The Dragon's Scale [COMPLETE]

25.2 || Reunion

Mara stepped to the front of the stairs and raised her bow. She placed her fingers above the arrow's rest. Icy blue energy sparked from her fingertips. "Well, at least it isn't a surprise this time," she said.

Josh watched her trace the arrow into existence and swallowed. His heart hammered against his ribs. "And we have Aharon on our side."

They also knew how to stop the reaper, but he fought the urge to look at Moshe.

Stone crashed somewhere down the hall. A hollow noise vibrated through the room, like wind wailing through a skeletal forest. Josh licked his dry lips and glanced at Aharon. This reaper didn't sound right.

Eli moved even closer to Josh and bunched up part of his brother's t-shirt in his fist. "Josh..."

"You'll be safe. I'll make sure of it," Josh said, putting as much conviction as he could into his words. After all, Eli wasn't a firstborn, so he wouldn't be the reaper's focus.

"Eli. Moshe." Xander stepped off the dragon statue, Aharon on his heels. Despite using the power of the dragon's scale rather than his own, Xander had grown pale, sweat beading his forehead. "Come with me. We'll be safer further back."

Eli hesitated. Josh nudged him. "Go." He barely managed to speak the word before another ghastly wail shook the air. This one was much closer.

Eli opened his mouth, fear and worry warring on his face. He swallowed back whatever he planned on saying, but when he turned to run to Xander, his eyes gleamed with unshed tears.

Josh faced forward, eyes glued to the entrance. Every second draggedpast. The noises from the hallway drilled into his senses, trying to provideclues about how long he had. Of how many quieter voices hid behind the reaper'scrashing movements. How many enemies had the monster taken down already, andhow many would they be facing now?

A particularly loud screech pierced the air. A large chunk of stone crashed nearby, and vases shattered all around. The creature burst through the entrance, and all of Josh's thoughts came to a grinding halt.

The reaper—if he could still call that anymore—didn't look at all likethe other one. Its front half mirrored a shi'raz. Insectoid head,over-large eyes, snapping pincers, and a mammal body except for the weird,pronged feet. The shi'raz body only continued part of the waybefore turning into a billowing tail of the reaper's original cloak-like body.It would try to thin, momentarily forming a barbed spear, before jerking backout into its cloth-like form. All the while, shadows seemed to drift from itsbeing, writhing and spurting with every harsh movement the reaper made.

Aharon bit out an angry string of words before running off the dragon statue's back. He fell through the air, white lightning crackling to life in his palms. As he fell, he directed the lightning into the reaper's face.

It screeched and swiped at Aharon. He landed on the ground and ducked before the pronged hand could slice his head off. The reaper's tail thinned and struck before it had time to expand again. The barbed end crashed into the ground where Aharon would have been if he hadn't rocketed across the room.

"Come on," Cale said. "We need to get down there."

They couldn't do anything, not without Moshe banishing the reaper. The light pad of running footsteps reminded Josh the reaper wasn't their only issue.

Taking a deep breath, he willed his body to work against the freezing terror and followed Cale down the steps.

Josh summoned light to his palm, a glowing aura prepared to turn into a blast at a simple desire. He reached inward, and Boomer reacted instantly. His dragon's presence swept through Josh, sharpening his focus and heightening his senses.