her. She searched for the one that made the old man unique. Reaching her hand out and grabbing onto the light forcefully, she brought the old man to his knees, and he grunted in pain.
“Grandpa!” Clovis shouted as he reached for the older man. The old man held up his hand and glowered at Reiya as he struggled to his feet. “That’s an evil game you’re playing … Little. Pure. Fairy.” He emphasized the last three words with sarcasm. “Messing around with life energy ... and you think you’re different from demons?” The old man smirked as he made his point.
“I didn’t cut your life thread. I simply bid it to listen to me. To bring its wielder to their knees. I’m not playing a game, old man. You want to face off against the fairy princess, fine … then you will face off with her. I might be a fairy, but you will find that I am not as weak as you dragons like to think.” Reiya squeezed her fists together as she watched the threads of energy in front of her, waiting for one to fluctuate. She wasn’t very experienced, not having trained with her magic that much. Still, she had learned some things from breaking curses. She had learned about the different energies, and which one was their life force. If she could control the surges, she had a chance at controlling his power ... she hoped.
The old man straightened up and sneered at Reiya. “I promised I wouldn’t kill you, but I am going to teach you a very valuable lesson, naïve child. You are way too young to have mastered the skills you’re playing with. I’m going to show you what happens when you get in over your head. This will be my gift to you … a life lesson for the future.”
Reiya watched his lifeline surge, the light expanding. The glowing surged in and out as the light began to swell. The color began to darken as a power was being pulled through it. This was the moment she grabbed onto the light forcefully, trying her best to strangle out the power.Please … let this work.
Chapter 82 His Anger
The old man’s eyes lit up as she clasped onto his energy. This was what he wanted her to do. He quickly withdrew from accessing his power, causing it to ricochet into her at full force.
The energy exploded into her, and her body was thrown backward into Brody’s furry chest. She coughed from the impact, and splatters of blood shot out from her mouth.
