Prince of Spies - By Bianca D'Arc Page 0,71

her with the dread she expected. Instead, she felt…not exactly happy…but rather, justified. She felt the rightness of her actions and would shed no tears over it.

Skiths were just…wrong. She felt it in her soul. They didn’t belong to this world and should never have been created.

That was it. That’s the secret knowledge that clicked into place, though she had no idea how she knew it. Skiths were no creatures of nature. No, they’d been created by wizards, and evil wizards at that.

Riki didn’t know where the knowledge came from, but she didn’t question it. Nico might know the truth. She would ask him when he returned.

Nico arrived at the encampment in the nick of time to warn the Jinn about the oncoming army of skiths. He was amazed by the way these nomadic people responded to his trumpeting cry. Within moments, a legion of black dragons flew over the sprawling encampment. Nico had never seen the like. At least a dozen black dragons filled the sky.

When Draconian forces took to the sky, the dragons came in a rainbow of colors, with leather-clad knights on their backs. Once in a while, a black dragon would lead such a contingent, but there were precious few blacks left in his homeland. This, though, was an embarrassment of riches. Nothing but riderless black dragons filled the air over the camp while the Jinn scurried in organized chaos below.

Wagons moved to encircle the tents and barricades of all kinds sprang up around the perimeter. Men with sharp weapons stood ready behind the barricades and rows of women stood ready behind them, armed with longbows. Other women—the old and the very young—stood ready with braziers and oil to light the arrows and do other tasks to help the fighters.

But the dragons were disorganized. Nico could easily see they’d never fought in formation before. They were like young recruits, not knowing how to keep out of each other’s way.

There was little time to organize them and no time for diplomacy. Nico flew into their midst and took charge, dividing them into pairs and assigning sectors like the general of dragons and men he truly was. None questioned his right to command them, and within short order, the defense was ready.

Just in time, too, for the skiths encircled the camp and attacked from all directions at once. Nico had just enough time to offer up a prayer to the Mother of All before diving into the fray, flaming skiths as he went, with the help of the other black dragons.

“Where is your mate?” Estella flew close, frying skiths with broad swaths of her flame as she passed.

“She’s safe for now. Look out behind you!”

“Damn these creatures!” Anger filled the woman’s words, along with frustration as a stream of venom narrowly missed her. “How do your knights and dragons do this day in and day out?”

“It is a lifelong quest,” Nico answered soberly, keeping an eye on the entire battlefield. He had to shore the Jinn dragons up, darting in where needed. Already three of the Jinn dragons were badly hurt and out of the fighting. Women on the ground were dousing their venom wounds with water and healers were tending them.

“This is a battle for which we are ill-prepared. I see that clearly now.” Estella’s determination sounded through his mind as she flew past. “But that will change. Prince Nicolas, you must see to Riki. Her safety is crucial.”

Nico looked around at the battle. The Jinn dragons were sloppy fighters in the air, but they were getting the job done. Over half of the massed skiths were dead already and the rest would soon be joining them, a result of both the skilled assault of the ground fighters and the disjointed dragons fighting from the air. He judged they were well on their way to victory, which meant he was free to go rescue his new wife from that tree.

He’d just turned in the direction of her perch when a single black dragon flew over the forest.

“Riki!”

“Sorry I’m late.” Humor and love sounded through her voice in his mind. The other dragons welcomed her with trumpeting cries and she answered in return, though her voice was unsteady—so unused to being a dragon she was.

“By the Mother, am I glad to see you.”

“Me too, Nico. Me too.” Relief sounded through her voice and he was never happier to hear her wry spark of humor. “Uh, Nico? Um…how do I get down?”

He chuckled and smoke issued from his dragon