Page 111 of Anaki

The hood fell back revealing a feminine face I had seen a few times before.

Her skin was as white and pure as freshly fallen snow, creating a stark contrast with the vivid, crimson blood of the hybrid that stained her. The droplets glistened like rubies against her alabaster complexion. When she lifted her gaze to meet mine, her identity was unmistakably clear.

A winter fae.

The white and silver snowflake-like sparkles in her cheeks were tainted with blood when she looked up at me. Her amethyst eyes glowed with bright determination as she rubbed the blood that dripped from her dagger.

I’d seen her at the club before. She was a prospect. Normally, she sat in the corner and stayed by herself. There weren’t many females who joined, but when they did, they tried to prove themselves as much.

This one was a mystery to me.

The winter fae nodded her head over my towering shoulder. My dragon turned and snapped its mighty jaws, immediately biting a hybrid shifter in half. Screams echoed into my still-sensitive ears, and I shook the body away.

The fae joined me in the fray. Her stealth, along with the massive swipes of my body, created a symphony of destruction against the enemy.

A terrifying scream came from the gilded cage behind me. Scales’ eyes dilated, and he let out another roar in its direction. One of the magical entities held up a rune, a golden parchment that held a spell, and had begun chanting. A dark smoke had risen from their hands and was seeping through the cage.

The fae on the inside backed away, the smoke had already gotten hold of Meriam, the fae who took my family in so willingly the day we came to visit the territory the first time.

Scales let out an ear-piercing whine, our tail knocking over the hybrids continuing their pursuit. The wind picked up behind me, but it was nothing to move me.

I lunged forward. The two magical entities in front of me didn’t see me coming, too involved in their spell-casting. I ripped one away from the cage, their rune flying into the air, the spell cut off. The smoke dropped, but it was too late for Meriam, who was still screaming in pain.

My dragon, not yet finished, swiftly lunged forward catching the cloakedfigure with his claws, sending him sprawling to the ground.” My dragon's massive foot came down with force and pinned them beneath. The sickening sound of cracked bones surrounded us.

The gilded cage flickered and dissipated like there was no cage at all. The fae dispersed and cried out a fearsome cry, ready for battle. They picked up their weapons to fight. When I turned to Meriam to check on her, another fae kneeled next to her, weeping and shaking their head.

“She’s gone.” Her face was wet as she stared back up at me. “She’s gone.”

The thick, acrid smoke that had wrapped around Meriam had curled upward like a relentless serpent and was now gone. It left a trail of blisters where it didn’t have time to eat the other half of her body. Her flesh still bubbled and sizzled, the rest of her body still slowly eroding away, just like the other part of her body that had already been eaten.

My stomach churned violently, revolting against the nauseating sight and stench. My dragon let out a half-whimper, half-roar.

I failed.

“You need to go find Elena,” the winter fae ran up to me, a bloodied dagger in her hand. “The rest of the fae have this.”

The pounding in my head came back with a force and distorted my vision.

I failed. I didn’t save her in time.

“Anaki, you need to go!” The fae tapped my leg with the flattened part of her blade and brought me out of my stupor. “We’ve got it from here. They’re retreating.”

I snarled as I watched the fae who went to fight the hybrids returning. They were all wounded, bleeding. Some even coughed up blood.

But the hybrids were retreating? That’s not right.

The fae who were less injured were running into houses and pulling out their medical supplies. I didn’t want to stop to see if there were any morefae dead. My heart couldn’t take it.

My throat closed up with emotion. “They are retreating because they are going to attack the pack house. That’s the only reason they would leave. Go warn Locke.”

The winter fae eyebrows rose in surprise. “You can talk?” she squeaked. “Dragons can’t—”

“Goddess blessing. Now go,” my dragon grunted and turned away from her, ready to barrel through the forest. We stopped and turned. “What is your name again?”

She stopped mid-crouch, ready to run as well. “Nefeli.”

The wind picked up and brought a chill to my scales. When I blinked, she was gone.