I'm aiming for a mass release today to see how much progress I can make in wrapping up the story soon. :)
~MULTI-POV~Back at the estateDale’s dragon, Onyx's wings spread wide, the membrane stretching and catching the wind. His tail lashes violently as claws dig into the earth, gouging deep furrows in the once-pristine grounds.Then he lunges forward, jaws snapping, claws reaching as fire erupts from his throat in continuous streams that bathe everything in flames.Kumar, his father’s dragon meets him head-on and their bodies collide with the force of an earthquake that levels what's left of the grand hall.Dust and embers billow up in massive clouds.People scatter in all directions. Those who can't move fast enough are crushed beneath falling debris, buried under tons of rubble. Horses scream, breaking free from their stalls and galloping in panic, some with their manes on fire.Servants pour out of the buildings, running, screaming, trying to escape the inferno.Kumar lunges, his crimson jaws closing around Onyx's neck. Teeth pierce scales until blood flows hot and thick, causing Onyx
~MULTI-POV~Veronica's men open fire and silver-core rounds tear through the air, aimed at hearts, at heads, at center mass. But the women move with speed, dodging and weaving until bullets hit nothing but empty air.Mei's fist connects with one man's jaw, lifting him completely off his feet. He flies backward, slams into the wall hard enough to crack stone, and slides down unconscious with blood pooling beneath his head.Sarah takes two more. Her hands become claws, tearing through flesh until blood sprays and screams echo through the detention level.Sofia moves like smoke, like shadow, one moment there, the next behind an enemy with hands on his head before a quick twist snaps vertebrae and he drops.The remaining men retreat toward the stairs, firing desperately, their silver-core rounds useless against women too fast, too strong, too angry.Seconds later, the detention level is clear with bodies of Veronica's men, blood pooling on the floor and the smell of death thickens the rec
~MULTI-POV~The two dragons face each other.Massive. Ancient. Terrible.The King's dragon form is older. Scales shimmer in the moonlight, wings that span a hundred feet, claws that have torn through armies. Through rebellions. Through anyone foolish enough to challenge the crown.But Dale doesn't care about experience. Doesn't care about the centuries of power radiating from his father's form.He stares at his father with a hatred so deep it rivals the heat of his flames. So profound it makes the destruction of the palace seem like a gentle warmth.If there's anyone he desperately wishes to kill, it's this man. This monster wearing a father's title.His entire life has been one of immense pain. Loneliness. Feeling like he didn't belong anywhere except in a coma or locked in a dark dungeon. Chains cutting into his wrists. Darkness pressing in from all sides. The weight of the binding spell crushing his soul. Months. Years. Time losing meaning in that underground hell.The only person
DALESharon stands her ground despite the inferno raging around her. Despite the very real threat of death radiating from Dale's every pore.Her hatred matches his fury degree for degree. If anything, the destruction seems to energize her."You think you can replace my son? You think you deserve his crown, his position, his future?" Her laughter sounds sharp and cutting."You're nothing but the spawn of a common slut who spread her legs for power. And now you're following in her footsteps, letting some human trash taint our lineage."Dale can barely see through the red haze clouding his vision. Every muscle in his body screams for violence. For the satisfaction of tearing her apart with his bare hands. For revenge. For justice. For his mother's memory. He can hardly hold himself back from crossing the distance between them and showing her exactly what happens to people who insult his mother's memory. Who dare to speak her name with such contempt.The insult to his mother crosses a lin
DALEQueen Sharon, Dale’s stepmother steps forward. Each click of her heels echoes through the grand hall, sharp and deliberate.The sound grates on Dale's nerves, setting his teeth on edge. It's a sound he's grown to despise over the years. A sound that always precedes cruelty."How dare you cause a scene here!" There's no warmth in Sharon’s tone. Never has been. Each word designed to wound. To humiliate. To remind him of his place in her eyes.Dale's jaw clenches so hard he thinks his teeth might crack and his hands curl into fists at his sides. Every muscle in his body screams at him to wrap his fingers around this vicious woman's throat and squeeze until she stops breathing. Until that hateful voice goes silent forever. But he holds himself still. Barely. The effort makes his entire frame tremble.Sharon seems to notice. Of course she does. She's always watching for weakness.Her lips curve upward in a cruel smile he knows too well. She's feeding off his rage, drinking it in the w
~DALE ~Dale materializes in the grand foyer of his estate, the familiar marble beneath his feet offering no comfort.The atmosphere hits him immediately - thick with tension and the silence feels wrong.Harrison rushes forward, his usually composed demeanor cracked with worry. Sweat beads on the man's forehead despite the cool evening air, and his hands shake as he approaches."Master." Harrison's voice is strained, barely above a whisper. "Madam... she has been taken, I'm afraid."Dale's entire body goes rigid and temperature seems to drop several degrees."Your father's men intercepted our party on the way home from the attack, sir. They used Kieran Westfield's assault as a distraction." Harrison's hands shake as he continues with measured precision. "I believe this has everything to do with Her Majesty. Mei was about to relay further intelligence when the communication was severed."The marble floor beneath Dale's feet begins to crack from the pressure of his clenched fists. Hairli