“Bravo is in position.” I raised the night vision binoculars and saw the large front gate, flanked by two watchtowers, that led into the main compound. Ember crouched beside me, in human form for now, though I could almost feel the buzz of energy surrounding her, ready to explode into wings and scales. I looked behind me at the soldier with the RPG aimed at the compound, and nodded. “Fire.”
With a deafening hiss and a line of smoke, the rocket-propelled missile slammed into the heavy iron gates, and the explosion that lit up the sky could probably be heard for miles. Almost immediately, spotlights flared to life in the towers, sweeping down to rake the ground in front of us, and shouts of alarm echoed through the ruined gates, getting closer every second.
Here we go. I glanced at Ember, who caught my eye and offered a grim smile, as the soldiers around us raised their guns and dug into position. “Don’t get killed, soldier boy,” she ordered, reaching down to squeeze my arm “We’re going home after this. All of us.”
I smiled. “Count on it.”
Men poured through the shattered gates, and the soldiers around me opened fire, filling the air with the howl of machine guns. I raised my weapon and joined the fray as Ember Shifted and launched herself skyward with a blast of wind. Her chilling battle cry rose over the screams and roar of gunfire, and everything dissolved into chaos.
I knelt behind a tree, firing short, controlled bursts at the enemy before ducking back into cover to avoid retaliation. The enemy guards, once they realized they had been ambushed, quickly sought cover behind the walls and shattered gate. There were more than I’d first thought, and they wisely did not press forward to engage us in the open, returning fire from the safety of their walls and towers. The spotlight raked over the ground, pinning a soldier in its glare one second before he was torn to pieces by gunfire.
“We need to take down those towers!” Ward’s voice hissed in my ear. “Sebastian, you’re close. See if you can draw its fire. Matthews, be ready to take the gunners out when he does.”
I gritted my teeth. For a split second, I couldn’t help but wonder if this was a ploy to get me killed. But I was a soldier, and he was my commanding officer. I had to trust he knew what he was doing.
I popped out of cover, firing several rounds at the closest watchtower, trying to see past the blinding circle of light as it swung around. Just before it reached me, I dove behind the tree again, and a storm of bullets peppered the trunk, tearing chunks from the wood and showering me with splinters. I huddled against my vanishing cover, expecting a round in my back at any moment.
There was a Draconic roar of fury, a flare of orange light that lit up the forest, and the storm of bullets abruptly ceased. I peeked around the shredded trunk to see the watchtower on fire, flames pouring from the roof and out the sides, as a small crimson dragon wheeled around to strafe it again. Cries of alarm rang out, and shots were fired after her, but Ember twisted in midair and darted into the trees.
“Press forward!” Ward snapped, sounding grimly pleased. “All units, take the wall. Don’t give them a chance to recover.”
We converged on the gate, using Ember’s distraction to gain ground quickly. But as we approached the wall, a shiver ran up my spine, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood straight up. Something was coming…
I glanced up just as a massive shadow fell from the sky, landing in front of the gate with a crash that shook the ground. Spreading its wings, a huge, dark green Adult raised its head and glared down at us, hatred and loathing shining brightly in its yellow gaze.
“St. George.” Contempt dripped from the dragon’s voice as the rest of my unit fell back, raising their guns. “How dare you butchers come here. Is there no place we can be free of you?” With a snarl, it lowered its neck and spread its wings, as if blocking the path to the compound. “Your assault ends here,” it growled, and I saw the telltale swelling of its sides that made my adrenaline spike. “I will kill you all before I let you touch our females!”
I threw myself aside as the dragon’s jaws opened and the inferno rushed forth like the blast of a rocket engine. The dragon swept its head around, searing the ground and catching a pair of soldiers in the flames. They cried out and reeled away, blazing like torches, before crumpling to the grass.
“Kill it!” Ward snarled, unnecessarily, as the remaining soldiers opened fire. The Adult roared, rearing up as bullets tore into its body or sparked off its armored chest plates. “Kill it now!”
With a roar and a blast of flame, the dragon lunged into the midst of the soldiers. One swipe from a huge forepaw sent several of them flying. Its jaws snaked down, grabbed another soldier and hurled him into the wall with a sickening crack. I rolled to my feet in the embers and smoking grass, sparks and burning debris drifting all around me, and raised my weapon, but gunfire rang out from behind the wall as the enemy guards pressed their advantage, and I had to duck behind a tree to avoid taking fire. Between the raging dragon and the guards, we were forced to fall back, giving way under the relentless assault of fire and lead.
“Tristan!” I hissed into the com as bullets peppered the tree I crouched behind. “Do you see this?”
“Yeah.” My partner’s voice was tight with frustration. “I do, but the thing’s staying back behind the wall. I only have a bead on its front, which might not do anything even if it does hit. I can’t get a clean shot.”
I looked back toward the battle. Ward was still shouting orders over the bark of his own rifle, standing his ground even as the dragon sliced through his unit like paper. It lashed out with a claw, knocking the last of the soldiers away, and suddenly it was just Ward, standing alone in front of an Adult dragon. The dragon lunged, and Ward leaped back to avoid the snapping fangs, but hit a chunk of broken wall and fell, sprawling to his back. Still firing his weapon, to no avail. The Adult stalked forward, ignoring the rounds that sparked off its chest plates. I could see the triumph in the dragon’s eyes as it took a breath, and I knew I was about to watch the strike team commander get incinerated.
The flames roared from the dragon’s jaws, blazing a hellish orange-red, and Ward disappeared into the blaze. I clenched my fist against the trunk, angry that I hadn’t been able to do anything. Despite my personal feelings and his blatant hatred for me and my dragon friends, his death would still be a blow to St. George, and we couldn’t take much more of them.
The inferno flickered and died away, and my eyes widened. Ward still sprawled over the ground, head turned away as if bracing himself to die, the grass around him charred to a crisp. Ember stood over him, head lowered and wings spread, glaring up at the Adult dragon with defiant green eyes. She’d used her own fireproof body to shield the lieutenant, and the Adult snorted in surprise as the flames disappeared.
“Ember Hill?” Cocking his head, the Adult regarded her, puzzled. “You…why are you here? Did you come to assault this base with St. George? But I thought you and Cobalt…”
He trailed off, yellow eyes suddenly widening with realization and alarm. “Cobalt,” he muttered, turning back toward the buildings. “He’s here. On this island. He’s come for my breeders!”
Ignoring us all and the shots still being fired in his direction, the huge Adult opened his wings, launched into the air and streaked back the way he came. Toward the facilities, Cobalt and the females.