“Now,” Nicolae breathes. “They strike now.”
Shouts echo up from below. Guards scrambling in the sudden dark. Confused. Disoriented.
Then… fire.
Not the facility burning. These are controlled strikes. Dragon fire in shades of gold and crimson and bronze, streaking through the night.
The Aurora Collective has descended, along with the Cravens.
My heart pounds as I watch shapes move through the darkness. Dragons, some fully shifted, some partial. Coordinated. Precise. Beautiful and terrible.
An explosion takes out the north fence section. Charges placed with precision, blowing a hole wide enough for—
A massive form crashes through.
Then another.
Shimmering bronze, huge wings creating a draft that I can feel all the way up here.
The Cravens in dragon form. I should have known they’d arrive with a flourish. Behind them, others pour in, leveling everything before them. Several clear the remaining operatives in the area while the main charge is aimed at the underground entrance. Where they’ve taken K. I saw them leading him there earlier, and my heart almost stopped. It was all I could do to wait till help got here. Now, impatience wins out.
“I’m going in,” I say, rising from my vantage point.
“Wait!” Andrei says, reaching for my arm, which I yank away.
“Don’t eventryto stop me,” I snap.
“What would you even do, Mara?” Nicolae says. “Leave the fighting to the soldiers.”
“I can stop sitting here waiting, that’s what.” I’m on my feet and moving quickly. I make it to the outer fence line before they catch up. Then I’m clambering through the gaping hole left by the attackers and bolting across the compound. Nobody stops me. They’re too busy getting the shit kicked out of them bythe Cravens. I make straight for the entrance and push my way through, moving quickly out of range of the battle beyond.
It’s madness inside. Syndicate operatives are fighting tooth and nail against partially shifted dragons. Some remain human, while others are more beast than man. The sight is terrifying. Or fascinating if you happen to be fully invested in the inexplicable. Which I am.
“Holy shitballs,” I breathe, taking in the sight of creatures I would have given my left arm to film just months ago. “Un-fucking-believable!”
That’s when I see him.
Gold scales catch the firelight. His skin shimmers with them. And the roar that follows shakes the ground beneath my feet.
K.
No. Not K.
Somethingmore.
He’s huge. Easily twice the size of the other shifters moving through the compound. His scales gleam like molten metal, each one the size of my palm. Muscles ripple beneath that armored hide as he moves; fluid grace that shouldn’t be possible for something that massive.
And his eyes.
Even at this distance, even through the battle, I see them. Liquid gold. Burning with power and rage and absolute certainty.
For a second, they meet mine. My breath stops.
He’smagnificent.
The word doesn’t do him justice. Magnificent is too small, too human. This is something primal. Ancient. A force of nature given fire and terrible purpose.
Three Syndicate operatives rush him. Weapons raised.
