Page 69 of The Last Dragon (The Great Burn Chronicles #1)

N ida’s been scribbling the fossil in front of her for roughly an hour.

She analyzes it well, noticing details I would never think of.

I sit beside her, watching her draw lines and write notes, sometimes walking back and forth, helping her transfer the shapes of the skeleton into her notes.

She’s more interested in the head than any other part.

It’s larger and more dense. When she’s done with the last intricate lines, she traces her fingers over the drawing.

“It’s almost like a mixture between a Stonetail and a Redsnout. See that extra vertebrae? Redsnout trait.” She gestures toward the fossil embedded in the wall, circling her finger slowly through the dust-laced air.

“Do you think this could be a descendant?” I ask, leaning over her shoulder and studying her sketches and scattered notes.

She shrugs. “Maybe. But this thing could be thousands of years old.” She flips back and forth between pages, furrowing a brow in concentration. “This thing could’ve contributed to The Great Burn.”

A chill creeps under my skin as I turn back to the fossilized skull, taking in every jagged tooth and fractured bone. If creatures like this still existed, humanity wouldn’t stand a chance.

She folds her notes and stands up, shoving them into her pocket. A soft wind pushes the uneven red waves out of her face, now shorter than before. Something in my chest jolts when her amber eyes catch mine. Then she quickly looks away and crosses to the far side of the cave.

Whenever I look at her, it feels like time completely stops. And at this very moment, I can finally look at her. Soft, fiery curls playfully caressing her cheeks. She’s beautiful. There hasn’t been a moment I’ve denied it.

I tried . I tried to shut my feelings off. But I feel alive whenever I look at her. I don’t want this moment to stop. I would give anything to return to the rooftop and tell her what I desire.

Her.

All I desire is her.

She meets my gaze again, and my heart rumbles in my chest, trying to find a way into hers. Time completely stops.

A loud bang resumes time, and murky dust clouds my vision, filling my lungs.

The cave quakes with a roar, and rocks tumble.

I wave my hands in the air, blowing away the dust, and I cough out the residue.

I scan the fallen rocks, looking for Nida, but there’s no trace.

The dust slowly settles, and a large pair of red claws appears next to the fallen stone.

I immediately grab my crossbow from my back.

Redsnout .

How did it get here? I glance upward—the higher the cave climbs, the deeper the dark. Could there be an opening above? Or corners I failed to see?

I take cover next to a nearby boulder, searching for a pair of black plated leathers behind the beast. But all I see is a trace of blood on the ground near the talons. My heart sinks.

Nida.

I slowly lift my head, scanning the dark red scales of the Redsnout, leading all the way to its long snout, with Nida clenched in its maw.

Blood trickles down her leg, the beast’s fang piercing it like a dagger through delicate silk.

I yell out her name, hoping for a response or a sign that she’s still alive. Silence.

Fuck.

Is she unconscious? Is she dead?

I let my guard down. This one fucking time I let my guard down, this happens.

I aim at the beast, but my hands are shaking too hard for an accurate shot.

“Let her go!” I yell at the beast, ready to shoot any minute. “Or I’ll kill you.” The beast pays no attention to me. It only fuels my fury, but beneath it, cold fear slithers under my skin.

“Let. Her. Go!” I repeat. My voice is darker than before. Different. It’s like a roaring thunderstorm, and a burning sensation creeps up my throat. Rage. The beast slowly turns its head toward me, meeting my stare. I clutch my crossbow tighter, aiming at its head, signaling a threat.

But I can’t shoot.

I can’t fucking shoot. Not from this angle. Not with the way the dragon sinks its fangs into her.

Suddenly, Nida releases a moan, whispering my name, wincing at every move the dragon makes. She’s alive .

I study the dragon’s body, looking for a weakness, something, fucking anything I can aim at to not crush her body when it falls. But there’s nothing. If I shoot, she’ll die like my mother did. Crushed beneath the formidable weight of a dragon.

What should I do?

What the fuck should I do?

“Let her go or I swear, I’ll kill you. I’ll kill all of you,” I roar, with that burning sensation in my throat that grows hotter, as if I’m swallowing fire.

The beast cocks its head, and suddenly, it’s like time stops once more.

Nothing but silence remains. The rumbling of stones is like feathers falling to the ground.

A calm sensation fills my head, followed by a loud, angry, feminine voice.

“You mean the way you let go of my children?”

My eyes widen. My stomach twists. The burning feeling in my throat intensifies.

What the fuck?

It can talk ?

I swear I heard it talk. She —talked. But…

It’s all in my head . I stand frozen, staring at the beast as it stares back at me.

My hands can no longer hold the weight of the crossbow, and fear finally consumes me.

I take a step back, lowering my crossbow.

The dragon growls, and I snap out of my trance, trying to adjust my aim once more.

This angers her, and she slashes her tail across the cave, causing stones to fall and cracks to appear.

She throws Nida’s body to the side like a chewed-up bone.

I follow her ragdolling body with my gaze as I shoot my bolt without a proper aim.

It pings off the stone, not even grazing the beast.

I have to get to her. I have to save her. I toss myself forward, stones falling all over the place. A familiar tingling sensation runs across my body.

Not now .

Not fucking now.

The venom takes over, paralysis spreads like wildfire as the beast frantically destroys the cave around me. My chest aches, my head stings, my limbs are heavy.

Move.

I let out painful grunts as I force my body with all of my strength to take one step at a time. It’s like I’m fighting against gravity. Gravity that wants to pull me through the stony ground into the depths of the realm of the dead.

“Stop!” I beg, hoping the beast will hear my cries. I can’t leave her here. I won’t leave her here. I drag myself forward. The pain feels like I’m on fire—like a rope tightening around my throat, slowly preventing air from entering my lungs.

Breathe.

I’m only an arm’s length from Nida, calling out her name, begging her to move. But she lies there, completely still. I reach for her hand, only inches from me. A giant claw suddenly slams over her body, creating a cage around her.

“No!” I yell out, picking up stones and tossing them at the beast. Her eyes narrow at me, snout coming closer to my face. A disgusting stench reaches my nose as it slowly opens its mouth, flicking its tongue, threatening to burn me to ash.

“You do not touch her.”

My breath is caught— snagged —somewhere deep inside me like a hook buried itself in the flesh of my throat. I can’t swallow it down, can’t cough it out. Is this fear? Is this terror? Is this venom? I can’t tell. But whatever it is… I won’t let it take me.

Summoning what little strength I have left, I draw my focus inward—toward the fire blazing in my chest. The searing pulse of it spreads like molten iron through my veins, but I refuse to flinch.

I embrace the pain. I mold it. Control it.

Instead of attempting to cough the smoke out of my lungs, I inhale deeper.

And suddenly, the burning sensation becomes as cold as ice.

The ground beneath my feet is rougher now.

My vision is clear enough to take in each particle hanging in the air.

My skin prickles as my body temperature adjusts to something colder, more dangerous.

I exhale. A wisp of cold vapor escapes through my mouth, and I’m hit with a wave of ecstasy.

Focus .

Now I won’t let anything or anyone get in the way.

My eyes flick toward the fallen crossbow, splintered and cracked from the impact of shattered stones. Useless now. Again. But a few bolts still rest beside it, glinting faintly. That’s all I need. I clench my fist as the venom continues to coil through me.. I steady my breath and still my emotions.

I launch forward. But before I can reach the bolts, the dragon slams its other claw down in front of me, crushing the last remnants of my only means of survival. Of saving Nida. I growl at the beast, and it growls back. It’s like she knew what I was going for.

Bitch .

A low cry pierces the chaos, weak but sharp enough to slice through the roar of the beast. I whip around.

Trapped beneath the dragon’s claws, Nida stirs.

Blood stains her leg, a metallic scent filling the air.

She winces. Her head lifts. Through a sliver of space, her eyes find mine.

Wide. Terrified. Her fingers tremble when she grabs the beast’s claw, her gaze traveling upward.

“This is all my fault,” she whispers, voice hoarse and trembling. What does she mean? I don’t have time to ask why. There’s no time for guilt. No time to feel.

I snatch a stone and hurl it with everything I have left. It strikes the dragon’s snout with a sharp crack. The beast snarls, eyes narrowing like it decided I’m its next meal.

“Use your daggers!” I shout, already sprinting along the edge of the cave as the dragon’s tail comes crashing down where I just stood.

Nida shifts, reaching for the daggers attached to her boot. I shift my weight, throwing stones of various sizes to keep the dragon’s attention on me.

It spoke. It fucking spoke. This thing isn’t some wild beast—it’s sentient. My mind races with every step. I have to act fast.