Bloodlines: Dragon Rider Book 2

Chapter 30: Scales and Chains

I'm either the cat or the smart student, there's no in-between. Which one are you?

The skies are calmer on this side of the world, strong but gentle and easy to maneuver in. I wonder if any signs of the Darkening and its Thrawlers have touched these lands yet. Wonder if anyone or any city has been destroyed because of it. Between the parted clouds, Rima and I try to see if the grounds are scorched black with death. But we find tall, steel watch towers with ballista catapults instead. The raider cities we pass over are all untouched and thriving, their caged dragons and slaves leashed in chains.

    It's difficult to tell what I feel. Wrong. To cage people, dragons -- any living thing is wrong and leaving them there as we did now... I understand it. Trying to free them would end up with us captured and I understood the raiders a little. This is their life, some may not have been given a choice in becoming raiders but they can't leave. Others may have been born into it and this world is all they know. It's wrong and immoral and dangerous, but it's their life and I understand that. In a strange way, it's my life too. I was sucked into the dragon rider world with frost in my veins and now being the half-breed is all I know.

    Galeur banks around another split in the clouds and Rima follows, her scales hidden from sight as she flies on silent wings. Abraxis steers in the opposite direction, both of us flanking the back side of Galeur in a tight triangle formation. I would find it relieving to be behind Holland where there's no risk of having to look at him -- to meet his disappointed gaze, but as soon as we land I will have to face him -- apologize. Again. I avoid Easton's gaze all together and scan the once flat clouds that have now exploded like soap in a bubble bath.

    The clouds grow more sparse as the morning wears on. To keep us out of the ballista's range, Galeur makes a quick and steady ascent where the clouds are more than a safe distance below from us. But we still weave around the holes, keeping our group hidden.

    Clarika takes her hand off my hip, covering her mouth. I turn. My sister naturally has pale skin, like her frost has frozen her skin, but it's blanched of color now. I don't hide my cringe, earning a sharp look from her. She pushes my face forward while Rima shudders at the thought of Clarika vomiting on her.

    It makes my hair stand and I push her through the bond. "Stop."

    Rima grumbles, the sound vibrating against my thighs. "If she pukes, I'm throwing her off me. Harness or not."

    The clouds break again, splitting Easton and I farther apart-

    Metal rattles through the sky, our only warning before two metal chains shoot through the clouds. Rima barrels left as the chain ends explode. The pop rings my ears, even over Abraxis' roar. I barely get a chance to look as metal nets spring from the chains. They drape over the dragons entirely, forcing them into a hover and weighing on their wings.

    "Down!" Clarika barks and I shove on the saddle, hugging Rima's neck. My sister hugs me in turn as Rima dives, her wings glued to her sides. A screech cuts through the air like the sharpest glass slicing flesh. Clarika puts an ear to my back.

    We break through the clouds.

    I only have a few seconds to scan the rust-colored ground and pick our target before Rima is too close to the ground to fire. Steel towers are scattered through the large city, nestled between wooden buildings to make them harder to hit. Gigantic metal crossbows aim up toward the clouds with three people manning the contraption. Fences made of barbed wire wind through the dirt streets where people sprint for their dragons. Then, Rima's nose is aimed at the sky. A tower crumbled behind us, bursting into black smoke and red flames.