Dragon Unleashed (Book 1 of the Dragon Mage Saga)

Race for the Code

Hugo’s raven eyes were emotionless and empty, a carcass of the man he was before. Darla trembled, taking his wrist into her hand. His skin was still warm.

            “I-I think I feel a pulse,” she whispered, blinking her eyes to keep the tears away. She didn’t have time to shed tears. There was a battle to be thought.

            Alfred cautiously shifted back from the lustrous sphinx to the awkward, scrawny young boy he was before. He leaned over Hugo, surveying the many deep cuts, slashes, and burns. Darla had never seen so much blood-so red, ripe, and pungent. Would Hugo survive this…or would they have to leave the Barricade Cove without him, let his corpse rot here in a cave where Devils would certainly find him.

            “His burns are severe,” Alfred whispered. “He’s still breathing, but he won’t last the night. We need to get him out of here and to the nearest healer.”

            Darla’s cries caught in her throat. “I’ll go with you! I think there’s a village not far from here…”

            Alfred shook his head quickly, his vivid gold eyes surveying Darla’s battered face. “I’ll go. You can’t. Princess Ruby told me you need to get the Code.”

            Darla stared helplessly at Hugo’s limp, unconscious body, still sprawled onto the floor. She couldn’t just leave him in Alfred’s hands. But she would never abandon the mission-or else Hugo and everyone else would have risked their lives for nothing.

            “Fine,” Darla murmured softly. “Bring Hugo to Ruby or Cecily. Tell them to use a teleportation Magix to take you guys back to our camp. I’ll teleport once I get the Code.”

            Alfred nodded intensely. “Be quick. Cecily, Ruby, and Wren cleared out most of the devils on the beach, but there are definitely more coming. We’re on devil land right now, and there’s a huge community of Illyrians not far from here.”

            Darla shuddered, imagining the horrendous slimy beasts. She didn’t want to encounter them once more.

            “I’ll be fast. Now go!” she commanded, racing down the cave into inky black darkness. She didn’t even bother to look back.

            Darla had no idea where she was going or where this mysterious wall bearing the Code was. But that didn’t matter the slightest. She was fueled by a raging energy. One thought and one thought alone ran through her head.

            Get the Code.

            Get the Code.

            Get the Code.

            She had to. There wasn’t a plan B. The whole world was at stake-Pharix, and her home universe. And Hugo…she couldn’t fail him. This was his plan to begin with. He was the leader, the mastermind, and the voice of reason. He had hated her guts and she had hated his, but they had become somewhat allies during these past few days on their journey. She couldn’t do this without him.