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Chapter 64: Cedric
CooperCedric is learning to pull on his fire. That will make the next battle interesting. I'm attempting to continue with daily updates through the holidays. This book is coming to its conclusion and I'm hoping to have it finished in the next couple of weeks, but with the holidays, I can't guarantee daily updates.
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The Arena Chapter 65: Tana
If a war is coming, I need to be prepared to fight. I know Cedric won’t want me to, but that’s not how it works. I"m a dragon. We’re not easily defeated and we’re not fragile. Yes, we can die, but it takes a lot. Not being able to shift is definitely a disadvantage. One that I intend to remedy. “Kenna, I need you to do me a favor.” “Sure Momma. What do you need?” “I need you to take me to our family’s cave. I need to get one of our swords.” She looks at me for a moment. “Papa’s not going to like that.” “Your Papa will be happy to know that I have a way to protect myself and your brother even though I can’t shift.” “Maybe I should get one too, Momma?” “Yes, its about time you started learning other ways of defending yourself. Although, I’m not sure how that will work in your human form, but we can try.” Kenna flies me to our cave of treasures. “When you’re ready, Kenna, you can begin bringing your treasures here too.” I tell her. She diverts her eyes. “What?” I ask her. She k
The Arena Chapter 66: Cedric
"What's that?” I ask, staring at my mate. Did she just say she’s 70 years old? How is that possible? “I said, I’m nearly 70 years old, Cedric. Dragons live longer than humans and other shifters.” “But you look like you’re in your 20’s. Like me.” “Dragons stop aging once we get to our mid-20’s. So, until I met you, I could have looked like this for centuries. Avani is over 250 years old.” I feel like my head’s about to explode. When Tana said dragons live longer than other shifters, I thought she meant maybe fifty years, not hundreds of years. “Wait, you said until you met me, what does that mean?” “Your lifespan will extend past that of a normal shifter, but my life will only continue as long as yours does. A dragon cannot live without their rider. I don’t actually know, since I’m too young, but I don’t remember hearing stories of dragons living hundreds of years with their riders. So, I assume that my lifespan will be shorter than most dragons.” “How long can you have children?
The Arena Chapter 67: Tana
I’m digging through Cedric’s company financials when I hear the screeching of the kestrels. Both Jena and Palila had decided that as ranked members, they should take part in the patrols when they aren’t working. It gives them a chance to fly and also protects our borders. I may not understand what they are saying, but the tenor of their shrill chirping is very clear. Danger! I’m up and moving in an instant, grabbing my sword. It’s not ideal, I’m huge with my pregnancy limiting my ability to fight, but I don't want my pack and my daughter to fight without me. As I walk out, there are people running in all directions. Some are headed to the safe rooms, some are rushing outside. Warriors are shifting all around me as they make their way to the battle. I can hear Kenna’s wings and her scream of defiance as she lifts off the ground, ready to fight. I’m moving to step outside when strong arms wrap around me. “Tana, you need to get into a safe room. You are in no condition to fight. I won
The Arena Chapter 68: Cedric
The battle is fierce. I know this is Troy, even though I haven’t seen him. These creatures, there isn’t another word for them, aren’t natural. He’s created weird hybrids. No, these are mutants. My children are hybrids, this is something else entirely. It’s almost as if he tried to recreate mythological creatures but fell short. There’s a three-headed dog, or wolf, I’m not sure, a lion with bat wings and what looks like an attempt to recreate a dragon but in a smaller, much less beautiful creature. Troy's werewolf warriors come in with the harpoon. I watch as Kenna dodges the first two harpoons they shoot at her. While they are trying to reload, I attack them, ripping them to shreds and tearing the harpoon launcher apart. Kenna attacks the dragon wanna-be. It is no match for my daughter who blows her fire on it, burning it alive. I jump on the back of the lion bird-thing. It has wings but doesn’t seem to be able to fly. It’s almost as if the wings hinder its movements. However, it’s
The Arena Chapter 69: Tana
I have never felt fear like I feel right now. It’s not fear for myself. It’s fear for my unborn son. They have kept me strapped here, on this bed for days, weeks, months. I have no idea. There are no windows in this place. I have no idea what time of day it is, if a day has passed or if the time is moving more slowly than I realize. Troy’s chief laboratory technician comes in several times a day to draw fluids. I don’t care what they take from me, but the first time they stuck the needle into my stomach, I began thrashing, my fire burning off the paralytic. Troy was quick to inject me with whatever knocks me out and when I woke, I saw the bruises covering my stomach. I have no idea what they did, but my son hasn’t been moving in my stomach. I’m terrified that he’s dead. When the chief technician comes back in, I snarl at him. “What did you do to my son?” He ignores me at first, then turns to draw more blood, or whatever from me. “I asked you a question.” When he still doesn’t an
The Arena Chapter 70: Cedric
Kenna has been inconsolable. I’m not much better. We’ve gone out every day, flying as long as Kenna can before resting at night. There’s no sign of her. Through the bond, I have moments where I can feel her for a short period of time. That is usually followed by pain and anger before the tether to the bond weakens and I can barely feel it. It’s making me crazy. I know Troy is hurting her, I know she and my son are at risk, but I can’t find her. The only thing keeping me sane is that I know she’s alive. I would never have guessed that I’d appreciate Avani and his help, but he’s been great. He helps to calm Kenna when she starts to get out of control and he is there, quietly letting us grieve, helping us to search every day. It’s later than usual this morning when we get up. We were out late last night trying to find Tana, thinking we’d found something. Ishir had given us some intel that we had followed up on, but it wasn’t Tana. It did look like an old laboratory, maybe a place they
The Arena Chapter 71: Kenna
I knew Avani was injured. Kaylani and I had seen the harpoon puncture his wing, but he had ripped the launcher apart before pulling the harpoon out of his wing with his mouth. His strength and willpower to continue were impressive. Kaylani had wanted to go to assist him, but before she could hand my brother to me, Avani was back to fighting. Instead, she had pushed her healing into me. As a dragon, another dragon can heal me. My brother isn’t a dragon. We can smell that he got my father’s Lycan gene. That’s why my father or I had to heal him. We share the same fire that he would have because of our mother. So, when my father says he wants to go attack the hunters, I’m back to full strength. My fire is burning in my gut at what they did to my mother and my brother. My father runs up my wing and grabs hold of a back ridge. “Let’s go.” He calls and I lift off the ground. I roar to Avani that we’re coming. I see another harpoon launcher being rolled out to where Avani is. I blow my fir
The Arena Chapter 72: Tana
I wake, jolting up out of bed. I’m ready to fight, to get myself and my son away from these monsters. "Shhh, I’m here. You’re safe. You’re at home, you and Liekki.” I feel Cedric’s arms wrap around me. I turn, curling up against him, letting him comfort me. He kisses the top of my head, his hands running up and down my back. “Is he okay? Liekki?” “Yes. Jena and Palila have been wonderful.” I have to smile at that. “They helped me a lot when I first had Kenna. I had no idea what to do with a human child. They taught me how to nurse, how to change a diaper, how to be a good parent. Seriously, without them, I don’t know what I would have done.” “How are you feeling?” He asks me. I take inventory of my body. “Weak. Why am I weak?” I ask him. “You lost a lot of blood, Tana. Both Kenna and I had to heal you. Plus I have no idea what they injected you with.” I hear him swallow hard. “I almost lost you.” I wrap my arms around him more tightly. "I'm right here." I tell him, holding ont
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