Pizza delivery, part XI

Now I know what it's like to be the wick of a candle.

Flames flowed against the surface of Brend's protection spell. In some places, the dragon fire stuck unnaturally to the spell's greenish glass.

"How long will your spell hold?" Callan asked, a hand on the hilt of his sword. Brend shook his head as he muttered another nonsense word, blue-green magic leaking from his staff and moving to the protection spell.

"I don't know. I've never used it against a dragon before."

Callan turned to his band. "Alright, boys. If the dragon doesn't lose interest, we strike. Lorcan, take the left. Seamus, the right. Rafferty, aim for the eyes and wings. I'll take the front." As his men nodded, Callan turned to Brend. "Use whatever magic you think would help drive the beast away."

Then Callan turned to me.

"Alex, guard Brend."

Swallowing, I nodded and looked down at my quarterstaff. I didn't have the experience of Callan's band, so of course I'd be sidelined.

My right fingers itched, followed by a flash of heat. I frowned at my delivery bag. Why Smoky would disagree with Callan's plan?

Shaking my head, I looked up as the flames died.

The dragon rammed its horns against the protection spell, and I jumped.

"Easy, laddy." Callan said, drawing his sword. The dragon roared, another burst of fire splattering against the protection spell. My right fingers ached, and I tapped the delivery bag.

For fifteen minutes, the dragon circled the protection spell. Horns, teeth, claws, fire, the beast's attack never let up.

"Get ready, boys." Callan glanced at each member of his band, then lifted his sword as the dragon struck with its horns. "When it backs away, drop the spell."

Brend nodded, and we shifted into positions.

Smoky's signals rose again in my fingers. An ache that seemed to follow the dragon.

"Now!" Callan charged forward, and Brend barely got the protection spell down before the leader could hit it. The band followed, meeting the dragon's roar of challenge with weapons drawn.

Brend moved back, and I followed. Heat sank into my fingertips as we moved away from the dragon, the ache growing.

"Do wraiths have a thing against dragons?" I asked the wizard.

"Not that I know of." Brend said, lifting his staff and aiming it at the dragon. "Why?"

"I think Smoky wants me to fight it." I flinched as the dragon snapped at one of Rafferty's arrows. A shock bit my fingers, followed by heat. "Well, if you don't want me to fight, what do you want?" I glanced away from the battle to glare at my bag.

A quivering sensation filled my fingers, followed by an iciness in the fingertips that followed the dragon.

"The dragon?" I asked, and the chill flooded my fingers. "What would a wraith want with a dragon?"

The shock of Smoky's laugh, and my aching fingers pulled toward the dragon.

The dragon released a pained roar as a ball of magic smacked it in the jaw. Brend glanced at me. "What is the wraith saying?"

"I think he wants a shot at the dragon.” I nodded when iciness nipped my fingertips. "Yes, that's it. Could a wraith beat a dragon?"

"I don't know." Brend shook his head, sending another blast of magic at the dragon. "Would the wraith turn on you if it was released?"

My fingers went from cold to hot. "Maybe."

There was a shout, and I looked away from the wizard.

Callan was on the ground, with the dragon standing above him.

"Could you beat the dragon?" I asked, and my fingers went numb.

Scrambling at the delivery bag's flap, I got it open as the dragon bit Callan.