The Dragon Slayer's Queen
Liam drops, rolls, and smashes the guard’s kneecap, grabbing the fallen halberd and swinging it in a perfect arc that sweeps two more away from Zayla.
But Mariah is a hurricane; she dives at Bella, claws extended, fangs bared. Bella shifts in a split-second—her scales mirror Zayla’s, but cold and sharp, her eyes an icy blue. The twins slam into Mariah, pinning her against the marble floor. She laughs even as they rip her scales away.
The Queen stands above the chaos, arms raised, summoning a storm of green fire that pulses with the force of her will. The Elders join hands, adding their own sigils—red, gold, black, an unholy rainbow of power aimed at the rebel children.