Page 134 of Courting the Dragon Prince

Onyx flung his hands to the sides, pulling on the rocks. He thrust his arms forward, throwing the rocks in the direction of those before them. Blood spurted as rock smashed and tore through skin, flesh, and bone. The soldiers cried and screamed as they collapsed.

Luther jumped over one of them as he kept sprinting forward.

A boulder flew past Onyx. Suddenly, rocks and stones whizzed through the air around them. It seemed the soldiers had recovered from their surprise.

Whilst continuing to run, Onyx glanced back towards the wagon. He staggered to the side, narrowly dodging a hurling rock. It hit the ground in front of him, and earth burst into the air. He stumbled but managed to stay on his feet.

Onyx changed his target. He flung rocks backwards at those near the wagon, all the while continuing to run.

More earth erupted around him. Not just from the missed projectiles but also from the earth elementals who’d started to explode the ground they ran on.

Onyx stumbled. He sidestepped. He sprinted onwards. He no longer even tried to aim or look back. He just hurled boulders in the general direction of their enemy behind them whilst trying to stay alive and keep moving forward.

Onyx’s lungs ached as his legs pumped. Blood rushed in his ears.

Ahead of him, Luther had almost made it to the outcropping.

Luther’s scream wrenched the air as a rock the size of a fist smashed into Luther’s leg with a sickening crunch. His legs went out from under him.

“Luther!” Onyx yelled.

But Luther didn’t stop. He crawled on his elbows, dragging himself behind the outcropping, taking shelter.

A second later, Onyx joined him and dropped to his knees on the ground.

Luther leaned back against the rock wall, breathing heavily. His legs lay out in front of him. He gripped the upper thigh of his injured leg.

“Fuck! Are you all right?” Onyx glanced between the leg and Luther’s face, which had scrunched up in pain.

“My leg is pretty smashed up.” Luther gave a pained laugh. “I won’t be able to move on it.” He groaned. His gaze fixed on Onyx’s. He took a deep breath. “But you keep going. You get out of here.”

Onyx shook his head. “No!”

“You can’t stay here,” Luther growled. “We’re outnumbered. I can’t shift. If you stay here, we’ll both die! But you can run. You can still get away and live. But you have to go now before they?—”

“I said no!” Onyx snapped.

“Onyx, you don’t need to die here too.” Luther lifted his hands, and the chains of the manacles rattled. Luther clutched at Onyx’s coat.

Onyx leaned forward, pressing his forehead against Luther’s. “I won’t leave you here to die. I won’t.”

“Fuck, Onyx.” Luther let out a shaky breath. “Fuck.”

“I won’t. I can’t.” Onyx squeezed his eyes closed. “I love you.”

Because it was true. Despite all that lay in their pasts, despite the fact they’d been enemies, despite all the reasons Onyx had for hating Luther, when it came down to it, Onyx didn’t. He loved Luther. Onyx was powerless to do anything else. His heart wouldn’t allow it. “Whatever happens now, I need you to know that I love you with all my being. And I will not abandon you. Never.”

“Onyx,” Luther whispered. “I love you too.”

Onyx pressed a kiss to Luther’s lips. “And we’re not beaten yet.”

Luther let out a ragged laugh. “No?”

“No.” Onyx would fight with every scrap and every inch of his soul.

He’d fight. Even though they were outnumbered and wounded.

He’d fight. For the peace treaty. For his mother. For the Kingdom of the Grey Mountains. For Luther. And for the life that Onyx wanted to live by Luther’s side.