Wings of Deceit: An Urban Fantasy Romance (The Last Phoenix Book 6) by Stephanie Mirro

Author:Stephanie Mirro [Mirro, Stephanie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Tannhauser Press
Published: 2021-12-29T16:00:00+00:00

17

IF NOT NOW, WHEN?

The dragons towed me back into their lair without regard for my safety. I bounced my way down the tunnel, smashing against the stone and cursing my bad luck.

At some point, I shifted back into two-legged form to better protect my body. I might have had superior strength and healing compared to a human, but my bird bones didn’t. Without the iron cuff, I would heal quickly, but not quickly enough for a fight.

I sprawled across and collapsed onto the floor of the cavern, dirt and a multitude of scrapes covering every inch of my skin. Blood dripped from a nasty gash in my elbow and from a shredded chunk of thigh, and everything hurt. My flimsy dress hadn’t fared much better.

A dozen dragonmen surrounded me, their glowering expressions exaggerating the sharp edges of their features.

I unfurled my fiery wings to keep them away and tugged at the wire ensnaring my raw and bloodied ankles. I was lucky they hadn’t ripped a foot off with this snare. The nearly frayed wire snapped in my hands, and I bit back a groan as I got to my feet. My legs trembled, nearly buckling beneath me.

The drakony stayed back from my fire, but their narrowed gazes studied me, waiting for a weakness.

I had no weapons other than my fists and my magic, but I was more than willing to use both against my captors. Phoenix fire harmed them as much as theirs did to us. I’d learned that much, and I was ready to show them what a desperate phoenix looked like.

“I’m leaving,” I said to no one in particular, turning in a slow circle. “And releasing the other women before I return with my army would be a wise move.”

A little bravado could do wonders for making people listen sometimes.

Just not today.

A slight disturbance came from behind me, and I whirled around. Romid thrust his way through the circle of dragonmen. A mask of fury marred his otherwise handsome, though still douchey, face. His irises darkened to deep amber.

“I should have known a traitor such as you would stab an ally in the back,” he said, fisting his hands at his sides.

I let out a short, incredulous laugh. “You’ve got a warped sense of what being an ally means. Not to mention the fact that I most definitely did not stab you, but I wish I had.”

His growl raised the hairs on my neck and arms. “You are pathetic. Growing up as a human made you weak.”

Several dragonman watching us grumbled their agreement or sneered in my direction. Interestingly, the majority didn’t. They stood with arms crossed or hands resting on their hips. I didn’t know if their quiet observance was a good or bad sign.

Regardless, I loved how Romid talked himself into easy insults. Because, unlike him, I rarely got riled up by words.

But this guy?

Words cut as deep as sticks and stones.

“And yet this weakling choked you out while chained to the wall,” I pointed out, bending my knees slightly as I readied for an attack.

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