Free Only For Her Dragon (Dragon Guard Series Book 6) by Julia Mills

of the old network. They were happy to hear from him, and even happier to come after the most elite of all the Dragon Guard Forces. Andrew had known they would fail. Hell , he’d even counted on it. It had been the distraction he needed to make them believe he’d abandoned the mountain in search of safer accommodations.
    The last few years had been hard. Andrew had suffered more than anyone had a right to, and always because of others’ incompetence. John, his apprentice, had been the only one he could trust, the only one worthy–and the dragons had killed him. Living in a cave was lonely and far beneath what he deserved, but it served his purpose.
    The time was at hand when he would finally be able to exact revenge on the brother that left him for dead and the pieces of shit that he’d once called brethren. His thoughts of revenge and the prophecy had been all he’d focused on during his weeks in seclusion. Using John’s notes, and what he remembered of a long forgotten dragon language, he’d translated more of the ancient texts. It was more prose and flowery writing than Andrew liked. More than once, he’d wished the writers would just get to the point, but at least it had been something to keep his mind occupied and sharp.
    Clutching the old, worn volume to his chest, he pulled his remaining Concealment Amulet over his head. Creeping back to the alcove deep inside the cave he’d been inhabiting, he was careful not to dislodge the makeshift splint or tear the stitches he’d painstakingly knit into his own skin. Andrew held in the groans of pain for fear of discovery. The throbbing was debilitating as he crawled on his elbows and one knee, dragging the disabled appendage behind. The only thing that kept him moving was his promise to make every one of the useless, good for nothing dragons die… slowly and painfully.
    Sweat-drenched and out of breath, Andrew leaned against the cool rocks of the cave walls. His head fell to the side merely from its weight. His mind drifted into a twilight state, something between asleep and awake, protecting as much of his body as it could from the pain. He drifted into a memory of one of his first days at the lair following his parents’ death.
    Andrew walked towards the training pit looking for his brothers. He knew he had big shoes to fill and couldn’t wait until the day the giant with the shocking red hair gave him the go ahead to train with the real Guardsmen. Rounding the corner, he heard the clang of swords. The air filled with the sheer determination of the trainees trying to beat their trainer.
    Cutting through the courtyard surrounding the Great Hall, the sound of crying cut through all the other noise. It was so pitiful, such anguish, such loneliness. One of the most painful things he’d ever heard. The female’s sobs reached right into his chest, squeezing his heart, making it hard for him to breathe.
    Unable to move forward, Andrew changed directions. Pushing through the bushes heavy with blooms, he used the girl’s pain as a beacon. Just past the fountain, he caught sight of a royal blue sweater and one small white tennis shoe peeking out from under the grape arbor.
    Paying more attention to the girl than his surroundings, Andrew stubbed his toe on a bench, knocking a small brass bell from the corner. The clang scared the girl, causing her to cry out and scramble even farther under the arbor until totally hidden from view.
    He crept towards her, calling out as he neared. “ It’s okay. I’ve just come to check on you.”
    He reached the edge of the structure draped in vines, heavy with huge leaves and grapes. The muffled sounds from underneath let him know she was trying to silence her sobs and mask her pain. Any other time he would have turned around and left her to deal with her own problems, but something about the sounds of her grief, combined with her scent and the mere fact that he felt her anguish, kept Andrew glued to the spot and forced him to speak