An arrow missed her throat by an inch. The next one missed Velkaris's eye by less.
The next volley cut closer, just as Tiberon's voice entered her mind.
King Tiberon: Eron and Zenith are en route. Do not engage with primaries.
At this rate, if she followed Tiberon's orders, they'd be fucked.
Serena was about to disobey a direct order from the King, and she'd already made peace with it.
"Not with my dragon." She pushed herself up, to stand on Velkaris's back. A bow and arrow made of gold magic formed in her hand. Lightning flashed just as she fired two ice arrows.
Then there were two flashes of blinding white light.
Two shockwaves.
Serena fabricated parachutes on Eron, Zenith, their riders, and spotters just in case they were hit in the blast.
Velkaris dove, catching her. This time, she landed standing on his back.
They veered right, meeting Zenith in parallel flight.
Lieutenant Taren Calder, Zenith's spotter, held up an extra set of bows and arrows. He tossed them to her.
Taren:The glow from your bow was visible to the naked eye, even from the castle.
Serena:Thank you.
Edward:No, thank you for saving our asses there. Where are these explosions coming from?
Serena:It's happening every time a fae is hit. Two spotters were aiming at Velkaris on both sides.
Then she winced at her own stupidity. She just broadcasted that she'd gone against orders. Even if Tiberon was already aware, he couldn't turn a blind eye.
As commander, he would need to address that.
She closed her eyes for a second and swallowed just as his voice slid into the mindlink.
Tiberon: Truebond Veil. That is your response when tailed. Not engagement. Not shielding. Disappear. I will not repeat myself.
Serena: Understood.
The truth was she didn't even consider that. Even though they'd done it twice it wasn't her go to instinct yet. And Velkaris wasn't thinking it either in that moment.
"Now we know," Serena said to Velkaris patting him.
Hyran's voice sounded in her mind next.
Hyran:The explosions are called Black Detonation. When death is inevitable, Dark Fae detonate outward.
Serena: How do I prevent that?
Hyran: Stop being an excellent shot.
Serena laughed out loud at that and shook her head.
Eron's presence hit like a wall, black and vast. She felt Tiberon and Dex's identical energy. She didn't react or look at Dex and it took concerted effort.
Wait... that didn't make sense.
Dex was on Eron and not Velkaris? Spotting for King Tiberon and not commanding?
That meant he was compromised in some way or injured. Those would be the only two explanations.
He didn't elope with Agnes after all. Wonderful. At least she could attend their wedding now. Agnes would wave from the altar and throw the bouquet. And Serena, being the well-adjusted person she was, would catch it with a smile.
She shook her head, refusing to let that affect her focus. Whatever Dex did was his business and she had bigger fish to fry than that.
An arrow cracked against Velkaris's scales.
Right. One thing at a time.
They moved in a triangle formation. Serena and Velkaris were the tip.
King Tiberon:Lock and fire if you have a shot. Be ready to shield.
Water dragons appeared from the clouds on both sides. They opened their mouths in unison.
Gold bloomed until a sphere sealed around Eron, Zenith, and Velkaris. As soon as the boiling water power-shots hit the shield, it cracked on impact. But it gave them enough time to dive.
And, like the concussed rebel she was, instead of ducking, she stood and fired two ice arrows back to back.
Bullseye on a rider. Bullseye on a spotter.
Two flashes, two blasts. Gold orbs were layered, cracking in sequence. Everyone was still flung from their dragons.
Velkaris knew the drill. He flipped, dove, caught her, and threw her up before the others had even righted themselves.
She landed standing.
King Tiberon:Recovered. Status.
Serena:Recovered. Water dragon with no riders tailing.
Edward Wyncrest:Recovered. Weapons were lost in the blast.
King Tiberon:Fabricate bow and arrows for Taren and Dex. Zenith, wide arc clear of the area.
Edward Wyncrest:Copy.
King Tiberon:We are approaching the water dragon tailing you, Serena. Dex is going to try to control it. Be prepared to shield.
The water dragon opened its mouth.
Dexmon called out to it, both aloud and through the mindlink. It didn't sound like his voice at all. Serena didn't have time to dwell on that.
"Halt."
The water dragon snapped its head to Dexmon, mouth still open.
"To land," Dexmon commanded.
The dragon closed its mouth, fighting itself. Serena could feel there was something off about its energy. Almost like it needed to reset.
She would need to touch it. Its head snapped to her at that thought.
Velkaris groaned in annoyance, already seeing where this was headed.
Serena ran off his back and jumped. A distance that would be foolish on a non-rainy, non-concussion day. Let alone right now.
She caught herself on its leg.
It roared loudly, irritation bleeding through its energy.
She knew with certainty that she was on borrowed time. So she didn't bother climbing. She surged her magic into it through its leg instead.
Its eyes flashed gold.
But she was a mosquito. An annoying one. It had enough.
Serena: I need cov—
Her mindlink turned into a high-pitched scream.
It flicked her off so violently she flipped rapidly in the air.
Dex caught her arm, pulling her onto Eron.
"To land," he called to the water dragon, who was trying to come back around and blast them.
The dragon froze for a moment. Then it moved toward land.
"Thanks," she panted. Then she was immediately annoyed with herself for saying thanks to him.
Dex didn't respond. In fact, he didn't look at her at all. But he didn't let go either.
Velkaris fell underneath in perfect tandem. Serena pulled out of his arms and jumped onto Velkaris's back.
Edward:Approaching parallel.
Bows materialized in everyone's hands. The coordinated attack happened fast.
Six ice arrows fired in rapid succession between Serena, Dex, and Taren. Six flashes. Six blasts hitting consecutively, lighting up the entire ocean for every onlooker to see what was happening for the first time.
Dragons tumbled. Bodies flew.
Free falling, arrow already drawn, Serena fired again.
Another bullseye.
She probably should have felt bad about how good she was at this. She noted that she did not.
Velkaris caught her. Routine procedure.
One of the water dragons came up behind them.
"Shit!" Her words bled through the mindlink on accident.
Velkaris did a Truebond Veil, disappearing like a phantom.
He reappeared a few hundred feet below, parallel, missing power shot blasts from the two other water dragons that had planned on her diving.
Her heart was pounding."Good work, Velkaris."
He huffed in agreement.
King Tiberon:Recovered. All riders and spotters eliminated. One water dragon approaching your left, Serena. Status.
Serena:Recovered. Second water dragon approaching my right.
Edward:Recovered. Your lucky day. Third water dragon approaching you, Serena.
Velkaris groaned.
King Tiberon:Repeat steps from the last one. Zenith, be ready to break her fall.
Serena saw a water dragon right under Velkaris, and jumped. She landed on her hands and knees, shoving her magic into it the second her skin made contact.
Serena:I need immediate cover.
Edward:Under you.
Zenith swerved under just in time, and Edward caught her arm.
The next two went fast. She launched off Zenith onto the third. She was already on the fourth before Velkaris had time to groan about it. Like the others, it threw her off enthusiastically.
Dex caught her by her leg, and she somehow ended up on top of him, with his dad casually driving in the front. It was awkward as hell.
She stood, and Dex let go. Still not making eye contact.
What the hell was she supposed to do with that? Gods, this was a literal mindfuck.
"Last one approaching, Serena," King Tiberon called from over his shoulder.
The fifth and final water dragon moved behind them. She jumped off of Eron fearless and completely over this, catching herself on its neck.
It immediately tried to buck her. As soon as its eyes flashed gold, she let go, letting herself fall with a sigh.
Five water dragons grounded. Two catches from the ex who broke her heart. Zero eye contact.
She fell through the rain soaking up the brutal math.