Page 75 of Dark Dragon’s Mate

They did need people. But there was someone closer than Silverlake she could call. Three someones.

She gripped the communicator in her hand, and said, “Zakerek.”

There was a humming sound and a musical chime, and then Zakerek’s face appeared in the communicator.

Holy hell. It worked.

“What do you want, my esteemed and worshipful prince?” he asked. Then he got a good look at who was calling.

“Oh,” he said. “What do you want?”

“Your esteemed and worshipful prince is in danger,” she said. “And your princess. They need your help.” She filled them in on the situation as best she could.

“And we should help them why?” Zakerek asked. “Because he enslaved us? And he gives us such nice things?”

“Because he didn’t kill you, even though you worked for Ragnor and fought against Emon?”

“Oh, yay, I’m not dead. So grateful.”

“Or because you want to be a clan. Because you want him to lead you.”

“I certainly do not,” Zakerek said. “Yechh.”

Behind him she could see parts of Cazbek and Mikah, who had come up behind him and were listening in. “But you do,” she said, looking past Zakerek to Mikah. “I think you all do. And I think you’re right, Emon needs a clan. What better way to say ‘I love you and I want to be in your clan’ then fighting on his side and helping him save his sister?”

“I don’t want to say ‘I love you’,” Zakerek said. “Maybe he’ll die, and the mine will be all ours. And the castle, too.”

“And maybe Mayah will die, and you’ll feel even more shitty about yourself than you already do.”

“Not possible. Hard pass on the rescue mission.”

“Fine,” she said. “I’m going. Here I go, throwing my life away for the people I care about. Because that’s what decent people do.”

“I won’t cry at your funeral. But if there’s cake, maybe I’ll come.”

“Fine. Come to the rescue or don’t. I’m going.”

And she cut the connection.

She should have gone to Silverlake. Maybe she should still go.

But every instinct told her that Emon needed her. And he needed her now.

She heard a huge dragon roar from the roof of the castle, and she began to run. At the castle’s foundation was the tunnel that Flynn, Kira, Sloan and Caitlyn had used to sneak in when they rescued Emon and Mayah.

It was locked, a huge stone covering the entrance, but the lock, like everything else, was keyed to the blood of Al-Maddeiri. Trish pressed the communicator against it and the stone slid open.

Now it was time to run fast and silent. Trish called on her wolf. Not in fear, but gladly. Gratefully. Layla, I need you. We need to do this together.

And Layla came. Not the darkness that took her over, that pushed Trish out of the way. Her partner. Together, they were the Nightmare Wolf. And Emon and the Darkwing Dragon needed them.

Chapter 38

There were two guards on the roof. Gen-X, it looked like, because they were wearing Earth-style military tactical equipment and carrying Earth weapons.

Long-range rifles, which were not that much of a problem for Emon. And some kind of big gun like a grenade launcher, which might be.

And special vision scopes that saw right through his cloak. In seconds, both weapons were trained on him.