Free Tears of a Dragon by Bryan Davis Page A

but the job was done. Now she could take her time gliding downward while keeping watch on the action up above.
    Three Watchers and nine dragons flew all around Merlin II . The Watchers zipped from place to place, like shining dragonflies—speedy and miraculously agile. The dragons, slower and more methodical, created a ring around the plane. Two of the dragons now carried humans, Sir Edmund on one dragon’s back, and Sir Newman dangling from another’s teeth. The second dragon stretched her long neck and placed Newman securely between two spines on her back.
    The two mounted dragons took places near each airplane wing. Two other dragons flew in front, two behind, and three seemed to be flying shotgun, aiming flaming missiles at any Watcher that dared draw near. Every few seconds a demon launched a black lightning bolt that streaked like a jagged stream of darkness toward a dragon. The dragons parried with fire, scorching any bolts that came near, evaporating them instantly.
    Bonnie strained her eyes, trying to pierce the sheets of rain, but as much as she wanted to watch, she knew she had to keep her promise. She turned downward, looking for the airstrip or any open field to make a safe landing. Finding a small patch of grass, she glided toward it, her back and legs tingling as she neared the ground. She yanked down her hood and rubbed the back of her head. That bump against the plane must have given her a real jolt. Landing on the run, she splashed through a waterlogged meadow, skidding a few feet before coming to a stop. She found a gentle slope with extra thick grass and lay on her back, spreading her wings behind her. As she watched the drama high above, she shielded her eyes to block the incessant downpour.
    The airplane had flown away from the battle theatre, its propeller buzz barely audible as it descended toward the landing strip somewhere to Bonnie’s right. Straight above, the dragons had created a line of defense, flying in a column of tight circles, coordinated so that two dragons would always be facing the Watchers and shooting an inferno blast. It seemed that the dragons always knew exactly where the demons were, guided undoubtedly by their sense of danger and the help of two experienced knights. Each volley of fire was a colorful laser shot that sent a winged villain diving to one side or the other.
    Finally, Thigocia nailed a Watcher with a jet of blue sizzling flame. The demon was trapped in midair as slithering sapphire tongues wrapped around its body. Sir Newman’s dragon joined in, shooting an orange flame so bright it looked like a geyser straight from the sun. The Watcher expanded to twice its size, as though absorbing the radiant energy until it seemed ready to burst with brilliance. Thigocia and the other dragon, virtually hovering, their wings beating madly in the driving rain, kept the rivers of fire trained on the demon. Now it had tripled in size. Beams of light shot from its eyes. Its whole body shuddered like a man being riddled with a million volts of electricity.
    Seconds later, the Watcher exploded, shooting a halo of shimmering flames all around and splattering black liquid in a wide arc. The dragons curled their wings and dropped straight down, Sir Edmund clutching Thigocia’s neck and Sir Newman gripping a spine on his dragon. The ring of fire passed over their heads and dissipated in the drenching rain, sending a circular plume of gray smoke into the clouds above.
    One of the two remaining Watchers zoomed away toward the horizon, while the other descended out of sight. Bonnie jumped to her feet, trying to catch sight of where the second demon had fled, but he vanished into the forest. Eight dragons followed Merlin II , while Sir Newman’s dragon skimmed the treetops, apparently in search of the missing Watcher.
    Bonnie pulled the computer from her waistband and spoke into it. “Hi, Larry. Can you hear me?”
    “Greetings. Your voiceprint reveals that you are Bonnie Silver. How may