A Queen of Ruin (Deliciously Dark Fairytales 4)

Pain slashed across our ankle and more stuck us in the rear haunch area, a dragon’s version of a butt cheek.

You have to get up, I told her, pulling power from Nyfain. He needed it, I knew, but we needed it more. You have to get out of here! We need Hannon to patch us up.

Vemar and Tamara fought by my side, keeping the largest force of demons off us. Lucille and Jade landed a moment later, one in front and one in back, surrounding us.

This is embarrassing, my dragon thought, forcing herself to struggle up. Blood pooled on the ground below us.

A great, thunderous roar quaked the earth, full of rage and fire and power.

Damn it—

She cut off as Nyfain reached us, the wolves quickly filling in the gaps between the other dragons and forcing space around us. He stood over us, Dolion clearly forgotten, the demon grunts of no consequence to him.

His size and intensity bore down on top of us. He growled, the sound rumbling deep in his chest.

What does he want? I asked as his power rose through us, diminishing some of the pain.

He wants us to shift. He wants to take us out of here.

She straightened herself, and I knew she was willing our body to stitch itself back together more quickly.

Nyfain growled again. He cuffed our neck with his teeth, a direct command. Shift. The pull of his power washed over us. Weakened by blood loss, we weren’t powerful enough to resist.

She yanked me up to take over as she got out of the way.

Our body reduced quickly until I wobbled where I stood, my bare feet sinking into the blood-soaked dirt.

Don’t you fall, she said.

My knees shook and my vision swam. Pain throbbed through me, and I looked down at a large gash in my side, streaming blood.

“Fuck, you idiot, that’s bad,” I said.

It’s not like you didn’t feel it that whole time. How is this my fault?

I’d find a way to blame her.

Nyfain’s dragon bent with his mouth open, his teeth coming around us, gently pinching my skin, before he lifted back up. His tongue pushed against our back, trying to make us more comfortable on his teeth. He did a few grunts and a soft growl, the vibration slithering pleasantly across my flesh. The other dragons and wolves cleared the way, and then he was running back toward the castle.

“It’s her fault,” I said, because I knew his fear that something had happened to me would turn to anger that I’d put myself in harm’s way.

Ass, my dragon thought, but didn’t push back. She liked when his dragon raged.

Tamara and Lucille kept pace with us in the air, probably ready to swoop down at a moment’s notice. But what few demons had remained outside of the main fight were running now, sprinting and yelling with wolves hot on their heels. They were lower in power, the kind that wouldn’t fight without their master forcing the issue.

Nyfain made it to the castle steps, and then I was falling.

FIFTEEN

Finley

He caught me, as I knew he would, but I wasn’t prepared for the shock of pain as I landed in his arms.

“How bad?” he asked, stalling on the steps. “Goddess help me, Finley, you’re bleeding too heavily. Fuck.”

I pressed my hand to my side as he started jogging, holding me tightly against him.

“I’m okay,” I said, and it was almost certainly true. I was sure I’d been worse than this a time or two. “Get me to the everlass house or shed or whatever your mom calls it and send someone for Hannon. He can patch this up. It’ll be fine. You need to go back to the battle.”

He cut through the castle quickly instead of going around. “There’s no need for me to go back to the battle.”

“Make sure the demons don’t scatter and plague the villages. The villages aren’t equipped to handle them.”

A woman’s voice came from the side of us. “Sire, is the princess hurt?”

I didn’t bother opening my eyes to see who’d said it. If she couldn’t answer her own question by noticing the blood dribbling over his arm and onto the ground, then I didn’t have high hopes for her brainpower.

“Find the head advisor, quickly!” he barked. “Find Hannon. Tell him to get to the everlass house. The princess needs him urgently.”

“What about Dolion?” I let my head rest against his large shoulder. “My dragon nipped him as he was teleporting. Maybe Micah was able to follow him and eventually grab him.”

“Dolion was running like a coward by the time I got to you. A dragon nip is no small thing. He couldn’t put weight on that leg. Even still, Micah was too slow to get him. Dolion’s demons were leaving, though. You ended the battle, sweetheart.” His tone was probably meant to be soft because I was hurt, but he missed the mark. I heard the anger coloring his words.