Hydra (28 page)

“Mamluki are one enemy you don’t want to get close to,” Ram agrees. “Unfortunately, we don’t have any spears.”

Nia takes one of the swords I’ve been holding out to her. “We don’t have time to procure any, either. Show me how to slay mamluki with this.”

Ram and I begin by demonstrating how to wear the weapons. We sling the baldrics across our shoulders, forming an X across our backs with the twin sheaths, which allows us to reach back and pull out both blades simultaneously, one in each hand. Thus armed, as long as we move swiftly and don’t lose a weapon, we can decapitate yagi before they get close enough to hurt us.

Besides the long swords on our backs, we wear a belt with sabers at either hip, and daggers strapped to our thighs. I’ve been known to keep smaller blades at my ankles, but I didn’t take the time for that this evening. Besides, yagi are far too dangerous to attempt to kill at knifepoint.

As Ram demonstrates for Nia, using me as a reluctant dummy, there’s only one effective way to kill yagi—decapitation (Ram doesn’t bring the blade within six inches of my neck—we’ve sparred countless times over the years, and I trust him). Unlike me, Yagi have hardly any neck at all, just a sliver of a joint between their armored bodies and heads. You have to hit the seam at a specific angle or your blade will glance off.

While Ram’s still swinging his blade past my neck, demonstrating proper follow-through, I step behind Nia and place my hand next to hers on the hilt of the sword. “You’ve got to get the angle just right,” I explain, turning her hand so that the blade tips in precisely the right way.

Ram spins around and flashes me a look that says he wishes he hadn’t purposely missed me moments before.

Oblivious to Ram’s scowl, Nia practices the move with my hand holding the hilt alongside hers, slashing the air repeatedly as I explain the technique.

Not to be outdone, my brother comes around behind Nia on her other side. “Your form looks good. Now you need to strap your weapons in place so they’ll be at hand when you need them.”

I open my mouth to protest, to inform Ram we have time for Nia to practice, we’re in no hurry, the yagi have never covered so many miles so quickly before, but a distant wailing noise cuts my words short.

“Mamluki.” Nia identifies noise first, and rushes to arm herself with Ram’s help.

I tighten her baldric straps into place as the door bursts open and yagi begin pouring in.

*
End of excerpt—the rest of the story can be found in
Phoenix,
book three of the Dragon Eye series.

I hope you enjoyed the opening chapters of
Phoenix
. Please look for it and the rest of the Dragon books. If you enjoy these stories, please consider telling your friends about them, and leaving a review to let other readers know what you think.

Thank you for being a part of the dragon world.

While I’m being thankful, I’d like to extend my deepest gratitude to those people whose efforts and encouragement made this book possible. To Ray McCalla and Henry, for being some of my biggest and earliest supporters. To Stephany Matson and Colleen Burdsall, for their brilliant feedback, and to Virginia Munoz, who endured monstrous eyestrain to become one of the very first people to read the first book, and who, in doing so, has been a tremendous help and encouragement to me. Also to her children who, along with Eleanor and Genevieve, have become some of my best and youngest supporters.

And to all of you, Readers. You are a gift to me.