Ultimate Magic by T. A. Barron Read Free Book Online Page A

with anticipation. Then, drawing a deep breath, he opened his enormous mouth and . . .
    Roared with rage! Just as he prepared to blast his foe, Marnya shot a blast of her own. Jets of blue ice exploded from her nostrils, slammed into his wide-open mouth, and instantly doused his flames.
    The impact knocked Lo Valdearg backward. Even as he struggled to right himself, blue ice clogged his mouth and throat, making him gag. Sputtering with wrath, he smashed his jaws together, splintering chunks of ice with his teeth. He spat out the remains, more eager than ever to demolish this foe.
    He whirled around, facing Marnya with vengeful slashes of his claws. This time, she wouldn’t outwit him! And she would feel every agony possible before she died. He charged, wings beating furiously.
    Basilgarrad, watching from below, felt a surge of relief at Marnya’s clever tactic. He wanted to cheer her success, but the only sound he could make through his lashed jaws was a vigorous moan. Then, seeing Lo Valdearg’s angry charge, his moan became a whimper. Marnya was about to die! The warrior dragon would soon maul her, tearing her to shreds with his claws.
    With all his might, Basilgarrad tried to open his jaws. He worked every last muscle even as, high above, Lo Valdearg shot straight at Marnya. Knowing that only seconds remained, the great green dragon writhed in the net, straining as never before.
    Thhhwang. A strand broke!
    Then another. And another, followed by an entire row. Dwarves, wielding their axes, shouted jubilantly as Basilgarrad opened his jaws a crack. Harder he strained. The crack widened. More strands frayed, then broke.
    All at once, the net burst apart. Strands exploded into the air. Basilgarrad opened his jaws and roared with all the power of a dragon unleashed.
    Moving with lightning speed, he bit through the net holding his legs, wings, and tail. The torn net lay across his back like a blanket, but it no longer bound him. He shook violently, tossing the huge net onto his tail. Then he braced himself, arched his mighty back, and hurled the net high into the sky.
    Lo Valdearg, only a wing’s length away from his prey, raked at the air with his claws. Marnya, unsure what else to do, faced him bravely as he charged, knowing she couldn’t possibly evade such an attacker. She tried to blow another blast of ice, but with so little time to recover, she couldn’t produce more than a few small shards.
    An instant before the fire dragon’s claws slashed her face, a huge net flew into him from below. Lo Valdearg screeched in sudden panic as the net struck. Thick strands wrapped around his wings and neck, tangling him completely.
    Rolling helplessly in the air, he shot past Marnya. She quickly tilted her flippers just enough to avoid getting entangled herself as he tumbled by. Then, relieved, she watched as the scarlet dragon plunged down, down, down. He released one last scream of terror, a cry that echoed in the air like an anguished wind, then crashed headfirst onto the battlefield. The troop of flamelons he crushed never knew what hit them.
    Basilgarrad, too, watched his enemy’s fall. He felt a surge of satisfaction when Lo Valdearg screamed, and an even greater one when he heard the unmistakable snap of the fire dragon’s neck. Yet that feeling paled compared to his joy at the sight of Marnya, alive and well, soaring through the sky.
    Before he could celebrate with her, however, he had work to do. Turning to the flamelons who had ensnared—and nearly killed—him, Basilgarrad exploded into action. With one scoop of his wing, he captured the warriors battling Urnalda, ground them roughly together, and hurled their remains beyond the borders of the realm. Then he slammed his terrible jaws on a score of flamelons who were still jabbing ruthlessly at the wounded Babd Catha. An instant later, he swallowed most of the others who had so recently swarmed over his body.
    The few soldiers who escaped the wrathful dragon’s jaws