The Nature of Darkness by A.M. Crafton

Author:A.M. Crafton [Crafton, A.M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: anonymous
Published: 2024-06-10T00:00:00+00:00

28

Athena

The crowd exploded into panicked chaos, the Arcadians paying no heed to Haas’s shouts to remain calm. The dragons topped the barrier and dove into the crowd, crushing those in their path as rain lashed down.

Athena came to her senses first, shoving Jace out of his seat and looking around desperately for an escape. Already, Federation officers were swarming out of the palace, trying to identify the source of the commotion, their faces aghast at the Veridian dragons crawling through the courtyard and trampling the guests.

The creatures hadn’t yet narrowed down Jace and Athena’s blood; they smelled each person they passed, sometimes cutting them down with their claws before confirming it wasn’t the target they were tracking. It didn’t give them much of a head start. Would Haas let the creatures loose in the city if it meant a chance to find them, or would it be chalked up to a false alarm?

The chaos would have been a perfect time to shoot Haas, who was still attempting to calm the crowd and control the dragons. The roar of the rain and stampede of fleeing Arcadians drowned out his voice. The dragons weren’t malfunctioning—Imperial blood had been scented, and like any diligent predator, they were tracking their prey. It wasn’t confusion but hunger that drove them.

Athena swiped hair out of her face as they ran. The rain had instantly soaked them through, and she was sure a chill would set in later when she could think straight. The splattering of blood and disemboweled entrails had been entirely too much, and if it hadn’t been for Jace, she might have lost her senses and attacked Haas in front of the crowd. For a moment, she’d been back on the battlefield, drowning in blood, blindly trying to protect herself.

Athena didn’t linger on the fact that she’d calmed down only because she felt safe in Jace’s arms—like her scattered mind knew he would protect her. When had it decided that he was no longer a threat? She couldn’t pinpoint when her reflexes had decided Jace was a safe harbor instead of a death trap.

The gleam of an electrogun firing caught her eye. Someone was shooting toward the creatures from the dark upper structures of the abandoned amphitheater, straying carelessly close to the civilians in the melee.

“Get down!” Athena yanked Jace behind a heap of rubble, ducking out of range. Gods and stars, she’d never hated a dress or shoes more. Her bag was still on her arm, but there was no time to throw her boots on.

The shots were unusually close to Haas and his men for a Federation shooter. It would probably be a problem if they hit the general in their quest to defend him.

Athena did a double take. The snipers were aiming at Haas, not the dragons.

She’d carefully observed each of the guests during the dancing and the executions, recognizing none. If Bishop’s people were here, she would have identified them by now. This was someone else trying to beat them to the kill.

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