Nope.
The energy was there – I could feel it, but it didn’t encase me as my wolf did. The dragon growled again, bashing against the cage which held her. At this stage, even if I managed to shift into her, we wouldn’t have the space to prevent the inevitable smash into the ground. My only other hope was the dragon’s strength. She could possibly survive this plunge, which was going to kill me in my humanoid form.
I reached for her again, and at the same time she gnashed her teeth and lunged for me. We collided against the barrier. What the hell? Was this the protection from Louis? I thought he said he was just hiding the energy, not locking it away.
No … I was pretty sure it was something else.
I still had my eyes closed. I didn’t know how far until my life ended, but it had to be soon. I screamed as something wrapped around me. I was jerked to a grinding halt. Well, actually, I was still descending, just slower this time. I opened my eyes to find a pair of talons wrapped tightly around my middle. I was going to be very sore and sorry tomorrow. But Braxton had saved my life, so I couldn’t really complain.
Flickers of blue light caught my attention, and I noticed that parts of his tail were covered in flames. But he’d managed to keep the rest of himself fire free. Which I was thankful for.
As I had that thought, we were attacked again.
Holy eff me sideways. Is this shit ever going to end?
Something pierced through my right thigh. I screamed again, long and loud as whatever had speared me attempted to wrench me from Braxton’s grip. I doubted the spearer was stronger than the dragon, but the two forces were going to tear me apart.
More cries ripped from my throat. My dragon was still smashing inside, but we couldn’t touch each other.
I slipped through Braxton’s claws; the pain in my leg did not ease. I couldn’t see what had attacked me, but as I started to spin in a circle, whatever held my thigh released me, flinging me into a straight downward plunge to the ground. This time there was absolutely no chance to be saved.
I closed my eyes again and prepared myself for the impact. In my mind all I could see was Braxton, the beautiful dragon shifter trying his absolute best to save me. As long as he survived, I would be okay with dying. And maybe there was a chance … I hadn’t been as high this time … maybe I’d survive. I was strong, I was dragon marked
Wait.
The dragon marked were supposedly unkillable. Such an insane concept. I’d always been well aware of my mortality, so to start thinking of yourself as immortal, well, it would take some getting used to. But surely the Four had tried dropping us from a massive height in their quest to find the right weapon. Guess I was about to find out how immortal I was.
I hit the ground.
The sensation of bones crushing, organs pierced, blood splashing around … it’s not something I could really describe. Or the pain. There were definitely no words for the pain. I would have done anything to escape the agony ripping through every part of my body.
I sensed thumps landing around me, but I was too far gone to wonder or care what the hell they were. Even the flash of blue light which washed over my closed eyelids barely registered.
My dragon roared then, and this time I didn’t have to reach, she smashed her barriers and the power of her energy flooded through my weakened body. Had I been holding her back?
Either way, the pain receded. It seemed even my nerve endings were afraid of my dragon. I shifted, and this time the sensations were not so strange – the weird rainbow spectrum, the sense of smell which allowed me to actually taste the different scents on the air. Strength coursed through me, knitting bones together, sealing organs and flooding my massive veins with blood. Blue and silver flashed in the sunless light, and I could finally see the wash of iridescent ocean colors which threaded my scales and fur.
It took a few tries to get the feel for my other body. I’d landed on the pink shifting sand and dug my talons in, but I was still a little unsteady on my large, clawed feet.