Page 65 of The Mating Quest

Ethan saw Ilana remove her dagger, coat it with the blood seeping from one of the terrible puncture wounds in her stomach. She tossed it to him and said hoarsely, “Between the scales. Softunderbelly.”

Nodding, he approached the dragon, and when it reared back to release fire, he ducked, rolled behind a rock. Fire poured over the rock, the heattremendous.

“Feels good. Want to do some more?” hetaunted.

The dragon ignored him and stalked towardChloe.

“Chloe doesn’t have the dragon scale.” He removed the decoy from his pocket, waved it, hoping this worked. If he could divert the dragon’s attention, get Chloe off the mountain, he could summonhelp.

“She asked me to carry it to fool you. I haveit.”

The dragon took his eyes off Chloe, staring at the pouch. Ethan kept waving the bag, luring the dragon away from hissisters.

“Fly her out of here,” he yelled at Dakota, who shifted into a dragon. Chloe took a running leap and landed on her sister, who flewaway.

Ryan lay still near Ilana, perhaps dead. Lucas, gravely wounded, limped closer, unable to fly. It was up tohim.

“Go get it,” Ethantaunted.

He threw the pouch close to the cave. As the dragon picked it up with his claws, Ethan ducked, rolled and stabbed it on the underbelly, between the scales. The dragon roared a line of fire and Ethan braced himself, but suddenly the flames went out and the dragon dropped. It shapeshifted into a gray-haired man, writhing inpain.

Ethan panted, raised his eyes to the sky. “Tristan, a little help here, if youplease!”

The Silver Wizard appeared, surveyed the damage and his facetightened.

“Please, see to Ilana. She’s badly hurt.” Ethan clasped a hand to his head. Blood seeped between his fingers. Must have hurt himself when he hit thatrock.

Tristan glanced at him. “You’re not exactly in terrific shape,Ethan.”

“Forget me! Ryan and Lucas, too.” Ethan struggled to stand, jerked a thumb at George, moaning on the ground. “What ofhim?”

Tristan’s eyes glowed brilliant silver, and then resumed their normal color. “I will leave him forDrust.”

He herded Ethan over to Ilana, Ryan and Lucas and waved a hand. Ethan closed his eyes, panting. When he opened them, they were in the gazebo by the condo. Chloe and Dakota ran over, lookingworried.

Tristan gave Chloe a level look. “Get that dragon scale into safe quarters or their injuries will be fornaught.”

His sisters went into the condo. Tristan laid a hand on Ryan, who shifted back into Skin. He looked dazed. And he was naked. Sighing, Tristan clothed him in jeans and a T-shirt.

“You will be fine after some rest. That was a good knock on the head,” the wizard toldhim.

He eyed Lucas, who had shifted back to Skin, wearing loose sweatpants. His right arm dangled at hisside.

“That is a bad break, son, but it isn’t up to me to heal you. Drust will be along soon. I’msorry.”

Tristan touched Ethan’s side and the pain fled. Ethan growled. “I told you, forget me. See to Ilana. You have to saveher!”

The wizard gazed at her, his expression grim. “It may be toolate.”

Too late to save Ilana? Emotion clogged his throat as he went to her, touched her cold forehead. “You have to save her. She fought sobravely.”

Tristan gave him an odd look. “I will do what I must. All of you should stand back. This is going to be quite… ugly andpainful.”

The wizard waved a hand and all the furniture and the fire pit in the gazebo vanished. He moved Ilana to the gazebo’s center. Tristan conjured silver liquid in a glass and tried to get Ilana to drink it. She turned away,coughed.

He looked at Ethan. “Give this to her. Force her to drink it or she will suffer gravely. She trustsyou.”

The Mage trusted him? That was news. Ethan cradled her in his arms and took the glass. The contents smelled like sewer gas. He fought a gag reflex, brought it to her mouth. “Come on baby. Drink. You have todrink.”