Of course, Ilith hadn’t expected it. In what universe would such a pitiful effort be considered a plan?
Daisy took advantage of Ilith’s brief distraction to scramble out of reach. She beelined for the statue to their left and the building beyond it.
Ilith shook herself hard. The dragonlettes lost their precarious hold, tumbling off her with disgruntled squawks.
Unwilling to concede the battle, several of them latched onto Ilith’s tail with their teeth and dug their paws into the gravel.
Even with all their efforts, Ilith felt nothing but a light pressure from the would-be nuisances as she waddled forward.
Is that all you’ve got?Ilith asked Tate smugly.
Ilith lifted her tail and waved it lightly, dislodging the dragonlettes. They lost their grip, their irritated protests filling the air.
I’m disappointed, my Savior. I expected better from you.Ilith didn’t wait for a response, bounding forward to trap the dragonlette again.
The girl stumbled to a stop.
Ilith sat and pointed at the ground.
An exaggerated expression of confusion filled the girl’s face. She shook her head gently as if to say she didn’t understand.
Ilith blew out a puff of hot air, knowing exactly who had coached Daisy to act like this. Dewdrop got the same look on his face when he was trying to fool Tate. It didn’t work on her Savior; it wouldn’t work on her.
Ilith pointed more emphatically, adding a warning rumble as well.
Daisy’s eyes shifted to become her dragon’s as a low sibilant hiss left her.
Ilith’s head reared back in affront. That little upstart. She couldn’t believe a dragonlette would be so bold.
It had to be her Savior’s fault.
What’s next, oh majestic one?Tate gloated.
She’d show her what was next. Ilith was bigger and faster. Daisy was going nowhere with her treasure.
Before Ilith could act, a force crashed into her side. This wasn’t like the dragonlettes, whom she could ignore. She tumbled ass over end, a brief bloom of pain registering on her shoulder.
There was a crash as the statue hit the ground. Cracks appeared in its flawless marble.
Ilith careened into a wall with a loud thump that shook the building.
She scrabbled at the air as she struggled to reorient herself. With a final twist and an inelegant grunt, Ilith managed to get her feet back under her.
A rose-gold dragon stood next to Daisy in the spot Ilith had just occupied.
The new dragon was much larger and bulkier than Ilith, with an arrogant glint in his gaze that seemed to laugh at her.
I think that’s Blaise’s dragon.
There was fascination in Tate’s voice. Far too much for someone who was supposed to be on Ilith’s side.
Tate was more familiar with a few of the other dragon-ridden, but over the last month or two she’d had more encounters with Blaise as he dropped in to monitor the dragonlettes. Ilith, on the other hand, had never cared one way or another about the other man and dragon.
Something that might have to change if he was going to be so presumptuous.
The only thing Ilith remembered about Blaise was that he’d been there during the incident when they’d first rescued the dragonlette’s from their captors and that he and Ilith’s bonded enjoyed sparring verbally.
Ilith snarled. Though this was their first meeting, she could already tell she didn’t like the other dragon.
