Lord of Destiny (The Dragon Demigods #6) - Charlene Hartnady Page 0,67

of them since I want the dragons to keep chasing me. If I lose them now, it might be too soon for Stephan to escape. Also, I’m not sure what’s on the other side of that bank. There could be an ambush waiting for me.

I make my decision to steer clear. I’m breathing hard. My muscles hurt. I push through it. I have to.

A couple of roars fill the air and a group of dragons emerges from the clouds. There was an ambush. This group is close. Too close. They look strong and fresh.

Oh, god! They’re fast. I’m not going to be able to outrun them for long.

Shit!

Shit!

Shit!

I’m panicking. I still can’t risk looking back. I fly using every last reserve of energy that I have. Every second counts. I’m done for. There is a whole horde of dragons closing in. I can hear two or three dragons right on my tail. The only consolation is that if there are so many after me, Stephan might make it out okay.

They’re closing in.

Close!

Closer still!

I feel a sharp strike to my side. It’s not enough to hurt or wound me, but enough to have me fall out of the air a few feet before I get my wings back over me. I get knocked again…this time, I drop down further.

They’re playing with me. Cat and mouse. Bastards! I get knocked again. I turn and growl. I see humor glinting in the closest bastard’s eyes. The group quickly surrounds me, taking turns to prod and poke at me. They purr and rumble to one another, sounding impressed with themselves.

Then I hear it, and my blood runs cold. Another screech of alarm. It’s further away from us…in Stephan’s general direction. I see dragons flying away from us. It’s only the five still circling me. There are shapes far in the distance. It’s too dark to see for more than a mile or two. Even then, it’s tough to make out the details. I don’t know if they have Stephan…if they’re closing in on him. I don’t know if I bought him enough time. I can only hope.

The asshole dragon in front of me shoulders me…harder this time. I caught a fierce glare in his eyes just before the blow came. I fall further this time. They are back around me just as I am finding my wings.

He knocks me again. A forward shove. It’s followed by a growl. His meaning is clear. He wants me to follow the dragon in front. We are going to fly back to the weyr. I hesitate and am rewarded with another shove and a low, menacing snarl that leaves no room for confusion. There are five of them and one of me. They’re bigger and stronger.

It eats at me, but I grit my teeth, then I turn and start flying for the weyr. I take my time. I listen for shouts of victory. For further screeches. I listen for anything to do with Stephan, but there’s nothing. I don’t know if that’s good or bad. I can only hope he got away, or we are doomed. Well and truly doomed.

We fly for about half an hour. I spot flickers of light below – candles, fires, and kerosene lamps. I push out a sigh and start descending, still following the leading dragon. The others are trailing, leaving no hope of escape. The asshole who likes to pick on women is right behind me. I can feel him there. He could be any one of the men from my weyr, that’s the sad part.

We land next to an outcrop of houses behind the main hall. There are rooms that are used as jail cells here. It’s where they kept me before. It looks like I’m headed back into the room I was in previously.

The dragon in front of me shifts. I see immediately that it’s Star’s boyfriend, Jackson. His eyes are hard and mean. “Shift…now!” he demands, snarling the words.

The dragon behind me gives me a light shove. I wonder what he’s trying to tell me? I would roll my eyes if I was in human form. These guys are not messing around.

I hear the sounds of shifting. The guy behind me stays in his dragon form.

“Raven!” Jackson bellows. “Quit fucking around.”

The guy behind me gives me another knock. He’s working on my last nerve. I turn and snarl at him, crouching and baring my teeth. I don’t stand a chance against him or any of them, but this is