Dragon Rising Excerpt 13

Excerpt 13






Asher awoke to a scream and sat straight up, nearly braining himself on the pipes above. Ducking just in time, he swiveled, seeking the source of the sound.

“No, please! You can have me, just let Cassie go!”

A woman’s cries floated up from below. Disoriented, he shook his head, recalling that he’d crawled to the rafters seeking a safe sleep. He peered down through the metal grate and sucked in his breath. An older woman with greybleeding from her salon-blonde stood shielding a young girl, her arms wide.

“No, Mama!” the girl whimpered.

Even from a distance Asher could see the slick of tears on the girl’s cheeks and he shivered.

The man in black didn’t seem so moved. He circled the women, clearly enjoying the way the mother circled as well, keeping her chick at her back. She was nothing special, Asher thought, just another mom in terrible jeans, but her bravery made his heart thump in his chest. Because she was staring down the barrel of a sawed-off shotgun with more determination than he’d seen in the eyes of trained soldiers.