Free Destiny of Dragons by Amber Kell

Liang tried to focus on the task at hand. He’d rather go back home and cuddle with his mate. Proteus had said he’d be in the tank while Liang was gone. The sea dragon apparently wasn’t comfortable yet with hanging around the non-aquatic shifters. In time Proteus would become used to all the different people, but now, with all the changes in his life, he needed time to adjust.
    Liang had introduced Proteus to Kurtis, hoping the two would bond, but other than exchanging wary looks they hadn’t clung to each other like long lost brothers. Maybe being mated with dragons wasn’t enough to connect over.
    “I see something.” Zhou’s voice in his head had Liang gliding closer his leader. He scanned the snow, but nothing caught his attention. Snow, snow, ice and more snow.
    “What did you see?”
    “I don’t know. A flash of red. There!”
    Liang followed Zhou down, flinching as his claws met the frozen earth. Too bad they didn’t make wool socks for dragons. A still lump lay collapsed by the tree. It took him a moment to recognize the shape as a dragon shifter. A fire dragon didn’t belong in this cold. They were desert dwellers. Mexico and the southern parts of the United States used to be heavily populated by red dragons. Liang wondered if red dragons had decreasing numbers over the years like water dragons.
    Zhou shifted to human and Liang followed suit, shivering from the cold before his scales transformed into cold weather clothing and covered his feet. The fire dragon shuddered in the cold. Liang could almost hear the beast’s teeth clanking together.
    Liang crouched down to see the dragon better. “Hello, what are you doing out here? We’re looking for the emperor.”
    “Liang.” Zhou’s warning tone had Liang straightening and stepping back. Maybe he shouldn’t have shared that information, but he doubted the cold, shivering dragon was a plant from the emperor for them to share their story. The emperor was more straightforward than that.
    The dragon shifter transformed into a slim human with red hair and gold eyes. He began trembling when his bare flesh touched the snow before his scales covered him again.
    “I-I kn-know where he is. Or at least wh-where the facility is.”
    It didn’t look like the red dragon’s scales protected him from the cold as well as water dragons’ scales did.
    “Facility?” Liang’s heart sped up as the red dragon’s words sank in. They might actually have found a lead. Success!
    The redheaded dragon nodded his head. “He traps dragons there and tortures them for information.”
    “What kind of information?”
    “I-I don’t know. That’s just what I heard. He’s never questioned me. He never seemed to think I had anything worthwhile to say.”
    Warning bells rang through Liang’s head. The strong sense of danger intensified until he thought he’d choke on the instinct to run. He sent Zhou a warning through their link. Zhou frowned, but didn’t comment.
    “I’m Zhou and this is Liang. What’s your name?”
    “Rye. I’m a fire dragon. I’m guessing you two are water ones. The emperor has a real hard on for you water guys. He hasn’t let the two he captured free for more than an hour at a time to shift.”
    Liang grinned. Relief surged through him. “So they’re alive.”
    Rye shrugged. “They were a few days ago. I haven’t seen them since.”
    “How did you escape?” Liang asked.
    The emperor wouldn’t just let a dragon free without having a reason behind it.
    Rye frowned, his eyes flashing an apologetic message. “I’m bait.”
    Liang’s claws came out, but not before they were surrounded. Soldiers appeared out of the air and darts coated Liang with tiny pinpricks. “May your soul go to the Chamber of Mirrors so you can see your true shape,” Liang cursed.
    “I am already in a hell of my own making,” Rye whispered. “I’ll get word to your people. Where are you from?”
    “Seattle. Go to Seattle and seek the dragon king,” Liang