by Aaron Crash
Steven and Tessa locked eyes. “AnimusChain.” Both said it at the same time.
It was the magic they could use to build wards to keep their families safe.
Two heads on the Dragonsoul skill tree? Was that even possible? Steven wasn’t sure.
Sabina gulped in a breath. “Three Dragonsoul females. A trinity of death. Crystalline, dark purple, dark green, and we will not be able to withstand them.”
The green light faded from Sabina’s eyes.
Steven wondered how much of that was in the past and how much was the future. Either way, it was probably best if they didn’t tarry. “Let’s just finish looking around. Tessa, you and Sabina stay here and look for the book. Aria, Mouse, you’re with me.”
“Leave the blind girl to do the searching,” Mouse said with a look of displeasure. “That’s smart.” She winced. “Sorry, sorry, sorry. I’m such a snark addict.”
Steven pulled her in and kissed her. Her naked skin felt so good on his.
They turned and walked down the balcony. They found multiple bedrooms, each more lavish than the next. Every single one faced the eastern ocean. Instead of a wall, that side was open to let the air in and to give each a room an amazing view. The clouds had taken over the skies and a misty rain fell. But that rain fell against an invisible force field that kept the elements out.
Steven walked over. Since the upside-down church tapered to a point, and he was inside a room at the wide base, he had an unimpeded view of the ancient abbey and the ocean surrounding the island. Breathtaking. Finally, he turned away from the amazing views. As much as he wanted to, he didn’t have time to enjoy the scenery. He glanced around, scanning high and low for the book—or any other insight that might help with his inevitable battle against Rahaab.
The beds were ornate pieces of art. Fountains burbled in the rooms, probably fed by a cistern that captured the rains. There were fireplaces as well for when the weather turned cold.
Every room was deserted in that impossible library in the sky. No dragons. No humans. But he did find the master bedroom where Rahaab most likely slept. Next to the giant oak canopied bed frame, on huge nightstands, lay piles of coins: copper, silver, gold, and platinum. Steven walked over and picked up a gold piece to inspect. A face was imprinted on it along with Latin script. Ancient gold coins, just lying around?
He walked around to the front of the bed, where there were two small coffers and a big chest. Inside, more coins, some new American Eagle coins with liberty on the front. Steven turned into his half-dragon form and picked up one of the coffers. He was already stealing a book. Might as well take some gold as well. Rahaab already wanted him dead. Adding more fuel to the fire wouldn’t matter.
He walked by the bathroom, which was a sea of marble around a tub that could accommodate at least three people if not four—assuming you got a little creative. A metal staircase wound up to the roof. Steven would’ve liked to go up there and check out the views, but he had the third volume of his father’s spell book to find, and they were running out of time.
There were three rooms for women: bottles of perfume, mirrors, makeup, closets full of clothes, and books scattered here and there.
Sabina had mentioned the trinity of death. Well, Steven and his Escort had fought a Terror Trio before. What was one more?
Bottom line, the floating palace was deserted. The guards were dead. Now, all they had to do was find the book and get out.
Back on the balcony, Tessa held the pen over her head.
A bookcase slowly faded into existence on the wall across from them, near the bottom of the library near the antechamber. A book blossomed with rainbow light that matched the pen as it grew luminous in Tessa’s hand.
Steven let the coffer of coins drop to the floor. He flung himself off the balcony, becoming a dragon in midair. The cathedral was wide enough to accommodate his wings with room to spare, but the staircases were everywhere. He would have to do some seriously fancy flying. And shifting.
He turned human to fall through a latticework of steps and then was back in his dragon shape to weave around a platform. His wing brushed a lamp, and it fell on its side. He was then at the bookcase. He transformed into his human form and latched onto a ladder near the book, which radiated rainbow light.
He plucked the third volume out of the bookcase, a surge of joy and fierce pride washing through him.
Right until three women emerged from the antechamber. A woman with black skin, a woman with brown skin, and a woman with skin like porcelain. All had dark hair. All had expressionless faces.
No surprise. No hatred. No fear.
Just cool dark eyes that fell on the intruders like a hammer blow.
The Trinity of Death had arrived. And they looked far more deadly than the Terror Trio ever had.
Worse, they hadn’t come alone. Dozens of Dragonskins charged out of the bedrooms to attack Steven’s Escort on the balcony.
Steven turned into a dragon and flew off the ladder. He hurled the book like an outfielder throwing out a runner at third base. “Tessa! Catch!”
ELEVEN
Mouse was amazed at Tessa’s catch. The barista plucked the book out of the air. In the same motion, she stuck it into her leather satchel like the smoothest of criminals. Or a Colorado Rockies shortstop—one that would be traded to a better team once the season ended. Such was the fate of all good Rockies players.
Mouse, Tessa, Aria, and Sabina found themselves surrounded by Dragonskins. The Trinity of Rahaab’s wives down below looked tough, but first things first—she had to deal with the monstrous dragon men. They must’ve come from the roof of the upside-down library.
“Fuck this shit!” Mouse drew the Slayer Blade—the sound of metal rasping against leather carried in the air. Little blonde woman. Big fucking sword.
The Dragonskins around them were different than the lackeys they’d fought before in the courtyard of the church. These had thicker scales, beefier tails, longer talons, and more pronounced snouts overflowing with teeth. Each had a polished leather band across their chest with a symbol on it—a stylized red cross inside a white circle. They wielded a collection of medieval weapons from lightning flails to flaming polearms to morning-star maces that exuded a poisonous green mist, and each weapon was imbued with Exhalant-type powers.
Mouse, Aria, and Tessa all backed up against Sabina, ready to shield the blind woman against the incoming dragon dickheads.
“Fuck this shit!” Mouse yelled again.
“What about your biscuits?” Tessa shouted.
“Fuck my biscuits.” Mouse hurled the Slayer Blade, and it slammed into the chest of an encroaching Dragonskin with obsidian fangs. A swell of Animus filled her from the sudden and brutal kill. She turned into her partial dragon form, then opened her mouth wide to bathe two more in lightning. Scales blew off their bodies and they danced a jig, jolted by her ElectroArc Exhalant.
Tessa fired her Peacekeepers into the oncoming mob of Dragonskins; the dragon-slaying bullets flashed pink as they left the muzzle.
Aria, in her partial form, whipped dragon men back with her tail. She clawed through another before letting out a lungful of flames. She fried up two Dragonskins in front of her like they were chicken wings left too long on the BBQ. She’d cleared her attackers in seconds. “I’m going to go help Steven.”
Before anyone could argue with her, Aria leapt off the balcony, wings flaring wide. She was their best flier, hands down, so she could maneuver around the staircases and platforms with ease. Also, she was slender, so she could thread her way through the obstacles.
Mouse left Tessa to protect Sabina and rolled across the floor. The blonde pulled the Slayer Blade out of the dead dragon man, dark crimson glistening on the blade. Whirling, she cast an amber-color shield spell just as an arrow threatened to strike her in the face. Wow, casting spells while fighting. She had leveled up.
The shield stopped arrows, but not a dagger-like red missile, which broke through her forced field as though
it were made of gas-station toilet paper. The magic knife sizzled into her side, cutting through her scales. Great, these fuckers could cast spells, too. Figured.
“Sabina!” Mouse thundered as she beheaded one Dragonskin, dodged the jagged tip of a burning spear, then hacked off an arm of an attacker. “I need shield support.” Another arrow clattered off Mouse’s shield, as did a wicked half-moon battle-axe, but a second glowing knife of crimson energy slammed into her thigh. “And I need healing!”
“I’m low on Animus,” Sabina yelled. “Sorry!”
Tessa had emptied one pistol and pulled the other one. She thrust it into Sabina’s hand. What the hell? Giving the blind girl a gun?
“Bad idea!” Mouse shouted. She danced around an incoming sword blade, narrowly deflected the thrust of a razor-tipped spear, then dove beneath a horizontal axe slash. Shit, there were just so many attackers.
A gunshot filled the air.
Mouse whipped an axe-man back with her tail. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”
“Lower to the left!” Tessa shouted while simultaneously firing a trio of rounds from her own piece.
Another gunshot. Great, Sabina was using the big revolver. At least it was a target-rich environment.
“Higher!” Tessa directed.
Pow! Pow! Pow! Three more shots. Waste of ammo, but if you were going to fire blind, you might as well go all in.
Mouse found herself overwhelmed, so she hurled herself off the balcony. Below, Steven and Aria were engaging the Trinity of Twats or whatever those bitches called themselves. Mouse transformed into her True From as she plummeted. Wings beating, she poured an inferno down upon the Dragonskins on the balcony. The blaze was deflected by a shield spell. Mouse continued to flap her wings, hovering near the balcony.
Sabina fired until she got lucky and blew a hole in the chest of a Dragonskin. A second later, “Magica Divinatio!” Bright green light lit up her eyes. Animus.
Tessa now had two shields going, shifting the energy to protect them from both physical and magical attacks. Damn, she was a good spellslinger—better than Mouse would ever be. Already, bodies were piling up. One of the dragon men spewed fire at Tessa, but she ducked behind Sabina’s well-placed force field. Of course it was perfect. She could see into the motherfucking future.
Mouse flew up to the balcony, grabbed a Dragonskin in her jaws, and crunched down. She spat out the ruined remains. “Wrong shield for my bite, you fuckers,” she growled, her voice dusky and deadly.
Tessa slammed fresh bullets into her revolver. A Dragonskin lunged at her, and Tessa promptly put a hole in his head. She ducked beneath a tail and shot the owner twice in the throat. Meanwhile, Sabina cast Impetim magic; bolts of jade energy sparklers exploded outward, crackling into her enemies. Her eyes glowed brighter as more Animus filled her from the kills.
A Dragonskin wielding a broadsword broke past a shield and drove his blade into Tessa.
Mouse’s heart leapt into her throat. Tessa couldn’t survive being impaled like that.
But Sabina had it under control. She whirled her emerald-colored shield into the swordsman, snapping off teeth, squashing his face, making him bleed. She then healed Tessa. The barista, in seconds, was blasting the shit out of the Dragonskins. Crimson knives bounced off shields, both hers and Sabina’s. The Magicians were holding their own.
Mouse turned to leave the balcony, to go help Steven and Aria, but a mace smashed into the side of her head. Poisonous gas filled her lungs, and she couldn’t stop coughing. Flying was impossible. Before she knew it, she was falling, darkness creeping in at the edge of her vision.
Even as she plunged downward, she heard a Dragonskin growl, “Magica Cura.” Uh oh, if too many of the Dragonskins were healed, Tessa and Sabina might be in trouble.
There was nothing that Mouse could do, however. Breathing wasn’t an option. Neither was flying or even thinking. Finally, she lost consciousness.
۞۞۞
Steven shifted into his True Form and floated above the bottom of the library. With a thought, a murmur, and an effort of will, he brought up two shields as the trinity of women on the steps transformed into dragons. A tight knot of worry formed in his stomach as he surveyed this new threat. Damn, they looked like some bad bitches. One was a crystalline beast with scales that sparkled like diamonds. Another was a deep purple, nearly the color of a mauve midnight. But the most surprising creature was the forest green Dragonsoul. She was female, no beard, but dammit, she was almost as big as Steven.
White starbursts shot from the hands of the crystalline dragon, the purple one threw spears of mystical energy, and the green hurled curved swords of light.
Steven gritted his teeth, hardened his will, and caught the magical attacks on his dual shields. Then, instead of retreating like the fear in his stomach demanded, he dove toward them and bathed them in flame. Books caught fire and bookcases smoldered as a choking smoke filled the room. He triggered both ShadowStrength and DarkArmor, aiming at the crystal beast. He tucked his two shields tight to his sides. Lucky he did, as Dark Purple flung more spears while Big Green tried to slash him with her tail.
Nope, he was protected.
The crystalline dragon lashed out with wicked claws, but his scales were thick enough to stop the attack cold. And then—thanks to the power of ShadowStrength flowing through his veins—her raw strength surged into him like he’d been plugged into a nuclear power plant. In her weakened state, he thought he could take care of her easily. However, even with the added strength, his talons couldn’t penetrate the thick crystals of her skin.
New idea …
He pressed in—got right up in her face—and breathed lightning. He was new to the ElectroArc Exhalant, and yeah, he couldn’t melt steel like Mouse, but it was enough to blind the crystal creature for a minute.
He whirled and hurled his black stars into the forest green female. A pulsing green shield blocked his attack. There was a flash of movement on his left. The purple dragon darted in and snapped at him; he brought his shield down on top of her like a sledgehammer of force. Steven shot upward, using the ShadowStrength to really pump his wings. He was careening toward a staircase, but that was okay. He simply lowered his head, triggered DragonStrength, and bashed through it. Stone steps went flying. His DarkArmor had saved him again, but it was also slowing him down.
Mouse shrieked something above, and Tessa’s Peacekeepers erupted, throwing lead. He caught a glance of Sabina. Alive. Good. And then he put his Escort from his mind. He had to deal with his own problems. Specifically, the Dragonsoul females hot on his tail—Rahaab’s Escort, no doubt about it.
Steven spun in midair, bringing forth his two shields once more. He couldn’t slash through the crystalline dragon’s scales, but he still had ShadowStrength suffusing his muscles with stolen power. Dark Purple or Big Green had to be easier to deal with. Crystal slammed into his shield as did Dark Purple. Both were out of the fight for a minute. Steven dropped down onto Big Green, his claws ready to rend her into dragon jerky.
But the green female had tricks of her own. Her claws ignited in a blinding light. IonClaws … Steven had never seen anyone use them before.
He brought both of his shields around, but Big Green’s flashing claws shredded through them like they were a wet paper bag. Terrible, mind-numbing pain and agony filled his leg as the IonClaws bit into his flesh. But he was close. So close. He pushed through the hurt, opened his jaws wide, and jettisoned a gout of fire directly into her face. She blew cold. Fire and ice struck in a cloud of steam, blinding them both.
Steven spun and beat his wings in a great sweep of sinew and leather. He crashed through another platform. A new wave of pain from his tail fired into his brain. Wow, yeah, he had a tail. Kind of weird to feel it hurt so much. Big Green had grabbed him, and she wasn’t letting go. However, she’d cut through her own palms to hold him. That, it seemed, was the danger of IonClaws. If you have something that can cut through anything, there’s a good chance it
’ll cut you, too.
Fighting the pain, shredding his body further, he pulled his tail out of her dagger-like nails.
“Magica Cura!” Dark Purple thundered, healing Big Green in a flash of primal magic.
Crystal shot toward Steven, followed by a pissed-off Dark Purple. He triggered DarkArmor again, to toughen his hide. There was no escape. He was going to have to scrap his way out before the chick with the IonClaws carved him up like a Thanksgiving turkey. And Mom had the electric knife out.
Crystal laid into him with her formidable talons, but she was weaker due to Steven’s ShadowStrength skill. Which meant he was stronger. He slashed through Dark Purple, opening a jagged wound across her chest, leaving deep furrows in his wake. Steven lowered his head and breathed fire onto the exposed skin. Dark Purple shrieked in pain, wings flailing, tail thrashing wildly. Good.
Aria arrived just in time to help. She landed on top of Crystal and slammed her down onto a platform. Aria breathed lightning, catching Dark Purple square in the chest. First ripped open, then blasted with fire, then electrocuted. The purple dragon slumped, still breathing, sure, but not looking so hot.
Unfortunately, they were still badly outnumbered. Spinning forest green scimitars struck Aria—though, thankfully, they were only glancing blows because she was moving, snaking her way around staircases.
Flying backward, working his wings, Steven tossed out his Impetim magic, spinning stars of black magic. They struck Big Green right in her big stupid face. Direct hit. Boom. Eat that. He put out at least one eye. Below, Crystal still appeared to be dazed from Aria’s attack. The enemy dragon was fighting to get to her feet. Steven put an end to that; he brought his flickering shield spell down onto her back. The blow landed, but the majority of his force field had run out of juice, so it only did a fraction of the damage it should have.
Crystal managed to shrug off the blow. “Magica Cura!” the Crystal Dragon roared. And just like that, Crystal healed Dark Purple. Who returned the favor. They also healed Big Green. That would fix her smaller wounds but wouldn’t repair her eye.