Page 91 of Ensnared

This time, I’m expecting her strike. “Sorry, Gordon.” I whip one sword free and slice the saddle strap, dropping to the ground in time to miss her next volley.

Poor Gordon takes the whole hit. Judging by his twitching, he’s still alive. I hate that I couldn’t deflect it entirely, but I can’t waste time on guilt. I’m sprinting, my speed dampened significantly by my exhaustion and misery, across the space that separates us, both swords now drawn.

Ocharta laughs. You’re a funny one. She bats me, like a cat would a lizard.

I roll sideways, barely retaining both of my swords. I land on my stomach, and I want to collapse, face first. She won’t kill me until Axel shows up, or at least, I don’t think she will. But hiding and avoiding her isn’t who I am. I shove myself back up to my feet, and I head after her again.

You’re supremely annoying. I haven’t even eaten today. Did you know that? She steps forward, eliminating the space between us, and opens her mouth, presumably to eat me.

My arm’s not working right, but I swipe anyway.

And though I’m weakened, I manage to cut off her tongue.

Judging by the shrieking sound she makes, it’s not pleasant. She snatches at me with one enormous talon. I can’t evade her, not in my current shape, and she easily lifts me off the ground.

I can’t help smiling at the gobs of bloody drool dripping out of her mouth, but that ticks her off more. She shakes me like a dog with a snake, and I finally lose my grip on the swords. They fall, point first, and sink into the earth below. She hoists me even higher, and then she opens her mangled mouth again.

Unfortunately, her teeth are all intact. Why couldn’t I have taken out a few of those? Before she can snap off my arm like a particularly juicy pretzel stick, Azar crashes onto the side street, slamming into the medical center, shearing one side of the building off, and turns toward us.

Ocharta shudders, and I start to wriggle, sensing this may be my only window. Before I can pull free, a narrow ribbon of flame shoots out of Azar’s mouth and slams into Ocharta’s tail, incinerating it immediately.

Release her.

Ocharta drops me, too busy writhing on the ground to do much else.

Boy, do I know that feeling.

Azar’s walking toward us—stomping—and I realize that he’s angry. His eyes are flashing, his tail’s whipping back and forth, and his nostrils are smoking.

“Wait,” I shout, “please don’t kill her!”

Azar screams in her face, his talons wrapping around her neck and squeezing. Blood pours from her throat, and at first I’m a little proud of causing her injury, but then I realize it’s coming from where his claws have pierced the shimmery silver scales. All that gore’s coalescing into a nasty pool on the street below. His head turns toward me, and he roars.

And in that moment, for the first time, like a dunce, I realize something. Something very, very strange.

Something I really should have noticed before. My one excuse is that all our interactions have been fraught, and they’ve all taken place when I was majorly stressed. The only reason I notice this time is that I’ve been yanking on my bond to Axel like it was a dinner bell in the hopes he might save me.

That very bond tells me. . .that Axel’s finally by my side.

But he’s not.

Only Azar’s nearby, saving me for a third time.

20

“Didn’t Axel tell you?” I glare. “My mother’s bonded to her.” I toss my head. “Step away from the burned, broken, and bleeding electro dragon.”

Azar’s talons tighten.

Ocharta’s whining is now an incoherent, high-pitched plea.

Please, I beg. I’ll get down on my knees if I have to. Please, Azar.

Azar disembowels her with one swipe.

Watch her, he growls, addressing Gordon, I think.

Then he drops the electro dragon like she’s a hot potato. Judging by his command, she’s not going to die from losing half her insides onto the pavement below. Or at least, he doesn’t seem to think so. But the great stuff is short lived.