Page 39 of Real Scale Blazer
Blue fire erupted from his jaws, melting the nearest creatures to steam. But where they fell, more rose from the ice itself, their movements unnaturally coordinated.
“They’re drawing power from the glacier!” Quinn shouted, ducking another swipe. “We need to—Kai, your left!”
Three creatures flanked him while he focused forward. Their claws raked across his scales, drawing steam where they broke through his natural armor. Pain lanced down his side, but he forced it aside. His tail swept them away, but more advanced.
Quinn’s scientific mind visibly raced. “The ridge!” She pointed to the unstable slope above. “If we trigger an avalanche, we might bury them AND cut off their power source!”
His dragon recognized the tactical brilliance of her plan. He moved to implement it—just as a creature blindsided Quinn. Its frozen claws caught her jacket, dragging her toward a deep crevasse.
Terror unlike anything he’d known in nine centuries of life seized his heart.
“Let go, you oversized icicle!” Quinn struck out with her pickaxe, but the ice creature’s grip held firm. Her boots scraped against ground as it pulled her closer to the edge. Through its crystalline body, the bottomless crack in the glacier gaped like a hungry mouth.
Kai’s roar of fury shook the mountains. He lunged for her, but more creatures swarmed him, holding him back with supernatural strength. Steam rose where their frozen forms met his heated scales.
The edge crumbled under Quinn’s feet. Her eyes met his as she began to fall, terror replacing her usual confidence.
“Kai!”
THIRTY
His name on her lips ignited something primal in his soul. Power exploded from him in a wave of blue fire that incinerated the creatures holding him back. His tail shot out, wrapping around her waist as she plummeted into darkness.
He yanked her to safety, curling her against his scaled side where she clung, trembling. His wings formed a protective cage around her as he faced the remaining creatures.
“The avalanche,” she gasped against him. “It’s our only chance.”
Her brilliant mind still worked even in terror. Pride and affection surged through him as he coiled for action. In one explosive movement, he launched them skyward. His tail slammed into the ridge with devastating force.
The world turned to chaos.
The avalanche roared down like nature’s fury unleashed. Snow and rock thundered past as he sheltered Quinn with his body. The creatures’ otherworldly shrieks were cut off one by one as tons of ice buried them.
When silence finally fell, Kai landed unsteadily. Blood streamed from multiple wounds where their claws had piercedhis scales. The transformation back to human form sent fresh waves of pain through him.
“You’re hurt.” Quinn caught him as he stumbled, her own terror forgotten. “Why didn’t you say something, you stubborn lizard? Here, sit down before you fall down.”
“Had to keep you safe first.” His voice emerged rough with pain and a lingering dragon growl.
“I didn’t ask you to get hurt for me.” She slung off the pack still on her back and dug through it for medical supplies, hands shaking slightly. Her scientific detachment cracked as she cleaned his wounds, revealing genuine concern beneath.
“No.” He caught her hand as she worked on a particularly deep gash. “You never have to ask. Protecting you isn’t a choice—it’s as natural as breathing.”
The raw honesty in his voice made her pause. She looked up to find his eyes had shifted to molten gold, fixed on her face with an intensity that stole her breath.
“I could have handled it,” she muttered, but her usual defiance lacked conviction.
“Could you?” His other hand cupped her cheek, thumb brushing over the small cuts left by the ice shards. “Because watching you fall...” His voice roughened. “Quinn, I?—”
Kai’s attempt at leaning toward her made him wince in pain. “Perhaps we could focus on getting back to the palace before more creatures appear?”
Quinn sobered at that. As they gathered their equipment, Kai caught Quinn stealing glances at him, worry evident in her eyes despite her attempts to hide it.
“I’m fine,” he assured her softly.
“You’re bleeding from multiple magical ice-monster wounds.” She hefted her pack with more force than necessary. “That’s pretty much the opposite of fine.”
“Worth it to keep you safe.”