Page 327

This isn’t a challenge of authority. This Omega doesn’t care whether I’m on the same page. There’s no fear. No anger. No snobery to speak of.

Those blue eyes hold nothing but complete indifference.

“Daxen.”

I can’t look away from her. Never in my life have I seen a creature more beautiful. Not even the mythical Beast at her side can compare.

“Dax!”

Clenching my jaw in annoyance, I turn to Vae and snap, “What?”

I don’t remember when he reached for me, but his hand is wrapped around my arm, and now that he has my attention, he squeezes painfully. “That’s a fucking dragon, Daxen.”

“I see that,” I hiss, yanking my arm back.

“Do you? Because you’re awfully calm. You’re all way too fucking calm. Why is no one else freaking out?”

As if it understands us, the dragon turns its head toward us.

For a long moment it watches us, unblinking.

Then it moves. It slinks forward, claws tearing deep grooves in the Earth with each step, until it stops a few feet in front of Idril. The whole time, its head moves, scanning our faces with narrowed eyes.

Like it knows, without a doubt, that no living thing on this planet could be more dangerous.

Without warning, its mouth drops open and an ear-splitting shriek tears up its throat. The sound is so loud the ground vibrates under my feet. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Branwen jump in surprise. At my side, Vae throws up his hands and claps them over his ears, grimacing. Even Soren and Caelan react: the latter takes an involuntary step back as the former reaches to his side for his dagger, then thinks better of it and drops his hand.

The dragon lifts its arms, and its wings unfurl from both sides of its body. They unfold, spreading wider and wider until Idril disappears completely behind a solid wall of silver and brilliant sapphire-blue veining.

A rush of absolute awe washes over me at the sight. Not only does it have a wingspan at least twice the length of its body, but it's broad enough that the light shining from below illuminates each delicate vein running the length of the membrane.

It is as if thousands of shimmering strands of diamonds and silk are holding each wing together.

My throat goes dry as my eyes fill with tears. I blink repeatedly to clear my vision, refusing to miss a second of the incredible sight before me.

Its wings beat once, and even from ten feet away I feel the brush of air from the movement. They beat a second time, stronger and harder than before, and leaves whip around us—Idril’s silver hair lifts in the current, streaming behind her.

The dragon throws back its head, the silver scales of its throat seeming to glow from the inside. Golden light spreads, climbing up its throat.

Only then do I realize what’s about to happen, and terror like I've never known before snaps me out of my awed stupor. I lunge, ready to tap into my enhanced speed so I have a chance to reach her in time, but before I can move, strong arms wrap around my middle and hold me back.

“Idril!” Her name explodes from my chest. At the same moment, the dragon rears back, and a twenty-foot-tall stream of fire shoots straight into the air, erupting from its mouth in a torrent of orange and blue flame.

Heat slams into me, stealing my breath from my lungs and giving Vae the opening he needs to drag me away from the flames. I wrench out of his grasp, stumbling from tree trunk to tree trunk to get somewhere where I can get eyes on Idril. The flames are so bright I have to turn away, only glancing every few seconds to check my position.

I hear Caelan’s frenzied voice shouting for his Mate, but instead of following the sound of my brother, I push on, determined to reach Idril.

“Watch out, Dax!”

Vae’s warning reaches me, and I throw my hands up seconds before I slam face first into the trunk of a tree. Panting, I brace myself against the rough bark, squeeze my eyes shut, and growl in frustration.

I can’t fucking see anything!

I’m about to lose my shit completely when the heat at my back disappears.

Vae stumbles to a stop next to me, panting as hard as I am.

“Fuck,” he curses between breaths. “That was…”