“I’m calling Dahlia,” Dempsey says, but I shake my head.
There’s no saving this dragon.
“Hu-hunters,” Judre manages. “Many drag—” He coughs up green bile.
“Dragon hunters?” Lord questions, his voice going icy.
Judre nods, gripping Lord’s forearms. “Co-coming.”
His eyes roll back and his skin pales. Scales ripple across his flesh, and his breathing is ragged, but then, sadly, he falls silent, slumping in Lord’s arms.
Lord is silent as we all mourn Judre, but then seconds later, he explodes with a loud roar that shakes the trees and homes around us. His dragon takes over, tearing his clothes from his body as he shifts. He digs his claws into the earth, tearing it up, and a truly heartbreaking sob rips through his throat.
I wrap Xaze in my arms, shocked by Lord’s reaction. I’ve never seen him lose it like that.
“Lord,” Nico says, the rare voice of reason. “Come back to us, brother.”
Lord turns sharply toward us, falling to his knees and slowly shrinking back to his human form. He bows his head, pressing it to the dead dragon’s chest.
“Judre is my friend,” he says, his voice strained with grief and rage. “He’s a good man. He has a family.”
“He said a dragon hunter did this?” Arson asks, clinging to Draydon. “How the fuck are there dragon hunters in this time? When was the last time we saw any?” He looks around and we all shrug or shake our heads.
I haven’t heard any whispers about hunters incenturies.
“That’s what we need to find out,” Hemingway says. “Someone knows we exist.”
Nodding, I add, “And if Judre is right, they’re coming for us.”
The four of us and our mates crowd around Lord and Judre in a circle, the weight of what just occurred heavy on us all.
After several silent minutes, Lord pulls himself to his feet, unbothered by his nudity. His face is a mask of controlled rage. “I’ve sensed some off-putting energy in the city the past couple of weeks, but hoped it was nothing.” He glances at the body at his feet. “I need to take his body to his family.”
“I’ll go with you,” Nico says.
Lord clears his throat. “Hunters or not, I will avenge Judre.”
“We’re with you, Lord,” Arson says, gripping his shoulders. “We all are.”
I crack my knuckles. “Absolutely.”
Lord nods, his jaw twitching. “Then prepare yourselves, brothers. A war is coming.”
