“Most humans probably aren’t riding you bareback through a dragon fight.”
“True. They usually have better survival instincts.”
I laughed. The sound was slightly unhinged, but it was laughter nonetheless.
“Says the dragon who just let a complete stranger jump on his back mid-flight.”
“You were falling rather gracefully. It seemed rude not to catch you.”A pause, and I could swear I felt his attention shift to something behind us. “Besides, your fire is... interesting.”
I glanced back to see the remaining shadow dragons regrouping, their formation tighter now, more cautious. In the distance, I could just make out Thessarian’s golden form streaking toward the horizon, Varyth and Darian safe aboard.
The relief that crashed through me was so intense it nearly stole my breath. They’d made it. Whatever happened to me now, they’d made it.
“Touching. But perhaps we should focus on not dying before we reach safety?”
“Right.” I straightened on his back, the black fire dancing along my skin like eager serpents. “Any brilliant ideas, or are we winging it? No pun intended.”
“Oh, I like you.”The dragon’s voice was warm with approval. “Hold tight, wildfire. Let’s show them what real fire can do.”
His wings tucking close to his body as we dove toward the pursuing dragons like a green arrow shot from some god’s bow. The wind screamed past us, tearing at my hair and clothes, but I pressed myself flat against his neck and held on.
The shadow dragons scattered as we plummeted toward them, clearly not expecting such an aggressive manoeuvre. But my dragon wasn’t aiming for them.
He was aiming for the space between them.
At the last second, his wings snapped open and we pulled out of the dive in a move that should have torn us both apart. Instead, we shot upward through the centre of their formation, close enough that I could see the shocked expressions on the riders’ faces.
“Now would be good.”
I didn’t need to be told twice. The black fire poured from me in all directions—not the wild bursts from before, but more focused. More deliberate. It flowed around the green dragon like he was the eye of a storm, leaving him untouched while everything else in range became fuel for hungry shadows.
One shadow dragon simply... disappeared. Its rider had enough time to scream before both dragon and human were consumed by flames.
The second dragon managed to bank away, but not quickly enough. My fire caught its tail, racing up the length of its body like spilled oil ignited. The creature’s death throes sent it spiralling toward the earth in a comet of shadow and screaming.
“Impressive,”the dragon beneath me rumbled.“Messy, but impressive.”
“Messy gets results.” I was breathing hard, the exertion of wielding that much power leaving me shaky and drained. But alive.
“Indeed, it does.”He began a lazy turn, following the distant speck that was Thessarian’s retreating form.“I don’t suppose you’d care to explain why shadow dragons were hunting you with such enthusiasm?”
I considered lying. Considered deflecting. Considered all the half-truths I’d been telling since arriving in this realm.
Then I decided I was too tired for bullshit.
“Because I wield shadow fire, and apparently that makes me either very valuable or very dangerous to certain parties.”
“Both, I’d imagine.”His tone thoughtful now. “Shadow fire hasn’t been seen in these skies for centuries. The old stories say it could burn through the world itself.”
“The old stories aren’t wrong.”
“No. I don’t suppose they are.”A pause, filled with the steady rhythm of wings and wind. “I’m Kaelen, by the way. Since we’re apparently being honest with each other.”
“Isara.” The name felt strange on my lips, not because it wasn’t mine, but because it had been so long since I’d introduced myself to someone without calculating how much truth I could afford to reveal. “And... thank you. For catching me. For helping.”
“Thank you for the entertainment. It’s been a dull few decades.”
The next wave hit before I had time to catch my breath.
