A Queen of Ruin (Deliciously Dark Fairytales 4)

Adrenaline started to throb in me as more dragons took flight. I saw Hannon standing on the deck of the second ship, and I knew he had his new double-edged axe and dagger tucked into a sheath and harness on his person. He’d been training, and those weapons had proven his most effective. But he wouldn’t be joining the wolves. I’d made Nyfain promise to make Hannon stay behind. It was Hannon who had insisted our family come, anyway. He could stay in safety and make sure they didn’t get up to mischief.

You’re treating Hannon like Nyfain and Arleth are treating you, my dragon thought as Nyfain roared. He pumped his wings and rose a bit so the other dragons could assemble into their formations, doing large laps around the ships. They needed to wait for the last of the first wave dragons.

And it is fine for me to forcefully protect my family and not fine for them. I am a very firm believer in certain double standards. Hannon can’t come to any harm. He is the glue of our family. He needs to stay safe.

And we are the glue of the kingdom, especially if we’re with child. I think Nyfain and Arleth have a very good point about what our duty is now.

No one asked you.

My dragon huffed as the last dragons found their formation. With another roared command from Nyfain’s dragon, it was time to unleash our secret weapon.

Calia and her sister slowly rose into the sky, gripping their harnesses tightly even though they were thoroughly strapped in. Their hair blew in the wind from their dragons’ wings.

I was excited on their behalf, for the thrill and the flight and the impending battle. It probably made one of us.

I hoped we wouldn’t need them, though. I hoped this was just a precaution and they could return to the ship quickly. They didn’t seem to savor violence.

What if the demons have that magic where fire won’t work? I don’t think Calia can help with that, especially from a distance, I said to my dragon, a question I hadn’t thought to raise earlier. My mind had been on other matters. Like the euphoria.

Then the dragons land and physically destroy their whole world. They are all great at fighting on the ground now. They’ll figure out how to fight on a ship. We got this. With Calia to make flying safe, we got this.

She was right. I knew she was right. But I worried ten times as much when I had to watch the action unfold without being able to negate the threat myself.

Nyfain pushed forward, and my dragon was right there with him, following Calia and her sister. Calia would dictate the speed of their initial approach by pulling on cords attached to the dragon above her.

Here we go, I thought, my heart speeding up.

We could clearly see the demons as they scurried across the top deck of the targeted ship. Flaps in the sides of the ships opened and barrels surged forward, the cannons being readied. Oh yeah, they were gunning for us.

Calia’s escort slowed and then angled a bit, no longer heading straight for the ship. As I watched, I saw Calia yank the cord on her right, prompting the dragon to angle a bit more. She was guiding him in an arc around the ship, which suggested she felt magic that would affect him and didn’t want to go for a swim.

Dessia’s dragon got closer to the other, as close as she could. Calia and her sister’s magic worked better in close proximity to each other.

The other ship continued to close the distance, demons racing across the deck. Cannons popped out, still out of range but not far now. They could hit us from there with blind luck, but pretty soon they’d be in range for better targeting.

Come on, come on, I thought. Get that magic down.

The dragon carrying Calia flapped his wings wildly for a moment, tilting and dropping in the air.

I surged up near the surface of my dragon, desperate to go to their aid but trying to stay out of it.

As if knowing my struggle, Nyfain’s dragon cut in front of us, blocking the way. Micah pushed forward, intent on helping, but Calia’s hands dropped and the dragon regained flight. He rose into the sky, the signal that all was clear.

She’d broken the spell.

Nyfain’s dragon stalled a moment, his tail swinging around and lightly bumping against my dragon’s neck. It slid up delicately, an intimate touch, before he surged forward. His roar vibrated through us. Attack!

Heart hammering, my dragon pulled up, clearing away. The dragons behind us followed Nyfain in perfect formation, descending on the ship like falling stars. The dragons dove and spouted flame before soaring away, making room for the next wave. Hair and skin and clothes caught fire. Wood began to burn. Sails went up.