Page 9 of Crown of Betrayal and Blood (Dragons of Tirene #3)

Chapter Nine

“Attack!” The word is a burst of adrenaline, a call to arms that galvanizes my weary body. “We’re under attack! Wake up!”

Magic surges within me, a fierce blaze begging for release.

Around me, the bodies of my companions unfold from their blankets as I conjure a line of fire to protect our camp. Leesa stumbles back from Agnar as he springs to his feet.

“Lark!” Bastian races to me. “What’s?—”

A roar splits the night.

In the dark, past the flames, teeth flash, claws unsheathe, and the night explodes into chaos.

Menacing shapes leap over the flames.

“Back-to-back!” Bastian’s sharp, urgent command cuts through the fray. “Keep them off of each other!”

That’s a great plan.

Except there’s five of us, and I’m farther away than the others.

“Leesa, duck!” The warning rips from my throat just as a shadow breaks through the line of fire and lunges toward her.

My sister drops to the ground, barely avoiding the swipe of claws, but she’s not fast enough to escape.

Agnar jumps forward, sword raised.

The weapon slices through the air as he brings it down. On one of the cave cats? I can’t be sure. My focus is on another dark shape lunging right for me.

Jumping to the side, I grip my short sword, the cold metal a familiar weight. My other hand channels more flame as I roll away. I swipe forward with both hands, chasing back the dark monstrosity as it bares its fangs at me.

The cat retreats.

But only a few steps. The beast starts to circle me, emerald eyes glowing.

Across the camp, Blair and Bastian leap forward, a seamless wall of muscle and intent, to intercept our attackers.

Blair wields a funnel of air that shoves the line of felines back.

A cat sidesteps the air pocket, then dives for Blair, teeth gleaming.

Agnar sheathes his sword, then raises both hands. Thick roots lift from the soil at his summons. He twirls a finger, and a root snaps like a whip. It cracks the lurching cave cat in the side.

Stunned, the creature falls to the ground, unmoving.

Did he kill it?

I catch motion in my periphery, and my gaze snaps to Bastian. Exercising control, he sends sparks sprinkling along the ground, forcing another cave cat to retreat a few paces.

For a moment, I wonder why he’s using such small flames…until I’m forced to squint to locate my opponent in the dark.

I’ve destroyed my night vision. And Leesa’s and Agnar’s as well. We can’t fight what we can’t see.

Just because I can’t fly doesn’t mean my wings are useless.

As I pull them out, my eyes change. My vision clears instantly, becoming sharp and alert.

Just a few feet in front of me, white teeth and claws shine in the light. The creature’s glossy black coat ripples over powerful muscles as a low growl rumbles its chest.

Black cave cats, rumored to be favored by the goddess of night.

Just like the statues at the dock and at the city gates. And cave cats prefer to attack from behind. If they manage to get a bite on my spine, I’ll be paralyzed but not dead when they start eating me alive.

Fear threatens to overwhelm me.

These creatures outnumber us.

Think, Lark. You have to think!

Spreading my wings wide and high to protect my head and neck, I concentrate on my magic. It hums inside me, begging for release. Not sure if it will work, I will flames to spread around the outlines of my wings.

A second passes. Then another.

Fire envelops but doesn’t burn me. The cat blocking my path backs away.

I glance at my wings, taking in the magnificent flames all around them.

It worked. It actually worked.

Gleaming eyes narrow against the sudden light and heat. Instead of backing down like any normal wild creature would, it lashes out with a clawed paw easily the size of my head.

I dodge, the black claws slicing air where my face was moments before. These animals…they know no mercy, no hesitation.

But neither do I.

With a flick of my wrist, I send flames racing over its fur.

With a yelp, it jumps away, slapping its paw against the ground before disappearing into the city.

Free, I rush toward my sister, who’s on her back with Blair crouched over her. He’s spun an air shield around them, which is the only thing preventing two huge cave cats from biting his arm off.

Agnar stands with his back to Bastian, each of them turning in a slow circle as three cats surround them and wait for an opening.

Meanwhile, Blair’s arm quivers with strain.

I need to do something before all their magic wanes.

Reflexively, I start to push the fire in my hand toward them. Then I stop. That won’t work. Blinding my friends will only cripple them.

Anxiety pours into my gut, weakening my resolve and slowing my reflexes. This was why Sterling insisted I didn’t come alone.

The cave cats now enclosing the other two catch my attention as their tails flick and thrash.

What can I do?

A sudden, horrible memory from my childhood surfaces. With a quick prayer to Nyc for her forgiveness, I focus on the cat attacking Blair.

And set its tail on fire.

The creature screams and spins around. But as if to say the goddess is not pleased with my actions, another one, larger than the rest, pounces from the side. My fire meets it, but the beast is clever, hissing and twisting midair to avoid the brunt of the blaze.

When the beast lunges once more, I sidestep.

But I’m not quite fast enough.

Massive claws rake across my left forearm, sparking a line of fire that has nothing to do with my magic. Blood, bright crimson against the darkness, wells up.

I jerk my arm back as fiery pain spreads.

Breathing through the agony, I grit my teeth and swing the short sword in my other hand. Time slows as the other paw, claws already extended, streaks toward me. It’s a race to learn which of us is faster.

And I know I’m going to lose.

All I can do is stand there and watch as those glistening claws come for my chest.

I need to move away. Duck. Roll. Anything. I need to?—

Crimson meets ivory, then paints the fur as its strike continues and mine has only just started. I’m going to die. I’m going to be crushed by this angry, snarling animal, then ripped apart.

The animal stops, jerking its paw away as if I burned it.

But I haven’t.

The cave cat leaps into the air, tail swirling to keep itself balanced, and lands a full pace and a half back.

Unprepared for the sudden retreat, I stumble.

Glittering emerald eyes meet mine, and for a moment, I think there’s some hint of thought behind them.

As confusion ripples through me again, I realize it’s not mine, but the animal’s. That ripple spreads through the rest of the pack, where before, there had been no emotions at all.

None that I’d felt, anyway.

No fear. Not even hunger. They attacked us because we were here. That was all. But now they’re…confused?

The effect is instantaneous, inexplicable. The felines freeze, eyes wide. As one, they turn, slipping back into the forest from which they came, leaving us standing in the sudden, eerie calm.

“They’re retreating.” Agnar exhales, disbelief coloring his tone.

We stand here, a band of weary fighters, watching the darkness reclaim its own. There’s no victory in this retreat, only questions, along with the lingering taste of fear over knowing how close we came to being undone by the night itself.

Wings still burning bright with fire, I pat my chest. I was so close to death, I’m surprised to find my flesh intact.

Silence clings to us, a shroud that’s far too welcome after the snarls and screams. I press a hand to my arm, wincing as the fabric of my tunic sticks to the cuts.

My blood feels hot against the chilly night air. “Everyone okay?”

Nods come slowly, hesitantly. Blair’s lip is split, Agnar sports a bruise blooming across his cheek, and Leesa flexes her wrist. But it’s nothing fatal. Nothing that won’t heal with time. Out of everyone, I suffered the worst wound.

Looking at the injury in the light, I realize it isn’t even all the deep. The cuts are long and ragged, and will probably scar, but the bleeding has already stopped.

“Could’ve been worse.” Bastian shakes out his hands, his knuckles scraped raw.

“Much.” Then I freeze.

Red eyes stare out from the dark thicket behind the others. My breath catches in my throat, heart hammering as I tense, preparing for another assault.

The eyes swivel, and with that movement, I detect the head and body around them.

Just an owl.

The bird perches like a guard, its crimson eyes alarming as they survey the scene. The silent hunter observes us with curious detachment before blinking and, without a sound, taking off on silent wings.

“Hey, did you see that? Maybe the magical barrier lifted!” After a few unsuccessful flaps of my wings, the burst of excitement wanes. “So much for that idea. Do we even want to know why that owl can fly and we can’t?”

“Probably not.” Blair’s still panting after our short but intense battle. “The bigger question is, why did those cave cats retreat? There were more of them than us.”

“Nearly dawn.” Agnar glances at the sky before going back to searching the waning darkness. “Maybe that’s what chased them off. Or the fires. Wild animals aren’t fans of fire.”

Then why didn’t they run away as soon as I laid the first line of fire down?

No.

Reality in the Lost City is even stranger than that.

They retreated when my blood touched the one I was fighting. But why?

My fire dissipates, and I put my wings away. “I felt their emotions, like I can with the dragons. They were confused before they left. We might have just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Once they realized they were fighting humans, maybe they decided to back off and find easier game.”

“Well, I’m glad they finally came to their senses before eating us.” Leesa’s attempt at humor falls flat, but I appreciate the effort. “I’m definitely not going to be able to sleep after that.”

“The sun will be up shortly. I say we make breakfast, pack up camp, and then head for the palace as soon as it’s light.” Bastian is already moving toward the edge of the road where we slept and fought. “This time, let’s build up a fire to go with it so no more predators mistake us for easy meals.”

Eating is a mechanical process, sustenance without taste. We’re going through the motions, keeping the machine of our bodies running, because stopping means thinking, and thinking means remembering how close we all came to dying.

And I still don’t understand why.

Why would a pack of wild cave cats be here? And why attack a group of humans?

Leesa cleans and dresses my cuts and then bandages my arm for me. Thankfully, the wound is a minor one and shouldn’t hinder me in any way.

Before long, we’re ready to depart. The castle beckons, a distant silhouette against the brightening sky. We leave behind the clearing, the blood, and the tufts of black fur.

Despite treading lightly, our steps echo off the stone, a rhythmic drumming that marks our passage through the city. The fog lifts, curling its ghostly fingers away from the cobblestone as we advance. The Lost City, once shrouded and menacing, now appears harmless in the dawn’s gentle embrace.

The castle looms ahead, its gates open, as if expecting us. And for a fleeting moment, I feel like I’m returning home.

This castle holds answers. I’m sure of it. “Let’s find what we came for.”