Take his mind off Jo.
Dallin took a deep breath, then realized Vex was right. If he didn’t move on…
Pushing all of his memories of Jo deep into his heart, he slowly nodded. “I will go with you.”
Vex let out an excited yell, pumping her fist in the air as she began to drag him to the portal. “Now let’s go kick some light fairy ass. Get out some of that pent-up aggression.”
Vex motioned for him to go into the portal first, but just as Dallin was about to walk in, he paused.
“What was that?” He looked around him. “I heard something.”
“What?” Vex asked. “I heard nothing.”
“It sounded like my name,” Dallin said, taking another step back from the portal and staring around him. “It sounded like Jo was calling me.”
Dallin. Dallin!
It was her. Dallin knew it with every part of him. And he wasn’t hallucinating. What the fuck was happening?
Why did she sound so scared? His dragon was screaming to burst out of him, but his suppressor was still going off, buzzing to remind him he was misbehaving.
“I have to go,” Dallin said, wondering why it felt like somewhere in his mind, there was a trail that would lead to where Jo was. He pushed past Vex and lunged for the door, opening it and running down the hall and toward the elevator.
Vex ran after him, calling his name the whole way. “Get back here, you stupidly fast-walking dragon!”
But Dallin didn’t stop until he was in the empty lot behind the hotel, staring at the sky and trying to summon his dragon.
He needed to fly to Jo, and he knew exactly where to find her. It was magic, and he didn’t even care if it was something related to fae magic. He needed to find her.
Vex stopped a few feet away and folded her arms, staring at him. “I guess you do have a soul bond.”
Dallin’s face went white. “What?”
“You would never look that scared over anything else,” she said somewhat sadly. “I guess this means we won’t be working together yet.”
He nodded. “I’m sorry, Vex. But if Jo is in trouble—”
Vex waved a hand. “I get it. You left her so she’d be safe. If she’s your soul bond…” She shrugged. “As the light fae would say, what a waste.”
He glared at her, but her expression was light, teasing.
“We will never be like them,” he said.
“No,” she said. “We won’t.”
“I will settle things with you later,” he said.
She just sighed. “Who knows? Right now, I’m still mad at you. Leaving me for some other girl.”
“Vex,” he said, shocked. “I didn’t know—”
“Ew, not like that,” she said, looking vaguely disgusted. “I mean leaving to fight for her. Though, I suppose I have fighters of my own.”
“I’m glad you’re safe,” Dallin said. “But I’ll always be there if you need me. Not that you would.”
She laughed coldly. “It’s true. Good luck out there.”
Dallin focused all his energy, trying to transform, panicked as he didn’t hear Jo’s voice again in his mind.
He didn’t have time for this. He had to get to her.
He tried again, and his collar unleashed a shock of pain so hard he fell to one knee.
Vex made a tsking sound as she walked over and knelt by him. “Always getting in trouble without me, silly.” Her hand moved down to his bracelet. “I wasn’t going to do this until I could be sure you were actually coming to work with me again. But… I can’t see you like this. Dammit, you keep forcing me to be good, and I hate it.”
Dallin stared in shock as she built purple energy in her hand, covered the bracelet with it, and winced as if what she was doing caused pain.
There was a cracking noise, and the bracelet fell away, clattering to the ground.
Vex yanked her hand back, rubbing her wrist and hiding it from Dallin’s view. “It’s no big deal. Some magic stings, that’s all.” She kept her hurt hand to her chest, then waved Dallin away with the other. “Go save your girl.”
“Vex, thank you,” Dallin said while she leaned down to swipe up the collar and put it in her pocket.
“I have to bring something back,” she said, grinning back at him, though there was still tension in her eyes.
“I’ll pay you back one day. I swear, Vex,” he said, more grateful to her than ever before as he called to the dragon inside him.
She simply stared at him haughtily. “That’s twice I’ve freed you. Don’t waste it this time, you silly dragon.”
Yes, he was a silly dragon, he thought as he changed into his half-dragon form with a human body and green dragon wings.
But if Jo was calling for him, no matter what he was, he was going to find her.
He’d figure out the rest when he got there.
He took off into the sky, cloaking to hide himself from human eyes, and followed the invisible link he could feel to the woman he loved.
25
Jo didn’t know what to make of the old, rundown building the chaos fae had brought her to. In fact, she didn’t know what to make of a lot of things right now.
On the outside, which she’d only seen for a second before she’d been brought in and secured unceremoniously to a steel bed that looked like an operating table, was a large, abandoned brick building. On the inside, a portion of the hollowed-out, warehouse-like interior had been converted into something much more medical—and sinister—looking.
Around her, there were monitors with characters she couldn’t read, wires and tubes, odd machines, and all sorts of things beyond her comprehension.
Around her, a handful of men with white hair, white robes, and eager expressions busied themselves setting things up. Light fae, she thought, like the ones who had attacked Dallin during the bake sale.
Nerroth, the tall, dark-haired fae prince who had kidnapped her, stood in the center of the room by himself like a statue.
One of the white-haired men walked up to him, looking nervous. “There’s something odd about the beacon you brought us. We’re getting interference from something when we try to work on her.”
Nerroth, who couldn’t have been more of a contrast to the scientists in his black armor, just crossed his arms, looking bored. “Do I look like I care, light fae?”
The light fairy just cowered, and Jo got the impression that whatever truce or partnership they had with him, it was a tenuous one.
But all Jo could think about was the horror of being worked on like this. Living in a laboratory, being experimented on. She’d been here less than five minutes, and already, she would do anything to get out.
How had Dallin survived it all? The thought of him in a lab like this for so long made her want to cry.
Another light fae came up to her side, grabbing several small tubes as if to attach them somewhere, though Jo didn’t know where. However, the second he came near her, the green emerald stone on her finger began to glow, and Jo could feel a hum of energy.
Suddenly, the fae stopped, face going blank for a moment before he turned to his cohort. “What was I doing again? I completely forgot,” he said absentmindedly.
“You were hooking the beacon up so we can drain her magic, idiot. Let me do it,” another fae said, annoyed. But as he grabbed the tubes and went to attach them, the same thing happened, and he, too, blanked out.
“It’s that damn dragon. He’s put a spell on her or something,” another fae complained. “How are we supposed to determine her magic quotient if we can’t—”
“I said…” Nerroth glared, interrupting them and taking a few steps toward them. All the fae around her backed away, trembling slightly. “I don’t care. So shut. Up.” He grinned just barely as he watched the other fae cower. Then he looked at Jo.
Just the eye contact made her whole being shiver, like waiting for a roller coaster you’re scared to go on but without the fun part.
“I hope your bond with that dumpster fire o
f a dragon is as strong as it seems to be.” He took another step, standing over her. “Because if he doesn’t show up, I might just have to take my anger out some other way.”
But Jo didn’t have to worry about it for long because a thundering crash sounded above them, followed by a heap of bricks and roofing tumbling to the ground some thirty feet from her. As it fell, a large, human figure appeared through the roof, flying down on bright-green dragon wings and landing effortlessly.
Dallin.
As he straightened, still in human clothing and looking normal except for his wings, Jo couldn’t have been any happier to see him.
Despite everything, at least he hadn’t given up and left her world.
Dallin’s gaze softened for a moment as it locked with hers, then hardened as he turned to appraise Nerroth and the fae around him. He grimaced even as they began to move toward him as if feeling strength in their numbers.
“All of you,” Dallin said, his voice low and strangely calm. Like when he’d spoken to the salesman on her doorstep. “Kill him.” He pointed at Nerroth.
Suddenly, the light fairies all rushed at Nerroth, at least five or six of them in unison. It was eerie, noiseless, their faces blank as they surrounded him.
Then they all attacked, and Nerroth drew a long black blade from nowhere—as if summoned by magic. His face was bored, unaffected as he slashed a wide arc through them, the air crackling with dark and purple energy that made Jo feel nauseous as she watched in horror as the blade cut through all of them like paper.
Amid swiftly dissipating screams, the light fae disappeared in the blink of an eye, leaving nothing but white particles that scattered across the ground like splashes of paint.
It was as horrifying as it was effective.
Nerroth just stood there, then turned to face Dallin. And when he laughed, the joyless sound felt as dark as midnight, ringing through the room.
“I’d heard you were ruthless.” Nerroth lowered the sword at his side, and when Jo blinked again, it was somehow gone. “But using those light fae to do your bidding was particularly mean.”
Dallin just glared at him, facing off in his jeans and button-up shirt and not looking at all perturbed by the differences between them. “Not as mean as what I’m going to do to you.”
Nerroth smiled. “I’m glad to see you didn’t lose your edge despite your new hobby as a confectionery.”
“You don’t forget what hell feels like just because you’ve experienced heaven.” Dallin’s blue-green eyes glanced toward Jo, and she felt the first moment of calm in her since this morning when she’d seen his note.
At least he’d come for her. She was hurt and confused, but she knew they could figure out the rest.
So long as they both got out of there safely.
“I see your suppressor is gone. Good. I’d hate to kill you too quickly.” Nerroth circled Dallin, taking eerily slow steps as he did, only the sound of his leather boots rolling over the floor disrupting the silence.
“I’d like to see you try it, chaos scum.”
“Nerroth,” Nerroth corrected snidely.
“Well, Nerroth, here’s the edge you’re wanting.” Dallin took an ominous step forward, and his voice dropped like it always did when he gave a command. “I’d like to you use that fancy sword of yours and cut yourself a few new assholes. Also, I want that head no longer connected to those shoulders.”
Nerroth paused in place, and for a moment, Jo wondered what would happen. Would something like that really work? She didn’t want to see it.
Jo felt a rush of air as Nerroth moved so quickly toward Dallin she couldn’t even follow his movement.
It was even faster than he’d been against Ryder and Landon. And she heard, rather than saw, the sound of a thunderous thud, Nerroth’s body next to Dallin’s a blur as she vaguely saw a fist connect with Dallin’s chest.
Dallin flew backward like a person falling on a bungee cord but horizontally. He slammed into the back wall, making bricks fall over him, and Jo braced from head to toe, feeling the impact in every part of her body.
She’d seen him fight before. But this was…
“Try that one more time, dragon,” Nerroth said as if issuing a challenge, standing stonelike where Dallin had been only a second ago. “One more time, and I’ll finish this right now.” He seemed almost annoyed, more than angry. “Your pathetic commands won’t work on me.”
Dallin appeared through the hole in the wall a moment later, rubble all over him, in his hair, his beard, his clothes torn up from the hit. However, he looked surprisingly mobile considering what had just happened.
“I’d heard you were stronger than any dragon alive. Show me.” Nerroth’s voice raised slightly, unnervingly.
Dallin responded by just brushing off one arm, then the other.
Then he extended a hand, and a teal orb of energy shot forward like a bullet, flying with incredible speed.
Nerroth, who moved without even looking like he was moving, was right in the path of the shot. And then he wasn’t, the streak of teal flying past him and hitting the back wall of the building.
The entire side of the warehouse exploded in a maelstrom of green and blue fire some fifty yards from her, disintegrating the bricks and leaving just a gaping maw where a whole corner had once stood.
“That’s something I’ve never seen before. Dragon fire mixed with magic. Show me more,” Nerroth said.
“With pleasure,” Dallin said, cracking his knuckles. He sent Jo another I got this glance before running forward, arm cocked.
Nerroth met Dallin before he reached him, moving supernaturally fast as she watched his fist go straight for Dallin’s face. To her surprise, Dallin ducked under it, countering with a punch into Nerroth’s stomach and sending him tumbling backward.
But Nerroth was up in an instant, and he rushed again. This time, he slammed the side of Dallin’s face with an elbow, making his face whip sideways as Dallin lilted to one side before sweeping a leg up and kicking Nerroth in the knee.
Only seeing them next to each other like this made Jo aware of the fact that Nerroth was still several inches taller than Dallin, making him look even more like some ethereal, sinister monster.
But what Dallin lacked in height, he made up for in muscle and sheer determination, taking a hit and returning each with his own.
Nerroth, his smile turning up in an amused sneer, threw a fist toward Dallin, and Dallin caught it. Dallin’s free hand then flew forward, and Nerroth’s hand immediately came up, blocking it as both men braced, each one gripping the other as they both tried to gain the upper hand.
“You’re just a dragon. You can never defeat a fae like me. Especially a fae like me.”
“I’m going to love seeing the disappointment on your face when I pound your ass into the ground,” Dallin replied, clenching his teeth. And in spite of the incredible speed and strength Jo had seen Nerroth display, Dallin was able to push him back, his feet sliding across the ground. When Nerroth widened his stance, the cement floor cracked beneath him, even the hard earth giving way before either of them would.
Jo watched as Dallin’s grip tightened just as he yanked backward, the sudden motion throwing Nerroth off his feet as Dallin rolled onto his back, a leg shooting up and kicking Nerroth high into the air just as Dallin rolled over his shoulders and onto his feet. And in an instant, his green wings sprouted from his back, propelling him from the ground upward just as huge black wings made of swirling black and purple appeared behind Nerroth.
They were clashing in the air now, moving like blurs of motion, colliding and separating with the cacophony of hits Jo could only hear resounding off the walls. But when both fell to the ground, Dallin near enough to Jo that she could see the sweat and smears of red on his face, he just gave her another reassuring look.
Nerroth wasn’t unaffected either, his armor beat up and a few of the black metal plates missing. His dark hair was mussed, stress lines framing the dark orbs of his eyes.
There was a hum in the air as Nerroth’s sword appeared in his hand. Only, it didn’t look like that for long, morphing into a long, black scepter-like staff as his huge wings retracted.
Dallin raised a hand, a large wall of green stone appearing before him like she’d seen before, just as a screeching, hissing sound emanated from the staff. A blast of dark energy shot out, purple and ominous and blindingly bright.
To Jo’s horror, the shot hit the wall, sending chunks of rock flying with a loud boom just as it passed through, hitting Dallin in the shoulder.
Dallin fell backward, grunting and bringing a hand to hold where he’d just been shot. Across the room, Jo could make out the shape of Nerroth moving forward, but she was too busy watching Dallin to care as she yanked against the restraints on her table once more, desperate to get to his side.
Rocks exploded as Nerroth punched through the wall to reach Dallin, gripping his throat and yanking him upward as Jo’s whole body froze with fear and alarm.
“Time to die, dragon.”
26
Shit. Shit. Shit.
How is this happening?
Dallin ignored the overwhelming pain in his shoulder that radiated outward, making his arm numb, as he tried to pry free of the chaos bastard’s grip on his neck.
Ever since he’d escaped the lab, Dallin had fought a lot of fae. Chaos fae. Light fae. Anyone that thought they were better than dragons and thought they deserved to be imprisoned or hurt.
This fairy was clearly different.
Dallin had texted Ian to tell him where to come and to bring other fairies, but who knew how long that would take or if Ian would even get his text?
Dallin might not be a fairy, but he was currently the only option Johanna had right now. So he couldn’t afford to fail even if no one else came.
Dragon Released (Reclaimed Dragons Book 1) Page 19
