Page 42 of Consumed By Fire
No! It can’t be. It isn’t him. I’m being paranoid.
I look back, seeing the four Reds move in on Octane. I am too far away to make out any features of any individual dragon or hear them roar, but I can still see that Octane is in trouble. They will kill him. They are going to do it. He doesn’t stand a chance.
I falter.
I can’t leave him. I have to go back. I have to help him, even if it means having to go with them…with Titan. If Octane dies trying to save me, I’ll never forgive myself. I turn and start to fly. I’m not going to make it in time.
No!
I roar, but they ignore me. It’s that, or I’m still too far away. I should never have let him stay.
Octane!
No!
I’m getting close enough to hear the battle roars. The yips of excitement the four males are making. The closer I get, the more I recognize the fourth dragon…but it can’t be. Perhaps a cousin or…his younger brother, perhaps. Igor and Titan always spoke of a younger brother. I never met him; this must be him.
The five dragons collide, the Reds ripping into Octane, who rakes his claws across Titan’s chest, opening him up from his chin to his belly. One of the others has his jaws clamped on Octane’s left wing.
Octane bellows in pain, striking back by twisting his body and gouging the offender with his claws. He uses his tail to swipe at the other two, who have come at him from behind.
The dragon with Octane’s wing in his mouth lets go, screaming in pain as the gash on its chest starts spouting blood.
Octane starts falling. He tumbles through the air, trying to get his broken wing to work and failing.
Nooooooooooo!
I roar and realize my mistake instantly when the dragons focus on me. I hover in one place, letting out a whimper when Octane hits the ground below. He crashes through trees. He hits hard, so hard that dust puffs up in a cloud.
No! Please, no!
Then something unexpected happens. The four dragons with their sights set on me turn and flee. They fly hard and fast.
I turn and see six dragons making for us. Six Draigers and they are a sight for sore eyes. I whine, diving for Octane.
Please let him be okay. Please!
I swoop down and mewl when I see that he has shifted back into his human form. That isn’t good at all. It means that he is gravely injured or— No, I refuse to believe that he is dead. His leg is at an odd angle, and there is blood…so much blood. Octane looks broken.
I screech, but he doesn’t respond. Then I land and shift. It takes time. It’s maddening.
My heart is pounding in my chest as I rush to Octane’s side, dropping to my knees to check on his vitals. His breathing is shallow, and he’s losing a lot of blood from a deep gash on his side, but he is alive. His heart is still beating.
Thank god!
The Draiger pack lands behind us, and I hear shifting as I gently murmur Octane’s name.
“Get away from him, Red!” the female dragon, Shadow, growls at me. “Do it now, or I swear to god, I will tear you limb from limb.”
“Get away from him,” a human female repeats the demand. She is dressed in leathers and sitting astride a dragon. I see several more humans, all dressed the same. They’re dragon riders. Sky Wardens, and we used to have them too, but that was many moons ago. Long before my time.
“I didn’t do this,” I say, getting to shaky feet.
“Move! Now!” Shadow snarls.
“You heard our leader,” another male snarls. I think his name is Devil. His eyes are a bright blue and narrowed on me. “Move!”
“I didn’t hurt him, it was—”