Dragon Storm Read Online Free Page B

different, sounded different and even smelled different.
    He also scented something that immediately raised the short hairs on the back of his neck.
    Magic.
    The air reeked of the residual scent of massive and powerful magic.
    “I don’t think we’re in Draconia anymore.”
    “No kidding.”
    Darius was relieved to hear the voice of his twin strong in his mind.
    “Where in the hells are you?”
    “Step to your right and look up about twenty feet.”
    He did, relieved to see the black dragon clinging to a solid-looking pine tree. Connor was in better shape than Darius, with no visible injuries. He was relieved they’d both survived that wild trip.
    “Well, we wanted adventure,” Darius mused, looking around.
    “Looks like we got it.”
    “Any idea where we are?”
    “There’s a small cabin about a league from here with smoke rising from the chimney. Maybe we can find some help there, but it doesn’t look like any dwelling I’ve ever seen before and I don’t see any signs of other dragons.” Connor shimmied down the strong trunk using his claws to dig into the bark until he could stand—just barely—on the forest floor. The trees really were too dense to allow grown dragons to walk comfortably among them. He shifted form and appeared once again human, wearing black leather leggings, boots and a vest laced up over his solid muscles, just like his brother. Only he wasn’t bleeding. “Let me help you with that.”
    Summoning just a bit of his dragon magic, Connor touched his brother’s arm, helping the skin knit together. It wasn’t fully healed, but it would do for now.
    “Thank you, brother. So, what is our strategy?”
    “I believe we should head for the structure I sighted in the distance. Perhaps we can find help there—or at least someone to tell us where in the hells we are.”
    Darius heard the frustration and wonder in his brother’s voice. He felt it as well.
    They set off through the woods, Connor leading the way to the place he’d spied from above. It didn’t take long to traverse the distance, but Darius felt every step in his injured arm. It burned like fire. Not the good, cleansing sort of dragon fire. No, this felt like the fire of possible infection, and he wasn’t pleased by the idea.
    An infection here could spell disaster. For one thing, they had no notion of the native plants or wildlife that could be used for medicine. For another, they could very well be in hostile territory. They had no idea what they were walking into. They had to take a chance and make contact with the natives.
    “I’ll go first.” Darius stopped his brother’s forward motion when Connor would have stepped into the last line of trees before the clearing.
    “You’re injured.”
    “Which is exactly why I should go first. If we meet with an enemy, you are whole and well able to come to my rescue. Besides—” he played his trump card, “—if we are lucky enough to have stumbled upon friends, I may be able to get some doctoring for my poor arm.” He held up the wounded appendage with a sorrowful look on his face that didn’t fool his twin for a single moment.
    Connor laughed at him, but bowed comically low and motioned for Darius to proceed.
    “I’ll be watching from above. If you need help, call.”
    Darius walked out of the trees, trying not to hold his wounded arm, but the truth was, it really did hurt. He would never have admitted it to anyone—even his twin. Connor, no doubt, already knew. It was the bond they shared. They always knew such things about each other, often experiencing each other’s feelings. It was the main reason they chose to live and work together.
    Being twins had been fun for them as children, but often one or the other of them had gone off to do something on their own. The other always knew and always felt what the other experienced. After a while, they both had stopped trying to fight fate and realized their paths in life most likely lay together. Entwined as they had