Firedragon Rising by Mary Fan

Author:Mary Fan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Glass House Press

A BLAST OF COLD AIR whipped Aurelia’s ponytail into her face, blinding her for an instant, and she tossed her head, more irritated by the stinging against her eyes than the lack of sight. There was so little light, it barely made a difference, and her ears absorbed every sound around her, picking out any noise not caused by the motorbike or the wind. So far, she hadn’t heard anything more than the rustling of leaves, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t danger ahead.

Realizing that she was bouncing more than usual against the rough ground, she brought the vehicle to an abrupt halt. She’d already made one wrong turn because she hadn’t been able to feel the difference between an old road—whose pavement hadn’t been maintained since before the Lord of the Underworld destroyed everything—and the forest floor beneath her wheels. It had taken her a good ten minutes to feel her way back onto the road she’d accidentally veered off, and she couldn’t afford any more delays.

It was a miracle the Triumvirate hadn’t caught up to her yet, and she wasn’t counting on her luck to last.

She jumped off the bike and crouched, pressing her hand against the ground. To her dismay, all she found was dirt and roots. No pavement. With a huff, she got back onto the vehicle and did a one-eighty turn. Her best bet for finding the road again was to go straight back the way she came—and slowly, so she wouldn’t miss it and cross over to the wilderness on the other side.

But although she noted every little detail as she moved forward, she could hardly make out more than a few skeletal branches. She tried to recall how long it had been since she’d definitely been on a road, which might give her an idea of how far off she was. The last indicator she could be certain of was an overgrown sign, though—one she’d nearly missed, since it had been built over a hundred years ago and left to rot since the Triumvirs took power. She’d passed it about a mile back.

A flash of panic flared through her. A whole mile off—and she hadn’t even been going in a straight line, since fallen branches and other obstacles had forced her to swerve. Her sense of direction was good, but far from perfect. What if all that twisting about had sent her in completely the wrong direction, with nothing to point her back? How was she supposed to find her way now?

Is this how Mom felt when she ran away? Aurelia couldn’t imagine how terrifying the journey must have been for her mother, who hadn’t known where she was going or what lay ahead. At least Aurelia had a definite destination—if she could find it. But what if she couldn’t? She was in the middle of nowhere with both the Triumvirate and supernaturals to worry about. She didn’t have time to be lost… Especially when the longer she spent out here, the more likely she was to get caught.

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