Read Online Desolation (Dragonlands Book 4) by Megg Jensen - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Megg Jensen
Tags: Sci Fi & Fantasy
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fire.
"What is that?" Hazel asked.
Connor wished he knew. Of all the things he'd seen since leaving Hutton's Bridge, this left him speechless. He grabbed Hazel's shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "Do not leave this spot. Not until I say so. Do you understand?"
She nodded, her hands trembling.
Connor released his wife and spun around. He stalked over to Fotia and Vatra. "Good girls. Now back up, and stand with the other children."
Fotia huffed one more puff of white smoke at the dark thing in front of them. Vatra backed away slowly, hobbling on her short leg.
Connor turned his back on the children. He took a deep breath and looked up at the black haze. His eyes searched the shape for any indication of a face or limbs. Anything that would tell him what sort of creature stood in front of him. It wasn't human or dragon. Nor was it a kilrothgi. It didn't appear to be related to that thing Tressa had showed him under the Red castle. Just what he needed. A new enemy in the midst of so many others.
"Can you speak?" he asked it.
The shadow gyrated and rose until it stood higher than the village hall.
Connor's heart pounded. How could he fight something that had no flesh? He could turn into a dragon, but he had no magic to combat this thing. Whatever it was, it had gotten past the guardians. He cursed himself for trusting in Gaia and her brothers so blindly. Just because they'd kept dragons and kilrothgi out of Hutton's Bridge, it didn't mean they could keep everything out.
The children weren't safe here. No one was safe anywhere.
The breeze picked up. Leaves skittered across the ground, crackling as they jumped and vaulted over one another. The dark shape twirled around itself until it resembled a funnel.
"Get to the village hall, now!" Connor yelled. The children scattered and Hazel joined them, encouraging the little ones to go faster. Kurt grabbed Vatra and carried her in his arms.
Connor allowed himself only a moment to appreciate how his family was coming together before he returned his attention back to the thing swirling in front of him. He clenched his fists at his sides, preparing to turn into a dragon, until he noticed it taking a form he recognized.
A face appeared in the middle of the rising shadow. Sunken gaps were eyes, and lips were formed in gray smoke.
"You will die," a voice moaned from within the shadow.
"Nice to meet you, too," Connor muttered under his breath. He eyed the face. It didn't seem familiar, too indistinct to look like any one person. "Is that a warning or a threat?" he asked.
The lips parted. "It is truth."
"Am I to fight you?" Connor asked, still unsure of the shadow's intention.
"You will fight, and you will die a painful death."
Connor snorted. He'd already died once at the hands of Stacia. Yet, here he stood, alive and well. Better, in fact, than he'd ever been. Death no longer scared him.
"The dragons will die. The humans will become slaves. All will bow to the power of Desolation. We are coming."
"Thanks for the warning," Connor said, annoyed. What kind of enemy announced its presence before attacking? Was the army trapped in Desolation really so conceited as to think the people in the Dragonlands would simply cower before them?
"It is no warning," the shadow said. A chilling chortle echoed in the quiet village. "Everyone will die. Starting with you."
The face disappeared into the swirling shadow.
Connor let out the breath he'd been holding and transformed into his sapphire dragon. He reared up on his back legs and sank his talons into the shadow. He fell forward into it, and a chill swept over his whole body, causing a shudder from his head all the way to the tip of his tail. He thrashed and clawed at the darkness, his teeth biting at nothingness.
The chill continued to spread, sinking under his scales. Connor backed away and fell to the ground. His body landed with a loud thump. He opened his eyes and saw the door to the village hall swing open. Hazel and Fotia ran
"What is that?" Hazel asked.
Connor wished he knew. Of all the things he'd seen since leaving Hutton's Bridge, this left him speechless. He grabbed Hazel's shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "Do not leave this spot. Not until I say so. Do you understand?"
She nodded, her hands trembling.
Connor released his wife and spun around. He stalked over to Fotia and Vatra. "Good girls. Now back up, and stand with the other children."
Fotia huffed one more puff of white smoke at the dark thing in front of them. Vatra backed away slowly, hobbling on her short leg.
Connor turned his back on the children. He took a deep breath and looked up at the black haze. His eyes searched the shape for any indication of a face or limbs. Anything that would tell him what sort of creature stood in front of him. It wasn't human or dragon. Nor was it a kilrothgi. It didn't appear to be related to that thing Tressa had showed him under the Red castle. Just what he needed. A new enemy in the midst of so many others.
"Can you speak?" he asked it.
The shadow gyrated and rose until it stood higher than the village hall.
Connor's heart pounded. How could he fight something that had no flesh? He could turn into a dragon, but he had no magic to combat this thing. Whatever it was, it had gotten past the guardians. He cursed himself for trusting in Gaia and her brothers so blindly. Just because they'd kept dragons and kilrothgi out of Hutton's Bridge, it didn't mean they could keep everything out.
The children weren't safe here. No one was safe anywhere.
The breeze picked up. Leaves skittered across the ground, crackling as they jumped and vaulted over one another. The dark shape twirled around itself until it resembled a funnel.
"Get to the village hall, now!" Connor yelled. The children scattered and Hazel joined them, encouraging the little ones to go faster. Kurt grabbed Vatra and carried her in his arms.
Connor allowed himself only a moment to appreciate how his family was coming together before he returned his attention back to the thing swirling in front of him. He clenched his fists at his sides, preparing to turn into a dragon, until he noticed it taking a form he recognized.
A face appeared in the middle of the rising shadow. Sunken gaps were eyes, and lips were formed in gray smoke.
"You will die," a voice moaned from within the shadow.
"Nice to meet you, too," Connor muttered under his breath. He eyed the face. It didn't seem familiar, too indistinct to look like any one person. "Is that a warning or a threat?" he asked.
The lips parted. "It is truth."
"Am I to fight you?" Connor asked, still unsure of the shadow's intention.
"You will fight, and you will die a painful death."
Connor snorted. He'd already died once at the hands of Stacia. Yet, here he stood, alive and well. Better, in fact, than he'd ever been. Death no longer scared him.
"The dragons will die. The humans will become slaves. All will bow to the power of Desolation. We are coming."
"Thanks for the warning," Connor said, annoyed. What kind of enemy announced its presence before attacking? Was the army trapped in Desolation really so conceited as to think the people in the Dragonlands would simply cower before them?
"It is no warning," the shadow said. A chilling chortle echoed in the quiet village. "Everyone will die. Starting with you."
The face disappeared into the swirling shadow.
Connor let out the breath he'd been holding and transformed into his sapphire dragon. He reared up on his back legs and sank his talons into the shadow. He fell forward into it, and a chill swept over his whole body, causing a shudder from his head all the way to the tip of his tail. He thrashed and clawed at the darkness, his teeth biting at nothingness.
The chill continued to spread, sinking under his scales. Connor backed away and fell to the ground. His body landed with a loud thump. He opened his eyes and saw the door to the village hall swing open. Hazel and Fotia ran
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