Hidden Dragon (The Treasure of Paragon Book 7) by Genevieve Jack (best book club books .txt) 📕

straight toward the orb and the battle below. The water felt cooler than she remembered, and she tried not to shiver from her fear of what might linger below the dark surface. Fairies in general were stereotypically afraid of the dark, and she was no exception. By sheer will alone, she held her fear at bay as she descended into the murky depths.

As she closed in on the orb, she made out the scene well enough by its green light. The sprites fought Tobias’s slashing claws and Sabrina’s biting teeth with crude weapons made from sharp shards of stone. Normally the creatures appeared vividly majestic, the lower half of their bodies from the waist down painted with silvery-blue scales and a long fin that ran from their coccyx to the tapered end of their tail. Above the waist, their androgynous torsos—it was impossible to tell the males from the females—were long limbed and graceful. Along with oversized eyes and long, flowing hair, it was easy to understand why they were renowned for their beauty.

But that beauty had taken a dark turn. Tonight their razor-sharp teeth were on display, and they growled wickedly as they jabbed their sharp stones in Tobias’s direction. The sprites had captured Sabrina in a tangle of lake weeds, the same type that surrounded the orb. The sheer number of vines holding her proved her capture was intentional and not the accidental work of her own making. Tobias was struggling manically to free her while simultaneously fighting off the sprites. There had to be a half dozen of them or more now.

Dianthe placed herself between the sprites and Tobias and spread her wings. Her fairy glow lit up the lake like a spotlight. The uniting vocabulary of all the natives of Everfield, regardless of species, was the old language, ancient fae. Technically you couldn’t merely speak it but must sing the words underwater to be heard. Using every ounce of air she had in her lungs, she told the sprites that the vampire and the dragon were trying to help. As passionately as possible, she described the attack by the Obsidian Guard, the burning of the Empyrean Wood, and the threat the empress of Paragon posed to Everfield. She explained that the orb held magic that could be used to stop her and save the five kingdoms.

Out of air, she rose to the surface for a breath and then returned again. The sprites acknowledged that they’d smelled the smoke and had wondered about the cause. With most of their lives lived underwater, they rarely heard news of the outside world unless a fairy availed themselves of their lake and was willing to share. As she suspected, once they understood, they halted their attack. Still, they would only agree to help her if she removed the vampire and dragon from their waters. The sprites didn’t trust the outsiders.

Dianthe had expected that as well. Living as they did next to Nochtbend, it was perfectly logical the sprites would fear vampires. And considering she’d just told them that Paragon was trying to annex the other four kingdoms, could she ever expect them to trust a dragon? Knowing she’d never have enough breath to convince them otherwise, she quickly agreed to their demands.

Instantly, the sprites freed Sabrina, and at Dianthe’s urging, Tobias carried the vampire to the surface. Dianthe met them there, gasping for breath. Tobias adjusted Sabrina in his arms, and she spewed lake water over his shoulder.

“Fucking sprites.” She picked a piece of seaweed out of her fangs.

“They’ll only give the orb to me,” Dianthe explained. “You two have to go to shore. I’ll be there soon.”

“Sylas isn’t going to like you going down there alone,” Tobias said.

“Sylas doesn’t have a choice. If he tries coming after me, make sure he knows that he might be jeopardizing our mission. I promised the sprites no vampires or dragons in exchange for their help. Don’t let him complicate the matter.”

Tobias scowled, but Sabrina grabbed him by the jaw. “Get me out of here. This is how it’s got to go.”

Dianthe was thankful for the backup.

He frowned but seemed resolved. “This isn’t going to be pretty. Make it quick, Dianthe. You have no idea what this is going to do to him.”

What was that supposed to mean? It wasn’t as though she was asking him to hold Sylas’s foot to a flame simply to keep his dragon from jeopardizing their mission. Whatever he was implying, it didn’t matter—he spread his wings and lifted from the water with Sabrina in his arms.

Dianthe took three deep breaths and dove. The sprites, thank the goddess, made good on their word. Together, they removed the mud and vegetation covering the orb and then pried the sphere from the bottom of the lake. It was hard work and her lungs screamed in protest, hungry for oxygen.

Finally the green crystal was in her hands. She kicked for the surface, even using her wings to help her, but the orb weighed her down and slowed her progress. Dark spots swam in her vision. Her lungs burned. If she didn’t reach the surface soon, the need for air would drive her insane. She fought her body’s instinct to inhale while she was still underwater. Almost there.

It was too far. She couldn’t make it. Until slender hands landed on her waist and pushed.

“She needs help.” Sylas lunged toward the water’s edge. “Can’t you see she’s taking too long to surface?”

Tobias grabbed his brother by the shoulders and held him in place. “You can’t, brother. She negotiated with the water sprites. They don’t trust vampires or dragons. They agreed to give the orb to her and her alone. If you go after her now, you’ll ruin everything.”

“Can’t you see they mean to drown her? They want to keep the orb for themselves. Let me go. I must rescue her.”

Tobias wrapped his arms around Sylas’s chest from behind, locking down his wings. “No. Give her plan a chance. It hasn’t been