Light Dragons 03 - Sparks Fly

time.”
    “Retribution?” Aisling asked, quickly drawing protective wards over Drake and everyone around her.
    “That’s Gareth, my bigamous former husband, and his evil wife, Ruth.” I smiled, wondering which of my spells would be best for them.
    “Oy. I think we’re going to need help more than Brom needs distracting,” Aisling murmured, and added in a whisper, “Effrijim, I summon thee.”
    The demon dog appeared before us, popcorn spilling out of its lips as it blinked in surprise. “Man, Ash, give a guy some warning next time. Brom and I were going to have a Monty Python fest ... fires of Abaddon! It’s that crazy lady and her badass posse! And Magoth! What’s he doing here?”
    “About to enjoy some roast demon,” Magoth said with a smile that sent a little shiver down my spine.
    “You do, and you’ll find your ass back in the Akasha,” Aisling warned before turning her attention to the dragons who moved en masse toward us. “Effrijim, I command thee to attack Thala!”
    “What?” Jim shrieked.
    Thala spun around to face her just as I caught a flicker of movement from my peripheral vision. Drake slid into the shadows of the interior, and disappeared. No doubt he was off to break into the vault while Aisling distracted Thala. I was surprised he allowed her to do such a dangerous thing, but that surprise faded away instantly when Baltic, Pavel, and Gabriel all rushed Thala at the same time, pushing Aisling a safe distance away.
    “It seems we’re always fighting someone,” I grumbled as Thala went down underneath a pile of dragons, only to send them flying a few seconds later. “Toads. Maybe I’ll turn Gareth and Ruth into toads. Would you like that, Gareth?” I bellowed as the dragons in front of him came into range. “Would you like to be a big, fat, slimy toad? That’s what your character is, so you might as well be one in truth!”
    Gareth didn’t react, leading me to believe that he hadn’t heard me. He ran after the dragons, a gun in his hand, and Ruth bringing up the rear.
    I eyed the nearest of Thala’s cohorts as he approached. Aisling had sent Jim off to tackle the oncoming group of dragons, her hands flying as she started throwing out binding wards. Holland and Pavel rushed past me to the onslaught, Pavel-like the other dragons-in a more robust form. His tail slashed through the air as he caught the first dragon across the chest. Holland, with a battle cry that would do William Wallace proud, leaped across him and onto the dragon as he went down. Jim flung itself onto the next dragon, leaving me standing alone as Gareth, catching sight of me, veered off from the pack and headed toward me with a wicked look on his face.
    I smiled, waiting for him. As soon as he got close enough, I would whip into my dragon form and beat the living daylights out of him. I remembered just how much power I wielded in that form, and even though Gareth was armed, I knew I could take him.
    Behind me, I heard Baltic call out as he and Gabriel struggled to contain Thala. Just as soon as I took care of Gareth and Ruth, I’d fetch Constantine, and I’d demand he do whatever it was he could do to disable her, but until then ...
    “I knew I’d find you here,” Gareth sneered as he raised the gun to me, Ruth dancing behind him and urging him to shoot. “I’m going to take care of you once and for all. You’re coming with us, and you’re going to manifest some gold, or I’ll kill you where you stand.”
    “You pathetic little snotball! You’ll get no more gold from me,” I said, yelling an archaic oath as I shifted into dragon form.
    Or rather, I tried.
    “Oh holy-ack!”
    I ducked when Gareth opened fire on me, swearing when I stumbled over the prone form of a dead ouroboros dragon.
    “Then you’ll die, you stupid woman. I’m tired of you and your brat always messing up my life. Ruth’s right-it’s time to take care of you once and for all!” Gareth snarled. The gun spat out more bullets, but either Gareth’s aim was atrocious, or I was extremely lucky, because none of them struck me.
    Snatching up a morning star that the dead dragon nearest me still clutched, I swung it as I bolted for the woods, once again trying to shift my form into that of an attractive, if slightly puny-armed, white dragon. Nothing happened other than I immediately got a stitch in my side.
    “Great, now I’m going to die because I’m out of shape and my shifter is broken,” I panted as I lunged past the