Page 35 of Ava’s Love of the Dragons (Of Dragons, Love, and Destiny #2)

The castle rose like a work of art on the edge of the cliffs.

It was illuminated by magical lights that flickered in every window, as well as in the courtyard and along the battlements.

Like strings of lights suspended in the air, they lined up all around, making the complex easily recognizable: the heavy walls with their defensive towers, the tall keep in the center, and the smaller buildings scattered across the expansive courtyard.

In the shadow of the castle, down the cliffs, the outlines of the arena where Ava had fought for her life during her last visit could be made out.

There was no sign of the mages.

"We must be careful." Magg pointed to a defensive tower that extended to the rocks and reached deep down the mountainside. "Do you see that muted red light surrounding the tower?"

Ava saw it. "What about it?"

"That's where most of them are hiding."

She examined the spot more closely but couldn't see anyone. "How do you know that?"

"Have you forgotten? I was their prisoner for months."

No, Ava would probably never forget that. "Do you see the keep in the center of the complex? That's where the prisons are. At least, that's where I was held. We need to avoid that area so we don't hurt Lilly."

"Unless they've moved her somewhere else by now—for example, next to Elora herself."

Since Lilly was leverage, they had to assume that. Heavens, where were the dragons supposed to breathe their fire if they didn't know who they might be hurting?

"Trust us." Draco briefly turned his head towards her and blinked gently, as if smiling.

She had no other choice but to do so.

"Do you know where Lilly is being held?"

"It's as your new friend said: The mage has her by her side."

"But how is Kilian supposed to free her then?"

"By creating plenty of distraction and chaos, forcing Elora to intervene. Ready?"

No! She felt like she was going to war, yet less than three weeks ago she had been sorting bills in her aunt's shop. "Ready!"

"Then hold on tight!"

Draco and Thalara sped up and went into a dive. Ava held on to keep her balance. "Remember, we can't go too low, or they'll catch us with their spells."

"Trust us. We know what we're doing!" Draco opened his mouth and spewed a volley of fire at the rampart.

A protective shield appeared, and two mages jumped out from behind a chest-high wall.

They had been expecting them. Draco's fire effortlessly broke through their protection, causing the hooded men to stumble backward and throw themselves flat on the ground behind the wall.

Thalara fired at the adjacent walkway, but the mages hiding there erected a shield in groups of five that deflected the fire.

Nevertheless, Magg urged Thalara on, leaning into her movements and practically merging with her, as if she had been riding a dragon all her life.

Ava looked at her several times to make sure she was alright.

Apparently, she didn't need to worry about her.

She and the fire dragon were becoming one.

While the dragons raided one walkway after another, Ava looked around to see if she could spot Kilian sneaking onto the grounds, or Elora dragging Lilly out to stop the attack.

But she saw neither of them; instead, more and more mages kept appearing, joining forces, setting up increasingly stronger protective shields, and some even dared to venture out from behind them to throw magical orbs of lightning at the dragons.

Draco deflected them with a swipe of his tail, causing them to crash against the rocks. Stones rushed into the abyss and rolled towards the arena. Within seconds, the structure was razed to the ground.

Things were going excellently so far.

"Can you sense where Lilly is?"

"Not anymore. But we'll find her! Have faith!"

Thalara was hit by a bolt of magic and plummeted. Magg clung to her. As the fire dragon caught herself and rushed upward, the cadet lost her balance. She hung askew on her back while the mages fired at them. Thalara had to move out of the way, but then Magg would fall.

Draco rushed in between and deflected a magic attack with his tail.

This was enough time for Magg to swing back onto the dragon's back.

As soon as she was seated securely, she gave Ava a thumbs up.

Her long blonde hair streamed behind her like a cape.

She pointed to a border tower. "More mages are hiding there. "

Ava followed her finger and spotted the subdued red shimmer surrounding the tower. "Then let's go!" She directed her thoughts to Draco. "Do you know where Kilian is?"

"The dragon fighter has crossed the wall in the south. No one seems to have noticed him."

That was good news, though it further fueled her heartbeat. They needed to draw all attention to themselves quickly so their opponents wouldn't notice his presence. "Do we have any other tricks up our sleeve?"

"I was hoping you'd ask that." Draco laughed in her head, and it sounded like an ominous rumble. Then he went into a dive and Ava's eyes widened as she clutched his scales. A scream escaped her and mingled with the rush of the wind. They were far too low. The mages could easily catch them.

"Trust me!"

"I'm trying!"

Draco swung out and hammered his tail against the wall. Stones broke and the structure crashed down. Countless mages ran screaming to the side, while others stood fearlessly upright and fired magic orbs at them. Draco turned away just in time, and as if by a miracle, he wasn't injured.

They gained altitude again, while Thalara prepared a similar attack elsewhere. Draco dove down like an arrow so that the assault would happen simultaneously.

The mages gathered their forces, erecting a protective shield over the complex that the fire dragon bounced off of, but Draco managed to strike an unprotected section of the wall with his tail, causing the next part to collapse.

Pursued by the mages' incantations, they spiraled upwards. A ball of lightning hissed past Ava, missing her by a hair's breadth. Startled, she whirled around, her eyes wide. In the center of the castle courtyard stood the mage she had fought in the arena.

Arthur.

His gaunt face was filled with hatred, his thin body tense, and his hands raised ready to attack.

He was already forming the next energy ball between his palms and then hurled it at Ava.

He launched the attacks in such rapid succession that Draco had no choice but to dodge the magic spheres, preventing him from mounting any counteroffensive.

More than once, the attacks missed Ava by mere millimeters, but at least the mage was focused on her. Magg remained largely undisturbed. She and Thalara could attempt further attacks, but without Draco, they were less effective and no longer managed to penetrate the protective dome.

"Is Kilian in the building?"

"In the residential tower, yes."

"Then fly higher so we can regroup."

"Got it!"

They soared into the sky until Arthur's spells could no longer reach them. Magg and the fire dragon followed. "What's going on?"

"Kilian is in the main building."

"Then we should concentrate our attacks on the south side. They'll think we're attacking the main gate."

Ava nodded. Immediately, the dragons dove into a steep descent and bombarded the southern section of the wall.

But the mages were prepared. Not only did they deflect all the fire salvos, but they also continued their attacks without interruption.

The dragons constantly had to shoot upwards to avoid being hit.

"What should we do now?" Ava shouted to Magg as they once again narrowly escaped an attack and fled into the sky.

The cadet was intimidated by nothing. Determinedly, she clenched her fist. It was a waste that she wasn't already fighting alongside the dragon warriors against the mages. "We keep going until Kilian and Lilly have left the building!"

"Even though the mages are getting stronger?

" At least that was how it felt to Ava. Maybe their opponents just knew by now how to drive them away.

How long would it take before they hit the dragons with their magical energy balls, or individual mages retreated because the others could fend off the attack alone?

The fewer needed in the courtyard for defense, the more mages could pose a danger to Kilian and Lilly.

Ava clenched her fists. "We need to risk bigger advances, or we won't attract enough attention!"

"And Elora won't come out, but will guard Lilly herself."

They just needed one good idea. She let her gaze wander over the walls, towers, and buildings. The residential tower in the center served as Elora's headquarters, but Lilly and Kilian were in there, so they had to refrain from attacking it.

What alternative did they have?

Magg pointed to a mountain peak that rose near the castle. "How about we make the surrounding mountains collapse?"

"Heavens, no! Kilian and Lilly could be buried under the rubble!"

The smile Magg gave Ava looked dangerous. "Do you really think Elora would allow her headquarters to be destroyed by two dragons? We'll lure her out by doing that, and Kilian will have a clear path!"

"That sounds crazy!"

"Do you have a better idea?"

No, damn it, she couldn't think of an alternative.

"What do you think, Draco?"

"Risky, as Magg usually is, but it could work."

"Could?"

"Could!"

"What does Thalara say about it? Surely she won't want to put her bound rider in danger!"

"Probably, but we're in command right now."

Because Kilian wasn't there...

"Alright, let's try it!"

Magg gave her a thumbs up, Draco raced towards the mountain peaks, and Thalara followed them, roaring. They struck the rocks with their tails until the first masses of stone broke loose. The boulders rolled down the mountain and would hit the castle directly.

The mages strengthened the protective shield, and for the first time this pleased Ava.

This way, Lilly and Kilian weren't in danger of being crushed by the stone masses.

Again and again, the dragons hurled their tails like clubs against the rock peaks, causing more and more pieces of rock to break loose.

A veritable rain of boulders began, until suddenly the main gate of the central building was flung open and Elora stepped out.

She had tied her long brown hair into a high ponytail that hung down past her shoulders and accentuated her high cheekbones.

She wore a long dark cloak over a red, low-cut leather corset and tight pants with boots, which emphasized her slender figure.

She looked ready for battle—had she been expecting them?

Probably. After all, she hadn't kidnapped Lilly without reason.

She raised her hands, looked at Ava with hatred, and enlarged the protective dome that spanned the castle complex.

Not a single boulder penetrated the hemisphere that shimmered red. Not one touched the castle courtyard or the wall sections. Instead, they rolled down the slope next to the complex, and a dense cloud of dust rose from the gorge.

Visibility worsened.

The dragons continued to strike the mountain peaks with their tails, but no matter how many boulders fell towards the castle, Elora deflected them all.

Like the mages during the previous attacks, she seemed to grow stronger under the hail of stones, called her allies to her, Arthur foremost among them, and instructed them, after which her followers could maintain the dome without her.

She threw Ava an enraged look, turned on her heel, and strode back into the main building.

Ava's throat felt tight. How was she ever going to defeat this woman? "Where's Kilian?"

"Still inside."

Damn it.

"Has he found Lilly yet?"

Thalara let out a terrifying roar and fired towards the castle. Ava watched in horror. "What happened?"

"The mages have discovered him."

No.

Draco chased after the fire dragon, attacking the protective shield and the protruding wall sections together, but their enemies were superior.

They fired one magical attack after another, causing the dragons to zigzag through the sky.

At the last moment, Thalara managed to dodge a magic ball, but she turned so quickly in the air that Magg lost her grip and fell.

"No!" Ava rushed after her on Draco, but Magg had already broken through the protective shield, which slowed her fall until she hit the ground. The mages surrounded her as if they had anticipated her fall, shielding her from Ava's view.

"I need to get down there!"

"No, Ava! You're the one they want!"

"Exactly. I have to save my friends!"

"How do you plan to do that?"

She pulled the dagger from her belt and wrapped the Isip stone around the handle. "I'm going to jump!"

"You want to make your first attempt from this height now of all times?"

"When else? Besides, the jump at Master Clark's wasn't much lower."

"I flew so low there that you could slide down my wing. That's not possible here."

"Still! I have to help her!"

"Ava..."

"Have you forgotten? It's my destiny!"

"But I can't help you down there."

"Yes, you can, by continuing to attack the facility with Thalara. The stronger you attack, the more mages they'll need to fend you off. Let me down now."

"Ava, no!"

"Yes, Draco. You know it's coming down to this. Her or me. But I won't let my friends die first!"

Draco let out a bone-chilling scream, descended lower, and just before the protective dome, he turned to the side as if to attack the facility again. The rampart came closer and closer, yet it was still damn high.

Her stomach turned.

Ava forbade herself to pay attention to it. Instead, she thought of Magg, of Kilian, of Lilly. They were all down there and needed her.

She jumped from Draco's back, the dragon slowed her fall with his magic, and Ava landed on the battlement. She absorbed the impact, held the Isip dagger in front of her, and stood still, holding her breath.

Let the battle begin.