The Dragon Legion Collection(23)

It was clear that Lysander aspired to this ability, but Katina was more surprised by how much Pelias knew and had told him. Even so, she was glad to learn more about Alexander’s powers. Had he married her because he was supposed to defend the four elements? “He knew all this? He told you all of this already?”


“The very first day,” Lysander said. “I was sad to leave home, but he told me I had responsibilities.” Her son’s eyes lit. “Mama, I have to see! I might learn something.”

“You should stay here and be safe,” Katina said sternly, even though she was curious herself. Lysander wriggled out of her grip and crept to the lip of the cave she’d chosen.

“Pelias is injured!” he whispered in horror.

“No!” Katina crept to her son’s side, holding him back even as the two dragons fought in the air high above.

“And there’s a boy.” Lysander pointed. “He looks sick.”

Katina squinted at the darkness and could barely discern the silhouette of a child’s figure. She couldn’t have said whether it was a boy or a girl.

“I wonder what that silver thread was.”

“What silver thread?” Katina couldn’t see a silver thread. The child was wavering on his feet, even as the yellow dragon landed beside him. She could see that Pelias had fallen and that Alexander had positioned himself between the hoplite and the yellow dragon.

“I can’t quite hear what they’re saying,” Lysander murmured in obvious frustration.

Katina cast a glance at the sky because she heard the distant rumble of thunder. The sky was cloudless, though, which confused her.

“That boy’s Theo, the son of father’s commander,” Lysander whispered.

Katina looked at him in wonder. “How do you know this?”

“They said so,” he informed her with disdain, as if she hadn’t been paying attention. Lysander suddenly ducked back into hiding beside her, his face pale. “The yellow dragon wants to capture all the sons of the elite company.” His voice dropped to a whisper and he huddled against Katina. “Like me.”

She held her son close, fearful that the Slayer would do as he threatened. The yellow dragon lifted his head and surveyed his surroundings, his gaze landing precisely on their hiding spot. Katina had the definite sense that he could see her, even though she was far away and well hidden.

She crouched down and hugged Lysander close. “Would his hearing be sharp enough to hear us?” she demanded, barely giving breath to the words.

Lysander met her gaze in horror. “He already knows where we are,” he said, then his features set with resolve. “I need to see.” He crept up to the edge of the cave to look again. “More silver thread,” he whispered. “But this time, the dark dragon is making it. It’s like a noose of starlight.”

Katina had to look then, but she still couldn’t see any silver thread.

“He’s got a scale,” Lysander murmured as the yellow Slayer displayed something to the dark dragon. Katina looked at her son, awed by his keen vision.

He was Pyr.

Before she could say anything, Lysander winced then, burying his face in his knees. “Papa,” he murmured when Katina bent over him. “Oh, Papa!”

What was wrong? Katina peeked over the lip of stone to see that Alexander was writhing on the ground. The amount of blood running from the wounds on his chest was frightening, and he seemed powerless to stop himself from changing from dragon to human form and back again.

What had that fiend done to Alexander? She was so horrified that she was barely aware of Lysander peeking over the lip of stone beside her.

“Papa!” Lysander cried. He leapt over the lip of stone and ran toward the fighting dragons.

“Lysander!” Katina gasped, then raced after her son.

Alexander had wanted to keep them safe, but she was sure they’d all be lost.





Chapter Four



When Jorge glanced over the hillside, seeking Katina and Lysander, Alexander took advantage of the Slayer’s moment of inattention to attack. He leapt at the other dragon, using his own trick against him. Alexander breathed a stream of dragonsmoke and latched it on to the Slayer’s throat, letting the smoke squeeze even as it stole power. Alexander’s dragonsmoke tightened like a noose, surprising Jorge, who stumbled backward. He slashed at Alexander then seized Theo, holding the limp boy before himself. Alexander continued to tighten the noose of dragonsmoke, even as he smelled the Slayer’s scales beginning to burn.

The Slayer faltered and clearly became weaker. Alexander breathed with greater force, thickening the line of dragonsmoke. He thought about choking the life out of this evil creature, imagined what he must have done to Cassandra, and fueled his breathing with his determination to ensure that Katina never suffered the same fate. The Slayer stumbled and began to sway, as if dizzy. The blood flowed from the wounds in his chest with greater force, and Alexander dared to hope he might win.

Then Jorge laughed. He displayed a dark dragon scale to Alexander, turning it so that it caught the light. It was the same color as Alexander’s scales. He remembered the sense of something falling when he was making love to Katina and fought the urge to raise one claw to his chest.

She’d asked him about the gap in his armor.

He’d lost the scale when he’d returned home and realized that he loved her even more than he’d believed.