Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 129584 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 648(@200wpm)___ 518(@250wpm)___ 432(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129584 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 648(@200wpm)___ 518(@250wpm)___ 432(@300wpm)
But he was here now, pulling energy from Ravi to support his magic.
To fight the Jaeggi.
Fuck. Ravi needed to find his mate, now.
“Ravi? Are you okay?” Nikki asked, reaching for him.
“Yep, but we’ve got to move, now. My family is definitely here and needs our help.”
With his jeans held in place with his left hand, Ravi grabbed Nikki’s hand and pulled them behind him. He eased out the door and looked both ways down the hall. The area was empty of people. Lines of doors identical to his ran down both sides of the hall, but all was silent except for the low sounds of battle and the shake of the earth. Probably the earth dragons.
“Right,” Nikki called out behind him, but he didn’t need the instruction. He could smell the faintest hint of fresh air. The way out.
Ravi paused and looked down at the long line of doors. He didn’t know who else was down here. Trapped mages clinging to life, assuming any of them were still alive after the Jaeggi’s draining sessions. He didn’t want to leave anyone behind, but they needed to take care of the Jaeggi first. Shoving away from the door, Ravi promised himself that they would search every inch of this compound to make sure every imprisoned mage was set free.
Moving briskly down the corridor, Ravi tried to keep Nikki behind him so he could protect the young mage should they encounter any Jaeggi. Free of the manacles, he could technically shift now, but with the low ceiling and narrow hallway it would have been difficult to move quickly.
“The moment we get outside, I want you to stay close. I’m going to shift into my dragon form.”
At least as a dragon, he’d be in a better position to fight back. He glanced over his shoulder to see excitement shining on Nikki’s face rather than fear.
“Will I get to see you fly?”
Ravi grinned. “You’re going to fly with me. I need to keep you away from the Jaeggi.”
Nikki put their fist into the air and started moving a little faster.
Another right turn and they reached a parking area filled with cars and frantically running Jaeggi. Not one paid any attention to him and Nikki. They were all looking to escape. He would deal with them later. First, he needed to find Sora, to let his family know he was safe.
At the far end of a parking area, the road sloped upward and sunlight poured down. The wind gusted through the parking area and danced around Ravi as if it was glad to see him. Ravi breathed it in, ignoring the hints of smoke and gasoline fumes. Hitching his pants up higher, he pulled Nikki along the outskirts of the parking garage, steering clear of the Jaeggi. They flitted from one car to the next, using them for cover as they moved. That worked until they reached the gangway. With no cover to be had, they went with the only option left.
They ran for it.
The second Ravi stepped clear of the underground bunker, he stopped worrying about the borrowed pants falling down around his ankles. In fact, all worries left him, along with the power of speech. He was faced with absolute chaos, dragon-style.
The sky was filled with dragons. Brilliant deep-red fire dragons soared, directing geysers of flames. A pair of deep blues streaked by, blasting gusts of wind strong enough to knock fleeing Jaeggi mages off their feet. A few ice dragons sparkled white like newly fallen snow, sending down solid spikes of ice like spears.
In the middle of the field, spells were being thrown back and forth like colorful bursts from Roman candles. The smoke was getting thick, but Ravi thought he saw a mix of green and grey dragons surrounding a red dragon.
Alric.
His king was there in his dragon form, fighting for him.
He needed to get into the air. It was the only way to reach his people, to get a clear view of what was happening. And, most importantly, the fastest way to locate Sora.
He didn’t even need to reach for his dragon. Barely thought it and he was changing, so fast his muscles screamed in protest. Didn’t matter. He turned and found Nikki staring at him with their mouth hanging open.
“Whoa…”
“Yep. Let’s go for a ride. Hold on.” Ravi snatched the mage up in one hand and leapt into the air, flapping his wings as fast as he could to gain altitude. He called on the wind, lifting him higher into the air.
The chaos looked even worse from the air, but it gave him the most glorious sight in the world. Sora, his mate, was aglow with magic, his dark hair whipping around him like it was a living creature snapping Sora’s rage. Sora was here. Sora was here. Oh, yes, his mate was here!