Page 31 of Red Marked

Scarlet gets her hind claws up and kicks free, and for a breath, they circle, heads low, smoke curling from both muzzles. Scarlet strikes first, going for the throat. Star sways out of the line of it, hooks a wing joint, and uses Scarlet’s own weight to sling her sideways into the rock shelf. Before Scarlet can right herself, Star is on her.

It’s over that fast.

Scarlet goes down onto her back with Star’s foreclaws pinning her wings and Star’s jaws closing over her throat. One bite. That’s all it would take.

Star holds there, teeth against scale, while Scarlet’s tail thrashes once, twice, and then she goes limp.

Star lets her go a few long seconds later.

She steps back off the downed female and shifts, scale folding away until she’s standing over Scarlet on two feet, chest heaving, a thin line of blood running down her forearm.

Scarlet shifts beneath her and stays down in the dirt, glaring up.

“I don’t have any other choice.” Star’s voice carries to every female standing in the dark. “He has males waiting at the entrance of the ravine.”

“We’ll kill them too,” Scarlet shouts, still lying on the floor. She is struggling to catch her breath.

“No, we won’t,” Star snarls. “Even if we left the ravine and dispatched them without any casualties to ourselves, more will come. The Draigers know he is here.”

“So he says,” Scarlet yells. “Why do you believe everything that comes out of his mouth?”

“I don’t want to take the chance that he’s telling the truth. Draig would inform Mistveil. Word that we are here would spread even more than it has already. We don’t want that. Surely you have to agree with me?”

Why not?

This isn’t making any sense. Didn’t they want to be rescued?

Star told me that they couldn’t be helped.

“He might be able to get the Draig females home,” Star says.

Holy fuck!

“They’re here.” My voice is a rough rasp. “I knew it.”

Scarlet picks herself up out of the dirt. She steps in close to Star.

“I hope you know what you’re doing.” Her voice is hard. “Because from here, I’m not convinced.”

“We have no choice, Scarlet. You need to understand that. This male is a Draiger, and if he is who he says he is, he can help the Draigers…maybe us too,” she finishes in a soft voice.

Scarlet scoffs. “We are beyond help, and you know it, Star. I have always known you to be a reasonable person. Thinking we can be rescued is living in a fantasy world.”

“You said it yourself. Time is running short,” Star directs at me. “You should get back to your team before they do something rash. Come back tomorrow, and we will discuss it further.”

“How can you let him come back?” Scarlet shakes her head, looking defeated. “He’ll bring others. This is a trap. I’m sure of it.”

“We’ll talk later,” Star tells Scarlet. “You have to trust me. All of you have to trust this decision.”

Scarlet looks pissed, but she doesn’t say anything more.

“I will escort you out, Flint.”

Scarlet snorts and shakes her head, looking murderous. “If you try anything, I will kill you myself.”

“Of that I have no doubt,” I tell her.

“Leave it, Scarlet! Follow me, Draiger,” Star says in an authoritative tone.