I wished I could do more to help, wanted to scream at the humans that the dragons weren’t here to harm but to protect. At least Tilly and me. Azar and Ryezan would have no issue decimating a threat to their mates.
And right now I couldn’t have cared less if they laid waste to all those who meant us harm.
I focused on Tilly, her shock keeping her in place as she stared off with the rushing barrage of humans storming forward.
I was screaming her name over and over again, but I knew she couldn’t hear me, not when it was clear by her expression she was lost in her own head. The Pit kept advancing, nocking arrows and letting them fly. A few landed in Ryezan, and he roared, his thick tail moving back and forth, the barb at the end a deadly weapon keeping everyone back.
Ryezan let out a stream of fire, liquid heat arcing through the sky. I was behind him and far enough away that I shouldn’t have been able to feel the heat… but fates, I did.
I felt bile rise up in my throat as some of the humans caught fire, their screams filling the air before they dropped to the ground and started rolling and slapping at their arms and legs to put out the flames.
More arrows were nocked and sailed through the air. I heard Tilly scream and stared in horror as an arrow was sticking out of her thigh, the material of her pant leg already turning crimson.
Azar lifted me off the ground and lunged for Tilly, and I knew he was seconds away from grabbing her and taking both of us to safety. But Ryezan snapped his massive head in her direction, peeling his mouth from his teeth, and roared a warning to Azar. Ryezan was in front of Tilly a second later, the rage-energy seething off Ryezan as he placed his big body in front of hers and faced off with Azar.
No. This would be a fight to the death as they each tried to protect their mates.
“No, Azar!” I screamed. “He won’t hurt her. He’s protecting her.” I was yelling so loud and hard my throat burned. “Don’t engage.” Because the truth was, I didn’t know who would come out the victor in this fight.
Ryezan gave another gut-wrenching roar, and Azar moved backward, his forelegs wrapped around me protectively, like a shield. I could see from this vantage point that although Ryezan was between Azar and Tilly, he used his tail to protect the other side of her—where the Pit humans were still coming.
It was clear that only when Azar was far enough back for Ryezan’s comfort, did he feel safe and turned and faced Tilly. My friend was staring up at him with those same huge eyes she’d had since everything had gone down. And when Ryezan leaned down and nuzzled the side of her body, mindful of the arrow sticking out of her thigh, I felt something clench in my chest.
Ryezan only wants to protect her.
There was this clarity covering Tilly's face. She’s not afraid of the Draco dragon. At all. She was just looking up at the beast’s visage, an almost content expression covering her face. There were more arrows sailing through the air, some hitting Ryezan, but his big body kept any and all from hitting Tilly.
And it was clear he didn’t care that he had numerous arrows sticking out of his back and flank. His entire focus was on Tilly. I watched as Leland and Bryce were the first to rush Ryezan, but with one swipe of his massive barbed tail, he knocked the two assholes away so hard they flew across the field and landed on the ground I swore I heard bones crack.
Good, let those assholes suffer.
Ryezan tipped his head back and blew a stream of fire out, high enough it didn’t reach the humans. They were smart enough not to advance and kept their distance.
And then I was in the air, my body clutched to Azar’s chest, my arms dangling down from the force, as if I were still reaching for my friend, and I screamed her name. I couldn’t be mad at Azar for wanting to get me out of there. I’d wanted out of there as well, but I wanted to take Tilly with me.
And before we were too far in the distance, I felt my eyes widen in shock as Tilly lifted her arms up to Ryezan, wrapped them around one of his forelegs, and held on as he took flight with her. He was taking Tilly with him and was flying in the opposite direction of where Azar was taking us. I wanted to scream for her again, but my voice was lodged in my throat.
Because she clung to Ryezan like he was her lifeline, and I knew without a doubt—somehow—that she was his lifeline.