Closing his eyes, he shifted into his gargoyle form. It took only seconds for his flesh to become hard stone, and for his stone wings to sprout from his back. When he was finished, he took a deep breath, opened his eyes, and inched forward.
When he drew close enough for the beast to attack, the dragon remained still, watching.
Tristan hoped that was a good sign as he closed in. The dragon’s leg twitched as he drew near his foot, but still, the beast did not attack.
His heart raced as he came to stand just beside his head. This close up, the dragon was even larger. Big enough to close its jaws around him in one deadly bite. Never before had he approached a wild creature this large and this unpredictable. And he hoped never to have to do it again.
I will remove your chains now. It may hurt, but then you’ll be free.
To his shock, the dragon turned its head, showing him the chains around its throat.
Dark blood ran from the sharp tips that pressed into its throat from the collar, more flowing with his movement. It turned Tristan’s stomach, but he forced himself to focus. The collar was strong and thick, but he sensed the weak points in it. Reaching forward, he wrapped his hands on either side of the weakest point and began to pull.
A low growl emanated from the dragon’s chest, but he didn’t attack.
Tristan took that as a good sign and continued to pull. A crack formed in the metal. He was breathing hard, pulling with all his might. His stone hands commanded the metal to weaken, to break. He seemed to press a vibration into the material that sent the crack deeper and deeper. Every muscle in his body strained. His teeth clenching painfully together. He was so close.
So close.
But still, the chain held.
The dragon moved slightly. More blood ran from where Tristan was unintentionally digging the spikes deeper into its throat. Soon the beast would become impatient. Soon he would attack.
Tristan could feel his one chance ticking away with each second that passed.
And then, like a crack of lightning, the collar broke, hitting the ground.
The sound seemed to echo around them. Tristan inched back as the dragon rose onto its feet. Rotating its neck, he seemed to be testing whether the collar was truly gone. And then, he threw back his head and roared.
Only this was a sound of triumph.
Tristan smiled. Soon the haggard creature would be powerful once more.
And then, the air changed. Tristan frowned and looked to the cave entrance. What was wrong?
Something hit the ground outside of the cave. The dragon’s head whirled to the sound.
And there, in the entrance, angels approached. Three of them, holding dead birds in their hands. One spoke. The other two laughed.
Tristan tried to move back, but he wasn’t fast enough. The dragon moved like lightning, knocking him back against the cave wall with a power that made his vision blacken.
The screams of the angels echoed around him, and the most horrible sound came. Of bones cracking and blood gushing.
Tristan sucked in deep breaths. He knew enough of battle to know what happened. As his vision returned, he struggled to his feet. His chest, back, and head ached, but he was fine. Stumbling to the back cave, he barely entered before spotting the Immortals.
They ran to him.
“Our collars,” Spring whispered, pointing to the thin bands of steel.
Steadying himself, he grasped hers and snapped it with a flick of his wrist. She wept happy tears as he moved to Autumn and Winter. When all of their collars hit the ground, Autumn grabbed his shoulder.
“Thank you. The Seasons are in your debt.”
“You are not safe yet. Caine will simply catch you once more. There is a sanctuary for your kind. You must go there, until it is time to overthrow him.”
Autumn’s cracked lips curled into a smile. “Send me the image, demon, and we’ll get there.”
The Immortal closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against Tristan’s. Tristan thought of the paths to the sanctuary, and then of the sanctuary itself. He tried to show it from the ground and sky, seeking to give them as much information as possible.
At last, the Immortal pulled back. “Thank you. That will do.”
He nodded, and the three battered Immortals left the cave, backs straight.
There was something wrong. He was certain of it the moment they came out into the dragon’s empty space. It wasn’t the entrance, which was splattered with blood. It was something in the air that he couldn’t quite put his finger on.
Walking out into the open, his jaw dropped.
Dozens of angels surrounded the weakened dragon as it struggled to flap its wings. Their soul-blades were lit with light, and they swung each time he snapped at them. The dragon turned its head, saw him, and roared, only it was a sound of desperation.
A shiver moved through his body, and his hand went to the sword at his back.
“They’ll kill him,” Summer whispered.
“No, they won’t,” Tristan told her.
Moving forward, he severed a head from one of the angels. That got the others attention. Two turned to look at him. The dragon clamped its teeth over one of them, and threw back its head, devouring the angel.
Chaos erupted in the white-winged angels, a few raced at him, while the others spread out their circle around the dragon. Tension hung between them as he faced them, hoping they wouldn’t notice the helpless Immortals behind him.
One sword struck his. The sound of metal on metal rang through the air.
He pushed back his opponent. Caught the blade of another angel, and kicked it in the stomach, sending the massive man back.
A blade struck his shoulder, vibrating through his stone body.
Fool.
He whirled, catching the angel’s shocked expression as he sliced his head off.
More attacked. Blades struck him from every angle. At first only an annoyance, but after a time, the
