Bloodlines: Dragon Rider Book 2

Chapter 14: Blood Is The New Black

Hey everyone! I'm so sorry about not posting for the last two weeks, It's just been really hectic with the holidays and I bite off more than I could chew with trying to publish three chapters for Christmas. But, just in case someone didn't see the recent post on my account, I'm going to post two chapters every week for the rest of this month as a late Christmas and New Years' gift.

I hope you all had a good holiday and New Years' day. 

Enjoy : )

The clouds continue to darken the closer we come to Khalier until they're finally as black as charcoal. It's cold before the setting sun, but I hardly feel the chill. I lay back on the saddle, watching the bright blue sky and the blinding sun prepare for night. Though my spine aches from the hours of laying against the hump of the saddle, I find sanctuary in watching the sky. The wind comes in strong currents that make Rima wobble, but we're flowing with the current, cutting our time to the islands significantly.

While Rima feels at ease in the sky and enjoys the silence, she glances around as if something may shoot out of the clouds and attack. I leave Rima to herself and let my mind replay her snapping at my mother. The way Renora's hands lit into flames, ready to defend herself because she was scared of my dragon. With so many hours to think it over, I have since lost the small bit of satisfaction I felt. Now I think of all the ways my mother -- Renora -- can take her anger out on me even from so far away.

I should have kept better control, I scold myself. I've just shown Renora that she's gotten under my skin. That she can still get to me. Having Rima lash out in the way she did was a mistake.

Rima's shudder travels down her neck, to her wings, and stops at the tip of her tail. It makes me gasp and sit up with the urge to reach for the quivers and prevent arrows from falling into the snow storm below. She whistles, feeling the throbbing of my spine as I massage it tentatively.

"How's your dragon compass?" I ask, pulling myself out of my slouch to stretch my arms.

An itch, the one we've had since leaving Rosity, gnaws at the back of Rima's mind. She shakes her head, blowing out a cloud of smoke. I pat her side, trying to ease her paranoia as she thinks. "It says we're above the Islands."

I nod, shaking out my shoulders and start to get ready for the flight down. "I almost didn't feel the barrier," I tell her, adjusting in the saddle. Once we get into the snow storm that makes my fingers twitch and nerves tingle, we'll likely have low visibility and will need to be extra cautious of any flying storm dragons.

Rima rumbles, nodding through our bond. "I wonder how long we'll have before it gives out completely."

"Yeah, me too." I say, glancing around the saddle and making sure all the bags and pouches and quivers are strapped down correctly. Rima feels my question before I actually ask it, and readies for a quick and choppy descend for the islands.

I grab onto the lip of the saddle and push down. The sun disappears like a curtain drawn over us, and snow and wind hit us so hard Rima has to bank in order to level herself. Snowflakes make it through the peep holes of my helmet and hit my eyes. The urge to take control of the falling snow pounds in my veins while Rima's nerves claw at the inside of her head.

Run run run.

A dragon roars from directly beside us. I only have enough time to gasp before it slams into us.

My body crashes into Rima's neck, forcing the wind out of my lungs with a hiss. My teeth rattle and everything flashes in red, back, and blue. Rima roars and I feel the sharp talons dragging across wings I don't have. I silence the pain quickly, and yank on the saddle, trying to force Rima free of the dragon's talons.