“Holy fuck,” Lorcan said. The dragon twisted back down, swooping over the city. Its wings had to stretch over two hundred feet, I thought as they bowed out, catching the wind.

He was entirely red, with spikes jutting from his face and legs, and crimson scales decorating his body. Straight, sharp horns sat on his head. The dragon flew down further, its shadow casting over the city and it swooped around the smaller casino hotel in front of us. The dragon landed on it as if it were a tree. Its talon feet clutched to the side, making the windows shatter.

His golden glowing eyes settled on me, causing all my hair to go on end. Its scaly mouth spread into a smile and then it opened it wide and screeched at the missile in the sky above us, partially visible through the clouds. His war cry was deafening. Even the pipes under the street of Neo Atlantis rattled beneath the concrete. We yelled and slammed our hands to our ears. The building he was on shattered, every pane of glass exploding into the sky like vicious fireworks.

Puca pushed off the building, smiling at me once again.

“Fuck, he’s going to grab me,” I said. I beat him to the punch, running and leaping off the edge of the building. For a moment I was free-falling, the wind whipping my face, a smile of adrenaline-fueled delight stretched across my face. A manic laugh spilled from my mouth so loud that undoubtedly the citizens in the streets below heard me.

Then Puca was there, swooping beneath me and then lifting back up. My body fell on his and I slid. My hands scrambled for purchase, clutching onto the base of one of his wings to stop my fall. As he flew up, I spread my legs across his body and tightened my hold.

He tilted straight up, flying directly towards the missile, his wings beating in big powerful sweeps that gusted across the island.

Puca gave another war cry, a fierce screech that made my entire body vibrate and pulse. Then his clawed hands reached out and he grabbed the missile sailing down towards the city. There wasn’t much time to consider what he was doing. Panic startled me like a frightened animal bucking for attention. He pulled the bomb into his chest and curled his wings around his front, creating a tight curtain.

“Puca!” I screamed. I felt heat radiate up from his scales, saw smoke trailing from his nostrils, and he blew fire into the air. Then tucked his head into his body with his wings. I felt him exhale the fire at the bomb clutched against his chest and then something exploded.

One moment I was on Puca’s back, the next I was free-falling head first back towards the earth. Smoke was all around me, making my eyes sting and water.

“Puca!” I screamed, my voice hoarse. My hands tried to cut through the dark clouds. I dragged my arm across my watering eyes, trying to clear the smoke from them.