The Arena novel Chapter 74

After kissing Liekki and Cedric goodbye, I shift and lower my wing for Bastian to climb up. I watch as he kisses a tearful Jena before awkwardly climbing up my wing.

“Goddess, Cedric makes it look so easy,” Bastian says.

“He was meant to be a dragon rider. You weren’t,” I say, and Cedric chuckles.

“What did she say?” Bastian asks.

“She said to hold on tight,” Cedric tells him instead.

I chuckle as I lift off. Bastian is even worse than Ishir. He’s wobbling all over the place, and I’m terrified he’s going to fall off me.

“Next time, I’m carrying you in my claw,” I grumble and Kenna chuckles in the air beside me.

“You know I can’t understand you,” Bastian yells as Ishir barks at Kenna. “I’ve told your mother that it’s very uncomfortable when you do that, Kenna.”

My daughter and I share a knowing look. We fly as close as we dare to the arena before landing. Once Bastian and Ishir are off our backs, we shift. Both of us use our human voices to send our dragon calls.

As we wait for Kaylani and Avani to arrive, we begin making our way toward the arena. The lights are out, but we can smell the shifters and the fear from here.

I hear the whoosh of wings, smelling the scent of the mountains and forest, and I know that Avani has arrived. A few minutes later, I smell the ocean and know that Kaylani has also arrived.

“So, this is it?” Avani asks quietly, coming to stand beside me. His smell, this close, is different, softer, more floral, maybe. I lean in and sniff him.

“What …”

“Not now,” he growls.

I smile and turn my attention back to the arena. As we move closer, I can smell our pack members.

“We need to get inside and see what they know. Let them know we’re coming for them,” Bastian says. But before he can move, Ishir puts a hand out to stop him.

“Hang on.” His nose is in the air, and he’s sniffing. Bastian turns to look at me and I give him a ‘wait’ hand gesture.

“What is it, Ish?”

“Something’s not right.”

I step up beside him, as does Avani. We all breathe in the scent. “Are you referring to the metal or … what is that other scent?”

“If I had to guess, I’d say it’s a hybrid. It’s faint. Maybe it already died in the arena?”

“We can check it out when we get closer.” Bastian moves to take another step.

“Not so fast, wolf,” Avani says, grabbing him by the arm.

Bastian snarls but I give him a look. “Why aren’t we going in there?”

“Because they’ve set up a trap,” Ishir tells him.

“What kind of trap?” Kenna asks, coming to stand beside me.

“I’m not sure. Stay here, the four of you,” Ishir says, gesturing to all the dragons. “You, come with me.” Bastian turns to look at me.

“Do as he says, Bastian. Ish has the best nose of any shifter I’ve ever met. If he says he smells something, he does.”