Tsunami took a threatening step toward Kestrel, but before she could say anything, the large red dragon spread her wings and launched herself into the sky. She banked over the lake and flew off to the west without looking back.

Sand that was sticky with blood clumped between Clay’s talons. The sun beat down, bright and hot in his eyes. He paced around the arena, thinking. Was there any way out of this?

Tsunami lifted her chin and stared straight into Queen Scarlet’s eyes. With a wrench of her talons, she snapped Gill’s neck in one clean break. The expression on her face said, all too clearly, 'I’m imagining this is you.'