The Blacksmith Queen (The Scarred Earth Saga, #1) - G.A Aiken Page 0,98
corrected. “What?” he asked when everyone stared at him. “They are wolves.”
“They’re loyal to me, but they protect my friends,” Keeley explained “So yes, they have honor. More honor than you seem to have.”
“Well, it was nice knowing everyone,” Keran announced, waving at the centaurs. “Since it looks like we’re all going to die together.”
The tip of the dragon’s tail was suddenly right in Keeley’s face. Not touching her but so close she saw that it could easily be used as a weapon. It was pointed, like a very large metal arrowhead.
“I don’t like you,” he said, his voice low.
“I have to admit . . . it’s mutual. But you can’t say that I’m wrong.”
He didn’t say anything, simply moved around them all. Keeley thought he was just going to unleash his wings and fly away. Or, if he was really determined to see her dead, he’d unleash his lava and actually melt her face off. Just as he’d threatened.
But with his back to her, he finally crouched down and buried his claws directly into the dirt.
Confused, Keeley moved closer to see what he was doing.
“Keeley, stop,” Gemma warned.
“But—”
“Trust me.” Her sister reached out and grabbed her arm, yanking her back beside the centaurs. “He’s a mage.”
“So?”
Her sister didn’t answer because the dragon had closed his eyes, bowed his head, and started to chant.
“What’s he doing?”
“I’m guessing . . . he’s getting revenge on those who have truly harmed him.”
Keeley didn’t understand. Well, she understood revenge but she didn’t understand what putting one’s hand in the dirt was supposed to do. The dragon was a mage, so maybe he was poisoning the ground or something . . . ? Or calling up ghosts? Or whatever mages do. What did they do?
To answer, the ground beneath them began to shake and buckle and then that shaking and buckling shot across the land, heading right for the forest of the elves.
And once it reached the forest, the rumbling became worse and the screaming began.
“Stop!” Keeley yelled. “What are you doing?”
She moved toward the dragon but her sister’s grip on her arm was iron.
“Leave him be, Keeley!”
“But there are children there! Old people! It isn’t fair to do this to all of them!”
“He doesn’t care,” Gemma said. “Just let him have his revenge.”
But what kind of revenge? Keeley heard the screaming and the ground was still shaking but she didn’t know what was hap . . .
“Oh, by the gods,” Laila gasped out.
It grew up and out of the ground in the middle of the elves’ forest. It just grew and grew and grew, destroying everything in its way until it was all Keeley could see.
“Is that a . . . volcano?” Keran asked.
It was. Keeley knew that as soon as it began to spew lava and big orange balls of fire.
And just like that . . . the wood elves lost their home.
The dragon pulled his claws out of the ground and looked down at Keeley. “Consider yourself lucky, human. You and your friends. We’re now even.”
Without another word, the dragon unleashed his wings and took off into the air. But he didn’t fly away; instead he turned over and dove toward the ground. Their entire travel party scrambled out of the way as the dragon hit the ground and dug into the earth in seconds. He vanished, leaving a giant hole behind for them to stand around and stare into it until an explosion had them spinning away to face the elves’ forest again.
Keeley only had a second to see the volcanic fireball screaming toward them before Caid picked her up and took off running once more.
Keeley watched over Caid’s shoulder as the boulder landed hard, and the world around them exploded, sending the centaurs and the humans they were helping tumble hooves over head.
When they finally stopped rolling, Keeley pulled herself out of Caid’s arms and stood. She gazed at exactly where the red-hot boulder had landed . . . in the hole that the dragon had left. He’d blocked his exit so no elves could follow him home.
Gemma stood beside her and sneered, “I’m so glad you released that dragon, Keeley.”
“Oh, shut up.”
CHAPTER 25
The two brothers were in the middle of another one of their arguments when Emma slammed down a carafe of ale and three steel mugs.
“It’s late,” she said, also slamming a wooden platter of bread, cheese, and dried meats on the table next to the wine. “And you two nattering bitches haven’t stopped fighting once!”