I knew Ryezan would come for her if he knew she was with us, but that was a chance we’d have to take, and I knew that if Tilly didn’t want to go, Azar and I would fight anyone and anything that came for her.
She stared right into my eyes, not speaking, her expression and body hard to read all of a sudden. And then she licked her lips and glanced up at the sky. I followed her gaze, but I saw nothing.
“Tilly?” I whispered, waiting until she glanced back at me before holding out my hand a little bit more.
“I’ve seen a dragon, Emma,” she whispered, and I saw the movement of her hand tighten around the handle of her tool. “He looks just like that one.” She tipped her chin toward Azar. “But it’s different. It looks dangerous, and I know I should be scared, but…” She didn't finish speaking and went back to looking at the sky.
Of course I wasn’t about to bring up the whole Ryezan situation or what I’d learned about that. I wanted her away from the Pit so she was safe before I could tell her the truth. And I would, but the longer we stayed here, the more chances there were for us to be found.
“Tilly, we have to go now. Trust me.”
She darted her gaze to Azar again, then back to me before looking at the field. I saw her body tense and followed her line of vision to see several of the field workers looking in our direction and pointing.
And then I heard the yelling and saw a horde of humans rushing.
Oh gods.
Azar made a low rumble of warning behind me, and I hissed out, “Now, Tilly. We need to leave now.”
She nodded and dropped her tool before rushing toward me, but when I heard a familiar sound in the air—wings flapping—followed by a vicious roar, I knew things had just gone from bad to worse.
Ryezan was here.
Azar had his tail wrapped around my abdomen instantly and pulled me in close to his chest. I still had my arms out, my hands outstretched to Tilly, who couldn’t seem to take her focus off the sky. Her eyes looked massive in her too-pale face, and her mouth was open in shock.
I could still hear the horde of humans running toward us, saw Bryce and Leland leading them. Those bastards. There was no way they would miss out on the violence, not with their dark, corrupted souls.
I could feel Azar tensing further behind me and knew he was about to take flight, but Tilly wasn’t anywhere near me. I couldn’t leave without her. I wouldn’t.
“No.” I almost screamed that lone word out, and I felt Azar still against my much smaller body. “I’m not leaving without Tilly.” My voice was firm, and I looked over my shoulder and up at him. He was watching me, one of his giant eyes unblinking, the dark pool so dark that it showed my reflection.
And then the great black-scaled dragon was swooping down and landing his huge body several feet from where Tilly stood… right between her and the rushing horde of humans. The very ground shock from his hard landing, his wings spread out as they moved up and down, the gust of wind fierce and vicious enough that if I hadn’t been pressed to Azar, I would have stumbled back from the force.
Tilly was now looking at Ryezan, her body seeming locked in this stony composure. And then when Ryezan looked over at her, their gazes holding, I knew without a doubt there was no way I could take her from him. There was no way he’d let me.
He’d come for his mate. Just like Azar had come for me.
Ryezan turned back toward the threat and roared out again and again, loud enough I wanted to cover my ears as they rang in pain. But the humans were stupid, led by Bryce and Leland, their weapons raised, their expressions violent. I’d never seen so many of the Pit guards together, all of them rushing toward us with harmful intent. It was like a wave of bodies. Although they seemed tiny compared to Dragao and Draco dragons—even when the dragons were in human form—there were so many of them that I was afraid they’d be able to use it to their advantage and inflict serious harm.
I was trying to get to Tilly, but Azar had a viselike grip on me. I wasn't thinking clearly, only wanting to go to my friend and get us out of danger. Azar positioned his body in front of mine, using it as a shield to protect me from any arrows that came too close. But I could still see around his dragon’s body, still watch in horror at the events that unfolded.