Nadine.
She shoved against my blade. I parried to the left, her to the right. I waited—half a breath—to see which way she’d strike next before moving to block. Even mortal, my body was still agile and fueled by nature.
I blocked her next attack with my dagger. Then, I drove the heel of my palm into her nose.
She screamed, staggering back. “I could have killed you quickly. Now I’ll devour you piece by piece…starting with your arm.”
Oh, Hades.
I couldn’t let her turn into a dragon. The weapon I needed to pierce the hide of these new dragons was still back at the castle.
Luke burst between us. Nadine’s eyes widened as she dodged his hand by barely an inch. He caught a few strands of her hair, a growl ripping from his chest.
She didn’t waste another second.
Her body twisted as she transformed, the sound of bones cracking echoing through the field. A dragon now stood before us, roaring and baring rows of dagger-sharp teeth.
“Not much can penetrate her hide,” I warned, eyes on Luke as he walked toward her with eerie calm.
Behind us, another ripple of magic shimmered through the air.
Harvest.
He shifted mid-air, turning into a dragon as well. The two of them rose, wings stretching wide as they circled above us—predators in the sky.
Unease knotted in my gut. Their plan was obvious: kill me while I was mortal.
It was possible. All it would take was one slip. One moment where Luke’s attention wasn’t on me.
“You won’t die, Harvest,” Luke said, his voice calm—so calm it sent a chill down my spine. “No. I’ll merely put you back where you belong. You understand what I’m saying, don’t you?”
The giant dragon roared in rage.
“You can transform into anybody you want. Where do you think you got that from?” Luke chuckled, cracking his neck. “Only I can do more than change faces and bodies. I can become anything without the help of a dragon shifter’s blood.”
What he meant became clear as his body cracked before my eyes. His back widened, muscles stretching and splitting.
“Back up—but get under me when I’m finished,” he ordered. Even his voice changed, deepening into something animalistic and wild.
I did as he said, eyes wide in awe as he transformed. I’d seen countless dragons—lived among them, grown up with them—but my mate…he mesmerized me.
His sheer size sent a ripple of panic through my chest.
Yet,he kept growing.
Within seconds, he was larger than both Harvest and Nadine. His massive head swung in my direction, tail whipping behind him and nearly striking me with its force. The signature orange cracks in his skin glowed now beneath shimmering black scales.
Hades, how was he so glorious—no matter what form he took?
As Harvest lunged from the sky, I dove beneath Luke. I bobbed and weaved between his legs and wings as he moved to intercept them, blocking every grab they made for me.
It was dangerous—insanely so—but smart. He was the only shield between life and death.
My life had been in Luke’s hands more times than I could count. And every time…
He saved me.
I didn’t know what the plan was.
