Hi all,
This week I haven’t been too well so I haven’t been very productive with my writing. But, with Elemental Dragons Book 2: Venom and Earth coming out in April I thought I would share a preview of the first chapter with you! If you haven’t read the previous book and don’t want to be spoiled I would recommend skipping this blog post.
Preview:
Peace doesn't last forever. I always seem to find out the hard way.
The screen in front of me is currently showing my worst nightmare. Helicopter blades whir overhead the cameraman as he points one gloved hand towards the beast in the sky.
Draca.
The orange dragon flaps its mighty wings, stalling the helicopter following it for a millisecond. They finally get ahead of it and it bares its teeth, growling at the people ahead.
"How did it get out?" Wes trembles beside me, his locket glowing a murky grey.
Wes is one of my closest friends in Aria, the first person I met outside my friends and brother. We’re both equally scared of our markings, the beacons that are currently leading Draca right to us.
I ignore the feeling of my skin burning around my wrist; it doesn't matter now. The silver bracelet on my wrist continues to burn, as if it’s warning me about what I’m about to face. Looking at that beast on the screen makes my back burn too; my markings are probably glowing. The markings that are lighting Draca's way. It knows where to go because of the markings on my back of my element, water. Now, it wants to swallow me alive to get my power.
"Hazel?" Wes shakes my arm feebly.
"I'm thinking."
"Me too. We need to hide."
"We can't hide from a monster that can track our markings." I hesitantly brush my fingers over the nape of my neck, feeling the warmth radiating from the royal blue swirls on my back.
As much as I want to run, there's nowhere to go. Camp walls are guarded; we won't be able to sneak past.
"Then what do we do? Wait for it to come and eat us?"
I glare at my friend, who trembles as the dragon lets out a roar so loud that it’s distorted on the live feed. "I don't know."
"What about the others? And Braith... She'll want revenge."
Braith has markings also, she joined our group a few months after it was formed. She’s given us so much information so far, she’s a valuable asset.
I sigh and tear my gaze from the screen. "What do you mean?"
"You and I both know that everyone at the lab is dead. It's all over the news! Olwen wouldn't have made it out. "
My heart thumps into my throat at the thought of Braith crushed by the death of her older sister. Wes is right. There's a strong chance she'll do something impetuous.
"We need to find her."
"You can. I'm not going outside with that thing flying around." Wes sinks lower in his chair as people around us start to chatter as the camera cuts out.
I'm not letting her get into trouble.
"Fine. We'll go by ourselves." I glance at my dragon companion, Aqueous, who nods in agreement.
I slink through the crowd, Aqueous gently pushing people out of the way with his bat-like wings. I'm glad there are no Premiers around to fine us. My commoner status means that I can be fined by the elite for even glancing in their direction. With Draca loose I suppose their ‘protectors’, people who watch over the Premiers, are too busy to worry about a few commoners like me getting too close,
Cold air blasts my face as I step onto the gravel path outside the library. The sky is grey and full of clouds that look ready to burst. Aqueous sniffs the air, his claws digging into the gravel.
"Can you smell it?"
The black dragon shakes his head, but his turquoise eyes won't meet my gaze.
"You're a terrible liar."
His eyes twinkle until a roar makes us both jump. It echoes around the camp, instilling a deep silence.
"We need to find her, now."
My companion puts his nose in the air once more, nostrils flaring. I let him lead as we walk through the empty streets. People duck into the nearest buildings, their eyes wide with fear. Although I'm scared, I need to find Braith. She's going to be devastated. I hear the whir of helicopter blades again, and quicken my pace to a run. Aqueous slows down to run beside me, his eyes darting between the sky and the path ahead. As we turn a corner, I recognise the black and white scales of Damayanti, Braith’s dragon. She is glaring at the sky, legs splayed and teeth bared. Next to her stands Braith, clutching a piece of pipe in her hands. Her face is wet with tears, and her hair is ruffled over her sweaty forehead.
"Braith!" I call out to her, but she doesn't acknowledge me. "Braith!"
"Fuck off, Hazel."
The fact that she used my proper name instead of the nickname she gave me shows that she's upset. Her gaze drops to meet mine, her brown eyes blazing with fury.
"Braith, we can't be out here."
The hum of the helicopter blades becomes louder; it will break through the clouds any minute. And Draca would too.
"I want it dead." My friend clutches the pipe so tightly her knuckles turn white. "Olwen is dead because of it."
"You don't know that. She could have got out–"
"No. Most of the building collapsed after catching fire. They've found bodies, not survivors."
I take a step forward but Damayanti bares her teeth, frosted breath flowing from her nostrils.
The helicopter spirals overhead, trailing smoke in its wake. It heads for the forest, disappearing behind the trees. Aqueous shields me from the strong winds as Draca's head breaks through the cloud first. Its long orange body follows, circling the camp in seconds.
It's the size of a skyscraper, with piercing amber eyes and dull orange scales. Chipped brown spikes stick out over its head and neck in all directions. Its claws are as long as my body and of a faded yellow. Its eyes lock on us below, its lips contorting onto a snarl. It flaps its wings once and lands gracefully in front of us in the square, squeezing its bulky body in between the shops surrounding it.
"Get 'im!" Braith snaps at her companion.
With a screech of fury, Damayanti leaps into the air, speeding towards Draca for an attack. Aqueous shoots after her, tackling her out of the sky yards from the beast's face. The two of them tumble on the ground, leaving scars in the pavement.
"No!" Braith screams, whacking my arm with the pipe as she rushes towards the great beast.
I shoot a blast of water at her feet, knocking her to the ground.
Draca lifts one leg, trapping Braith between its claws.
"Shit!"
I run forward, firing streams at the beast's head. It ignores me and starts to drag its hand across the ground towards its head, taking Braith with it. My friend tumbles helplessly between the clawed bars, getting covered in dirt and grime. Each claw leaves a large scar in the earth. Damayanti's angry roars ring in my ears as the beast lifts its hand up, hooking Braith's arm between rows of teeth.
"Hazy!" I hear the fear and regret in my friend's voice as the beast prepares to take off, with her dangling from its mouth.
"No!" I fire more water, but it bounces off the dragon’s orange scales harmlessly.
Flapping its wings, Draca launches into the sky, the force of its take-off knocking me backwards. When I'm able to open my eyes again, the clearing is empty.
