Felix

by Terry Bolryder

  Diana peered at her over her shoulder for a split second. “I’m one of those things.” She turned back to the window.

  “I mean, they’re pretty big. Couldn’t you transform and get us out of here so we could help Felix?”

  Diana froze. It both made sense and horrified her at the same time.

  Plus, was that really Tasha’s only response to being a wyvern?

  “It doesn’t disgust you?” Diana asked.

  “Hell no,” Tasha said. “I had to get used to wolves all over the place when I knew that shifters existed. What’s a few other creatures around?”

  “But do you know what a wyvern is—”

  “Yes,” Tasha said. “Lock explained it. Look, I know they’re kinda gross, but I don’t care. I think it’s really badass. You survived something like that, and you still retain who you are. Besides, who knows what kind of power you have?”

  “I’m pretty sure wyverns don’t have any kind of power except being evil,” Diana muttered, still searching for any sign of her mate.

  “You don’t know that,” Tasha said. “Not until you try. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that you’ve gotta embrace what you are, whatever that is.”

  “Easy for you to say when you’re a cute, fluffy wolf. Not a hideous lizard filled with poison. Besides, what if I hurt you?”

  “I have strong healing factor,” Tasha said. “You won’t.”

  “I’ll think about it,” Diana said. “I need to see Felix show up first.” To see if he needed her help.

  Diana looked at the clock, and just as it was about to reach six thirty, a blue convertible showed up and parked in the center of the courtyard.

  A tall, white-haired figure stepped out, dressed in a khaki trench coat over a tee shirt and jeans. Did that mean Felix had his sword on him?

  “Glad you could make it,” Byron said, putting both hands out in welcome as he strode forward, wearing a stupid golden tracksuit that was a parody of something someone would fight in. Between that and his eyes and hair, he was just one big pillar of gold.

  He was always dressed ridiculously, but he’d never made this kind of spectacle before.

  Perhaps because he needed to impress his audience.

  Felix looked impressively calm, shoving his hands in his trench coat pockets. “I’m here for you to beat me. Now let my mate and sister go.”

  Byron let out a laugh, circling Felix. They were both tall, both handsome, but Felix’s cool demeanor was in contrast to Byron’s giddy excitement.

  He rubbed his hands together as he studied his prey.

  Then he gestured toward the cell holding Diana and Tasha. “I’ll let them go when you’re dead.”

  “That’s not the deal, and you know it,” Felix said. “You let them go, and I promise we’ll fight until it’s done.”

  “But you don’t promise I can kill you.”

  Felix smirked. “I promise to let you try.”

  Byron’s smile disappeared, replaced with something dark and poisonous as his hands tightened into fists. “I don’t have to try anything. I’m a motherfucking dragon.”

  Felix put up both hands to shield himself as Byron took a deep breath and shot gold flames toward him in a wide arc.

  When Byron was done, breathing deeply, he waited with a satisfied grin for the smoke to clear.

  Diana held her breath, watching and hoping against hope that Felix was all right.

  To everyone’s surprise, the smoke cleared to reveal Felix, blackened and smoking, covered in raw red burns.

  But definitely still alive.

  Before her eyes, he was already healing, hair covering his scalp, skin covering the blackened redness.

  In only minutes, he was standing there like nothing happened, despite his still-sizzling clothes.

  The entire courtyard was silent as Felix swept into a bow.

  Then he stood up straight to address them as he pulled the sword out of the sheath under his jacket on his back.

  He pointed the long blade toward Byron. “That was one attempt on my life.” He grinned cryptically. “Want to make another one?”

  Byron scowled. “That should have killed you.”

  Felix smirked. “It didn’t.” He addressed the rest of the courtyard. “It’s ironic that everyone calls me Darkness, because with my healing factor, I’m never going into the dark.”

  Byron’s face grew stormy, and little bits of gold flew off his skin as he stood there stewing. “I just need to kill you better this time.”

  Byron put his hands out in front of him and blew fire over his entire body, including his fists. Then he leapt toward Felix, almost too fast to even track.

  Felix dodged him, but as he came up with his sword, Byron was already there with another blow, catching him against the jaw and sending him flying backward almost twenty feet.

  Wolves jumped out of the way of Felix’s body, letting it slam into the nearest wall.

  Diana gasped, feeling something stir inside her. Like somehow she wanted to shift.

  It was something she’d never felt before, but now it was burning, begging her to go fight beside her mate.

  But she’d spent so many years suppressing herself. Hating herself. How could she risk letting it go right now when she didn’t even know what would happen?

  Felix was still fighting Byron, and she saw him dust himself off and step forward just in time for Byron to punch him again with his gold-covered fists, sending him rolling backward.

  This time, his sword flew out of his hands and landed somewhere nearby.

  “Come on,” Tasha said, watching next to Diana. “Goddammit, I can’t watch this. Fifi, you idiot, why did you come?”

  “To save us,” Diana said. “But Byron’s too strong.”

  “I don’t believe that,” Tasha said, fighting back tears. “I can’t believe that. He has to be okay.”

  Diana’s blood was pumping, and something hidden inside her was getting louder with every breath she took, every blow Felix sustained.

  Mine.

  My mate.

  Protect him.

  She felt the change taking place before she even acknowledged it. Darkness fell over her as pain burst through her body. She knelt down, trying to fight off the change, though she could tell it was going to happen without her wanting it.

  Oh well, it was finally time to face it, this thing inside her that had never been able to come out.

  She gave in, hoping that whatever happened in the next few minutes didn’t kill her.

  I don’t care what I am. I don’t care that I’m not a wolf anymore.

  Please just let me save my mate.

  Chapter 24

  Felix was aching as he pushed himself up to take another blow from the dragon. He had to be careful with his thoughts because Byron might be able to read them.

  He was glad he’d seen both Tasha and Diana waiting in a small cell about the size of a bathroom next to the building.

  He was right. They hadn’t been harmed.

  “Think about me,” Byron roared, clearly unreasonably angered by Felix’s refusal to die.

  Felix could feel all of the wolves’ eyes on him, and it was odd after working in the dark for so long.

  The blows Byron landed hurt, but they weren’t going to kill him, not with his healing factor.

  Still, that didn’t mean they couldn’t almost kill him, and if he just let Byron land one more blow…

  Byron launched forward, catching Felix by the side of the head, and his skull rattled as he flew backward, rolling heels over head.

  The blow would have most likely killed any other kind of creature.

  “Goddammit, why won’t you just die?” Byron snarled, pulling Felix up by his shirt front.

  Felix wiped a bit of blood from his mouth. “Almost killed me again. I’d say that’s two strikes. Want to keep trying?”

  “Fuck,” Byron said, his eyes moving to the rangy shifters all watching him expectantly. Felix wasn’t sure exactly wha
t was going on, but he knew the performance aspect was important.

  “You have no idea,” Byron said. “One sign of weakness and those wolves will tear me apart.” He pulled something out of his jacket, and though Felix’s eyes widened in alarm, he wasn’t able to recover enough to pull away. “I didn’t want to use this. They might notice you’re hobbled, and I wanted to beat you at full strength.”

  “Then do it,” Felix said. “I mean, what’s the worst that could happen if you fail again? Or if you succeed?”

  Byron’s eyes widened and then narrowed with rage, painted in hues of molten gold. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Where is your partner?” Felix asked, trying to stall for time. “Aren’t dragons like you supposed to have one?”

  Byron’s smile was dark. “My group decided to do things differently.”

  “Oh yeah? And how is that going for them?” Felix couldn’t help taking pleasure in the fear that came into Byron’s eyes. “And by that, I mean how many have been pulled into the ‘other place?’”

  Byron scowled. “I won’t fail like they did. I made my target a famous assassin. I’ll get rewarded, not punished, for taking you out.”

  “You sure about that?” Felix asked.

  Byron thought for a moment, and Felix thought he saw just a hint of doubt, but then Byron’s narcissism pulled through.

  As Felix had hoped it would.

  “Only one way to see,” Byron said. Then too quickly for Felix to stop him in his dazed state, he pulled out a syringe, flicked the top off, and jammed it into Felix’s arm.

  Felix looked down, watching his strength drain out of him.

  His wounds were no longer healing.

  “Fuck,” Felix said. “How did you get that?”

  “I got them off some Tribunal lackey in exchange for sparing his life. But you don’t have anything to offer me, so you won’t be so lucky. Now make this look good, and I’ll make sure Diana and Tasha get home safely.”

  Felix braced himself, hoping he could hold out even with his normal strength. He’d been hoping to force Byron to take him out three times.

  That would have been enough.

  But without his healing…

  “Now die!” Byron shouted dramatically, punching Felix right in the throat, sending him flying back.

  Suddenly, it was hard to breathe, and Felix scrabbled at his throat as he rolled over the pavement, fatally injured most likely.

  God, he wanted to see Diana again, but he’d been too confident.

  But who knew a rogue dragon would have access to the most guarded serum in the Tribunal?

  Felix looked up to see Byron approaching, a dark smile on his face as he came to finish the job.

  A sudden crash and an explosion of bricks and debris sounded behind Byron, and everyone in the vicinity ducked and covered their head as a huge shadow grew, casting them all into dark.

  Felix still couldn’t breathe as he looked up to see a large, ominous shape colored in glittering blue.

  Huge wings unfurled, and the dragon reared back and then blew cold cerulean flames straight at him.

  Felix winced, unsure why something else needed to attack him when he was already dying, until he realized the flames didn’t hurt.

  He sat up, putting a hand to his throat, feeling it healing. What the fuck?

  Byron turned around to face the other dragon, emanating fury. So apparently, that wasn’t his partner.

  Felix glanced in panic at the cell that had held Diana and his sister, but it was broken, bits of brick everywhere. “No!” he screamed, stumbling forward. That hadn’t been part of his plan.

  He sank to his knees, grief tearing through him. Then something soft pressed into his side.

  “It’s okay, brother.” An invisible form spoke, and Felix realized in astonishment it was Tasha. She was fine.

  “Where’s Diana?” he asked quickly.

  Tasha appeared next to him with a grin, sitting on her haunches. She looked over at the huge blue dragon that was staring Byron down. “Magnificent, isn’t she?”

  Felix took a moment to try and process it, looking from the cell Diana had been in to the huge dragon making them all look small.

  She was magnificent. Then again, she always had been.

  And her fire had saved his life.

  “You were supposed to be a wyvern!” Byron said furiously, pacing with his hands in fists. “What the fuck am I supposed to do against a dragon?”

  Doubtful murmurs went around the crowd watching him, and Byron’s look turned to one of alarm.

  “You’ve ruined everything,” he said, glaring at Diana. “You’re a wolf. You have no right to be a fucking dragon.”

  “She didn’t want to be one,” Tasha said. “I wonder if it makes a difference.”

  “I don’t know,” Felix said. “I mean, that result is what they’ve been trying to do with the wyvern project from the beginning. Create more dragons.”

  “I don’t understand it,” Tasha said.

  “Fine, then,” Byron said as he began to glow and grow. “We’ll do this the hard way.” His whole body sparkled as his dragon form emerged, making anyone in the vicinity step back to let the two huge beasts fight.

  Byron’s gigantic gold form glittered in the sun, making it hard to see straight. He blew a huge stream of fire as Diana flew to the side, her dragon slightly smaller and more agile.

  “You’re just a blue dragon! A healer! You’re nothing in a fight.”

  She flew straight into him, head-butting him and knocking him back, dazing him and making the entire ground shake. “I will always be a fighter. I’m an alpha female. And a wolf.”

  Byron was already recovering, spreading his wings as he got into a fighting stance.

  Diana took a deep breath, then roared blue fire, and Byron put up his wings to take the brunt of the force.

  Diana didn’t let up, and the flames pushed Byron back toward the wolves standing behind him.

  They scattered like little bugs, and Felix was annoyed at them for distracting him from watching Diana.

  Diana and Byron circled, and Byron blew gold fire around himself, acting as a shield. Then he flew toward her, claws and fangs outstretched.

  Diana dodged narrowly, but Byron caught her by the neck, shaking her like a dog.

  Her wings beat frantically, and for a second, she looked over at Felix.

  Powers or not, he couldn’t let anyone hurt her.

  Felix dodged to the side and rolled so he was in range of his sword and grabbed it as he ran in Byron’s direction.

  Luckily, Byron was too busy gloating over grabbing Diana by the neck to see.

  Felix ran up Byron’s tail, needing only his human strength to cover the distance. With all of his training, he was strong enough to do at least this.

  If it went well, it would be enough to save Diana. To save all of them.

  Lifting the sword high, Felix slammed it down into Byron’s shoulder, just barely piercing the scales.

  Byron let out a shriek and whirled, throwing Felix off with a punch.

  Felix skidded back and came to a halt, feeling dizzy.

  Yeah, that should work.

  Byron slowly released his grip on Diana, who fell to the ground and transformed back into her human form.

  Hopefully, Felix had done enough to protect her. Fuck, his mate was the coolest person in the world.

  “Did you actually think that would hurt me? Did you actually think that with your puny, non-shifted strength, you could win?”

  Felix shook his head, feeling his energy draining. The jolt to his ribs had shattered them, and if he wasn’t wrong, a leg was broken as well. He was probably going into shock without his healing factor, which meant Byron had basically killed him.

  Felix grinned. “No. I never had to win, though. You just had to lose.”

  Byron slowly shrank back to human form, staring down Felix imperiously. One thing Felix had always envied about dragons was their ab
ility to keep their clothes throughout their shifting. Though, that tracksuit really should be illegal. It was so ugly.

  “That makes no sense,” Byron spat. “How can I lose without you winning?”

  Felix shrugged weakly, unsure how much longer he would stay conscious. “I guess because you have three strikes.”

  Byron’s eyes widened, and he turned as a large, swirling, dark-purple portal appeared behind him. “You tricked me.”

  Felix laughed softly. “You always knew the stakes.”

  Byron stared back at him as tendrils came from the portal to surround him, wrapping around his arms and legs. “You evil fucker. Killing you shouldn’t count. It shouldn’t—”

  Felix lay back, propped up on one elbow, wanting to remain conscious long enough to see this bastard taken to the “other place.” “Guess you’re going to know true darkness soon.”

  Byron scowled at him, then began to fight the tendrils in earnest as smoke billowed from the portal, making it hard to see.

  “Fuck! No! I’m not ready! I’m not evil! Killing him is a fucking public service! I’m telling you I won’t go!”

  Felix had time to see Byron make one last desperate attempt to free himself before the portal pulled him fully inside.

  Then the portal disappeared, leaving only a wisp of dark smoke.

  Felix heard footsteps running toward him and looked up to see Diana limping slightly as she reached his side.

  “Oh God, are you hurt? What did he do to you?”

  “I had to get him to try and kill me. Three times at least,” Felix said. “I didn’t know if he had any strikes.”

  Diana gathered his head into her lap. “I’m going to make you explain it later, but what should we do right now? You look so pale.”

  Felix couldn’t really think straight any longer. Why was he feeling triumph if he was about to die?

  Diana looked up as the wolves around them began to circle. “Oh God, I don’t think I can shift again. I don’t even know how that thing came out of me. It was like I wasn’t in control any longer.”

  Felix nodded, trying to see through the darkness falling over his eyes. The wolves were still encroaching.

  “I’m sorry,” Diana said. “I’m sorry I wasn’t stronger.”

  He smiled up at her. “You were amazing, sweetheart.” She buried herself against his chest, and he wrapped his arms weakly around her.