Free Fire The Blood: Dragon Mage Series Book III by Kelly Lucille

knowing, even if
he did dress flashy.  He wore it well, and despite his seeming love for things
that sparkled, he was a hell of a fighter on top of that.
    Braedon closed his eyes
when it looked like they were going to fly right into a tree. Instead, they
cleared it with a little dip and twirl that had him rethinking his positive
feelings for the overdressed dragon lord.  Braedon felt the whip of the wind
and the scent of green pass across his face.  When he hesitantly cracked an eye
open to see if they were falling to their deaths, he saw only the distant
mountains and clouds.  It was not entirely reassuring, but he let thoughts of
near death go and screamed into the wind, "faster!"
    Prince Ladon moved
faster, and Braedon held on tighter, grimly thinking he could endure this as
long as they got to Asha in time.  If she were hurt, the dragons would finally
see what a fire mage was truly capable of.  He felt the fire simmering inside
him and controlled it with an effort.  Burning the dragon that was carrying him
where he needed to go would be a very bad idea right now.  Instead, he
concentrated on containing his growing anger over Asha's danger and screamed
into the wind, "faster!"
    Braedon saw Asha in the
small clearing surrounded by three fully grown dragons; a small ebony dragon
was the only thing standing between them and his mate.  It took all he had to
stop the fire until he could be dropped to the ground.  When he landed, he was
still a good ways from the ground, and had to roll with the impact to keep from
breaking anything.  Looking up to see both Ladon and Kinkaid in human form
standing between Rhune and the three strange dragons, all of whom he was quick
to note were the gold common to the House of Earth.  Lux, Aarion, and General
Solan landed behind the House of Earth dragons.  Solan had shifted to his man
form while he flew so that he landed on large boots, his hand on his sword and
his eyes casting an eerie silver glow on the scene before him.
    Braedon finally let his
fire free, feeling it race down his arms and hands.  He knew his eyes would be
open flames, and he could feel himself losing his tightly wound control even as
Ladon spoke.
    "Rhune, shift and
tell us what is happening here before we kill these three House of Earth
interlopers."
    One of them started to
protest, but a hiss from a clearly enraged Eben Kinkaid quickly caused him to
close his mouth.  A second later, Rhune shifted to his small boy form and
looked as though he was going to fall over from exhaustion.
    Kinkaid's gaze sharpened
as he peered at the boy.  His dark voice flowed over the clearing with the
pressure of power.  "Did you heal someone?"
    "Asha was
hurt."
    All eyes turned to fix
one predatory gaze on the three dragons, who were looking less sure of themselves. 
One was shaking his head and his hands were up.  "It wasn't us.  We found
them like this."
    "Rhune?"  Eben
growled out the question, and Rhune blinked his exhausted eyes up at him. 
"How was the lady hurt?"
    He shrugged, and it
looked like the move was set to topple him.  Ladon reached down and steadied
his little shoulders.  "She was so cold.  I had to heal her."
    Braedon felt his fire
diminish as he heard the child.  He walked closer, trying to see Asha where she
lay crumbled on the ground.  "She was shivering? And holding her
stomach?"  He asked, careful to keep his eyes on the dragons as he moved.
    Rhune nodded.  His eyes
briefly closed and then opened as he fought his own exhaustion.  "There
was so much to heal."  He looked confused.  "There was a wall I had
to break."
    Eben's eyes seemed to
focus their glitter on the boy.  "A wall?"  He looked from him to
Ladon, and Braedon had the feeling they were talking through the mate bond they
shared with Morgan.  "You broke through?"
    Rhune nodded, "And
then she fell asleep, and the dragons came."  He worked up enough energy
to glare at the three dragons in question.  "They wanted to take her.