Frozen in Flames

by Brandy L Rivers

  “With their help,” Toryn offered. “Why, are we close?”

  “Down. Through the rock,” Lana said.

  “Wait, unless you want to bring the ceiling down on him, follow me. I know another way in that will lead us right to him,” Reance said. “And after, we can take down the castle as we leave.”

  Lana nodded. “Go. I’m ready.”

  Alenathos cleared his throat. “You may want to shift some. Claws would come in handy.”

  She’d practiced shifting parts. She closed her eyes and envisioned what her mother told her. A longer, stronger version of herself, covered in scales, with long claws and spiked tail. Her clothes shifted with her, thankfully.

  “You just learned to shift?” McDermot asked.

  Her eyes narrowed. “I didn’t even know I was a dragon until last night.”

  His eyes widened. “Right, okay. And those are your parents?”

  Alenathos growled. “Don’t take the view of most dragons. It doesn’t matter what element we’re from.”

  “I’m merely surprised. Everyone believes the two of you hate each other, considering you were each tied to feuding siblings.” McDermot held up his hands. “I meant nothing by my comment.”

  “Where’s the entrance?” Lana demanded.

  Nodding, Reance started down the hill. They walked about a mile, then stopped at a stone slab at the side of a small cliff. “Can one of you open it?”

  Lana snarled, “That’s a door?”

  Reance nodded. “A magical one. But get beyond this wall and he’s in the next room.”

  Lana turned back and breathed fire into the rock. It quickly heated and melted. Everyone moved out of the way as the molten rock ran down the side of the mountain. She stopped as soon as there was a big enough entrance for her to step through. She was in before anyone could stop her.

  Fuerah hissed quietly, “Wait for us.”

  She didn’t. She slipped down the corridor.

  The last thing she heard from them was Alenathos snapping, “Get it open.”

  Lonny was beyond the next door. She felt him all the way through her bones. She slammed her palm against the metal door and left a handprint as the door buckled and collapsed. She pried it open and stepped in to find Lonny on a cot in a cage. Leather bands with glowing green light were fastened around his arms, legs, and neck.

  “Lonny,” she said.

  His head moved slightly toward her.

  “Wake up,” she demanded quietly, going to the door, but it was locked.

  His eyes fluttered open, and he sat up. “What are you doing here?”

  Her teeth ground together. “You ever think about sending me away like that again and you’re a dead man.”

  Lonny shook his head. “How did you get here?”

  “Reance and McDermot brought us. Alenathos and Fuerah are here too. So is Toryn, but I didn’t wait.”

  “You should have. You don’t know what Maddock will do.”

  “Neither do you. Now how do I open this fucking cage?”

  Lonny shook his head. “Even if you could, I doubt you could get these off.” He held up a wrist. He leaned forward, but the chain wasn’t long enough to let him go far. “It’s magic, and I can’t tell what kind.”

  She growled and slammed her hand against a bar. It snapped, and she tore it from the frame.

  The door opened and she spun, finding Maddock. Smarmy bastard would have been gorgeous if it wasn’t for his icy blue gaze. His skin was a deep tan, his hair full of thick golden curls. He could have been some gorgeous king in medieval times. But there was something broken inside him.

  She moved toward him, swinging the metal.

  He caught it in a strong fist and pushed.

  She stood her ground and swiped out her hand, full of long sharp claws, and slashed his arm. He let the bar go and pulled something from his pocket, saying the same spell Lonny used to bind her to him.

  She laughed when nothing happened and slammed her knee into his groin. “I’m Lonny’s, not yours. And you will never have me.”

  He lifted his hands and a rock shot up out of the floor. She danced backward, avoiding it as her instincts went into high gear.

  She breathed fire at him, while grabbing one wrist and yanking him to his feet.

  He leaned back, narrowly missing the stream of fire, but his forearm quickly froze solid.

  * * * *

  Lonny tried to phase out, but the leather bands kept him firmly in place.

  He reached down into the combat boot and pulled out a blade Reance gave him centuries ago. He hoped like hell Reance was right and it would cut through any enchantment. There wasn’t much that would.

  With his eyes glued to Lana, he sliced through each cuff.

  Maddock flung his hand out and squeezed it into a fist. A large stone came free of the wall and he swung his arm around, toward Lana. The rock followed.

  She flattened to the ground and rolled past the rock before spinning up from the ground, hitting the back of his legs with her tail. He fell, and the boulder smashed into his frozen arm, snapping the frozen part in half.

  Bastard didn’t even notice as he shot to his feet, pulling his arms up, and more shards of rock were aimed at Lana. She managed to avoid them with a glance back at Lonny.

  He sliced through the last strap and phased into thin air.

  She turned back to Maddock and shot forward, grabbing his throat in both clawed hands.

  Maddock’s body flowed into stone that still moved. He swung at Lana and she threw her arm up, but he slammed his head into hers. She yelped, grabbed the back of his head while slamming her knee into his groin once again, and breathed fire into his face.

  He screamed out, shoving her back. She landed against the slender stone pillars that had formed out of the ground. Maddock pulled his arm back to punch her and Lonny grabbed Lana, pulling her into the next realm with him.

  “I got you,” he said.

  Shifting back to her normal form, she spun to him, throwing her arms around him. “Don’t ever send me away again.”

  He grabbed her face. “You’re here, aren’t you? I could have forbade you to come for me.”

  “Fine.”

  “And you have people on your side. I’m fine. Unharmed. Just tired.”

  “The damned toxin he gave you.”

  Lonny shrugged. “Better me than you. Besides, I hear them coming. We better phase back and put a stop to him.”

  She nodded.

  They reappeared with Maddock screaming in frustration as the stone faded back to skin. Lana grabbed his face and slammed hard enough into the stone wall that he went out like a light.

  Reance was the first to enter the room, one brow arched. “I’m glad I sent Fuerah to you.”

  She glanced down at Maddock. “Now what?”

  The floor rose in front of Reance, blocking him from entering the room with the rest of his escort.

  * * * *

  Lana spun back as Lonny grunted.

  He was pinned against the wall with the boulder he first slung at him, but then he faded away. “Go to Reance, Lonny,” she shouted.

  “You could have had everything. I would have treated you well,” Maddock growled, moving closer, his skin flowing back to stone.

  She stood her ground, scales forming over her skin, her body going back to the fighting lizard with icy palms and fiery breath. “What makes you think I want anything to do with you? What gives you the right to force people into your service? Why the fuck would anyone want anything to do with such a fucking slimeball?”

  He reached toward her with the severed arm.

  She slashed her claws out, pressing into the exposed bone and flesh that didn’t change to stone. “All you had to do was let me go.” She pushed cold at him so hard the rocky flesh changed back to normal.

  She shot her other hand out, pushing claws through his hand with a snarl. “You threatened me, you threatene
d Lonny. Now I’m going to fuck your world up.”

  The makeshift wall Maddock had summoned shattered and in stormed Alenathos and Fuerah.

  Maddock screamed as ice flowed up his arms.

  “Let him stand trial,” Alenathos suggested. “He’s not going anywhere.”

  Lana whipped her tail out, wrapped it around Maddock’s ankles, and pushed more cold into him as she let his arms go.

  “Just need to make sure he can’t go anywhere,” she answered.

  Fuerah smiled cruelly. “Now that’s our daughter.”

  “It can’t end like this,” Maddock screamed.

  His mother came into the room from a hidden door. She sighed heavily. “I warned you what would happen, foolish boy.”

  “You and Father are going down with me,” he answered.

  Her brow arched. “I’ve been the one attempting to keep this family on the right side of the law. Between your idiotic father and you, it was only a matter of time before someone came to stop you.”

  “She’s right,” Reance said, stepping into the room. “She’s been working with Aeryana to find an end to the abuses the Delnias family pushes. And with this act, she absolves her marriage to your father and takes over the business.”

  Lana stepped away from Maddock. “You should have let me go.”

  He shook his head, tears falling down his face, agony etching lines into his face. “You were meant to be mine.”

  “You’re a fool. You always were,” his mother answered. “So much like your father.”

  He tried to move and found himself frozen. His head whipped back to Lana. “What have you done to me?”

  “I could have done worse.” She looked at him with disgust. “I should have done worse.”

  Lonny pulled her away. Once again, she flowed back to her human form.

  Reance looked at Carmela. “Would you escort my guard in? They’ll take him away. And don’t worry. We won’t harm him further, but he will be incapable of using his magic while we hold him for trial.”

  “You’ll find him guilty,” she answered. “And you should. I tried to warn him away from Laniela.”

  Lana shook her head. It was so strange hearing her birth name. Until the last couple days, no one had ever called her that.

  “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry about Maddock. He was always so sure he could claim you in some way. When I learned what you were, I knew that would never happen. And I can see I was right. You were always too strong for him to hold you in any way.”

  “You realize what he would have done to force the awakening, don’t you?” she snapped.

  “That I understand,” Carmela answered. “However, I would have done anything to prevent that.”

  “Sorry. I’m disgusted by what was deemed acceptable by the man who raised me and whoever arranged the marriage.”

  “My son and husband were involved in that. Not myself. Though, if the law had been removed when I was young, we wouldn’t be here now.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  She lifted a shoulder. “It’s over now.” She turned to Reance. “My husband’s itinerary. You’ll find him with one of his many lovers, I’m sure.”

  “Thank you,” Reance said. He opened a portal. “You can expect to hear from the investigators. You already promised to give any information they need.”

  “You have my word.”

  Lana took one more look at Reance, then stepped through the portal. Lonny swept her off her feet. “You didn’t give me a chance to fight for you.”

  She shot him a glare. “Don’t start. You could have had my help from the start.

  “One problem with that, Lana. You would have stopped the wrong person and Maddock would have sent another.”

  “Fine, fine, but you can’t always be right.”

  He chuckled, kissing her nose. “I don’t always want to be right. I don’t need to be. I just need you.”

  “You have me. And we got to figure out where we’re living.”

  “Where do you want to live?”

  “I don’t care as long as I have you,” she whispered.

  Toryn darted out of the foyer, up the stairs.

  Reance nodded to Lana. “We’ll be back as soon as the rest of the guard get down here. See if Isa needs you.”

  Nodding, Lana took off, following Toryn. And if she wasn’t in such a hurry, she might have been astounded by the castle. In fact, it didn’t even register where she was.

  Toryn opened the door. She stepped through right behind him. Then Lonny did.

  Isa held up a hand. “Relax. It’s not time yet. It’s like every thirty minutes.”

  “Want me here?” Lana asked. “You did make me read that book with you.”

  Isa laughed. “You volunteered, and if you can be pulled away from Lonny, you know I want you here.”

  She hurried over and plopped down beside Isa, throwing an arm around her.

  “What about me?” Lonny teased.

  Toryn nudged him. “I don’t expect you to leave Lana. I doubt Isa does.”

  Isa shook her head. “He can stay.” She winked at Lonny. “So, who saved who?”

  “She saved me.” Lonny grinned. “In fact, she didn’t give me a chance to kick his ass for her.”

  Toryn shook his head. “And she’s still mad he sent her away. Though I think this was the better outcome.”

  Lana rolled her eyes. “So how do we help?” she asked.

  Chapter 23

  McDermot stayed back with Reance. Lana may have given him a pass, but he didn’t know her well enough to know if she let it go or not.

  Maddock sneered, “I should have killed your sister.”

  In response, McDermot pulled out the dart gun and shot him in the chest, right over his heart.

  Reance turned to McDermot. “He needs to go through trial.”

  “He will, but he’s not going to talk until you have him locked away.”

  Reance chuckled. “Good, he was getting on my nerves.”

  Carmella came back with five of Reance’s private guard. One of them smirked at Maddock. “We finally have him.”

  “Yes, and after we have him secure in a cell, you’ll go after his father. Here’s where you’ll find him.” He handed over the paper.

  Carmella touched McDermot’s shoulder and whispered, “I’m The Crone.”

  His brow arched. The beautiful woman was not what he expected of the clever glamor.

  McDermot helped haul a partially frozen Maddock over his and one of the guard’s shoulders. Reance opened another portal to a prison. This one was brighter, with real furniture, yet, he could feel the magic that would keep the bastard neutralized.

  Her help earlier made more sense now. Though he had always assumed Carmella had been there by her own design. Perhaps she was, but for a very different reason than he had once assumed.

  Reance opened a cell and nodded inside. McDermot helped set Maddock down, then stepped out. “Does he need to be bound?”

  “The cell will keep him in. He won’t have any magic while he’s locked up.” Reance nodded to the guard. “See what you can learn from him without harming him. I’ll be back with a mindbender to gather the rest in the morning.” Reance sighed. “And a healer.” He lightly touched McDermot’s arm and brought him through another portal.

  They stood before a door. “Stay tonight. Someone will show you to a suite in a bit. You will each have a room there,” Reance assured.

  “Your daughter is in labor?”

  “Getting there, but I’m willing to bet Aeryana is anxious to go to our daughter. She was so freaked out when she was in labor.”

  McDermot rubbed at his face. “Thank you for helping me when you didn’t need to.”

  “You did what you needed to and came to me with the intent of making it right. That takes a strong and noble man. It would be a pleasure to have your help in the future.”

  Reance opened the door before McDermot
could answer.

  Aeryana sat beside Shayna, reading a book of magical stories.

  Shayna heard the door and shot out of the chair, running for McDermot. “I love it here. Can we stay?”

  “For the night.”

  “Possibly more,” Reance said. “And if not, you can come visit anytime.”

  Aeryana nodded. “Yes, that would be so welcome. I love to read to young people.”

  “Please, Mickey?”

  “I’m sure we can arrange something,” McDermot answered.

  “We will,” Reance promised.

  A young man walked into the room. “Are you ready for your suite?”

  “Yes,” Shayna answered, then let out a huge yawn.

  * * * *

  Five minutes after Lana sat beside Isadora, Isa nodded to Lonny. “He knows where to take you. You should have a little alone time. You’re still on your adrenaline high. I’ll have someone come for you when this baby decides to kick it into high gear.”

  “You don’t want me here?” Lana pouted.

  She waggled her eyebrows. “Toryn may be able to help me get it going faster.”

  “So don’t want to know,” Lana teased, letting Lonny take her hand and pull her toward the door. He led her down the hall, up a set of stairs, and into a suite that was absolutely breathtaking.

  The furniture was crystal, with colorful cushions and bedding.

  “This is your room?”

  “When I stay. Which hasn’t been often in decades. But Aeryana has considered me a special guest since I prevented Saressa’s army from gaining entrance.”

  “How?”

  His face scrunched. “A powerful windstorm that I called. None of her army had any gift with air. The wind I summoned knock most of Saressa’s army out of the sky. And Aeryana’s forces were well versed in such weather.”

  “You sent the others to their death?”

  “Some, not all. Most were badly injured. Others were smart enough to flee, though they were punished for cowardice.”

  “I’m so glad Saressa is dead. Maybe now my parents can be happy.”

  He sighed. “Sure, but probably not here. Just like if either family realizes what you are, who you are, you’ll be shunned, if not hunted down.”