Chapter 56

The robed woman Mrs. Baldwin had wrapped up in her roots expanded. The woody tendrils burst. Pain shot up the dryad’s legs. She staggered as the woman grew larger and larger, revealing a blue-scaled body beneath. White horns thrust from her head. Wings stretched wide, slamming into the sides of the pavilion.

“Dragon!” gasped the dryad.

As the beast swelled, she slashed an engorging arm at the dryad. Sharp claws ripped into her flesh before she could react. The blow spun her around. She screamed as she hit the ground, her body torn in half. Her legs fell twitching before her eyes.

The beast roared, the sound shaking the air.

Mrs. Baldwin died.

I backed off the blue dragon ripping the tent apart as she expanded. My mother died, the torn pieces of her body bursting into motes and fading. My mind struggled to grapple with this revelation that the King of Myreman had his own dragon.

She swelled larger and larger.

“Shit,” I growled. Maya and Smerta still reeled, stunned from the cacophony. Kassie and Halia were even worse off, lying twitching on the ground. “Positive energy flows, let the passion of Lady Ianna spread!”

I unleashed Healing Aura to get them on their feet. The tent collapsed around us. Wooden poles crashed to the ground. Canvas flew in all directions as the dragon swelled bigger and bigger. She was immense. Larger than Isatu.

Than the death dragon that had attacked us a few weeks back.

The blue dragon’s wings spread wide. They were immense. The length of a football field. She towered over us, her eyes staring down at us. The king laughed with delight as he lay in his bondage. My heart sank.

“Fuck.”

Warmth washed over Halia.

She groaned and came out of her stupor to see...

A dragon towered over them with blue scales and an enormous wing span. White horns thrust out from her head while red eyes burned with fury. Her mouth opened as the beast drew in a breath. Halia’s instincts screamed at her.

“RUN!” she cried as the dragon belched acidic water at Lord Leo.

“Lightning crackle and hiss, gird me in the love of Lady Uttu!”

Smerta leaped at him as the breath engulfed the pair of them. Halia rolled to the side, the water hitting the ground and burning the rugs that covered the tent. Her heart screamed in terror as she scrambled to her feet and drew her weapon.

The terrible reek of acid filled the air. Maya watched in horror as it engulfed her boyfriend. Then he burst out of it. Smerta had tackled him and threw him clear. She screamed, her icy armor melted away along with her skin.