Page 63 of Courting the Dragon Prince (A Royal Arrangement #1)

Chapter Sixty-Three

L uther held his entire body completely still, wrist and shackle resting on Onyx’s palm.

Because Onyx couldn’t see in the dark, he needed to be touching the manacle to know where it was.

Luther really wished he could see. Although, maybe he didn’t. He didn’t know what was better in this situation.

Onyx took a deep, slow breath.

Luther held his.

Silence.

The rock crashed into the shackle. Luther grunted, his body jolting with the force of the hit.

Onyx tugged and felt around the cuff. “Shit. I only managed to dent it.”

Luther’s shoulders sagged.

“Sorry. I didn’t do it hard enough,” Onyx said. “I’m just so worried about hurting you.”

“Well, that’s sweet … But don’t worry about that.” Luther tried to be encouraging and not think about the bones in his wrist being shattered into a million pieces. “Just focus on breaking the shackles. Focus on getting me out.”

They got back into position.

Once again, Onyx inhaled deeply. Once again, Luther held his breath. Once again, the rock crashed into the metal.

This time, though, the shackle cracked. The cuff immediately loosened.

“You did it!” Luther cried out. He smiled in the direction of Onyx. Luther tugged the cuff from his wrist. The metal clanked, and the chain rattled.

“I didn’t hurt you?” Onyx probed Luther’s wrist, searching for injuries.

“Not even a scratch!” Luther laughed. “Now let’s do the other one.”

The second shackle was removed more quickly. Onyx seemed to have gained some confidence. The shackle hit the dirt with a thud and a clanking of chains.

“That feels so much better.” Luther rotated his wrists, free of any encumberments. He tilted his head back and reached inside himself. “I can feel it. I can shift again. Well, I can shift once I have more space.” If he tried to shift beneath all this stone, he doubted the rocks would give.

That would be a very bad idea. For both him and Onyx.

Luther laughed. “I knew you could do?—”

“The stones are moving.” Onyx touched his arm.

Luther froze, straining to hear. After a moment, he could just make out a distant rumble.

“They’re lifting the stone,” Onyx said. “I can feel it. They’re uncovering us. You ready to shift and fight?”

Luther squared his shoulders. “Of course,” he said with all the bluster he could manage.

Luther’s leg was broken. Onyx had been cut on the thigh, and he’d been drugged. Although, thankfully, that seemed to have worn off. They both carried numerous bruises and cuts from their fight with each other earlier. Not to mention, Luther’s whole body ached with exhaustion. He imagined Onyx must be the same.

But they had to rally. They had to fight. They had to survive.

“All right. When the rocks lift further,” Onyx said, “I’ll fling them back and try and hit some of our enemies.”

“Then you move a little away from me,” Luther instructed. “Give me space to shift. Then you climb on my back and we fly and fight.” Determination straightened his spine. “You won’t have a harness. I’ll fly gently so you don’t fall off. But hold onto my scales as tightly as you can.”

“I will.”

The sound of the rumbling and clattering of rock grew louder and louder with every second. It drew closer and closer. The hair on Luther’s neck stood on end.

Luther gritted his teeth, ignoring the terror the sound induced deep in his soul.

Onyx reached out and gripped Luther’s arm. “I love you. We can do this. We can win.” Then Onyx released him.

A moment later, Onyx screamed, “For the glory of the Grey Mountains! For Draconia! For peace!”

For a split second, Luther felt touched that his own kingdom had been included in Onyx’s battle cry.

Then moonlight appeared as the stone around them exploded outwards. Luther closed his eyes. Even the moonlight felt too bright after the absolute darkness. But he forced his eyes open. He heard the shocked cries and screams of their enemies.

Luther found his dragon within and held on to it. He let the dragon take him.

Wings sprouted. His body grew. His broken leg shifted into a talon. With a roar of pain, Luther threw his head back as the agony tore through the broken bone.

This was why dragons weren’t meant to shift with a broken limb. The pain, and because it could cause long-term damage to the bone. But Luther did what he needed to do.

Luther stretched his neck, gazing around, taking in his opponents. He spotted about twenty soldiers in total, wide-eyed and scattering. But he couldn’t see Warden Flint.

No matter. They’d find him soon enough and put an end to him.

Luther lowered his body, flattening himself to the earth as he looked to Onyx.

Onyx clambered onto his back, gripping his scales. “I’m on!”

Luther stretched his wings out. He flapped and took to the air. But he made certain to fly slow. A few rocks flew in his general direction but went wide.

He spotted his first targets. Fire gurgled in his belly. He opened his jaw. Orange-and-gold flames burst forth. The soldiers screamed as the fire consumed them. Others fled, running for trees and rocks to take cover.

And whilst Luther breathed fire, Onyx hurtled stones. Vaguely, Luther realised Onyx didn’t release Luther’s scales.

Did Onyx not need to do all that gesturing to channel his magic? Luther shoved the question aside. This was not the time to ponder that.

Luther flew, circling the rocky ground and flying between the sparse trees. Onyx and Luther hunted the soldiers. They rained down fire and stones onto their enemies.

This is almost too easy .

Their enemies were too unorganised. They had not been prepared for this combined dragon and earth elemental attack.

Once again, Luther opened his mouth. Flames consumed a soldier and the tree that he’d tried to take cover behind. A rock Onyx threw flew in Luther’s peripheral vision. Luther turned to see it knock a soldier as he attempted to run between two large mounds.

Suddenly pain exploded in Luther’s gut and chest. Luther roared as several boulders smashed at the same time into his torso. The force of the strike knocked him, tipping him backwards.

He craned his neck. A short distance away, within a cave entrance, stood two soldiers and Warden Flint. They must have taken cover and hidden from them, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

Then Luther felt it.

No! Fuck no!

Onyx’s hands slipped from his scales.

Ignoring the pain ricocheting through his body, Luther spun, rotating his whole body mid-air.

Onyx hurtled towards the ground. His dark eyes fixed on Luther. They widened with terror.

Luther flapped his wings. He darted towards Onyx, desperate to reach him before he hit the earth.

I will not let you die. I will not.

Something pummelled into Luther’s wing, knocking him askew. More pain shot through him. Rocks and boulders whizzed past them.

But Luther ignored them all as he righted himself and raced towards Onyx, who continued to hurtle towards his death.

Luther gained on him.

Almost. Almost.

Onyx reached out his arms in front of him. His hands clutched at the air, at nothingness, as he tried to stop himself from falling.

Almost there!

Luther pulled up. He reached out with and stretched his functioning talon. He clasped, wrapping his claws around Onyx’s body, stopping him from splattering into the dirt.

Onyx’s relieved cry filled the air. His hands and arms gripped Luther’s talon. But Onyx didn’t need to hold on tight. He had no need to worry. Luther would not release Onyx from his taloned grip.

Flapping his wings, Luther looked down at Onyx. Onyx’s feet dangled a foot from the ground.

“Blood and boulders!” Onyx let out a relieved laugh. “Thank fuck you caught me!”

Luther smiled.

Onyx is all right. I caught him in time.

A rock flew past Luther’s face. Luther turned. He spotted the three attackers still in the cave entrance, arms outstretched as they channelled.

“Come on!” Onyx shouted. “Fly us over there. Let’s finish this.”

Luther roared. He flapped his wings, angling them towards the cave entrance. Jagged rocks and boulders hurtled towards them. Speeding now, Luther dodged the projectiles.

And beneath him, within his taloned claw, Onyx hurtled boulders right back at their enemies.

Their eyes widened in terror as Luther and Onyx approached.

The soldiers dashed backwards into the shelter of the cave. Warden Flint glanced at his soldiers as they fled. With a yell of frustration, Warden Flint followed them.

No! They couldn’t get away.

Then the cave entrance trembled. With a clatter and groan, the entrance collapsed. Luther glanced down to see Onyx with his arms outstretched.

Onyx had buried them.

But Luther remembered Onyx’s trick of stopping the rocks from crushing the two of them. Luther would not allow Warden Flint to do the same.

Luther opened his mouth. He spewed forth dragonfire and flames on the collapsed cave. Then he circled, round and round, breathing more and more fire. He kept circling. He kept breathing fire. The stones glowed red. They cracked with heat. And still, Luther continued.

Even if Warden Flint survived the cave-in, he wouldn’t survive being roasted alive.

Buried and dead.

Luther and Onyx had survived. They’d vanquished their enemies. Together, they’d won.