by Lia Davis
The sound of a phone broke their kiss. Luke put his forehead to hers. “I should take that. It’s probably my team.”
She nodded, but he didn’t reach for his phone. It stopped ringing and, after a few moments, started again. Gently, she pushed against his chest. “Answer your phone. It must be important.”
He cursed under his breath and pulled out the phone from his coat pocket. “Yeah.”…“Now?”…“What did you find out?”…“I’m on my way.”
Luke clicked the phone off and met Mac’s stare. A sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach told her something was very wrong. “What is it?” She asked.
“I have to go. My team is at my place, and they have information on the beast.” He gave her a quick peck on the lips. “Stay inside. Please. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Worry dizzied her. “What did they find out? If there’s an injury, I can come…”
He kissed her again, cutting off her words. “No one is hurt. Promise. I’ll let you know what I can after I talk to them.” Another kiss, lasting a little longer delayed him. “Damn. I gotta go.”
She nodded and stepped back. With Luke’s team, they’d have more people to track the dragon down with, and that was good. As long as they included her, it’d be okay. She needed to be there when the ice dragon went down. Her mother deserved that.
He headed for the door, closing it behind him and taking his warmth with him.
Mac sagged against the wall. Her body hummed. She’d never get to sleep.
It was going to be a long night.
Chapter Nine
Luke hung his snow-covered coat on the stand just inside the door of his cabin. He’d rushed home as quickly as he could after the phone call from his team. Mac was worried, but he’d hoped he’d eased her concerns for now. Besides, he’d talk to her later.
He scanned the living room. His cabin wasn’t very big, and the team made the living room look pretty small. A huge grin formed, making his cheeks ache. He didn’t care. Seeing the team was wonderful. It seemed like they’d been apart for ages. Courtney, Owen, and Anders were all smiles, too. Owen rose from the couch and rushed to hug Luke.
Owen might be the team leader and sometimes gruff, but he cared about every team member like family. Luke felt the same. Besides, they were best friends, brothers in everything that mattered.
“It’s good to see you.” Luke clapped Owen on the back. Their bond was strong—even stronger because of Jo—and it felt right to have Owen in Alaska now. The ice dragon didn’t stand a chance against the DSD.
Anders didn’t get up from the plush chair he sat in but raised his cola in a mock toast. “Great cabin, Luke. I helped myself to a drink. Glad you’re okay.” His face showed a mixture of worry and relief.
“You know that’s fine. Good to see you, too.” Luke pointed to the pile of duffel bags and backpacks. “Are y’all moving in with me? That’s a lot of stuff. Or is it all Courtney’s makeup and hair products?”
The guys laughed, and Courtney punched him in the arm. “You know better than that. I’m not a girly-girl.”
He pulled her into a hug. Courtney was a tough woman, and the teasing always went both ways. She held her own in the team of men.
“So what’s with all the stuff?” Luke asked.
“It’s not like there’s a hotel around the corner up here.” Anders crossed one leg over the other. “Or a coffee shop. We’re camping out with you till that dragon is dead, so we had to bring a lot of things.”
“If you say so.” Luke loved to tease everyone on the team. “I thought y’all were going to sleep outside, under the aurora.”
“Very funny.” Anders set his glass down.
Owen put another log on the fire, and the glow filled the living room. The scent of pine crackling was relaxing, and Luke’s heart lightened. His self-imposed exile had helped him get over Jo’s death somewhat, but being back with the team, laughing and joking, did more for his spirit than anything.
“Let’s get down to business.” Courtney hopped into the recliner. “Tell us what you know about this ice dragon, and I’ll tell you what we found out. Then we can make a plan.”
Luke sat on the couch and Owen joined him. Courtney’s face was serious, and Anders stared at his hands. The happy energy from their reunion faded, replaced with dread and tension. It was clear that no one on the team expected to be chasing another rogue so soon after hunting down that serial killer, Liam Huff. That didn’t matter, though. They were always ready to take care of things when needed. It was their job.
“The girl, Elisipie, is home safe. I brought her back to the village after I found her in the mountains.” Luke paused. “She’s fine. Just a few scratches.”
“Yeah, thank the gods for that. She’s lucky to be alive. But you weren’t supposed to go out on your own.” Owen’s voice was level with an edge of sternness. “I told you to wait on us to get here to help. This dragon is strong, and he could’ve killed you.”
“I know. I couldn’t wait. Elisipie needed me, and I don’t think he would’ve let her live much longer if I hadn’t gone looking for her. He called me.” Luke stared into the fire. “It was like he could see into my mind, join me there. He spoke to me, and I sensed his insanity. He even tried to get me to join him. He obviously knew I was an ice dragon, too. I’ve never experienced that kind of link with another dragon before.”
Owen leaned forward. “That goes along with what we found out.”
“How so?” Luke asked.
“The dragon isn’t normal.” Courtney pushed her hair back and tucked it behind her ears. “He’s an ancient spirit. An evil one.”
The popping of the fire filled the silence, and Luke watched Courtney. The warm glow hid her exhaustion, but he sensed it. The trip must’ve been rough, though no one had complained. She struggled with what she was going to say, and dread pooled in his gut. He’d recognized that the dragon was different, but exactly what was Courtney talking about?
“We found out there’s an Inuit legend that likely explains the dragon and his bloodlust,” Anders said. “He’s not going to be easy to defeat.”
“What legend?” Luke fisted his hands. All that really mattered was that the dragon was killed so it couldn’t hurt anyone else, but if they’d found out something that would help, then great.
“The legend says that a long time ago, the spirit of a beast overtook a lonely man. Day by day, the beast chipped away at the man’s humanity until nothing was left but an anger so deep the beast burst forth from the human as a dragon. After that, the dragon lived for the kill and spent its time draining the life force from creatures…first seals and polar bears, and finally, humans. It started with a few people, but worked itself up to mass murder.” Courtney took a deep breath. “The dragon reigned in terror here in the north, and no one could stop him.”
Anders spoke up. “There’s a connection to the aurora, too, but we aren’t sure what it is exactly. It seems like the beast only appears when the aurora is visible.”
“That would line up with what Mac said. She said the beast came when the aurora filled the sky with light.” Luke tensed. The story was too real, too close. He’d felt rage from the ice dragon.
“Who’s Mac?” Owen raised his eyebrows.
“The village doctor.” Luke sensed Owen’s curiosity like a citrus tang in the air. Now was not the time. “Her mother was killed by the ice dragon when Mac was a little girl. She wants this beast dead as much as we do.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Courtney said. “That’s terrible about her mother.”
Owen’s eyes widened. “Oh my gods, Luke. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Tell you what?” Luke asked.
“I sensed something was different. And when Courtney called you, she said you were acting weird.” Owen’s voice filled with excitement.
“There’s a killer dragon on the loose. Of course I was acting weird.” Luke rubbed his palms on his jeans. He didn’t want to have to explain Mac. Not to Owen. Not after
Jo.
“Mac is your mate!” Owen spoke with glee in his voice. “Congratulations, man. That’s the most awesome news, ever. You know it’s rare to find a second mate in a lifetime.”
Owen wasn’t one to grin, but he was grinning like a goofy schoolboy. His senses were so honed, Luke would never have been able to hide the truth about Mac.
Yeah, Luke knew the stats on finding a second mate. It still didn’t make it easy to let Jo go. Every feeling he had for Mac felt like a betrayal of Jo, though he knew Jo wouldn’t see it that way.
Anders laughed. “Is it true? You found a second mate in the freezing north? Only you!”
Luke looked at the floor. Dammit. This was not a conversation he’d planned on having with his team. He took a deep breath. “Apparently, Mac is my mate. As you might imagine, this is not an ideal time to find one’s mate.”
“I know how that is,” Owen said. “But it worked out for me and Nadia.”
“Yeah. And that’s great. But I’m not you.” Exasperation filled Luke. How could he explain it to them? Couldn’t they see how difficult it was? Maybe they were trying to lighten the mood, not realizing how it was making him feel.
“What’re you going to do about it? Have you told her?” Owen leaned closer. “You know Jo would be totally okay with this. She would want you happy.”
“I can’t go there,” Luke trailed off. How could he explain it to them? The pain, the loneliness… “It’s too much to try to figure out. Right now, let’s focus on killing the dragon. I’ll deal with Mac later.”
“Fine.” Owen smiled. “But you have to tell me everything. I want all the details.”
“Now who sounds like a girly-girl?” Courtney smirked.
Owen shot her a look like ‘I’ll get you back’.
Luke mentally thanked Courtney for getting the team on topic. Still, his palms sweated, and his heart thudded at the thought of Mac being his destined mate. With so many obstacles between them, it was impossible to even consider a relationship with her.
“There’s more. Another dragon.” Anders rose and stoked the fire.
“Another one?” Luke’s mouth went dry. Two dragons? That meant twice as many people could be taken. Killed. “We have to go hunt them down before they kill anyone else!”
Courtney raised her finger to her lips to quieten them. “No, there’s only one dragon now, but he’s even more fierce than the beast I told you about. Let me share the rest of the story. So, the dragon went on a killing spree in a village in the far north. He slaughtered everyone there and then laughed about it. He was some kind of sadist who enjoyed killing and torturing.”
“Good gods.” Luke couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “A monster.” He thought about what could have happened to Elisipie and winced. No one should have to deal with such evil.
“It was terrible. As he flew to his lair, gloating over what he’d done, he saw a man heading to the village on a sled. The dragon went down to confront him and taunt him about the murder of his family, figuring he could get a little more enjoyment out of the situation. He wanted the man to suffer before he killed him.” Courtney sighed. “No humanity left at all. Anyway, the dragon sensed the loneliness in the man and relished his emotional suffering. He then realized the man was an amputee and made fun of him not being able to run away. I’m not sure it could’ve been much worse.”
The fire spat and popped. Anders placed another log on it then turned to Luke. “This creature is unlike anything we’ve ever dealt with. Though Liam was evil, he did have a modicum of a soul. This beast feeds on loneliness and sadness. Pain and loss. He has to be stopped.”
“He’ll die,” Owen spoke up. “We just need to get him.”
“There’s more.” Courtney continued, “While the dragon was laughing and taunting the man who’d lost his legs, his entire family, and his village, something strange happened. The aurora wavered and hit the ground, sending some kind of magical shockwave through the man and knocking the dragon back. When it was over, the man began to change. The stories differ a little here, but basically, the man morphed into an even stronger dragon than the one who’d wiped out the village. Silver with black horns, and very large. The Inuit say the man’s loneliness and heartbreak caused this to happen. Somehow, he took the form of the evil emotions and changed into a dragon himself.”
“That’s the dragon we’re after,” Luke said. “The silver one.”
“Yes. He’s the one that took Elisipie. Anyway, the silver dragon, fat with the emotions of rage and sadness and loss and loneliness, defeated the dragon that had killed his family. He blamed the dragon for killing his wife and daughters, and ever since, he’s taken and killed women and children so that other husbands and fathers can feel the same pain he felt when he lost his. I know that doesn’t make a lot of sense to normal people, but in his twisted mind, it provides motive.” Courtney sat back. “So that’s what we’re facing. A really fucked-up dragon.”
Luke rubbed his eyes. A rogue that went after women and children just to cause suffering? It was too terrible to imagine, and yet, it was truth. How could something as beautiful as the aurora be part of such evil? What was the connection?
He leaned forward. “That explains why the dragon tried to communicate and get me to join him.”
“He did what?” Owen’s voice raised.
“He’s used his telepathy, or whatever it is, to reach me. He knows I’m an ice dragon, too,” Luke trailed off. “It’s twisted. I’d never participate in his bloodlust.”
“Either he senses your loneliness over the loss of Jo or because you’re a dragon, he wants to share it with you. That makes sense, in a strange and twisted way.” Anders hung the poker back on its hook. “Maybe we can use that to our advantage somehow.”
“Maybe.” A surge of worry shot through Luke. Mac! If the dragon sensed she was his mate, he’d likely go after her. “We’ve got to stop him before he kidnaps and kills anyone else. I wonder what he’s waiting for.”
“He’s waiting for the opportunity to cause as much suffering as he can.” Anders crossed his arms. “And you can bet he’s planning it now. Stopping him is our only chance to put an end to his sick games.”
“There’s only one way to kill him.” Courtney’s voice was almost a whisper. “Since the dragon’s soul is filled with dark magic, we need to counter that with Inuit magic—earth magic. He’s spilled a lot of Inuit blood, and we need their help to bring him down.”
“How?” Luke asked.
“I researched all the legends about the beast to see what I could find out. The stories mentioned a walrus tusk, carved by a medicine woman many moons ago, made specifically to kill the dragon and send the evil back into the aurora where it can’t be reached by humans again. The tusk carries magic in the names that are scrimshawed on it, and the group that holds it wanders the tundra, waiting on the man who will one day use it to pierce the rocky heart of the beast.” Courtney rose and went to the pile of bags and began rummaging through them. “After some more research, we found the Inuit who had the tusk and sought them out on the way here. They gladly gave it to us. They want the dragon dead as much as we do, and one of their elders had a dream the beast had been killed.”
“Let’s see it.” Luke scooted to the edge of the couch.
Courtney pulled out a wrapped object, about a foot long, and held it in front of her. “There’s one more thing about the tusk, and it’s pretty astonishing. The legend says only snow can send the ice dragon back to the aurora.”
Everyone looked to Luke.
“I’m Snow.” Luke’s heart pounded, and he grew lightheaded as all the pieces fell together. This was his destiny. All of it. Mac, Elisipie, and killing the dragon that had terrorized a whole community. He was the snow that would conquer the ice dragon.
“Yes. It sounds like you’re the chosen one.”
“I’m ready.”
“We aren’t letting you do it on your own,” Owen said. “We’re all going to take him down. DSD is
a team. Always.”
“Thank you.” Luke nodded to Owen.
Courtney handed him the rolled-up tusk and tingles shot up his arms. He unwrapped it. A lump formed in his throat, and he swallowed hard. The tusk was thick, slightly curved, and covered in etched runic symbols that had to be Inuit in origin. The ivory, a warm yellow, almost glowed in the firelight. He ran his fingers along the smooth surface, feeling the etching and imagining the time that had gone in to crafting the tool. The point was sharpened and narrow—perfectly shaped to pierce through dragon scales.
* * *
Luke seized in fright. In the distance, a cold, blue light slowly flashed. He ran toward it, but his feet stuck in the snow, and he couldn’t move well. He screamed. The ice dragon had Mac.
A flash of lightning singed the snow, sending waves of purple electric current through the landscape. Orbs rose from the ground and hovered for a moment before exploding in cascades of bright light, like miniature fireworks. Luke shielded his eyes and moved forward.
A low growl sounded, growing larger as it rumbled across the landscape. The ground beneath him cracked.
Then, a scream.
Mac! Luke ran, this time, his feet carrying him through the snow. Mac had to be near the blue light, or in it. Lightning struck again, pushing a shower of bright green sparks into the air, then pink, and suddenly, the aurora wavered overhead, pulsing strong in the dark sky.
“Mac, where are you?” Luke called.
He shivered as the cold seeped into him. He’d never felt so alone.
“You aren’t alone.” The voice echoed softly behind him.
He turned but saw nothing. Laughter broke out and rippled from everywhere at once.
“Join me!” The ice dragon’s voice rose above everything else, and the scent of mint billowed around him.
“Never!” Luke ran toward the blue light.
