pieces of her soul fought to answer. They were a thorny, tangle of vines as they uncurled. She coughed blood as they ripped through her.
A small, barely functional bubble sprang into existence around her, protecting her as the creature tried to crush her.
She caught a terrifying glimpse down the creature's throat.
In response, Kira rammed the wooden sword into its mouth, aiming for the back of its throat. It spit her out.
She sailed through the air, strong arms catching her moments later.
"You’re definitely a source of trouble. I regret our bet," Graydon said into her ear.
"Not my fault," Kira managed to get out. Her ribs protested each movement, every word reminding her she'd almost been eaten. Her insides felt like a razor blade had been taken to them, a consequence of the small amount of power she’d used.
Graydon lowered her to her feet until water licked at her boots.
"What is that?" Kira asked, peering up at the creature.
It looked like the ancient ancestor of a Chinese dragon crossed with its avian cousin. It had a serpentine body which lay half-submerged in the water. Horns curled from its head, and feathers rose in a crest behind its head and jaw. Long whiskers trailed from its snout, adding to the beard-like whiskers under its chin.
Edged in blue with a red mane, it was a thing of beauty. Sleek and lethal, it rose above them, bugling a challenge at the sky. It had powerful forelegs tipped with deadly talons, and fins meant to cut through water along its side.
"It's a lu-ong," Graydon said grimly, not taking his eyes off the creature. "Barely more than a baby."
"You consider that a baby?" Kira asked in disbelief. No wonder they insisted on seeing her as a child if they counted that giant creature an infant. Their definition of what constituted a baby was seriously off.
"A full-grown lu-ong can grow up to three times its size. This one is nowhere close to that."
Kira's mouth clicked closed. That put things in perspective.
The lu-ong lowered its head, snorting at them. Its lips curled, exposing the terrifyingly sharp teeth of a carnivore.
Kira swallowed hard, the thought of where she'd been minutes before making her slightly queasy. She wasn't afraid of death, but the thought of being some creature's snack was terrifying.
Graydon let out a low curse. "We're going to have to kill it."
"Wait," Kira started.
Graydon didn't listen, his powerful stride taking him close to the lu-ong before she could do more than form a token protest.
Kira screamed in frustration.
The insufferable man was going to get himself killed. What did he think he was going to do? Punch it to death?
Kira darted after him.
The lu-ong tossed its head, biting at the air as it reared, springing even further out of the water, its movements frantic and mindless.
"Stop," Kira shouted, kicking the back of Graydon's knee and sending him stumbling forward. "You can't kill it."
"What do you suggest I do? Let him eat you?" Graydon asked sarcastically.
"Perhaps you can take a moment away from needless posturing and actually analyze the situation," Kira spat.
Graydon showed her his teeth, displeasure pouring off him in waves. "What's there to analyze? Once it's dead, you can talk about your feelings about its tragic end all you want."
He did not just say that.
Kira glared at him and pointed. "Look at the side of its neck. That's a Tsavitee control collar. The moment it senses its host's heart stop beating, it will attach itself to the next closest source."
Where Kira pointed, there was a large lump. On closer inspection, it resembled an alien tick, tentacles plunging deep into the lu-ong's skin.
"But if you'd like to be used as a Tsavitee puppet, go ahead, kill the lu-ong," Kira said, her words dripping with acid.
Graydon's eyes spat fire as Kira raised her eyebrows at him, unmoved by his temper tantrum. She was right and he knew it.
"What do you suggest?" Graydon said, the words sounding like they were forced out of him.
"Thank you for asking," Kira said, unable to resist prodding at him. His ire deepened until his eyes looked like storm clouds. "It'll be easier if we destroy the collar first. After that, the lu-ong will either run off or you can kill it."
She'd prefer the lu-ong escape with its life intact. Something that beautiful didn't deserve to be destroyed because of a Tsavitee's poisonous interference.
"Fine," Graydon said, his voice rigidly controlled. "How do you suggest I do that?"
"Destroy the collar's brain first. One hard blow to the body should