Audrey Wright

Was I frightened? Yes. A part of me was, but I was also in awe. I had seen dragons before, but it had always been dark out so I couldn't make out much in the shadows.

Here, now, with the lights of the house shining down on the brownish-green scales, the snout bigger than my head, the teeth as long as most forearms. Okay, maybe a slight exaggeration.

No. Definitely not an exaggeration. I jumped back out of the way, and the teeth came so close to me that I could feel the dragon’s hot breath. Even their bodies felt like they were on fire.

I had fired off several shots already. As before, back in other fights, the bullets just bounced off, and I decided this wasn’t worth it.

Especially since the sound of Miguel’s fight against his dragon had ended.

“Miguel, don’t you dare come here!” I shouted. “Go save Damon. Please. For both of us!”

I knew he wouldn't want to listen, so I was going to make a choice for him. I fired off one more shot and then took off, running through the room and headed for the kitchen. The island might be a good place for me to make a stand.

Because I wasn’t running away to duck and hide. No, I was going to better mount an attack.

The dragon tore after me. The massive, hulking beast knocked pictures off the walls, the frames denting, more glass shattering. Without aiming or looking behind me, I fired off another shot. A wasted bullet? No. I was making sure the dragon didn’t turn tail and find someone else to fight, someone who might already have too much on his plate.

As soon as I entered the kitchen, I jumped onto the seat of one of the chairs, stepped onto the table, ran down it, leaped onto the island and slid down to the far side.

The floor thudded. The dragon had entered.

I took a deep breath, lifted my head to glance over, and went back down. The dragon was being slow. Methodical. He was beside the table, so I didn't have a good angle on him from here.

Quietly, I shifted toward that side and peeked again.

The dragon was now on the table, the furniture groaning beneath the weight of the massive beast. He must be hovering some. Otherwise, the table should have buckled or collapsed.

I shifted back, had my gun raised, guided my sight, and pulled the trigger.

The bullet soared through the air, spinning, spinning, spinning, and landed in the dragon’s eye.

The dragon let out a massive cry, and I went to fire again, but both guns were out. Yes, I could refill, but I didn’t have time for that. The dragon was almost upon me! The sight of it racing down the table with blood streaking from its ruined eye nearly made me gag.

The kitchen. I was in the kitchen. I needed a blade. Something sharp. Something…

On the wall next to the fridge was a mounted katana. I raced over, grabbed it, and sliced downward with the blade as the dragon brought up its claws.

The blade connected.

The claw came flying off.

I didn’t know who was more shocked, the dragon or me, but he just stared at me a moment before flying and turning away.

No! He was leaving to fight the others!

But then he headed straight for the window. The dragon was running away!

I didn’t think anything could shock me more as I raced over to the window the dragon had just broken in order to fly away, but then another dragon flew close.

That dragon collided into the first and slashed him across the throat. The dragon I had maimed and blinded trembled violently and shifted into his human form.

Terrified and horror-struck, I backpedaled as the dragon killed flew into the kitchen from the hole the dragon had made. I was curious in a perverse sense as the dragon shifted into not a male but a female. Naked as the day she was born, smiling evilly, she stalked toward me.

I held up the katana, but somehow, I knew I wouldn’t be able to hurt her. No. She would be the one to hurt me.