Read Online Border Lair by Bianca D'Arc - Free Book Online Page B

about—as if they weren’t bad enough by themselves. The army of men and horses just behind the skiths was armed with crossbows that could shoot small but dangerous arrows at the dragons. A lucky hit to the eye or some of the rare sensitive places on a dragon’s body could do enough damage to take them out of the fighting. The knights, too, were vulnerable to the arrows so the danger was real, as all the knights knew full well.
    They flew higher to avoid arrows as best they could, but in order to effectively fight, they had to make low flame runs. Though he hated to give the order, Jared knew the dragons’ flame would be effective against the bowmen as well. Jared watched grimly as the new assault started to have some effect.
    Suddenly Jared sighted a familiar banner as it dipped and rose once more with an additional white flag of surrender on its pinnacle. The lone rider made a break for the Draconian side, across the field of devastation, riding for the nearest dragon and knight—Kelvan and Gareth.
    Kelzy, can you see? Is that—? Sweet Mother! Is that Lord Darian?
    It is. The crazy loon. He doesn't see the skiths turning to chomp on him.
    We have to do something. He's flying a white flag.
    I see it, Jared. Kelzy made a swooping dive toward the man on horseback, who was almost entirely surrounded by venomous skiths, but another dragon got there before her. This copper dragon had no rider on his back and was acrobatic enough to scoop the man right off his horse a moment before the skiths reached it. The skiths feasted on the poor beast, rending the horse limb from limb with their razor sharp fangs.
    Sandor! Good flying. Jared heard his dragon partner call to her friend.
    Will you take him to the Lair while we finish here? Don't let him out of your sight.
    The copper dragon gave a smoky snort that clearly said he would never do such a ridiculous thing and turned for the Lair, the man clasped tight in his sharp claws. All in all, Jared was glad the other dragon had made the save. He knew Kelzy might have balked at snatching up a human since the last time she had done it—the guilt of inadvertently hurting Adora had bothered her for days and days. He didn’t want to live through that again right now, though he was planning some drills with inanimate objects to sharpen her skills and build her confidence in snatching and grabbing targets as soon as they had a free moment. A fighting dragon needed to train constantly and keep all their skills as sharp as their talons.

    When Jared and Kelzy landed at the Lair, they found a scene of chaos.
    Several knights shoved the Skithdronian man around, sneering and shouting angrily at him, though he did little to defend himself from them. Jared called for order and the knights grudgingly moved away, staring down the stranger with hatred in their eyes.
    “What the hell do you think you’re doing? Acting like a bunch of children in a schoolyard!” Jared admonished the knights, most of who were on the young side, he realized looking at them. Few had seen real fighting before.
    “This man came to us under a flag of surrender. You young hotheads should at least wait to hear what he risked his life and forfeited his country to tell us!” He noted a few eyes clouding with chagrin, but some were still defiantly angry.
    “It’s probably a trap, General,” one of the younger knights yelled from the other side of the crowd now gathered on the wide landing ledge. “How do we know he’s not some kind of spy sent to mislead us?”
    “I know because I know this man. I’ve known him for years and have called him friend for just as long.” Jared moved to stand beside the Skithdronian lord. Darian was a little worse for wear after the way he’d been greeted by the knights, and Jared was disgusted. Knights were supposed to behave better than this. “I lead this Lair until the king says otherwise and I trust this man. So you all had better just calm yourselves.”
    A dead silence fell then