Dragon Blood

Fifty-Seven: Blood Red Ruby

"Why are you doing this?" Skylar asked, her eyes sweeping over her clan again. They were all looking at her in fear, looking at her for help, and she didn't know what to do. She made eye contact with Violet and Greta, who clutched each other, the only humans in the group. Laura, Nana, and Penelope were at the front of the dragons, trying to protect and stay strong, but they were helpless under the power of the witches. Even Penelope, an Alpha female, was rendered useless by the powerful magic.

A cold, bone-chilling voice came from the doorway of the infirmary. "She doesn't have a choice."

Draco stepped out, five soldiers trailing him. The soldiers walked down the steps to circle the group of scared dragons alongside the witches, pointing their weapons at them in warning. A young child whimpered, straining to get closer to his mother.

Skylar's mouth hardened into a thin line. She shouldn't have been surprised the king had found a way to get to the village. Her only question was how he'd managed it. She knew how the magic of the territory worked, and even though the witches had magic, only a dragon's presence could provide the protection...

Cassie stepped out of the infirmary, little Benny held tight in her grasp. The young female appeared completely at ease, rocking the child and stroking his cheek. She finally looked up and her eyes met Skylar's. They were cold as ice.

A snarl ripped from Skylar, rage and betrayal coursing through her. She knew Cassie didn't like her, felt that Skylar had stolen her man, but to side with Draco? Against her own family?

A smirk played on Cassie's mouth at Skylar's reaction.

"Cassie," Penelope gasped in horror, her face holding the betrayal only a mother could feel at the sight of her child making a terrible, deadly decision.

Cassie ignored her mother. She'd obviously chosen a side and was going to stick with it.

Benny squawked and squirmed in Cassie's grasp, drawing Skylar attention back. How had they even gotten ahold of him? Skylar's gaze swept over the crowd of dragons three times in search of Victoria, but the Alpha female was missing.

"Where is Victoria?" Skylar demanded, racking for a way to get Benny away from them.

Cassie paled slightly, something finally breaking through her calm facade, and she glanced at one of the soldiers standing around the huddled dragons. Skylar followed her gaze, to a knight with an eye-patch. He held his sword out, pointing at the submissive dragons, and the end of it shone red with blood.

Skylar's stomach dropped to her feet as she comprehended what she was seeing. Bile rose in her throat and she swallowed heavily, looking back at the doorway into the infirmary. It was dark inside, so she couldn't see anything, but her mind conjured up the carnage within all too easily.

"She wouldn't submit," Draco shrugged. "Now, Skylar, it's your turn to submit. Make the right choice, and I'll make sure your fellow monsters die quickly."

She couldn't tear her gaze away from the blood beading at the tip of the sword. Her dragon cried out in anguish and anger. Victoria couldn't be... she wasn't possibly...

She felt every eye on her, everyone waiting for what she would do. Surrender obviously wasn't an option, and she didn't even consider it. What she needed to do was get Benny away from Draco and the witches. She needed to save the youngest, most helpless member of their clan. Her dragon paced back and forth behind the bars of the cage, focused on tearing Draco to shreds. Skylar liked that idea and fully supported it, but she didn't exactly have the means to do such a thing right then. She wished her dragon was better at formulating plans rather than simply outcomes.