ENCHANTED WORLD SERIES BOOK 3: THE DRAGON'S KEEPER
Chapter Nineteen

Drake was not prepared to have Maya jump into his arms the moment he opened the door to their quarters upstairs. Drake had planned to go and sleep in the house that he grew up in but Queen Malenna insisted that they stayed at the Fire Fortress for their own safety. Not everyone liked the idea of him being there in the first place.

Maya’s arms wrung themselves tightly around his neck while her legs went around his lean hips.

“Hey, hey, hey.” He held her against him. “What happened?”

“How long do we have to stay here? When can we leave?” She muttered against the area between his neck and his shoulder. “I don’t feel okay here. I feel like something is trying to suffocate me.”

“What are you talking about?” Drake ran his fingers down her hair, trying to give her a measure of comfort while he walked to the large bed.

Maya shivered. “There is something here. Some dark and evil and I feel as if it is stalking me. I was with Sabine today and there was someone watching us. Aleric went after him but he couldn’t see the culprit. Now, when I was sitting in here waiting for you, I could feel something watching me.”

Drake settled down on the bed with Maya in his arms as Red scanned the parameter for any immediate danger to Maya.

There is nothing here, Keeper. He said but Drake could tell the Dragon was a bit hesitant.

What is it, Red? What do you feel?

Red didn’t say anything, instead, he flared his senses so that Drake was able to feel what the Dragon felt. There was a void within the chambers as if there was something there but he couldn’t recognize it. It was the balmy residue left behind after that person left.

Who could it have been? Drake asked Red.

I don’t know keeper but I have a bad feeling about it. Red crooned maliciously.

Keep your senses flared. Drake instructed.

Yes, Keeper. Red hissed.

“Nothing will happen to you, Maya. I am here and I will protect you. I will watch over you like I promised.”

“And after everything, can we go back to Tacinia?” she asked him.

Drake nodded. “After I am done here we are going to go back home.”

Maya hugged Drake again. “Oh how I miss you every time you are not with me.”

Drake placed a kiss on her lips. “I always miss you too. What did you and Sabine talk about?”

“He is a strange man indeed.” Maya said. “He said the craziest things.”

Drake grinned. Maya still had a lot to learn about the enchanted world. There was still so much that was going to scare her or surprise her. Though she was taking everything well up to that moment, Drake knew there was going to be an event where Maya would find herself calling it the straw that broke the camel’s back.

“He said my grandmother’s pendant is the Scarlet shield.”

That caught Drake’s attention. “The Scarlet Shield?”

“Yes. He even had the drawings to prove it. He told me I could be a descendant of a....” Her voice trailed off as her eyes strayed off from his.

“What is it?” Drake caught her face between his palms and forced her to look at at him. Sᴇaʀ*ᴄh the FindNʘᴠᴇl.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

She looked weary. “He told me I might the descedant of the rogue dragon who took the shield into the human realm.”

Drake felt Red get up in alert. Maya couldn’t have been the descendant of the rogue dragon because that Dragon was a Glaeder and he would have recognized his own bloodline. ” What else did Sabine tell you?”

“That I could be in danger because others would want to possess the Scarlet Shield but I have no idea where it is. It is so frustrating that I had it but now it is gone.”

“Maya, you shouldn’t tell anyone else that you had the Scarlet Shield. Don’t trust anyone okay?” Drake told her.

Maya nodded. “Alright.”

“Now come here and let me kiss you.” He pulled her closer anticipating the feel of her lips on his. They were tender and sweet against his, awakening every part of his body. He needed her badly and the only thing that was keeping him from ripping her clothes off and pounding into her was the fact that she was terrified and he needed to make her feel better.

Her small hands wrung themselves around his neck holding him closer as he deepened the kiss, coaxing her to open up to him. She readily complied and tangled her tongue with his. A soft moan escaped her lips as she let him feed off her.

Heat seared in his veins, only fueling his need for his mate. Every part of him was ignited by the flames licking at him and propelling him into action. Drake turned Maya in his arms and laid her on the bed before hovering above her. She looked up at him with so much love and trust in him. What if he failed to keep her safe? What if all the promises he made to her were empty? He could barely allow her a glimpse of her home yet he was there promising to make sure nothing bad would happen to her.

He wasn’t sure if he could keep himself safe. For all he knew he was in hostile lands where not everyone was what they seemed. Not everyone was happy to see him and not everyone was willing to see him succeed in what had brought him there.

Right now, he just discovered that Maya was the keeper of the Scarlet Shield which made her a target to anyone who wanted to possess the Mortal Lock. The best thing they were left to do was to find it and return it to the Queen and let her decide on what she wanted to do with it.

Maya pushed the tshirt up Drake’s body and pulled it off then tossed it across the room. Her warm fingers traced his chest and abdomen making him groan in pleasure. He thickened in his pants, needing to be inside her. She was playing with fire with the way that she was teasing him.

Drake crushed his hips against hers and rolled them, grinding his erection against her sex. “Do you want this?” He rasped against her ear, his tongue darting out and licking the shell making her tremble in his arms.

“Yes.” Maya moaned back, arching her body up so that Drake had better access to it.

“I want you to beg me to give it to you.” He rolled his hips again, teasing and tantalizing Maya into submission.

“Drake, please.” She cried softly, her nails biting hard in his shoulders.

The pain-pleasure sensations brought Drake’s world into a staggering halt. This female was driving him crazy and now he understood why mated males were unpredictable when it came to their mates. It was as if their entire existence revolved around their mates and that nothing else around them mattered.

Though Maya was there with him, the thought of her getting harmed drove Drake into a murdering frenzy. He could already see himself gloating while bathing in the blood of the one who threatened his mate’s life.

Drake removed her top and unclasped her bra. He wanted to give her all the pleasure he had been packing for the past two days. So much was going that he found exhaustion overriding the desire for his mate. He was a potent beast, a Dragon at that and though they became fertile every ten years, their sex drive was like any other beast, beyond boiling point.

Drake teased one of the nipples with his tongue while he rubbed the other between his thumb and index finger and Maya went crazy, her body bucking from the bed towards him.

The scent of her arousal brought the sense desperation to him. He was desperate to have her, desperate to embed himself so deep inside her that the memory of it would remain inherent in her mind forever.

She tasted like no other and sometimes Drake wondered why he wasted his time seeking for females that faded in the light of Maya like they had never been. Those memories did nothing for him because now he had found the one person that made his past meaningless and his future worth the wait.

Drake’s lips, teeth and tongue made their way down to her abdomen, tickling her navel and making her squirm in his arms. He licked her pulsing red tattoo and she cried out and whimpered. He moved lower, his tongue changing into a forked one as he indulged in the creamy delight in the folds of her best kept secret, a secret only he knew about and only he could enjoy.

“Oh Drake!” She whimpered opening herself more to him while her hands tangled themselves in his hair, keeping him where he needed to be.

Drake gave her what she needed. He worked her to a feverish pitch and before she could get the release she was seeking he stopped and climbed off of her. Maya set up looking at him in confusion as he stood in front of her. She looked scrumptious with her disarray hair, her blouse agape and her legs opened up to him.

Drake unbuckled his pants, watching as Maya’s eyes shrouded with undiluted hunger. He pushed them down together with his boxers and stepped off of them, clasping his heavy and veined erection in his palm. It jerked in his palm, anticipating the tight and hot channel that it would enter.

Maya’s tongue darted from her lips as she looked at it.

“I want you to pleasure me, Maya.” He told her stroking himself slowly while watching Maya’s follow his hand movements.

She had never done that before but Drake wanted to teach her everything he knew about the pleasures and games one could get from the other. She sat up tentatively while he approached her. He tilted her head up and planted a kiss on her upturned lips then moved up the bed and settled on the pillows.

Maya crawled to him, her movements slow and lithe. Her long fingers drew circles around his legs up to his thighs leaving every nerve writhing in shock in their wake. Her small hands finally clasped him and Drake watched her expression behind hooded eyes. She moved them up and down and Drake shuddered and clenched, his erection thickening in her palms.

He had to hold somewhere before he found himself grabbing Maya and impaling her before she was done learning about pleasuring him. His fingers wrapped themselves around the ornamented iron headboard behind him and he closed his eyes, sighing in content at what she was doing to him.

Maya loved the feel of Drake in her hands. She loved the way his face contorted with pleasure at everything she was doing. The grip on the iron bars of the headboard and the whiteness of his knuckles told Maya just how much she was affecting him.

Maya bent down to the mushroomed head. She had always wanted to know what he tasted like but she had been a little shy to ask. Drake was more experienced than she was. She was very sure that he had previous girlfriends lingering somewhere. He would not have known how to play with her body and give her the ultimate pleasure if he was not experienced. He knew what he wanted and he asked for it.

Maya darted her tongue out, lathering the head of his manhood and Drake bucked from the bed, pushing himself deep into her mouth.

“Ah fuck!” He inhaled deeply, his forehead dotting with perspiration. “That’s it, baby, that’s it.” He rasped, his breath laboured and his body tightly strung.

Maya opened her mouth and took more of him in. She was not prepared to hear the groaning of metal as Drake’s grip bent the wrought iron ornaments. Well.....that explained why on all the beds that she slept in had iron and not wood. She could imagine how wood would have splintered in Drake’s grip.

It excited her that Drake was enjoying what she did to him. He deserved this because of the heavy burden he carried. He deserved to have a slice of happiness.

Maya moved her mouth over him, her tongue teasing the sensitive areas around him while her fingers caressed the sac hanging behind. A growl escaped Drake’s lips as his hand raked into her hair and guided her to take more of him.

The evidence of his incoming climax began showing as Maya stepped up her game. She felt him clench all over and a strangled cry came out before he spurted in her mouth. Maya moaned as she tasted his sweet-salty cream. If she were told about this experience by someone else, she would have gagged in disgust but experiencing this with Drake and seeing the way he enjoyed it made it worthwhile and she wanted to do it again.

Drake grabbed Maya’s shoulders and pinned her under his heavy and warm body then kissed her thoroughly. “You are amazing.” He whispered against her lips as he pushed into her.

Maya closed her eyes and sighed in pleasure as fire cascaded to every part of her body.

Drake ground himself against her, taking himself deeper into her. Every time he rolled his hips, he hit that one place that had her feverish with ecstasy. He thrust harder into her, racing her towards her orgasm.

“Oh, Drake! Yes!” She cried when the waves began building up around her. She was oblivious to everything around. Only the man in front of her mattered.

Finally heat seared from her core and she crumbled into his arms as an orgasm she had never had wrecked her body, her tattoo pulsing with so much energy that it looked like it was on fire. She quivered in his arms but he held her close so that she didn’t find herself losing her mind in the process. Drake was not far behind. He slammed into her one last time and roared as he came around her.

The two lovers came down from their ardent love-making and were tangled in each other’s limbs.

“Are you okay?” Drake placed a kiss on her shoulder while pushing her wet locks from her face.

Maya grinned up at his worried face. “I am more than okay, Drake....but I wouldn’t say the same about the bed though.”

Drake grinned looking up at the bent headboard. He reached up and pushed the iron back in place.

“That’s my superman.” She teased.

Drake leaned down and captured her lips in a luscious kiss. Suddenly his phone trilled and hissed as scales rippled on his skin.

“Answer it, Drake. It might be very important.” Maya told him.

“You are very important too.” Drake slipped his hand between their bodies and pinched the throbbing bundle of nerves between her thighs that Had her gasping in surprise. It was barely twenty minutes since he had her but she was already needing him again.

“Answer the phone first.” She managed to say without moaning for him.

“Don’t go anywhere.” The promise written in his eyes told Maya there was no sleeping that night. She watched as he took his phone and padded out onto the balcony magnificently naked. When he opened the balcony doors, a breeze entered and cooled her skin. Maya rested her head on the pillow whilst watching Drake talking on his phone. She hoped it wasn’t something terrible.

“We found out who the sorcerer aiding the rogue leader is....well sorceress. It’s Orisidia.” Feror’s voice boomed in.

Their suspicions of the female were confirmed. Orisidia showed a certain loathing to them especially him in general yet here she was aiding the rogue leader. “Have you discovered where she is gone to?”

“Not yet but we found evidence that shows she was the one who was signing the documents to export Iyr without anyone else knowing. We also found contracts with small time miners and weapon manufacterers but that is not the whole story....She has two estates around the mines and Nerm Forest. They are secluded and my suspicions are that the rogues could be hiding in them. I am taking teams to check them out tomorrow.”

“Have you talked to the miners or weapon manufacturers? We need to know if they had ever talked to someone else other than Orisidia.” Drake felt violence course in his veins.

“They are all dead. The bitch surely knows how to tie loose ends!” Feror growled. “We have her entire family under investigation and a team is going to investigate Lund and his family in case he knew about this.”

“Alright, what about Shancy and Twiska? How are they doing?” Drake asked.

“They are recovering but their conditions are still very critical....ah--by the way, we have a little situation here.”

Drake closed his eyes and prayed that no one else lost their lives. “What?” He asked tiredly.

“It looks like Herman and Twiska were meant to spend the rest of their lives together. They are mates. Herman is wrecking the entire royal residence thinking it is his fault that she was hurt. The foal can’t control his emotions and he is proving difficult.”

Drake had a feeling something ought to come out from the two of them. “Keep him in check and make sure he doesn’t harm himself.”

“Will do. What’s new in the Realm of Fire?”

“The rogues are mobilizing to try and take the throne from Queen Malenna. By the way, did anyone come across a ruby pendant around the royal residence grounds?” Drake asked.

“Not that I know of.” Ferora answered.

“Ask around and tell me. It is of great importance to Maya.” Drake didn’t want to tell Feror about it being one of the Mortal Locks yet because he didn’t know who was listening to their conversation.

“I will tell you if I get anything...if you need help, know that we are here for you.” Feror said.

Drake was grateful to know such loyal males. “Thank you.”

“Goodnight.”

Drake grunted and hung up. So, Orisidia was the one using the Iyr to enhance her abilities enough to possess and kill off people. She was very dangerous and if she knew the existence of Maya, it would prove all the more difficult.

Drake walked back inside and Maya’s eyes were fixed on him.

“I told you it was important.” Maya assured him.

Drake slipped back into the warm sheets and nodded. “You’re a Seer in the making.”

She smiled and asked. “How are Twiska and Shancy doing?”

“Still fighting for their lives.” Then smirked. “Herman is tearing the walls down because of what happened to his mate.”

“What a minute....Herman and Twiska are mates? I knew it!” she squealed sitting up. “I had a feeling that something like that would happen.”

“You are not annoyed or anything? Herman was your friend.” Drake asked cautiously.

“Of course he is a friend but that is it. I am happy for them.” She grinned dreamily. “No wonder Twiska was always up in my business.”

“Well, at least that is sorted out. Come here.” Drake pulled Maya back in his arms and kissed her long and thorough as he felt his throbbing member twitching underneath the covers.

“I didn’t expect to see you here again, Drake.” Sabine mutter with his nose deep in his books as he scanned the pages for something in particular.

Drake ran his fingers over the spines of several books piled on Sabine’s table. “How can I not come and say hi?”

Sabine looked up and his eyebrows furrowed. “The last time I saw you, you were causing quite a stir in these corridors. Transformed or not, the females still found you appealing. Even though...you had no idea where to stick it.” he grunted.

That earned a grin from Drake. “I was a sexy beast....I still am.”

“Well, good thing you found your mate just in time. Males like you should not be left unmated--even the heavens know so.” The stern look on Sabine was betrayed by the mirth glittering on his eyes.

The only reason Drake caused quite a stir in the Fortress was because he came with the Lord Mage, unmated back then. Every female wanted a piece of him including the Dragon Queen and the late Queen Seranis. Lord Mage was untamed and every female thought they could make him theirs....but he found his match with Queen Noelle.

Now, Drake had to break a lot of hearts when word came out that he too was mated.

“....and a special one at that. I would like to do a blood trail for her. I am curious at whose blood she carries but I am most certain it might be Gleader. Sama, the rogue dragon who escaped with the Scarlet Shield was a Gleader.” Sabine said seriously..

Drake, too, was curious. He never thought that Maya could have Dragon blood in her and the moment she told him about it last night, Drake couldn’t sleep wondering about it. “I’ll get her to agree.”

“Also, if she is who I think she is, she is in great danger. They say the rogues are searching for the Scarlet Shield so as to win against queen Malenna. It is a race against time for both teams and you better find that shield before it falls into the wrong hands.” Sabine said gravely.

Drake ground his teeth. “I will. Do you have any idea who it could be?”

Sabine shrugged his shoulders. “No but this person has access to high places. He can go on unnoticed around, that is very dangerous for everyone.”

Drake could only imagine because of Orisidia being the sorceress. She had access to so many resources. Drake wondered what the woman thought to achieve by betraying her Realm to the rogues.

“By the way, why didn’t I know that Aleric was the second in command? What happened to Zee?” Drake asked, remembering the determined golden boy to the Dragon Queen. Drake smirked. If he wasn’t wrong, those two were lovers.

“Zee has been assigned for a special operations team. Aleric has been here for less than eight months but he is very good at what he does, quite slick if you ask me.”

Drake smiled remembering how competitive Aleric always was. He always wanted to be the very best and him being the second in command didn’t surprise Drake all that much. It was no wonder Kruk favoured him. For all Drake knew, Aleric was the best chief candidate for the Glaeder bloodline. He wondered why the male did not compete for the position and went to be a commander instead.

“He had always been Kruk’s favourite.” Drake assured the male.

“All the reason why I doubted the Queen allowing him to take such a position. It was careless of her.” Sabine turned back to his book. “The faster we find the Scarlet Shield, the faster we can arm ourselves from whatever is coming.”

“You want me to fight under that suffocating royal pain in the ass, Wren?” Drake’s eyebrows snapped up to his hairline.

“Do you have a choice?” A voice came from the door and Lord Wren sauntered inside.

“I am under Lord Mage’s rule.” Drake pointed out.

“You are a Dragon and you made a promise to the Realm of Fire. I bet the Lord Mage understands that you returning here might mean for him to search for a new second in command.” Lord said sternly, his eyes dark and merciless.

Drake ground his teeth until he thought they were going to turn into powder. “I will help the Fire Army where I can but the choice is still mine on whether to stay or to leave.”

“Ah! I see what this is about.” Wren smiled cruelly. “You can’t handle being outshined by Aleric again, can you? You have been in his shadow all your life and the thought of you being under his command must be maddening.”

“Leave the boy alone, Lord Wren.” Sabine sighed tiredly looking up at them. “You can’t bully him into accepting your request.”

Lord Wren smirked. “Take it as getting back at him for calling me a royal pain in the ass. I want to make sure he knows exactly whose ass my suffocating royalty would be a pain to.”

Lord Wren was like a child acting out but Drake couldn’t help but see the truth behind his words. Returning to the Fire Army needed balls and he felt his shrivel and hide the moment the High Lord mentioned it.

Two second-in-commands couldn’t exist in one army and two powerful males couldn’t stand together in the same light. One had to always be better than the other. Drake agreed to forget the past and continue forging the future with Aleric but him returning to the Realm of Fire was going to open wounds that had already sealed with time.

“Forgive me, Lord Wren.” Drake inclined his head to the infuriating male.

“I don’t need your apologies, Dragon commander, I need you in my team.” Wren stated. “Though it kills me to admit this but you are the best there is out there. Not even Aleric can do what you are capable of doing. For my sister’s sake and the sake of the entire Realm, you must join us.”

At the mention of the Dragon Queen, Drake’s heart twisted in his ribs. The promise he made to the then-fearful queen was bombarding the insides of his mind. She trusted him to return but he never did and now, he stood in front of the High Lord with nothing but regret and defeat.

“Honour your word.” Wren gritted his teeth and for a moment Drake fear flit in his eyes.

Before he could say anything, Lord Wren turned around and left.

“Find the Scarlet Shield, Drake.” Sabine murmured as he got up and started scanning his books again, dismissing him completely.

Drake had told Maya not to go around without Juliet but Maya was too impatient because Juliet was called away. Maya ended walking aimlessly through the corridors of the Fire Fortress. It was very different yet similar to the Mage Foretress. It was as luxurious as it could possibly get. Large dark green banners hung in the corridors with the emblem of the Realm. Long, plush runners were laid along the corridors. In every junction of hallways and corridors were monuments of dragons and people she was sure she never read about in history....Maxim IV was not part of histroy! She ran her fingers over the name on the bust of the stern male and turned to leave.

Her eyes snapped up to find Aleric standing with his arms behind him and a small smile on his lips. “That is King Maxim the fourth, Queen Malenna and High Lord Wren’s father. He ruled the Realm of Fire long before we all existed.”

Maya’s eyes moved away from his as she nodded. “It is amazing how centuries could mean so little here while back home, we can hardly reach the age of eighty.”

A frown marred Aleric’s face. “With the pollution, the bad food, the diseases back in the human realm, it’s not surprising--” He stopped when he saw the offense that took residence in Maya’s eyes. “Forgive me, Miss. I didn’t mean to offend you.”

“How long have you known Drake?” Maya asked changing the subject as she started walking again.

Aleric walked beside her, his presence imposing. He had the air of power and authority like Drake but Aleric wore his like a badge. He wanted his status to be acknowledged and it was because whenever they passed a guard or a helper, when they inclined their heads to him, Aleric’s chest puffed out.

“I have known Drake all my life. We were brought up as brothers.” Aleric said.

Maya nodded and smiled softly. “I am happy that he has someone like you. He is awfully lonely most of the times.”

“But he has you.” Aleric turned his frosty blue eyes to her. They churned up a storm making Maya put more space between them. “That is one more thing Drake has managed to achieve before me.”

“What is the other thing?”

“Him being the second in command.” Aleric turned his attention to where they were going.

Maya concluded that Aleric had a little envy for Drake. “You both are.”

Aleric grinned. “Yes, we are. I am happy to see him again. I am glad he found a reason to live on.”

Maya frowned. “What are you talking about?”

Aleric stopped suddenly and turned to her in confusion. “He didn’t tell you about his father?”

Maya didn’t want to know. The beating of her heart in her chest told her that it wasn’t something she wanted to hear. “I don’t want to know.” She quickly exclaimed.

Aleric straightened in his feet, his face grave. “You are right. It is not for me to tell you but rather for him to tell you himself.”

“Drake is a good man.” Maya felt the need to defend him once more. “He is not what you think. He worked really hard to get to where he is now and whatever happened to him in the past, that is all in the past. He carries a burden so heavy and he carries it alone. So, when you go around belittling him and accusing him, you better think about what I just said.”

Aleric quickly lifted his hands in surrender. “I didn’t mean anything ill about what I just said. Believe me when I say I truly admire him. He is one of a kind and I am proud of him, of what he has achieved.”

Maya breathed in and tried to relax as she continued walking down the corridor. “Good.”

Aleric chuckled. “You...you are something else.”

“I might be human but don’t you mess with me when it comes to Drake.” She frowned at him.

“Never again.” He ran his right hand over his heart. Maya took it as an honour sign.

“Commander Aleric!” A young warrior came charging again. “Claus and Anton are at it again.”

Aleric growled in irritation, an action that reminded Maya so much of Drake. “I’ll handle those two fireballs.”

“Miss Maya!” Juliet came scurrying through the corridors. “I have been looking everywhere for you.” She said breathlessly.

“What’s going on?” Maya asked Aleric.

Aleric smirked. “I have two very rebellious Phoenix twins in my army that have turned me into their babysitter instead of their commander--”

The sound of something crushing echoed and Aleric took off towards the training grounds with his warriors. Maya saw the bright green fire whiz at the window and a stupid smile appeared on her face as she moved closer. She had never seen the Phoenix before.

“Don’t go out there, Miss!” Juliet exclaimed standing in front of Maya. “Anton and Claus are dangerous.”

Suddenly a fireball whizzed at the window and the glass shuttered into a thousand pieces. A pale blue firebird crush landed several feet away from them.

Juliet screamed and pushed Maya out of the way while the large fiery bird tried to get up but a large bronze dragon was ontop of him.

“Oh heavens, this is an attack!” Juliet shrieked.

Aleric ran back inside, his face white with terror as he turned to her and Juliet.

“Get the hell out of here!” He exclaimed removing his blades from his belt.

Maya got up as turned to run but the large dragon slashed his tail and caught her leg. Maya felt the bone splinter inside of her and the pain seared through her body making her mind numb! She wailed and fell onto the floor next to the bleeding Phoenix that was slowly shifting back into his human form. The dragon staggered inside, debris falling all around them because of the shear size of it in the small space. Maya looked up and saw the murder written in his eyes.

She screamed as Aleric and several warriors began attacking it. The dragon swatted them away like flies and turned his attention to her. He arched his head back and shrieked then a fireball escaped his mouth towards the unconscious Phoenix next to her.

The screams were terrible as the fire burnt the Pheonix into ashes. Maya dragged her broken leg from the dragon as suddenly Aleric appeared in front of her, shielding her with his body. Another fireball hit Aleric right on his back.

He growled in pain, his eyes flashing to show his dragon was close by. Emerald scales formed around his body as he tried to carry her off but a large blade like claw slurped through his back and the two of them landed in a mess of limbs.

“Aleric!” Maya cried tears running down her eyes.

“Run!” He gritted his teeth as the dragon lifted his claws and stabbed him again and again. Blood spurted from Aleric’s mouth.

Maya turned and dragged herself but she didn’t get far.

“Maya!” She heard the familiar voice cry to her. When she looked up, Drake, Wren and Malenna were charging towards them. Maya held her hand up, wishing she could just reach him but her body was yanked into the air as the dragon clasped her body with its claws and went out.

“No!” Drake roared echoed.

Several smaller dragons were waiting for the bronze dragon outside but the rogue was larger and stronger and he took off with her dangling In his claws.

Maya screamed, watching as the fortress disappeared behind the clouds. A red dragon and two black dragons took off and pursued them but there were words echoing in the air; enchantings of some sort. She managed to look up at the dragon and saw the amber stone shimmering around his thick scaly neck. The yellow energy engulfed the dragon and her and they disintergrated into nothingness, disappearing in midair as the enchanting became louder and clearer;

Sight unseen, I hide, chains unchained, I bind, bring that which is bound to me, blind it from the of others....

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