Two, no three dragons battled in the skies above her property.
Her breath burst in and out, and she pinched herself. No. Still there.
Freakin’ big dragons.
The jade dragon she’d seen first, a black-and-mainly red dragon and an inky black dragon she hadn’t noticed initially.
Fire spurted from the jade dragon’s mouth. The other two dragons separated. The black dragon zipped closer and nipped the jade dragon on the tail. The red dragon screamed as the flames struck its flank. It faltered slightly and plummeted before beating its wings again. Another dragon entered the fray. This one also black. Together, the three dragons attacked the jade one. Heavy drops of rain fell to the ground.
Jack appeared at her side. “I told you to stay out of sight. You’ll make things worse.”
“Me? What’s happening? Why aren’t you and Emma surprised? No, wait. What did you put in my drink? Did I inhale some of those drugs?” Words and questions tumbled from her, but Jack didn’t answer, his attention on the fight in the sky above her house.
Emma appeared on her other side. “Why are you outside?”
“I didn’t think cannabis was that strong,” Cassie muttered in reply.
It started raining again. Cassie stared at the drops, splattering the ground.
She gasped. “T-that’s blood.”
“Hell, there’s Samuel,” Jack said, tension radiating from him. “His presence will make things more difficult.”
“Where are Manu’s brothers?” Emma scanned the sky.
Cassie gaped as two new black dragons blinked into sight. Together, they muscled a black dragon away from the fight. Flames lit the evening sky, the rumbles and roars reminding Cassie of thunder. A furious scream rippled through the air, and she clapped her hands over her ears. A fight to the death. Cassie didn’t know for sure, but instinct told her this was serious.
“That is Manu and his brothers,” she whispered, aghast.
“The whole family is there,” Jack acknowledged.
“Hone?” He’d said he loved her. Her eyes widened as she replayed his words. He’d thought he might die! She turned to Jack and yanked on his shirttail. “Is that Hone up there? The one raining blood.”
“Let me concentrate,” Jack snapped.
Dragons.Fire-breathing dragons. The fire spurting from their giant maws reduced. Maybe they were tiring. Dragons. Great big fictional creatures, right in front of her. The jade dragon seemed strong and agile. The creature whipped its tail, maneuvered so fast the other dragons flew past. Then the jade dragon flew at the red one, claws outstretched. They collided mid-air, the impact sending the red dragon plummeting.
Cassie gasped.
The jade dragon cackled, the hoarse reverberation making Cassie flinch. Adrenaline pulsed through her veins, her fear as real as the dragons soaring through the sky. A scream formed in her throat, fighting, struggling for release. She held it back as the red dragon hit the ground.
The jade dragon screeched in triumph and swooped. Three black dragons barreled after the victorious creature.
“Samuel is trying to interfere,” Emma cried.
Another dragon hurtled through the air, coming from nowhere. Black scales glittered. It…he—the dragon’s fierceness implied a male…maybe… Cassie shook herself. One of the black dragons cut off the new arrival, driving him back.
A keening cry pulled her attention to the dragon on the ground. She took two steps before Emma grabbed her and wrenched her to a halt.
“Don’t let June see you.”
“Why?”
“She blames you.”
“Blames me for what?”
“Breaking up with Manu.”
