The oracle’s prediction seemed to embolden Fritz, and he nodded. He slashed at the air in front of him, creating a portal. He grasped hold of the oracle and stepped through, pulling her along. Erich remembered the last time he’d done that with Fritz and how much it had taken out of him. There would be no coming back for Erich. He was on his own.
More guards were rushing in from the tunnel, weapons drawn and murder in their gazes. And like he had done when he’d slipped into a darker part of himself when he had the bodies piled on him, Erich seemed to slip into the dragon’s skin. Using teeth and claws to tear apart those who’d stand in his way, he rushed up the stairs, following that golden thread. All that mattered was reaching Liane. He’d lost his sense of self in that moment. He was nothing more than a creature of impulse.
Passing through the guards at the top of the stairs leading out of the dungeon and into the inner sanctum, Erich cut down anyone who stood to oppose him. Until he saw a familiar face standing in front of him, drawing a weapon but not attempting to strike.
“What have you done?” Ludwig said.
Erich came back from the red mist that’d fallen over him and looked at his gore-covered body.
“What needed to be done,” he growled.
Ludwig looked appalled but made no further comment. “She’s this way. Hurry, they’re calling for reinforcement.”
Erich followed Ludwig through the temple grounds and up the same winding staircase as when he’d come to visit Liane during her isolation. The guards were dead, likely Ludwig’s doing. Liane was waiting in the tower room. She turned to him, her expression one of relief.
“Erich?” she said, her voice trembling. “You came back.”
He held up his hands and saw the scales and the blood, and he recoiled in horror at it. This was exactly what he’d feared would happen. He’d killed too many people to count, lost control, all in his desire to protect her.
He moved as if to get away from her, but she grasped hold of him and wouldn’t let him go.
They held one another for a moment, suspended in time. He smelled fear on her, and it made his blood boil.
“Get Liane out of here. I’ll hold them off,” Ludwig said.
“Ludwig, you can’t,” Liane started to protest.
But Erich saw the resolve in his gaze. And knew what he meant to do. There were no guarantees they could fight their way out and keep Liane safe. The fastest way was out of the window. He scooped Liane up in his arms. He felt his body re-form as wings burst from his back, in a mix of agony and relief. His wingspan was large enough that he could carry his own weight and Liane’s easily. She beat against his chest, trying to stop him, as the guards banged on the door, forcing their way in.
“He’ll die. You can’t let this happen. Please.”
But Ludwig was right; the most important thing was keeping her alive.
Erich knew she’d be angry, but he had to do it, so he took the leap out the window.
28
Liane made the mistake of looking down as they flew over the city. The ground was nauseatingly far away and seemed to spin the longer she looked at it. Head swimming, she buried her face against Erich’s chest as she let the wave of panicked nausea subside. His chest rumbled like a cat purring, and she was briefly amused by it until she remembered they’d left Ludwig to an uncertain fate.
She looked back at the window they’d just vacated. Even though she couldn’t see Ludwig, she feared his odds against the entirety of the Midnight Guard’s forces. He could leap out the window, but unless he also had wings he hadn’t told her about, she wasn’t sure how far he’d get.
“We have to go back for him. It’s not too late,” Liane protested.
“He made his choice,” Erich grumbled. His voice was raspier in this half-dragon state.
“I’m not letting him die to save me.” Liane slammed a fist against Erich’s chest. His shirt had torn open, and her hand bounced ineffectively off the plate of scales. She could hit him a hundred times, and it’d do nothing. They were near the city walls, and they’d be passing one of the watchtowers with a balcony on its side. Liane eyed the distance. If she jumped and grabbed hold... She twisted in Erich’s grip, muscles tensed to make the leap. Erich realized what she was trying to do, readjusted his grip, and she slid down his torso, scrambling to hold on to his hips, her face pressed into his ribs.
“Do you want to break your neck?” he growled.
She clung to the scraps of fabric that remained after he’d transformed.
“Maybe, or maybe you’ll save me before I do and take me back to Ludwig to stop me from killing myself.”
Fighting against the winged half-dragon man trying to carry her to safety wasn’t the wisest idea.
She slid further down. Her feet kicked air, and she realized she did not want to test Erich’s ability to save her should she make a suicidal jump. But she was running out of Erich to hold on to as her grip slipped along his slick thighs. Erich dipped down lower as he wrestled with her midair. He grabbed her by the waist, wrapped her legs around his midsection, and cupped her rear to keep her in place, face-to-face with him.
She felt his stiff cock pressed against the fabric of her undergarments, and her traitorous body responded with a tingle between her thighs. His golden eyes dilated, and his nostrils flared.
