“Lyrandir!” my father shouted a warning.
I jerked to the side, but I wasn't fast enough to avoid the blow. I could only watch as an enormous talon came down, aimed at my throat. No. I couldn't die now, not when my allies had just arrived. Not with victory in sight and Aras taken from me!
Instead of the talon landing on my throat, Ellas landed between me and the other dragon. He landed with his jaws open. One bite and he took that threatening talon off the dragon's leg. As he spat it out, the dragon shrieked. But Ellas struck again, using techniques I had taught him, and cut the shriek short. The dragon's corpse fell with a thud while Ellas turned to me, his grin bloody.
“Sorry we're late, Your Majesty,” Ellas said. “We flew as fast as we could.”
Around us, the ex-nobility fled. My forces chased them, but only the dragons—especially those of the sea, who were doubtless eager for the fight they'd been promised. Whoops came, hollowed by a layer of water, and shimmering streams full of sea dragons passed overhead.
With the signs of triumph came a great cheering. I stared around myself at the victors—people from many races. Among them were my parents. Thank the Gods, my family was safe. Now, I could go after Aras without worry.
“Thank you, my friend,” I said to Ellas. “But I have to go.”
“What?” Ellas lost his smirk. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
“A sorcerer has taken my mate.”
“Who?”
I spread my wings, then growled in frustration. They needed more time to heal. “Fuck!”
“Lyran, who took your mate?” Ellas shouted.
“That fucking sorcerer!” I shouted back. “Risarren. He's Aras's father.”
Ellas gaped at me a second, then said, “I leave for a few fucking hours and when I come back, everything has gone to crazy town.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
“Why aren't you celebrating?” King Vaxarion asked as he stepped up to me.
“His mate was taken from the battlefield,” my mother said.
My parents, Ellas, my King's Guard, and General Kleves had rushed to me when the fighting ended and formed a protective circle around me while I healed, even though the threat was over.
“What?” King Vaxarion snarled. “Go after him!”
“I will! I just need my fucking wings to heal!” I shouted back.
Duke Zixin smacked his mate's long neck and said, “Help him, Vax!”
“What exactly do you think I can do, Mate? I don't have healing powers.”
“No, but you can make him fly without his wings.”
“Holy fuck,” I whispered. “Water Magic!” I prayed that enough time had passed to revive my magic, then summoned it. A cloud of water appeared beneath me.
“It looks as if he doesn't need my help,” King Vaxarion drawled.
“Uh, you might do better if you shift to a smaller body,” Duke Zixin said. “It will put less of a strain on your magic.”
“Good idea,” I said and shifted to my man's body. “I should have done that earlier. My wings will heal faster now.” I began to rise on my water pillow, utterly naked and utterly uncaring. “Thank you for coming to my aid, King Vaxarion. Please, stay for the celebration feast. I don't intend to be long.”
King Vaxarion chuckled. “I'll just tidy up a bit while you're gone.”
“If you think you're going anywhere alone, you're fucking crazy,” Ellas snarled and leapt into the sky.
My parents quickly followed, along with my King's Guard. We must have been quite the sight—the victorious, naked King of Gavemor riding a water bubble while a V-formation of dragons followed him. But no one laughed or pointed. Instead, more dragons joined us, rising out of exhausted heaps to attend me once more. Because they all knew where I was going and that I would die if I failed.
