Page 244 of Scales ’N’ Spells: Volume Two

The cry was like nothing else the world had ever experienced, not since the Dragon War. It echoed through the air, a tidal wave of sound rich with the promise of destruction. On instinct, every human in the vicinity cried out in panic and immediately turned to run, desperate for cover, or escape.

Except for Thomas Jaeggi.

He stood facing Gunter with an obstinate expression as he clung to Nikki like they were the only shield in existence that could keep him alive. And maybe so. At least until Gunter figured out how to pry his mate loose while at the same time eating the bastard.

“You think you’re going to kill me?” Thomas raged, his face turning a bright shade of red. He laughed, the ugly sound taking on a maniacal frantic edge. “You touch me and I will kill your mate.” Thomas squeezed Nikki’s throat tighter and Nikki gasped, clawing at Thomas’s hand with both of theirs.

Nikki’s pain and raw anger poured through Gunter. “Jaeggi scum! Release them! Release my mate!”

“How long can a dragon last after his mate has died?”

“Long enough to see every last Jaeggi wiped from the face of the Earth,” Gunter snarled.

“Thomas!”

Gunter reluctantly tore his gaze away from the leader of the Jaeggi to see a half dozen Jaeggi mages running toward them, offering support. He drew in a breath to release another roar of dragon fire at them, but one mage was already casting. He’d acted too late, and now he was trapped in the cage that had trapped them when Alric had raced to Cameron.

Electricity sizzled through scales and sliced into his wings. He roared in pain, and an answering scream rang out from Nikki. The more Gunter struggled, the more the cage cut into him.

“I’ve got him!” Cameron shouted from close by, and Gunter nearly wept with relief.

Mages from Burkhard and the other clans fired back spells and hammered at the Jaeggi as Cameron untangled the nasty weave of magic caging Gunter.

It took only a moment for the last of the spell to fall away, but that moment was long enough to push his Nikki over the edge. The mage slammed their elbow as hard as they could into Thomas’s stomach. The head mage grunted and hunched over, loosening their hold enough for Nikki to break free. Twisting, the mage kicked him as hard as they could square in the dick, sending Thomas howling to his knees.

With a wild grin, Nikki ran toward Gunter. “Now!” they shouted before dropping into an impressive slide that carried their slim body into cover under Gunter’s. He didn’t hesitate. Gunter let lose another roar of dragon fire that hammered the six mages and Thomas Jaeggi. Beside him, Alric joined in, enveloping the small group in fire so hot it blazed bright white.

Five of the six mages got their magic shield up in time, wrapping it around Thomas to protect him. The poor soul who was a shade too slow was reduced to a black smudge on the scorched earth.

Nikki flung both arms around Gunter’s neck, holding on tightly. “I’m alright, I’m alright.”

Gunter folded his wings around them, wincing against the fresh wounds created by the damn cage. It didn’t matter. He had his Nikki back, and he was never letting them out of his sight again. “You might be, but I’m not,” Gunter growled back. “You are never doing something like this again.”

“Not going to argue with you there.” Nikki grinned. “Thomas?”

“Alive, unfortunately.” But it wouldn’t be for much longer. The leader of the Jaeggi had no escape. His only hope was to take out as many mages and dragons with him as he could.

Nikki placed a hand on Gunter’s snout, caressing his gleaming red scales. There was a seriousness in their eyes he rarely saw. “Then let’s finish this. For all mages and dragons.”

Gunter pulled back his wings, allowing his stunning mate to step forward. The night sky was alight in a brilliant display of flashing colors and burning buildings as mages battled mages. Dragons swarmed the sky, their brilliant scales of green, blue, red, white, and grey flashing and sparkling in the light. The world had not seen a sight as this in five hundred years.

There was a flash of emerald green, and four enormous earth dragons slammed into the main square of the town. Around them, buildings trembled and crumbled, collapsing without being touched.

Fire dragons swooped across, raining fire on everything in their path, while sparkling white dragons followed, coating everything in crystalline ice.

Grey dragons raged and hammered into anything that moved, their steel-like scales protecting them from harm.

On the perimeter of the town in brilliant streaks of blue were the wind dragons, herding up any Jaeggi who tried to escape the net.

And in front of them, the man who’d tormented them all, who was directly responsible for the pain of their clanmates. A glittering gold shield formed a dome over Thomas and his mages, protecting them from dragon fire and magical harm. But it wouldn’t last. They all knew it. The Jaeggi had no ability to power the shield for long. Not without stealing more magical energy. Their broken, fractured magical cores couldn’t hold out for long. It was just a matter of waiting for their batteries to run out.

But no one wanted to wait.

They wanted vengeance now for all the dragons who had been lost in the war. For all the mages who’d been kidnapped, tortured, drained, and killed over the centuries. The living and the dead deserved peace at last.

“Hey, Nikki,” Cameron called.

Gunter looked over to find the mage had climbed down from his perch on Alric and was standing beside the dragon. In the consort’s hands were a glowing ball and prepared elements just waiting for a final shove from the mage. Gunter knew that spell, and he grinned toothily.