Shared Mercy Book 5 of the Guardians Saga

CH. 21.3 The Battle

Rile stopped short, his fist drawn back. "What?"

Gabe and Cale reached them, the arbalests and sword Agama behind them.

Cale placed a gentle hand on his brother's fist. "A bound duel with an agent of The Adversary would cause that power surge we felt."

Rile wrenched his fist back. "Drake, you bastard. Alex gave her life for yours."

Drake threw Rile a glance so full of pain that it made Cale step between them. "No," Drake said, "It will fill your heart with joy, son of Gideon, that Alex told Flint to go ahead and kill me."

Cale expelled a ragged breath and took a step toward Drake. "That doesn't sound like Alex. What game was she playing, Drake?"

"She's fighting for Flint to not only leave his business but stop anyone else from taking it over or restarting it."

"That's my girl," Rile said with satisfaction. "What are the terms of the duel? Flint is no fighter."

"Flint transformed into a dragon," Drake said.

A roar from behind the woods startled them.

"Dragon!" Gabe shouted to the arbalests and Rake. "Honor duel! No interference!"

The arbalests swarmed into the woods, their leather shoulder straps, and steel crossbow bodies a symphony of metal and leather.

Rake bellowed orders to the sword Agama who then filed single line between the trees. The brothers emerged from the trees while the sword Agama ringed the burned area.

The arbalests were all over, on the ground, behind rocks, in the trees, crossbows at the ready. They saw Alex on the ground, a dragon with a limp paw and a flopping wing, towering over her.

The dragon was a massive creature with enormous wings, one of which was dislocated so that it fanned out and covered most of the grass around its feet. The creature had two eyes that were yellow and smoldered as they traveled over Alex's body. It gazed at her with an inscrutable expression, but Alex could feel its steely gaze pierce her skin

"Where's her sword?" Rile screamed, eyes frantic.

Gabe threw his arm out, blocking Rile's path

"No weapons," Drake said bleakly. "I begged her to refuse." He bowed his head.

"She's facing a dragon without any weapons?! He'll kill her!"

"No, he won't," Drake said in the same bleak tone. "This is no death match. It is to disability."

"Now that makes sense," Cale said quickly, obviously cutting off Rile, who looked ready to explode. "Alex sees a chance to manipulate Flint to truly destroy the child sex trade while Flint sees a chance to torture Alex."

They ran to the edge of the trees where they could watch the battle.

The dragon snapped down at Alex, who started a speed burst. The dragon's jaws tried to close but then it screamed in agony, flailing its head and a broken tooth with a crimson ribbon of blood flew through the air and spattered Drake and the brothers.

Alex wondered that a claw cut her slipstream but a tooth was broken on it, but only for a second. She figured that it must be some sort of universal balancing act. She considered her options to disable a dragon without a weapon.