Lee shook his head, a lead ball sinking into his stomach. Right now he wanted so badly to be able to call his parents, to seek refuge with the clan. Even though he had promised Mia he would call them, he hadn't. They didn't have their cellphones anymore and public pay phones weren't exactly common anymore.
He had never been in this sort of trouble before. His shoulders sagged and his eyes felt overly heavy. Last night he had found a sliver of peace when he was with Mia. The way she gave herself to him, holding nothing back, filled him with such warmth, a feeling of belonging that he'd never experienced before.
Was it just hormones that made them sleep together? No–there was something more between them, he knew that now. He wouldn't change his decision for anything. She was far too important. The dragons of his clan might not see it, but humans were too important to give up on. They couldn't just abandon them to their fate.
Mia gave a sudden gasp. She jumped to her feet and grabbed his hand. "We have to go."
The dragon jumped in surprise. He reached to start closing all the open windows on his computer, but Mia yanked, hard. She shook her head, eyes wide. Her fear was almost tangible and Lee felt himself tensing. He glanced at the computer she was using and saw a great big picture of him and her side by side. And a small line below their pictures stating they were heading in this direction. He wrapped an arm around Mia's waist and hurried towards the door. They were running out of time.
It was only then that he realized that they were the only ones in the library. Even the librarians had disappeared. His heart hammered. No. They weren't running out of time. They had already run out of time.
Just as they reached the library doors, half a dozen cars pulled in. They were plainclothes police, and if Lee hadn't been expecting them, he wouldn't have recognized them as such. He grabbed Mia and twisted to one side. Guns appeared all around them, pointing at the two of them. Mia let out a strangled scream and his grip on her tightened.
"Let the hostage go!" one of them shouted.
Adrenaline surged. Guns pointed at them. Lots of guns. If they started firing, Mia could be hurt. But they thought she was a hostage… that was good. It meant that they wanted to protect her as much as he did. His arms brought her snug against his chest. The police continued to shout, but it was a hollow, echoing sound. His fires roared higher.
No! He couldn't shift. Maybe he was in this alone, maybe he was exiled. But he couldn't reveal his people to the humans. Bile tasted on his tongue. They couldn't stop the witches from releasing Ba'al if he was in jail.
Mia's breathing was heavy. Tears leaked from her eyes, but she didn't say anything as his grip around her tightened. The cops were getting more aggressive, their screams louder. He'd most likely heal from any bullet wounds he received–unless they were kill shots. Not even a dragon could come back from the dead.
And if Mia was hit? It didn't have to be a kill shot to kill her.
His grip on Mia loosened. Closing his eyes, he released her and dropped to his knees, holding his hands in the air. The police inched forward, guns still trained on him. One of them grabbed Mia and pulled her away. She didn't make a sound, didn’t cry out or anything.
Lee sucked in a deep breath, pulling all the martial arts forms he had learned to the forefront of his mind. The witches needed a dragon's heart. His was the only one available. Alex would have told the clan what they wanted and the king would put the clan on high alert. That meant that they would want him alive. So, if he died… if he died, then it would stop the witches, at least temporarily.
So, the risk was worth it.
When the cops grabbed his hands to cuff them, he acted on instinct. He kicked the feet out from the one behind him, then rolled over, bringing the cop with him. He sprang to his feet, punched a cop in the face, and dropped as he grabbed the man's wrist. Shouts. Gunfire. He flipped the man over his back and twisted his arm hard. A loud crack.
Mia screamed. Lee spun into a third cop, elbowing him hard in the stomach, then used the body to shield himself as he leaped towards Mia. He dropped the cop, who hit the ground with a groan. His arms wrapped around her soft, warm form and he pressed the gun against her chin. He hated that, hated the feeling of her tension. The cops were shouting again, but Lee remained calm.
"Lower your weapons," he said, inching towards the camper van. "Mia Thompson is well-liked in her class and has a great number of friends. You don't want them demanding to know why you let her die… Studies have shown that police officers hit their targets only thirty percent of the time, you don’t want to accidentally hit her, do you?"
Mia sobbed, making his stomach clench. Did she think that he was going to hurt her? He prayed it wasn't the case. They entered the camper, his eyes glued on the police officers, and then Lee crouched between the seats while Mia drove away. He saw the police on their phones and told Mia to step on it.
"We need to get somewhere where I can fly away undetected," he muttered. "And get rid of this gun."
"Right. Maybe we can mail it back to the police? They're going to keep coming after us."
Lee's stomach clenched again. "Mia… I'm sorry."
"We had to get away somehow." Her knuckles were white on the steering wheel as she drove at breakneck speeds.
Lee didn’t reply. Even if she understood what he had been doing, that didn't mean she hadn't been terrified. He stripped off his clothes as they exited the city–luckily no cops followed them, and there were no helicopters following them. This was probably a local operation, cops who thought they could handle it. Even so, it was a miracle they got away.
After they were out into the forest again, they abandoned the van and Lee flew them far away. When it got dark, he risked landing again. As soon as his feet were on the ground, he turned to Mia. She wrapped her arms around him as he shifted; as soon as he was human again, he kissed her hard. His muscles trembled, adrenaline still surging through him. She teased open his mouth, tasting him with her tongue. Every muscle in his body tightened, but this wasn't the time for lovemaking. He reluctantly broke the kiss.
"I'm so sorry. I never meant to put you in this danger."
Mia shook her head. "No. You're doing all of this to protect me. I'd already be dead a dozen times over if it wasn't for you. You're not putting me in danger."
Lee kissed her again. "I am going to make sure you get out of this, no matter what. I promise."
"Don't be silly." Her voice was slightly shrill. "We are going to get out of this. Don't start talking like you're going to die. You won't. We are going to get through this and we're both going to live. Then I can introduce you to my parents and we can mate so that your family will take you back."
Emotion welled in him. "You'd do that for me?"
"Don't say it like it'd be hard." Mia brushed her lips against his. "I would be happy to share the rest of my life with you."
He seized her around the waist and pressed her against a tree. Her legs circled his hips, and it was all he could do not to rip off her clothes and have his way with her right then and there. She wouldn't protest, he knew. Her mouth was hot and hungry, and the emotion and physical pleasure started to sweep away all reason.
A low cough behind them made Lee tense. He whirled, setting Mia down so he could stand protectively in front of her. A young woman with the tattoo of a bleeding heart on her bared shoulder stood half a yard away. She smiled pleasantly as Lee snarled. The stench of magic hung heavy around her.
The witches had found them. Again.
"I have a message," she said, ignoring Lee's increased snarls. "You are to come with me, or Mia Thompson's family will be all killed."
Chapter Seventeen
Mia
The witch hummed a pleasant tune as they headed for the campus. She had been very calm as they yelled and shouted and threatened, merely repeating her message over and over until Mia broke down into tears. She and Lee had gone to the side to have a whispered conversation about it, but in the end what choice did they have?
&nb
sp; Guilt twisted in Mia's stomach as she leaned into Lee's arms. They were in the back of a small car while the witch drove. Her eyes were puffy and red from crying. Even now, she didn't know how she could actually be doing this. Asking Lee to sacrifice his life for her family when he had given up his…
Although as Lee was quick to point out, he had only broken ties with his family. They were in no danger of dying because of his actions. Hers would be killed if…
Mia sobbed aloud, and Lee turned her face into his chest, comforting her. She clung to his shirt. If he died… then all she could hope was that she would die with him. The thought of watching him die and then continuing on was impossible.
They had only one hope, sent in a quick email to people who might not even care.
If that hope proved false, then the witches were going to rip out his heart and use it to destroy the campus. Today or on the new moon, it didn't matter. The result would be the same. Another sob, this one barely repressed.
"Whatever happens," Lee whispered. "I love you, Mia."
"I love—"
"Spare me the declarations of love. This isn't a romance novel," the witch in the front snapped. "Honestly. You people are so pathetic."
Mia felt pathetic. Weak. Like there was no point to her. If she hadn't gotten mixed up in Lee's life, then maybe he wouldn't be in this situation. She sucked in a deep breath and held it, trying to keep herself calm. They would make it out of this. They would find a way.
Their escort led them to the middle of the campus. It was utterly still and quiet. Nobody was in site. Mia tried to think of what day it was. Wednesday? Thursday? The campus should be swamped.
A regal-looking lady stood in the center of the reflection pond, only it was dry as a bone. Lee's arm tightened around Mia's waist, but his steps didn't falter. She leaned into him, marveling at how strong he was, how brave. Fresh tears flowed down her cheeks and she gazed upwards, trying to stop them. Crows passed overhead, blacker than usual against the deep gray clouds. A stormy day. Fitting.
"Mrs. Henderson," Lee said, his voice low and controlled. "I was under the impression that you had to wait for the new moon to kill me."
"We do," the woman said. "But that doesn't mean we can't prepare things ahead of time. I'm glad you decided to come without a fuss. Now… let's go, shall we? We have a nice little prison waiting for you below campus.
There were a good four dozen witches who surrounded them. Mia shrank back. "Where is everybody? Aren't you worried about… cameras and…"
She trailed off as Henderson began to laugh. The old witch clapped her hands and shook her head. "Where is everybody? Cameras?" she repeated. "Oh, this is just too precious. We couldn't risk anybody interfering, dear girl. There was a rather unfortunate scare that had the campus evacuated. Something to do with nuclear materials… I don't know, I let Claire handle that. But we're quite isolated, Miss Thompson. And as for cameras, we've taken care of those, too. I'm done trusting amateurs to do my work."
"Amateurs." Mia took a deep breath. "Why send amateurs to begin with?"
Henderson didn't reply. She only continued to laugh–until the beating of wings made her look up. Mia didn't have to look to know there was a dragon there. The earth seemed to tremble as a dozen of the giant beasts dropped from the sky. Lee seized her around the waist and threw her over his shoulder. Two of the witches reached for him, but he broke the nose of one and lifted the other one-handed and threw her into a bunch of the others.
An emerald-green dragon dropped in behind them as Lee ran. Wings stretched out. Mia saw bursts of light highlight the fragile veins in the thin membrane as it blocked spells aimed at them. Lee wrenched open a door and deposited Mia inside.
"Stay here," he told her, then hesitated a moment. He pressed a deep kiss to her mouth.
The pained roar of a dragon had him tearing away from her. Mia stood, gasping from the kiss and the scene unraveling before her. If she had felt helpless before, it was even worse now. She was frozen to the spot as the violence increased in the courtyard.
Lee's green dragon burst from him as he charged back towards the battle. The witches were spread out, some with joined hands, others shooting off spell after spell on their own. A brown dragon let loose a bellyful of fire at Henderson; with a twisted snarl on her face she waved her hands and deflected it back into the dragon. Another dragon jumped in from behind her, and she sent a bolt of black lightning into its chest. Blood and gore splattered into the air.
A giant golden dragon, bigger than the rest, dropped into the middle of the fray. Pearly teeth flashed in the air and blue-tinged flame poured out of it. The fire washed like a wave over the witches. Screams rose in the air and Mia wanted to turn away but couldn't. The scent of burnt meat washed over her. Henderson dropped to her knees and pressed both hands to the earth. There was a burst of thunder and a bolt of lightning rained from the sky.
Lee lunged for her. She swept her arm and a giant black shadow like a wing knocked into him, sending him tumbling over his own feet. He jumped back up, using his tail to sweep a dozen witches off their feet. Another dragon pounced on the fallen women, making quick work of them. The golden dragon went after Henderson and was thrown back as well.
Mia didn't stop to think. She acted on pure instinct, ramming her shoulder into the glass door. It shattered around her, and she grabbed the largest shard and charged into the battle. The dragons stomped and blew bursts of flame. She didn't think of avoiding them, just ran through. Blisters popped over her skin. Her hair singed.
All around her, the witches were being taken down, but her eyes were only on Henderson. The remaining witches flocked to her side, pressing in with their backs towards her, throwing dragons back when they came at her. More lightning rained from the sky. Two of the dragons were hit; they convulsed and were still.
Maybe they thought she was a witch like them. In the heat of the battle, it was difficult to see who was friend and who was foe. But the witches didn't stop her when she entered their ranks. Henderson sensed her approach and turned, but it was too late.
Warm, sticky blood sprayed into the air as Mia plunged the glass shard into Henderson's neck.
The witch's eyes widened. Her lips parted, then she crumpled. Lee jumped into the midst of the witches, throwing several aside and wrapped his body around her. Screams and roars filled the air in a confusing rush, and then it was silent. Lee slowly released her and shifted. She found herself standing in a circle of dragons. Each one of them was stark naked, but she didn't pay attention to that.
She ignored them and turned to Lee. He wrapped both arms around her, hugging her tightly to his chest. His eyes darted around, large, confused, as he stared at the dragons.
"Where… where did you come from?"
One of them, who was taller than the others that Mia knew instinctively was the king, looked at her with narrowed eyes.
"I sent an email to them," she blurted. "The last library we were at. You went to the bathroom, and I saw you were still logged into your email account. I sent an email to Alex, explaining that you had been framed for murder by the witches… This was great timing though. How did you know where to find us?"
"All dragons leaving clan territory have a GSP tracker in them," the king said, his voice rolling and deep. "We've been tracking your movements since you left. I was about to—"
Lee didn't even wait for him to finish before he swept Mia into his arms. She gave a startled shriek but melted into his embrace when he planted a kiss on her lips. She threw her arms around him, pressing herself as tight as she could against him. Her eyes fluttered closed. All too soon, though, one of the dragons coughed, bringing their attention back to the king.
"I'm going to mate him," Mia declared. She held Lee tightly. "I don’t care what you think or what you do, I am going to mate him and you're going to release his exile. He was trying to save the world and you're an as—"
"Mia!" Lee hissed.
The king stared at her for a long second before his m
outh twitched into a smile. "You're going to mate him?"
"Yes," Mia said firmly. "I love him."
The king inclined his head. "If you will be mates, there is no reason for his exile to stand."
Lee's eyes widened. He didn't look like he believed it. Mia pressed herself to her toes and kissed him again.
Chapter Eighteen
Lee
Two Months Later
Mia's family was highly affectionate. Lee wasn't entirely certain how to take it. His own family didn’t lack affection, per se, but they didn’t do all the hugging that Mia's family did. They all hugged him in greeting, hugged him when Mia said they were dating, hugged him when she told them that he saved her life, and hugged him another few times just for good measure. It was a little overwhelming.
They had had dinner with them a few times by now, and already her parents were teasing him about asking her to marry him. Maybe it was just because he wasn't used to the family setting, but it was different. Not uncomfortable, just strange.
Almost as strange as meeting Mia's friend Celia. She immediately started grilling him on the murders–although he had been cleared of any involvement pretty quickly. The police issued a formal apology and a few lawyers had contacted him about suing the media outlets for libel. He was happy to just let it all blow over, though. He was restored to his job, and what happened at the campus was blamed on a local cult. No mention of dragons anywhere.
Everything had worked out. Now he had to officially introduce Mia to the clan before their mating ceremony. His hands tightened on the steering wheel.
Mia, sitting in the front passenger seat, laid her hand on his thigh. "It's going to be fine. The king revoked your exile, and Alex is almost completely healed. They'll all know by now that we're to be mated. I don't think this is going to go as badly as you think."
Lee shook his head. "I'm not worried about the clan. I don't really care what they think. I never have."
Her Dragon Professor Page 9
