The Dragon Queen (Death #4)

9. Calista

Chapter 9

Calista

It was chaos.

The dragons were released from the vault and launched into battle, the dark elves in black armor as their riders. Roars filled the sky, layered on top of one another like endless screams. Our dragons reached the battle, and there was a collision in the air, dragons attacking one another while the riders aimed for them.

Macabre landed beside Queen Eldinar and dropped his belly to the earth.

The queen quickly climbed up his side into his saddle. Before she had him take off, she looked at me. “The higher in the sky you are, the safer you’ll be.” She grabbed on to the pommel, and then Macabre launched into the sky, rising to the height of a mountain in just a few seconds.

I SENSE YOU.

I’m on the east side of town. I stood there alone, seeing the people of the village burst into the alleyways and look at the horror in the sky. Shouts and screams were already audible from both the sky and the ground. When I looked to the top of the cliff, I couldn’t see anything because it was too far away and too dark.

I saw the red scales from a fiery dragon appear in the sky then swoop down to where I stood on the ground. There was a tremble in the ground from where he landed. HURRY . He lowered his body so I could climb up his scales and drop into the saddle. He’d barely given me a moment to grab on to the pommel before he launched straight up and nearly knocked me off.

I gasped for breath as I felt my hair whip me in the face. A dragon passed just feet away from us, and I thought we would collide. Inferno continued to rise into the sky, leaving the ground far behind.

It felt like an eternity before we leveled out in the sky. Inferno flattened and glided, and when I looked over his side, I saw the dragons locked in battle directly over the village, roars and screams and fire filling the night.

“There’s so much happening. I don’t know what to focus on.”

WE HELP THE DRAGONS THAT ARE FREED, AND WE KILL THE RIDERS OF THOSE ENSLAVED.

“I told Talon I would stay out of the fight.”

BUT I MADE NO SUCH PROMISE. HOLD ON . Inferno dove down, the wind rushing past us to hit us in the face as the ground came ever closer. I grabbed on tight and kept my boots in the stirrups so I wouldn’t be knocked off Inferno.

Two dragons were locked in battle, and Inferno swept down with the grace of an eagle and snatched one of the dark elves straight from his saddle. I watched in awe and horror as Inferno crushed him with his talons and muffled the screams and sound of crushing bones before he flung him aside. One down. Now we need to speak to the dragon. Inferno made a sharp turn then moved back where he’d been. The dragon who had attacked the enslaved beast had gone off to its next target, while the newly freed dragon hovered there, clearly confused and unsure of what to do next. With scales the color of aquamarine, he was a beautiful dragon…except for the scars from the chains that had been wrapped around his body for so long. The chains had been so tight and secured for so long that they’d cut directly into his scales, making a deep crater that ran over his shoulders, over his neck, and around his snout. He’d lost his strength because I could see he struggled to stay in the air with his own ability.

The sight fueled a fire of anger that already burned at full capacity. My mind felt his right away, felt it the second that rider had been crushed in Inferno’s talons. But it was hazy and weak, like it was a newborn rather than an adult dragon. My name is Calista, and this is Inferno.

The dragon turned his head to look at me, and when it lost its focus, it fell several feet before opening its wings again and steadying himself.

Inferno dropped down to meet his gaze. I CAN’T FOCUS ON THIS AND OUR SAFETY. YOU NEED TO HANDLE THE COMMUNICATION.

I understand. I focused on the aquamarine dragon. King Bolton of the Southern Isles was slain, and a new ruler took the throne. He made an alliance with the dark elves to enslave you and all of your kin. The remaining free dragons of the world have flown here to rescue you. You’re free to do as you wish, but if you fight with us, you can save more of your kin.

The dragon looked around like he didn’t know where he was. How much time has passed…?

Over twenty years.

He looked around at the battle, dragons fighting dragons, riders snatched from their saddles.

I understand this is overwhelming, but please help us. What is your name?

He hovered there as he continued to look around. I—I do not know.

Now I understood how binding the magic had been. Every dragon had basically been asleep these last decades. They seemed to have no memory of what had transpired, just the bleak realization that everything had changed. Help us. Take down the dark elves that ride your brethren. They wear hoods, and their skin is the color of storm clouds.

I understand . He opened his wings and turned away to chase down the riders I described.

Good. Let’s hunt down more.

With so many dragons in the air, it was hard to recognize the flow of the tide of the war, who was winning and who was losing. Inferno snatched more riders from their saddles and crushed them in his iron grip. I was able to convince most of the dragons we freed to fight for us, but some of them had panicked when the magic had disappeared. They fled from the fight, and we didn’t pursue them.

“Should we check on the harbor?”

THE DARK ELVES ARE MORE IMPORTANT.

“Yes, but the soldiers and the citizens are the next line of defense if we fail.” I looked to the top of the cliffs where the castle was situated. Fire was visible, consuming the trees in the courtyard. “And I wonder how Talon is doing.” I didn’t reach my mind to Khazmuda out of fear of interrupting a crucial moment.

IF KHAZMUDA NEEDED MY HELP, HE WOULD ASK FOR IT. BUT LET’S CHECK ON THE BATTLE BELOW. He flew toward the sea, flying over the village and the fires that burned on the ground. It was chaos everywhere so the details were hard to distinguish, but I could see our army invading the city. Some of them began the long march up the path to the castle, which would help Talon once they arrived. The others were headed toward the east, where the dragons were fighting in the sky. I assumed Ethan was down there arming all the citizens.

IT SEEMS THEY’RE OVERRUN.

“I think so too. That means this battle is ours—” It happened so fast. One moment, I was in the saddle, and the next, I was ripped from his back and yanked into the air. I saw the sharp talon surround me and watched the light disappear. I sucked in a breath as I prepared to be crushed by the force.

CALISTA!

The talons closed altogether, so there was no light. In the dark skies, I could see nothing when I tried to peek through the cracks between the claws. It was just black, sheer and utterly terrifying. I tried to push the individual fingers apart and get free, but I couldn’t. I can’t get out.

HOLD ON.

There was nothing to hold on to, but I also didn’t need to hold on to anything because I was trapped in a cage.

I’M GOING TO HIT HIM HARD. WHEN HE’S OFF-BALANCE, YOU NEED TO GET OUT AND DROP. I’LL CATCH YOU.

I can’t get out, Inferno. I’ve tried.

USE YOUR SWORD. CUT A HOLE IF YOU MUST.

You’re right.

GET READY.

I pulled my sword from my scabbard and gripped it in both hands. My entire body tensed in preparation for the attack, knowing I wouldn’t expect it by sound or sight. It would just happen, and I would be flung around.

Then it happened, a collision so hard that I smacked against a wall and hit my head. The talons loosened but not enough for me to slip out. The hit made me disoriented, made the world blur. I spun around, the sky on the ground and the ground in the sky. But then I grabbed the sword and slammed it down, stabbing it through the flesh before the beginning of the nail.

“ Rooooaaaaaaarrrr !” A scream filled the night, and then the talons widened so I would fall.

I was immediately in free fall, my sword still in my grip because it was the only thing I had to hold on to. “Inferno!” I didn’t know how close I was to the ground because the sky was as dark as the city below, because my view spun over and over as I somersaulted continuously through the air.

I’M HERE, CALISTA. His red scales appeared, and then his talons snatched me in midair.

The sword almost slipped through my fingers, but I gave it a tight clench to keep it in place. Once I was cocooned in the safety of his talons, I sheathed it once more, still feeling my body jerk from side to side as Inferno hurtled through the air.

I saw a rain of fire through the opening in his talons, felt the heat because it came so close.

What’s happening?

HE’S CHASING ME.

Get above him and drop me. I’ll kill the rider.

I CAN’T.

Why?

BECAUSE THIS RIDER IS DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHERS. SO IS HIS DRAGON .

Go back to the main fight. Have another dragon help you ? —

LET ME FOCUS. HE’S FAST AND STRONG .

As are you, Inferno. I said nothing else so he could focus, but I knew the battle took a bad turn when I was flung around in the encasing of his talons. I smacked my head again and felt my body fly from one side to the opposite. My head pounded from getting smacked around so much and my stomach was a mess, about to come up my throat, but the adrenaline kept everything in place.

WE’RE ABOUT TO CRASH.

My adrenaline peaked with the warning. It sounded like the battle was lost. Then I felt my body smack the hardest against his talons, like I’d fallen a hundred feet in just a second. I felt us roll and topple across the ground, heard the sounds of both dragons roaring, felt the heat of fire that passed nearby. What’s happening? Let me out!

“ Roooaaaaaaarrrrr !”

I heard Inferno’s roar, but it wasn’t the mighty call of a powerful dragon. It was a painful scream. I could see through the cracks of his talons, see the scales of another dragon as he climbed on top of Inferno. Let me out! Let me help you!

NO .

Inferno!

I CAN’T.

Inferno—

He screamed into the night.

I saw the dragon rip flesh and scales. Saw the blood splash into the sky. Inferno, please let me go.

He screamed again, the enormous dragon pinning him to the ground and ripping him into pieces. I CAN’T… His voice was weak even in my mind, his life already slipping away. BECAUSE YOU’LL DIE.