Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 127722 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 639(@200wpm)___ 511(@250wpm)___ 426(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127722 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 639(@200wpm)___ 511(@250wpm)___ 426(@300wpm)
My body was pushed down against his flank at the momentum, and I nearly flattened against his scales.
He beat his wings harder and left the ground, gaining height into the sky toward the stars.
The wind was in my hair. It was colder than it was on the ground, fresh instead of soaked with humidity. I could barely see anything except the torches from the camps down below.
Where is he?
“They took him from our camp, so they’re somewhere in the jungle heading back.”
Then I will burn it down. He glided down to the trees then opened his jaws to spray his red-hot fire.
“Wait, wait. Huntley is down there with them. You’ll burn him too.”
I’m not going to land on the ground.
“We’ll look for their torches. They’ll leave the jungle soon, and we’ll see them.”
Pyre glided away, flapping his wings to get to a higher elevation.
I kept my eyes on the ground below, searching for signs of the outcasts who had taken my husband hostage. Flying became second nature, and I held on to the horn without a tight grip.
Pyre didn’t seem to mind soaring the skies as we waited.
“I can’t wait to see you fly in daylight.”
I can’t wait to hunt like a dragon should.
We circled the island, still searching.
I finally saw it, the flicker of torches out in the open. “Pyre, I see them.”
Where?
“To the left.”
He flattened his wings and soared to the left, getting them in our line of sight.
My heart leaped into my throat as we drew closer, afraid of what they’d already done to my husband. “Kill them all.”
Pyre dipped down nearer to the trees and inched forward, their torches more distinct now that we were so close.
They came into sharper view, the twelve men with torches.
“I don’t see him…” My eyes searched for Huntley, and I feared it was too late. They’d slayed him right there at the camp and just left him there. Then I saw him. Two men pulled a rope across the ground, the end secured around Huntley’s ankles. His hands were bound behind his back, and they dragged him like dead boar. “Burn them! Burn them all!”
Pyre opened his jaws and released a jet stream of pure fire. It lit up the sky, so bright that every other person on the island couldn’t miss it. He sprayed it down over them, engulfing every single one of them in a ball of fire.
“Yes!”
The men shrieked as they burned alive, their arms flailing about as they tried to put it out. Some dropped and rolled on the ground, but that was no use either. Others ran for the ocean, but barely made it a few yards before they collapsed.
“That’s right, motherfuckers!”
Ivory. The rope.
I looked down at the rope that bound Huntley. It was on fire—and headed straight toward him. “Put me down.”
I won’t land.
“Put. Me. Down.”
Pyre released a roar before he glided to the earth and landed. Hurry.
“They’re too busy being burned alive to do anything, Pyre.” I slid down his smooth scales until I hit the ground and buckled underneath the gravity of the fall. I pushed myself up and sprinted to where Huntley tried to wiggle free.
Others will come. Hurry.
I slid to my knees at Huntley’s feet and hacked the rope with my blade, sawing it in half so it came apart.
“Hands.” Huntley sat up and displayed his wrists to me.
I slashed the rope with my blade then moved to his ankles.
Huntley didn’t say a word to me. He was on his feet, and he snatched the sword out of my hand.
“What are you—”
One of them had managed to escape the fire, and he came down on Huntley with his ax. I hadn’t even noticed him because all I cared about was getting to Huntley as quickly as possible.
Huntley parried his attack and stabbed my sword clean through his gut.
“Oh shit.”
Huntley grabbed my hand and yanked me to my feet. “Stay behind me.”
Ivory!
I looked back at Pyre, who had a crazed man swinging a machete at him.
I snatched Huntley’s ax off the ground and sprinted to the dragon. “Coming!” I made it to the outcast and slammed my ax into his back. The blade went deep, and he went down right away. “Why didn’t you bite him? Pyre, you could step on him, and he’d flatten like a leaf.”
I want to leave.
“Hold on.”
I turned back to Huntley, who’d just executed the last man standing. Now he had blood all over him, and I wasn’t sure if it was his or his enemies. He searched through the charred bodies and gathered everything they’d taken from him. “You okay?”
With his weapons returned to his body, he marched back to me, a streak of blood on his neck. His intense eyes were focused on me, and he looked livid, maniacal. It seemed like he was going to shove me again, but he grabbed me by the arm and yanked me into his chest, smashing his mouth against mine. It was a hard kiss, crushing our lips together as he tightened his grip on my arm. His other hand moved down my back to my ass and gave it a hard squeeze before he let me go. Then, as if nothing had happened, he walked up to Pyre. “Let’s go.” He climbed up the scales like he’d done it before and left some room in front of him for me to sit. He leaned out slightly, his hand dropped down for me to take.