There are certain known facts about vampires. They revile change. They are obsessive-compulsive. They are illogical. They are cursed. They will burst into flames in sunlight.
They are dying.
With less than a hundred vampires left in the world, Yas...
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The Chinese dragon was young, practically a teenager. No, definitely a teenager. If he had time, Tavius would have done some research—there couldn't be many dragons at that age. And if the boy was so powerful now, then what sort of beast would he be at maturity? In a century or more?
He shivered at the thought. It was one thing to know out there, somewhere in the world, was enough firepower to obliterate you without blinking. It was quite another thing to face it firsthand.
Yasuko's jaws opened, flames building in her throat to spew forth. But the Chinese boy lifted a hand, squeezed it into a fist, and in response Yasuko's mouth clamped shut. Fire burst between the seams of her lips and teeth, but her eyes were wide with reptilian shock. Her head darted backwards, an awkward noise of surprise bursting, muffled, from her throat. In another place and time, Tavius might have remarked that the dragon's reaction was comical.
The boy smirked, tilting his chin up. He uttered something slow in Mandarin, twisting his wrist. All the while, smug superiority colored his youthful face.
Yasuko twitched, then slammed down, legs and wings splayed. The ground shook in response, not just from her weight but the sheer might of magic pressing upon her. The column of power was translucent and golden, but it might as well have been solid. Seeing such magic in person was more than just intimidating. Yasuko was a dragon, and she made Tavius feel small in comparison, but this was something else entirely.
