by Zoe Chant
Alanna was strong, brave and loyal. Pride and despair mingled within him.
She would never agree to leave him, but the fact still remained: no matter how brave and strong she was, she was still a human.
And a human against a manticore was not an equal match.
I need to shift, Magnus thought desperately. And quickly.
He wasn’t anywhere near as vulnerable as Alanna was, even in his human form – but he’d need the dragon’s armored scales to protect himself in a fight.
Even then, if the manticore’s stinger pierced his tough dragon hide, he’d be just as dead as anything else that came into contact with its deadly venom.
The manticore growled again, its massive claws churning up the dark earth of the forest as it paced, searching for him.
Closing his eyes, Magnus reached inside himself.
He called to his dragon, and it answered immediately – its fury that anyone would hurt its mate and its understanding of the danger were bright in his mind. Its wings unfurled within him, jaws snapping.
Free me! Free me so we can fight!
Magnus gritted his teeth. I’m trying. You’ve got to help me.
The dragon writhed, struggling toward the surface of his consciousness. It snarled, wings flailing, desperate to be free.
Almost... almost... Magnus thought, feeling his skin beginning to crackle with the energy he needed to shift.
And then, it faded.
Within him, his dragon howled, roaring its anger.
Free me! I must be free!
Magnus bunched his fists in frustration. No! Surely I have enough left for this. To protect my mate...
His thoughts were interrupted by an earth-shattering roar above him.
The manticore had found him.
Magnus barely had time to leap out of the path of the massive claws that slammed down into the earth where he’d been sitting only a moment before.
He might not be able to shift just at this second, but he retained his dragon’s unerring instinct for danger. He gave himself over to it, allowing his dragon to guide his movements as he evaded yet another swipe of the massive creature’s paw. The manticore’s tail hovered dangerously behind its head, waiting for a chance to strike.
I have to find a way to shift, Magnus thought desperately as he wove through the trees, circling his way into the manticore’s blind spots, where it couldn’t see him to use its dripping stinger. The venom sizzled as it hit the ground.
I’ll need to be careful of that, too, Magnus thought as he dodged to the left, hearing the manticore grunt as it tried to keep track of him amongst the thick forest.
In his human form, he at least had that advantage: the manticore was too big to maneuver easily in such close confines. By the time it had lined itself up to strike with its tail, he would be gone.
But how on earth will I defeat it in battle?
Alanna, he called out again as he slid down a small riverbank and hurled himself up the other side. Behind him, he could hear the manticore roar, before it began rumbling after him, its paws thudding on the ground. Alanna, what’s happening?
I’m fine, came her answer after only a moment. Worry about yourself!
Magnus shook his head.
He wasn’t even sure if he’d be able to shift ever again, but he certainly couldn’t do it now – he’d have to concentrate, to block out all else and slowly build the energy he needed to bring his dragon to the surface.
And he couldn’t do that with a manticore chasing him down, and two dragon hunters attacking his mate.
If he couldn’t fight the manticore and win here, they had only one choice: run.
Reaching out with his dragon’s senses, he found Alanna with his mind: she was fighting, but she was okay. He could feel her determination, her strength. She was fighting them off, dodging, swinging, landing hard blows on their bodies.
Alanna, I’m coming.
Swinging to the right, Magnus hurled himself into an especially thick patch of forest. It wouldn’t get the manticore off his tail for long, but it might be long enough.
Behind him, he heard its roar of frustration, but he didn’t stop.
Instead, he circled back, using his dragon’s senses to lead him back to Alanna.
After only a few moments, he heard the sound of a fight – and then, at last, he saw her.
She was keeping two men at bay by herself, a knife flashing in her fist. She must have managed to grab it from one of them, because Magnus was fairly certain she hadn’t had it on her in the car.
Of the two men, the older one – Benedict, Magnus decided, with an infuriated twist in his stomach – was attacking her now, while the younger – Casper – circled warily, looking for an opening.
Red misted Magnus’s vision as he charged forward, his dragon letting out a roar of pure rage.
No one hurts our mate! No one! Kill them!
Perhaps he had roared aloud as he covered the last of the distance between them. That would certainly explain the startled expression on Benedict’s face as, at the last second, he turned his head and saw Magnus charging toward him.
The dragon hunter was clearly a seasoned fighter, Magnus gave him that – even with so little time, he managed to turn himself and adjust his stance to block most of the powerful blow Magnus aimed at his head.
But Magnus didn’t stop there, bodily throwing himself against Benedict, throwing him down onto the forest floor.
“Magnus!” he heard Alanna gasp, as Magnus rolled over in the dirt, finally managing to slam his fist down into Benedict’s face.
He hurt our mate, his dragon hissed, coiling around itself, desperate to be let out to mete out its own punishment on this man who had dared to raise his fists to Alanna. Pound him into the dirt!
Magnus gritted his teeth. As much as he wanted to do that, it just wasn’t his priority right now.
His responsibility was to get Alanna away from here – somehow – before the manticore caught up with them.
If we make it out of the forest, he’ll have to shift back, Magnus thought as he jumped to his feet, grabbing Alanna’s hand. Surely they wouldn’t dare reveal the existence of shifters to the world?
Once they were shifted back into their human forms, they’d be on a level playing field.
Come on, Magnus sent to Alanna as they began running. I can’t fight the manticore if I can’t shift. We have to force him back into his human form.
Alanna didn’t question him. He heard her agreement in her mind, and together, they ran through the forest, leaping over fallen logs and ducking under low-hanging branches.
We’re almost there, Alanna sent to him, squeezing his hand in hers. Just a little—
“Look out!” Magnus’s dragon’s senses warned him only a split second before a massive paw suddenly swept through the forest ahead of them, its claws sharp as sabers.
Without thinking, Magnus pulled Alanna into his arms, turning his body to shield her as the manticore’s forepaw slammed into them, knocking the breath from his lungs and sending them both flying.
Magnus heard himself grunt in pain, winded, as he smashed into the trunk of a tree. His arms were still curled around Alanna’s shoulders, still shielding her from the worst of it.
Get up! his dragon roared at him as soon as his dazed body hit the ground. Get up! Protect your mate!
His head still ringing from the force of the blow, Magnus forced himself to his feet, staggering only slightly.
There was a burning pain in his ribs – it was most likely at least two of them were broken. But that wasn’t important. The important thing was that he had protected Alanna.
What merely injured him could have killed her.
His eyes not leaving the manticore where it stood, growling, its tail dripping venom, he reached down to where Alanna was crouching, shaking her head as if she was trying to clear it.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m... I’m fine. Just a little winded,” Alanna said.
&n
bsp; Magnus quickly gave her a once-over with his dragon’s senses, but she was right – she was bruised and winded, but there was no undue pain, no broken bones.
The manticore snarled, showing all of its teeth, and blocking their path back to the car.
Behind them, Magnus could hear Casper and Benedict crashing through the forest.
While they could still evade them, Magnus knew it would be difficult. The manticore was supernaturally fast and strong, and totally impossible to fight as long as Magnus was a human.
I have to shift.
If he didn’t, there was no way they would ever get out of here.
Closing his eyes, Magnus clenched his jaw, reaching for his dragon once more.
The dragon came to him as quickly as it could, fighting to get to the surface.
Free me! Turn me loose!
The energy he needed was like wisps of smoke in his hands – he couldn’t hold onto it. It drifted away from him, eluding all attempts to pin it down and use it to shift.
Come on, Magnus, he told himself, as he heard the manticore’s growl. Your mate needs you. You can’t let her down.
Again, his dragon struggled up within him.
Free me!
A new burst of energy shot through Magnus as he focused all his attention on the dragon, pulling it to the surface. Pain tore through him, his heart pounding. He could feel sweat dripping from his back, his temples throbbing.
But then—
Finally, at last, Magnus felt his dragon rise to the surface, his skin rippling, wings sprouting from his back.
With a mighty roar, he reared up, his dragon finally free once more.
Chapter Fourteen
Alanna
Alanna gasped, gazing in awe at the magnificent creature that had, until a moment ago, been Magnus.
No, she corrected herself quickly. It was still Magnus. She didn’t know how, but she would have recognized him anywhere, even if she hadn’t just witnessed him shift. Something within her saw him still, knew him in this form: a massive black dragon, his scales shining an iridescent blue in the meager sunlight, white defensive spines bristling along his head and shoulders. His enormous black wings stretched out while his neck, long and elegantly curved, reared back.
He was magnificent.
Alanna couldn’t tear her eyes away from him as he lowered his head, long white teeth glistening. Vaguely, she was aware that the manticore, huge and terrifying though it was, had taken a step back, its yellow eyes wary.
My mate, Alanna thought dizzily as she looked up at him. Magnus.
Somehow, he had reached deeply within himself and found the power to shift. Even after so long away from his lands and his hoard, he had done it. Alanna knew that without the restorative power of the hoard, dragons could grow weaker and lose their ability to shift, and it must have been years since Magnus was last able to make contact with his clan’s treasure.
And yet, he had found the strength to shift. To protect her.
Thank you, she sent to him, hoping he could hear it.
Magnus let out a low, soft growl, as if to tell her that he had.
Then, the manticore overcame its momentary fear. It lowered its head, teeth bared, its tail swaying as it looked for an opportunity to strike.
But Magnus wasn’t going to give it the chance.
With a mighty roar, he launched himself forward, muscles rippling beneath his scales. The manticore, obviously caught off-guard, tried to dodge, but in the close space of the forest there was no room for it to maneuver. It snarled in pain as Magnus smashed into it, claws raking its sides, teeth burying themselves in its shoulder.
Yes! Magnus! You got him!
Alanna couldn’t help but feel exuberant as she saw the manticore’s blood dripping down its foreleg. The manticore roared in pain and fury, twisting in Magnus’s grasp, writhing to get free, but Magnus held on, blue eyes blazing, teeth and claws buried in the creature’s flesh.
“Be careful!” Alanna cried out as she saw the manticore’s tail swishing though the air – and Magnus released his grip on the manticore only just in time to avoid the deadly stinger as it flashed down, spraying venom.
Alanna gasped, ducking away could as the deadly, viscous liquid rained down. The venom sizzled as it hit trees and plants, making them shrivel to a crisp.
Alanna! Are you all right?
Don’t worry about me, worry about you! Alanna replied as she rose to her feet again. None of the venom had gotten on her, but it had been a close thing. It dripped down the tree trunk just above her head, the plants around her already brown and dead.
Magnus and the manticore stared at each other warily. There was no room for two such huge creatures in this wood.
Alanna could see calculation in the manticore’s beastly eyes – it knew it couldn’t fight like this. In a competition of brute strength, Magnus would surely win. But if the manticore managed to sting him with its scorpion’s tail, she knew she couldn’t be so certain of his victory. Alanna wasn’t sure if a manticore’s venom would always kill a dragon or simply cause a very painful wound – but a wound in a fight could slow Magnus down enough to give the manticore an advantage with its deadly teeth and claws.
You can do this, Magnus, Alanna thought. I believe in you. I will always believe in you!
Again, Magnus let out a low growl – and it seemed as if, somehow, his body was infused with a fresh vitality. The scales of his body seemed to shine brighter, his head lifted proudly.
Almost as if my belief in him is giving him energy, Alanna thought vaguely, as Magnus once against rushed forward. Almost as if I can help him...
The manticore dodged his attack this time – not by trying to leap sideways, but by stretching its wings and leaping straight up. It broke through the canopy of the trees with a thunderous crash, leaving the massive trunks shaking like saplings in its wake.
But Magnus was only a moment behind, filling his own magnificent wings with air and following the creature into the sky with a roar.
Alanna caught her breath as she listened to the battle above her, their shadows swooping through what little sunlight filtered through the dense leaves of the tree.
Biting her lip, she ducked back, hiding herself in the undergrowth. There was no sign of either Casper or Benedict, but she expected them to appear at any moment. Perhaps they had been lurking behind, not willing to get too close to a fight between a dragon and a manticore.
But I’ll stay here, she thought, setting her jaw and gazing upward. She’d seen the way Magnus had responded as he’d sensed her confidence in him. She couldn’t risk breaking that connection.
However, Alanna realized uneasily, now that Magnus had taken to the skies, Capser and Benedict would probably emerge from wherever they were hiding.
Well, bring it on, she thought, gritting her teeth. She could take whatever they wanted to dish out.
But at the same time, she was conscious of the fact that no matter how hard he was fighting, Magnus would be keeping at least one ear out for her, to make sure she was okay. As much as her fingers twitched to punch both Casper and Benedict in the face for what they’d done, she couldn’t afford to distract Magnus, either.
So she’d stay here – close to Magnus, but hopefully hidden enough that Casper and Benedict couldn’t find her.
Above her, she heard a dragon’s enraged bellow. Frightened, Alanna stared upwards... only to see a stream of pure dragonfire pour its way across the sky. The next sound she heard was a something between a roar and a shriek of pain, as the fire apparently hit its target.
Go, Magnus!
The manticore might have its deadly venom, but Magnus had his dragonfire.
She could just make out two shapes as they jousted in the sky above, though one of them now was fluttering rather than flying, clearly struggling to maintain its altitude.
Alanna knew she would have sensed it if Magnus had been so severely injured –it had to be the manticore. Perhaps Magnus’s fire had scorched its wings,
affecting its ability to fly.
Just as the thought occurred to her, there was another stream of fire, so hot she could feel its warmth even from where she crouched on the forest floor. Once again, the manticore bellowed in pain again.
The next moment a crash echoed through the forest, as if one gigantic body had collided with another. Alanna barely had time to react before both of them came crashing down through the canopy, limbs entangled, trailing smoke, teeth and claws flashing.
But despite all of this, it was clear that Magnus had the upper hand.
Alanna had been right. The manticore’s wings were limp and burned, too damaged to keep the creature in the air. And it was clear that the beast was on its last legs. It scrabbled feebly as Magnus sunk his teeth into its neck, but couldn’t break free of his hold.
Finally, the manticore squealed, rolling over – and then it began to shrink, its injured wings sliding back into its body, its terrifying lions’ head becoming that of a normal man once more. Its deadly scorpion’s tail retracted back inside its body.
Clearly, the manticore had realized it was outmatched, and becoming a human once more was the only thing it could think of to do to save itself.
Alanna knew Magnus would never harm anyone while they were in the relatively frail form of a human. And, sure enough, as soon as the manticore’s newly tiny body slipped from his grasp, he let it go. Perhaps the shift had used the last of the manticore’s power, because he lay on the forest floor unconscious, bleeding but alive.
Magnus! Alanna called out, watching as his sleek, scaled head turned in her direction. You did it! I knew you would!
Alanna didn’t receive an answer in words; instead, she simply felt a great wave of love and relief emanating from Magnus’s form. Never before in her life had she felt anything so wonderful, so comforting.
I love you.
The thought was in her head before she could stop it – not that she would have, anyway. Because it was true.
She loved him.
More than she had ever loved anything before in her life.
I love you, Magnus.
Again, she felt the overwhelming wave of adoration. But this time, it was accompanied by words.