Total pages in book: 131
Estimated words: 118860 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 594(@200wpm)___ 475(@250wpm)___ 396(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 118860 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 594(@200wpm)___ 475(@250wpm)___ 396(@300wpm)
His dragon was a fierce opponent. He had learned from sharing Tomas’ combat skills as well as consulting with other dragons they had run across in their travels. The dragon exploded out of the sky, roaring with rage, shaking the ground and letting loose a steady stream of flames over the vines. As the vines shriveled into long blackened threads, dropping away from Tomas, the dragon began to dig deeper into the soil, uncovering the tubular roots, which he proceeded to ignite.
Tomas could see the long, exposed roots leading deeper into the forest. He took a moment to bathe his arms and hands in the white-hot lightning to remove the acid from his body. There were two punctures where the vines had managed to get in between his armor to penetrate, which meant he would have to rid himself of parasites. That could wait. Now, he had to follow those tubular roots back to the master vampire.
He swung onto the back of his dragon, and Kinta immediately rose, using his powerful wings to lift them from the ground. Tomas didn’t have to give Kinta orders; the violet dragon was connected to him and knew what Tomas wanted. Tomas never discounted Kinta’s input; he had learned battle technique and strategy from the few ancient dragons still existing. Those dragons had been willing to share knowledge, and Kinta had taken full advantage.
Tomas caught sight of Lojos below him. Lojos was a direct fighter. He always took the battle straight to his opponent. Watching him, at first one would think there was little finesse, but Lojos was poetry in motion. There was a distinct artistry to the way he took down his enemies. He might rush them without saying a word, using blurring speed and going straight for his prey, but when one slowed down the way he moved and actually studied it, Lojos flowed across the ground. There was no wasted movement. Tomas had always admired the way Lojos conducted himself in a fight.
One vampire was incinerated, and Lojos was elbow-deep in the second of his enemies’ chests. He kept the imposter resembling himself between him and the vampire that faintly resembled Mataias. Kinta blasted a trail of fire between Lojos and the remaining vampire.
The fake Lojos slammed his fist into the real Lojos’ chest, racing to try to extract his heart before the hunter could slay him. The imposter shrieked his hatred, the sound echoing through the forest. The birds in the canopy lifted from the branches, taking to the sky, and monkeys called hysterically to one another in warning. The floor erupted with hundreds of scorpions crawling out of the decaying vegetation to rush Lojos.
Out of the trees, a second dragon, one colored an ever-changing green, charged. One moment it was part of the jungle, and then the nearly transparent dragon shimmered like a phantom, almost impossible to spot even as it streaked toward Lojos.
Tomas continued forward to check on Mataias, knowing Lojos’ dragon, Fantoma, would aid him—not that Lojos needed it. Tomas had every confidence in his brother’s ability to win against any odds.
Mataias was the thinker of the family. The calm strategist. His brain worked at top speed, and he went through each move dozens of times in a rapid evaluation of any situation. Having been born first, he was the one who led his brothers. He took his role seriously, the same way he did everything in his life, including taking down their enemies. He was methodical and relentless. Mataias appeared to be the most laid-back of the triplets, but he was lethal as hell.
At the moment, he was engaged in a battle with all three vampires. The imposters looked ludicrous beside Tomas’ brother. Mataias appeared strong and fit against the undead, who were trying to tear his body apart. He moved in a circular fashion, almost a balletic dance, a beautiful, deadly tango. He moved in and around the three vampires, striking first at one and then at the other, so fast and smooth, he couldn’t seem to be touched.
The frustration level of the undead engaging with Mataias reached a fever pitch. All three shrieked and cursed at Mataias as he moved in and out and around them, each time inflicting damage on the vampires. That was his brother’s methodical fighting technique, whether there was one or multiple he was up against. He was constantly in motion, never giving the vampires time to set themselves.
Tomas leaned over the neck of his dragon to study the forest floor and the exposed tubes running from the vines toward the interior. The tubes suddenly disappeared as the earth erupted into dozens of wildly spinning mini-cyclones. The leaves and dirt and debris were thrown into the air, temporarily blinding him. When the vegetation settled, there wasn’t a single sign of roots or the thorny plants.