A Destiny of Dragons (Tales From Verania #2)(170)

“Hey!” I barked. “We didn’t escape. I kicked his motherfucking ass.”

“Aren’t you just a special snowflake,” Randall said, and I could picture the constipated look on his stupid face. I was going to turn so many things of his into dicks the next time I saw him. “You have your orders. North, Sam. Don’t tarry. Mind me now. We’ll meet you at Castle Freesias.”

And then the crystal went dark.

“That motherfucker hung up on me,” I snapped. “That… that… I can’t even think of an awesome insult because I’m so pissed off!”

“You heard them,” Ryan said. “We should head north.”

“Damn right we should. But we’re not going to.”

Ryan sighed. “I was afraid you were going to say that.”

“Dude. You know me. There’s trouble. And I need to be smack dab in the middle of it. Mama’s there. I have to help her.”

Ryan was already throwing our clothes into the packs. “I’m sure she’s probably already leading an army of whores as we speak.”

“Dude,” I breathed. “That is the best army ever.”

Ryan grinned wildly at me. It really was a breathtaking thing.

“We’re gonna kick so much ass,” I said.

“Damn right.”

“Kiss my face,” I demanded.

He did just that.

Then, “Wait.”

I frowned, because I was feeling badass and was having a great mack sesh with my man. “For what?”

“Meridian City is on the other side of Verania.”

“I know. Do you think we have time for blow jobs?”

“Sam.”

“Right. Let’s just jack each other—aw, crap, Meridian City is on the other side of the country. How in the fuck are we going to get there in time?”

And then I had the most awesome idea in the history of ideas.





Epilogue: Taking Flight


I BURST out into the sunshine. A crowd had gathered outside. They took a step back, a look of fear on their faces when they saw me. There were probably a million different rumors being whispered about me, but I didn’t have time for that. Or them.

“Kevin!” I bellowed.

“Damn right,” the dragon said. “Screaming my name and shit. Lord Dragon is allll about that.”

I glared up at him.

He didn’t look intimidated at all, the bastard.

“Do you trust me?”

He cocked his head at me. “What’s this, then?”

“Do you trust me.”

His nostrils flared. “Yes.”

“And you know I would never hurt you.”

“Yes.”

“Sam?” Gary asked, Tiggy at his side. “What’s going on?”

I ignored him, staring up at the dragon. “I need to ride you.”

Kevin grinned. “Yeah you do, baby boy. What are your thoughts on role-play? Since I’m your stepfather, we can always go with you coming home with a bad report card and I’ll be there to help you get your grades back up. With my penis.”

“We did that once,” Gary said to Tiggy. “I went from failing to graduating with honors.”

“Ick,” Tiggy said.

“The Darks are heading toward Meridian City.”

That shut everyone up right quick.

Kevin didn’t look away.

“And I need you,” I told him. “I know you’ve been hurt in the past. I know you don’t trust most humans. I know you don’t trust most wizards. But you’re my friend. And I would never do anything to hurt you.”

The air around us began to feel electric, as if we were both leaking magic all over the place. He lowered his head until we were eye level, and I wondered if my eyes were darkening, like they’d changed colors with Zero. They’d been red, for Zero’s scales. Kevin was black as the night. There was a bond between us. I didn’t know why I’d never felt it so strongly before.

His tail twitched dangerously. He looked more animal than I’d ever seen him before.

He said, “Will you use your magic against me? If I say no? To force me to do your bidding?” His voice was deeper than it’d ever been before.

And I said, “No.”

“Then yes, wizard. I will help you.”

I reached out and touched his face. He pressed back into my hand. “We have to be quick,” I said quietly. “People are getting hurt. We have to help them.”

“Leave it to me,” the dragon said, breath hot against me. “I’ll show you just how fast I can fly.”




“HOLY FUCKING BALLS OF FUCKING SHIT!” Gary screamed as we rocketed up into the sky, the wind snapping around us. “THIS IS NOT WHAT I HAD IN MIND FOR—OH I’M GOING TO BE SI—” I looked down from my spot on Kevin’s back just in time to see Gary vomit rainbows from where he sat in the clutches of Kevin’s hands against his chest. I could sympathize with the vomiting. At least he hadn’t been eating corn.

Ryan sat behind me with Tiggy behind him, arms wrapped around us both, holding us in place as we left the desert behind and rose toward the infinite blue. It was frightening. It was exhilarating.