Page 73 of The Mating Quest

Drust lifted Ilana’s sword. “My love, if youwill…”

Lacey touched the sword’s tip and cobalt blue energy raced up the blade to thehilt.

“Step back, please, my greatest love,” Drustwarned.

“Of course, myheart.”

“For the crime of attempted murder of our friends, and planning sedition amongst the clans, I sentence you to death, Edward of North. Any last words?” The Coldfire Wizard held the sword aloft as it blazed with blueenergy.

“No, pleasedon’t…”

“Verywell.”

The man shifted back into his dragon form, perhaps hoping the scales would protect him. Several dragons took wing, among them, the dragons on the platform. They rose into the air and then dove, attacking Edward of North. He recognized Skylar’s brilliant silver dragon form, Sebastian, regal Alex, and Michael. Others joined in, snapping and biting at Edward of North, who tried to fight back, but was overwhelmed. The defeated dragon lay on the ground, panting, bleeding and torn, hunks of his fleshmissing.

“Enough! Stand back!” Drustordered.

The attacking dragons flew away and Drust approached the fallen offender. He swung the sword. It was a clean, quick cut, and the dragon’s neck toppled from his body. Not even a drop of blood, for the blue energy cauterized thewound.

Ethan breathed a sigh of relief as Lacey flung out energy vaporizing the dead dragon until nothing, not even a tooth, was left. Drust held the sword aloft. His voice sang out in the valley, deep andstern.

“Anyone else wish to challenge my authority? Speak now,” the Coldfire Wizardroared.

The valley went still and quiet. All the dragons suddenly bowed theirheads.

Drust stabbed Ilana’s sword into the ground. Blue flames flickered along the ground, but did not burn. They raced up each dragon’s body, then slowly died. Protected by the sphere of magick Lacey had tossed over them, Ethan and their group could onlywatch.

Wonder.

“The flames of truth have purged all in my presence, and shown your true intentions. Your loyalty, for today, stands firm. Be warned. In the future, any further attempts to harm myself or my beloved mate, and you will die a most painful death and be banished to the Shadow Landsforever.”

Finally the sphere vanished, and the dragons stood. After sheathing Ilana’s sword and setting it aside, Drust beckoned to Ethan, who came forward with Chloe, as instructed previously. Ethan bowed his head to Drust and gave the pillow toLacey.

Drust opened the bag and withdrew the dragon’s scale. It pulsed with brilliant silver blue light. He held it aloft. “Behold the sacred dragonscale!”

All the dragons bent their heads, evenLacey.

Holding it in his hands, Drust stared at the scale and chanted something Ethan didn’t understand. He could not keep his gaze focused on the Coldfire Wizard, for Drust glowed a brilliant blue, energy spilling from his eyes, his mouth, his fingertips. Radiant energy so brilliant Ethan could not watch. His eyes watered from the dazzling light and it felt like his face was lit with an icycoldness.

Finally Drust placed the scale back on the pillow. Its glow had diminished. He hoped the hell Drust had absorbed enough magick so the dragon scale wouldn’t tear his sisterapart.

Chloe came forward and held the dragon’s scale, chanting the words Drust had taught her. A brilliant blue glow, a matchstick to Drust’s previous inferno, surrounded hissister.

Drust placed the dragon scale, no longer glowing with power, on the ground. Taking llana’s sword, Chloe thrust the tip of it into the scale. It exploded into tiny bits and then turned glittering silver, rising into the air, thenvanishing.

It was over, and Drust seemed more powerful, radiating a brilliant blue energy. Ethan glanced at Ilana’s sword, pulsing with the sameenergy.

He hoped she was strong enough to wieldit.

After,Drust hosted a great feast in the valley. Tables laden with sweets and delicious beef and other temptations. As the feast died down. Ethan watched Ilana hold the sword Drust had returned to her and walk with Lacey to a nearby boulder. Taking the sword she cleaved the rock in half. Relief filled him. Ilana was more than capable of handling the weapon infused with powerful magick. Both women laughed with delight as Ilana cut through anotherboulder.

“All that power and you’re cutting up rocks, Mage?” he calledout.

She grinned and twirled the sword. “Practicing,wolf.”

Dakota sat on the grass, chatting with Lacey and Ryan. Though many dragons had already flown off, a few lingered, sizing each otherup.

Chloe was surrounded by them. She seemed so small.Fragile.