Page 77 of Brock’s Mate

Pain! Worse than before! All the darkness of the world…

The sorcerer tried to shake him off, turning his reptilian face towards Brock. There was death in his eyes.

And then a huge boom echoed through the clearing. A flash of reddish light glowed for a second all around them, and then disappeared.

The wards were down.

Brock dug his teeth into the sorcerer as he reached for Desi. Run! he screamed in his mind. Get away!

But she didn’t. The gem glowed again, and the sorcerer opened his mouth to say a spell.

Desi lunged forward, yelled out a spell word, and smashed the last crystal vial in his face.

It felt like an explosion. Brock was knocked backwards, hitting the wall. Dimly, he saw his friends running out of the woods, under fire from the dark warriors. Some of the warriors melted into wolf shape; other ones kept shooting.

Then the sorcerer began to morph and change. His body grew and elongated, breaking the roof off the porch. Great wings sprouted from his shoulders.

Holy fuck. He was a dragon.

Before anyone could stop him, he snatched Desi in his claw and took off.

Chapter 30

Summoning the last of his strength, Brock gave a mighty leap and scrambled onto the dragon’s back just before he took off. With a flap of his huge wings, they were airborne.

All four legs splayed, trying to hold on, he bit into the flesh at the base of the dragon’s wing, in hopes of keeping him from flying higher. He was weak—shattered—but he had to help Desi. Had to get her back on the ground.

The purple dragon lurched and tilted, giving a roar, and Brock dug in with his teeth. His jaw was wrenched agonizingly, but he held on.

Below him, he saw Emon leap into the air and follow them, two of his other dragons behind him. One, a red dragon, flew low and hard, trying to get underneath them.

In case he fell, Brock realized. Or the sorcerer/dragon dropped Desi.

The sorcerer/dragon dodged, almost sending Brock flying. His claws scrabbled and slid on the dragon’s scales. He caught a glimpse of the dark wolves and warriors clashing with his friends in the clearing below.

He just hoped to hell DB was able to get out in time. But there was nothing he could do to help him now.

He attacked the wing joint again, and the dragon lurched, trying to shake him off. Emon and the others were closer now. Brock didn’t know how the hell they were going to stop the purple dragon with killing him too, but it didn’t matter.

As long as they got Desi away.

Emon was beating his long black wings, rising up to get above the purple dragon. Brock could see him readying himself to attack.

Then, even higher above them, the sky opened in a huge swirling portal, and four silver-green dragons arrowed out, trumpeting in anger.

The Habakki-ur. And they were aimed for the battle, flaming as they went.

Emon hesitated for a split second, and then headed back to intercept the Habakki-ur. The red dragon—Zakerek—stayed with Brock and Desi, until one of the green dragons broke off to follow them.

He turned to defend them—and the purple dragon flew on.

They were on their own.

The purple dragon was crazed, radiating pain and fury. He must have been bound in that half-human form, Brock realized. And it was somehow linked to his ability to cause pain. The sudden release of the binding had driven him mad with agony.

Brock could feel Desi, in the dragon’s claw. She was gathering in the dragon’s pain, he realized. Holding it away from Brock, knowing he couldn’t take any more without passing out and falling off.

But she was reaching her limit. And if she gave the pain back to the dragon, he might drop her. Or just tighten his claw and crush her to jelly.