Page 97 of The Dragon Queen

The music suddenly stopped, going from an ethereal harmony to nothing at all. It was so abrupt it made me stop in my tracks, suddenly alone in the sea of fireflies, a warning in my heart that I couldn’t explain. The music always played at different volumes throughout the day, but there had never been a time when it just…stopped.

I changed my direction and headed toward the clearing that surrounded the Great Tree, the place that was bigger than before because of all the trees that had fallen to fire. The stumps had been removed so the ground was flat, the only sign of intrusion, the patches of dirt around the areas where grass should be.

I moved through the fireflies as I approached the tree, squinting in the dark when I saw the movement of a shadow.

My breath went still in my mouth and lungs. That warning I felt in my heart burned hotter. Now I was aware of how alone I was…without a sword. But a rush of courage came forth, and I moved closer, the base of the tree becoming more distinct the closer we came.

That’ was when I saw the guards dead on the ground. There were four of them altogether, two of them with slit throats, and two others that had put up some kind of fight. A lone figure remained, dressed in midnight-blue armor with a black capethat fell down his wide shoulders. He stood before the tree where the door would appear at Riviana’s command.

I let out an involuntary gasp.

The man turned his head slightly, his blond hair visible, his chiseled jawline. Slowly, he turned more fully, his handsome features becoming more visible, a threatening stare in his eyes. He halted when he saw me, eyes far too beautiful for such an evil person.

Our eyes locked.

He studied me with a sour burn in his eyes, anger so potent it came directly from the underworld. He pivoted his body, reached across his back for the hilt of his sword, and then unsheathed it as he stepped off the wooden dais of the Great Tree and came toward me. “I know your face.”

“And I know your name—Bahamut.” My voice came out strong despite my terror. In the middle of the forest without a weapon for my defense, I was faced with the God of the Underworld, a being that had somehow crossed the barrier from his world to ours.

He moved toward me, his cape flowing behind him, the sword he carried so big it looked like it weighed more than me. “A contract is binding. The debt must be repaid. If I can’t have his soul, then I will take yours.”

I could scream for help and someone would hear, but would that someone be enough to make a difference? Talon was too far away, lost in the land of dreams, while I suffered a nightmare. So I pushed my mind to the only person that could challenge a god.Khazmuda, help me!

His mind immediately responded like he hadn’t been asleep. The fear in my voice must have been so substantial that he didn’t ask a series of questions.Where?

The Great Tree.

Bahamut made his move and slammed his blade down into the earth.

On instinct alone, I rolled out of the way and missed the blade by a hair.

He came at me again, swiping the blade right through my torso.

I missed it again, but only because I tripped and rolled back. The second my knees hit the earth, I crawled away as far as I could. “Shit.”

He moved over me again.

Without thinking twice about it, I slammed my boots right into his groin.

He released a growl like a struck dog and stumbled back.

I got to my feet and ran for my life.

“You think you can run from a god?” He chased me, the sound of his heavy body audible as it moved across the grass.

I ran faster than I ever had, pushing my body to speeds it wasn’t capable of. Perhaps it was because I didn’t carry armor or a sword that allowed me to move like the wind. Now I was grateful I wasn’t armed because there was no chance I could duel him anyway.

“Rooooaaaaaaarrrrrrr!”

I lost my footing and fell, slamming hard into the earth. All my muscles screamed because of the collision. Bahamut’s steps became louder as he descended on me. I forced myself up, but I tried to move too hard and fast and stumbled again.

Thud.

Darkness blanketed me as the sky disappeared.

“Rooooaaaaaaarrrrrrrrr!”

I looked up to see Khazmuda’s scales that covered his belly. The terror that gripped my throat faded when I felt his protection, but I knew the danger wasn’t over. I crawled to his chest then squatted, seeing Bahamut standing before him with his sword at his side, looking up at the mighty dragon who protected me with his talons and scales, his fire and his threat.