The reinforcements arrived faster than Grim had expected, Four more dragons descended from the sky, their dark reddish armor marking them as part of the rebel forces. But it was the fifth dragon that made Captain Zhen tense—an older warrior whose body was covered in scars.
"Commander Taiwei," the original guard said. "These three claim to be defectors with information about loyalist movements."
Commander Taiwei's eyes were sharp as broken glass as he studied the three supposed refugees. His gaze lingered on Captain Zhen for a moment longer than the others, and Grim felt his heart skip a beat. Recognition was dangerous.
"Defectors," Commander Taiwei repeated. "In my experience, dragons who abandon their posts usually do so for personal gain rather than conviction."
"Not all of us had the luxury of choosing our initial loyalties," Lin replied smoothly. "Some of us served where we were assigned and only later came to understand the truth."
