Free Desolation (Dragonlands Book 4) by Megg Jensen Page B

killed Jarrett. He didn't know where she stood either.
    "Black," Bastian said. "We were meeting the Black and Green. We fought for them." He hoped that was the right answer. If the Red had captured him, then his arse was on the line. Still, he couldn't bring himself to lie. Not anymore. Not after what Elinor had done to him.
    Bastian let out a little groan. Was she still alive? His sacrifice might have been in vain. What had she told him? As long as your heart beats, so does mine.
    Bastian could have sworn his heart had stopped beating. He thought he'd met death. Unfortunately it appeared the world had given him another chance.
    "Close your eyes," the woman said. The prick left his neck. "Light the torch," she called.
    Bastian obeyed, but he could still see the bright light through his closed lids. The woman loosened the bonds holding him down. He stretched carefully, then opened his eyes.
    He was inside some kind of barn. Torchlight glinted off metal hanging from the loft. Bastian sat up gingerly and rubbed his wrists.
    The woman stood across from him. Her dirty blond hair hung past her shoulders while her green eyes locked on his. She crossed her arms over her chest and smirked. "Welcome back. How does it feel to rise from the dead? I'm Blythe, by the way."
    "What are you talking about?" Bastian asked. He didn't jump off the table. He had no idea how long he'd been unconscious and his feared his legs would be weak. "How long was I out?"
    "Not long," she said. "Only a few days. Not enough time to lose your memories, thankfully. The other two couldn't prove their loyalty, so we had to return them to their death. Can't have Red sympathizers walking around the Meadowlands."
    She wasn't making any sense. "What do you mean 'rise from the dead?'" Bastian asked.
    "You were dead," Blythe said. "You know that, right? You died in battle."
    "I don't understand." Bastian looked around again. "Am I in the afterlife? It's not what I expected."
    Blythe laughed, her shoulders shaking. "No. This isn't the afterlife. I brought you back to life. A bit of my blood, and you're as good as new. Actually, you're better than you were before."
    "Really?" Bastian asked. He stood. His legs seemed solid. "How am I better?" Bastian flexed his arm, a rock-solid muscle popping out. Yeah, he still had it.
    "You're a dragon now." She said it so matter-of-factly that Bastian questioned his hearing.
    "No, I'm not," he said. "I'd rather be dead than be a dragon."
    "I'm more than happy to kill you, if that's what you want. But I'd rather not." Blythe deftly tossed a dagger in the air. Bastian watched it spin and land in her palm over and over again. "I chose you for a reason."
    Bastian sat down on the table, suddenly weak. He looked up at the metal and could see it more clearly now. Armor. Dragon armor. Bastian's head slipped into his hands. She'd mentioned the Meadowlands. He vaguely remembered hearing that every person in the Meadowlands had been turned into a dragon and that's why the barrier had been erected between them and the Red and Yellow.
    "Why me?" he asked.
    Blythe walked over to the table. "You're strong. That's clear by looking at your body. You take great pride in being physically fit. We need more warriors who can withstand battle. There is a great war coming. We in the Meadowlands have known this for a very long time. Our elders passed this knowledge on to every succeeding generation. We must prepare for the inevitable war. If we are to survive, we must bolster our numbers."
    "I thought we were beating the Red back there."
    "This is not a war concerning dragons," Blythe said. She sat next to him on the table. "This is about what lies in our past and what is lurking in our future. If we are to have any chance of surviving, we need more warriors."
    Bastian's stomach sank to his feet. "How do you know it's true? Maybe it's just the ramblings of old people who pass fear down to the next generation."
    Blythe sighed. "Because we have a list of events