Chapter 4 Battle And Bloodshed

HEINA

My head swiveled around to face them, but they weren't looking at me. Their eyes were trained on Jocelyn as she leaned over beside the door, eavesdropping on a conversation that had nothing to do with her. The girl really had no limits when it came down to making my life hell.

She stood up, affronted. No one in Royal Ridge ever spoke to her like that. The unnamed twins were really breaking a lot of firsts when it came down to her.

Her mouth opened as if to say something, but their faces looked as hard as it would if it were carved from granite, eyes blazing with fury so intense I almost took a step back in fright.

She stomped off like a child denied candy, and the twins turned back to face us in the room.

"Do you have any intentions to keep that promise?" The topaz-eyed twin asked Dad.

Dad's face looked like it was dusted in guilt, but he said nothing.

"Zairo," Mom spoke up for the first time since the news came to light, her voice shaken with emotion. "What are you talking about?"

Dad's eyes filled with more remorse as he turned to face her. He simply shook his head, unready to give an answer.

Mom's voice broke as she yelled. "I deserve an answer, Zairo. Tell me what the hell is going on."

"I... It was a..."

The words were cut off as loud screams filled the air. Screams that were filled with terror raced through the air and forced us to move.

My eyes bulged, almost falling out of their sockets as the sight before me registered. Through the glass walls of our dining room, four huge creatures, reptile-like with wings that seemed to span the entirety of the sky, their body looked scaly even from this distance, and their eyes were small and glassy.

Dragons. Four mighty dragons were beating at the air and traveling in our direction.

What the hell?

All of a sudden, they decided the sky wasn't enough for them to play in, and they swooped down, wings beating off anything that stood in their path, and tails causing a lot more damage.

The walls of our house on the side that overlooked the pool fell off with a mighty chunk as a gray dragon flogged it off with its mighty tail.

The guests that were lounging at the pool screamed, running in every direction to avoid the rubbles that rained down.

My eyes got even wider, as half of the roof over my bedroom was knocked off. Dragons were real, and they were here, destroying my birthday party.

This couldn't be real. Maybe I was dreaming? Maybe this was all...

The thought came to an abrupt halt as a shiny green dragon flew in my direction, wings spanned wide as it hovered and released a breath. Fire raced in my direction, the heat of it flowing even through the barrier that sat between us.

"Heina, move!" One of the twins yelled.

But I couldn't move. My feet were rooted to the floor, shock planting me solidly as death approached me.

Just as the first flickers of the flame beat against the glass, a strong arm grabbed me and dragged me aside.

The glass gave way under the waves of fire that scorched everything in its path.

Oh.

My.

Gosh!

I was still struggling to make sense of what was happening, but Dad's enraged growl had my head snapping in his direction just in time to see his bones rearrange in ways that were downright impossible.

Huge black wings spanned out from where his hands usually stood, his head moving into a reptile monstrosity that flowed down into a fluid, scaly neck and traveled all the way down to a tail that was twice the size of a limousine.

The roof of the house gave way under his large frame, and he soared into the sky, tackling the green dragon that just spat fire at me.

I noticed the change happen twice more, to none other than the twins. Each one of them the perfect replica of their distinct eyes.

They soared into the air as well, the sounds of their wings as it beat the sky like the oncoming of a storm.

Mom didn't turn, but she wasn't as shocked as I was either. She was on her feet, legs braced apart as she spoke in a language I had never heard before, sparks of electricity dancing along the tips of her fingers.

"What the hell is going on?!" I screamed into the air, even though I somehow knew I wasn't going to get any answers.

Dad's black tail swooped into the side of the green dragon, sending its massive frame against the fence.

The other dragon recovered instantly, surging towards Dad in a powerful sweeping move that confused the hell out of me. Everything was happening too quickly for me to take note of.

Strong jaws locked around the throat of the black dragon, and a pained shout broke from my throat, piercing the air. I couldn't breathe as the green dragon shook Dad like a ragdoll, then with its spiky tail, plunged into Dad's underbelly.

He was hurt. God no!

I barely registered the sound of the wings as they flapped through the air before I was knocked into the wall on the other side.

A smaller green dragon had its talons aimed at me as it swooped around a second time. Mom released a blast of electricity that sent the dragon flying backward. But it was back in no time, scratching at Mom's stomach with a deathly blow that left her flesh open.

I cried out again, pain a new companion inside me. This couldn't be happening.

Her body hit the ground at the same time that another dull thud reached her ears. Dad. He was naked, and bleeding.

I started in their direction. I needed to help them.

A topaz-blue tail swung out in front of me, pushing me backward and onto the spanned sapphire wing that made a stairwell for me.

I struggled against their scaly hold, I couldn't leave my parents here to die. I wanted to help. I needed to.

But I was no match for them.

We lifted into the air in a surge, and I released another soul-piercing scream as my home and life started to get smaller. The other dragons circled around my house, and the last thing I remembered before I let the darkness in was the rings of fire their necks reared back to release.

No!!