Motu whined, unhappy, and a moment later, Torch swooped over to join them. The dragon landed with a thud at Emmeline’s side, snarling at Luke. When Torch did so, Emmeline heard the flapping of wings, and soon thereafter Sharptooth was there, landing on Luke’s side, across from Torch.
Both animals were agitated, taking protective stances. The icy wind howled, and Luke reached for Emmeline again.
She swatted his hand away. “Don’t touch me,” she said. Luke held his hands up, but Sharptooth turned in Emmeline’s direction. She roared at her.
More surprised than afraid, Emmeline faltered back.
“Sharptooth, back off!” Luke cried.
Emmeline lost her footing, and her feet slipped on the ice. Before she realized what was happening, the sky tilted and she fell back hard, hitting her head against the frozen lake. Pain shot through her.
“Em!” Luke cried, reaching for her. Her head was spinning, but she heard Torch growl at him, and an alarm beat through her.
Torch was not happy, and an unhappy dragon was not a good thing.
As she tried to sit up, she saw her dragon step toward Luke.
“Hey, it’s okay,” he said, voice gentle and coaxing. “Torch, it’s me.”
But Torch only released another unforgiving growl.
“Torch, it’s okay,” Emmeline said, but her voice was weak, lost beneath the howling wind.
She tried to rise to her feet, and Luke took a step toward her to help. Torch bit at the air in front of him, the sound of her teeth snapping together a clear warning.
Then, everything happened so quickly.
In response to Torch, Sharptooth fired.
“Sharptooth, no!” Luke cried as Emmeline rose to her feet. Torch’s wings came in front of her as a shield, though Emmeline still felt the heat cut through the freezing night.
The moment the flames subsided, Torch’s wings fell and she jumped forward to retaliate. Sharptooth was waiting, and the sky lit with flames as both animals attacked.
Emmeline’s heart lurched. In a fight between a dragon and a chimera, a dragon would always win, and hers was a basalta breed, one of the biggest and strongest. One of the best.
“Torch, stop!” she called.
But it was too late. Torch roared and the flames overcame Sharptooth’s. The chimera was pushed back, bringing Luke into the crossfire.
“No!” she cried, her heart rising into her throat. She reached for Luke, but it was futile; she was too far away.
Sharptooth opened her wings to protect herself and Luke, but Torch’s fire was strong. The blast was enough to burn the chimera’s wings. Sharptooth cried out in pain, falling over with a thud onto the snow, which sizzled beneath his burned wings.
“Sharptooth!” Luke cried, crawling to the chimera’s side.
Tears blurred Emmeline’s eyes, and she ran over to the chimera and Luke.
“Luke,” Emmeline started, but he held his arm up.
“Stay back!” he cried, not looking at her. Guilt knifed through her, and she brought a hand over her mouth, horrified with what had transpired.
“Luke, I’m so sorry,” she said, voice broken. Torch seemed to have sensed her mistake then, sitting back with her head lowered. Luke shoveled snow onto Sharptooth’s wings with his hands, trying to ease the burn, but the snow immediately hissed and melted, not providing much reprieve.
Luke made a helpless sound, panicking.
Emmeline’s mind raced. She pulled out her phone, dialing Lavinia.
“Emmy—” Lavinia started.
