Saberthorn (A Paranormal/Fantasy Dragonshifter Romance): Dragonkind ~ 52 Realms

by Sheri-Lynn Marean

  As Saber’s burning desire to make the female his registered, he drew to a stop as if ice water had been thrown on him. What the hell? He shook his head and groaned, trying to calm his racing emotions. Why the fuck am I so bloody attracted to her? She’s the enemy.

  She could have been the spawn of Satan, and he’d still want her.

  Saber drew on the memories, reminding him of why he was hunting her. Revenge, and to find out how to undo the spell that held Adarias locked in Hades. Feeling torn in two, Saber’s mind fought him. Bolts of lightning pierced his skull, one after another.

  He let out a furious roar. Angry at himself, Saber shifted into his dragon and took to the sky. Yet as he closed in on her once again, he hesitated. For some inexplicable reason, he seemed to go a little nuts whenever he got near her. He needed to wait a bit longer, clear his mind …

  Yet his mind didn’t want to be cleared. Saber made sure not to fly too far away and relived the surprise—and anger—in her eyes when she’d seen him. Right before she put him on his ass. The urge to laugh consumed him, until a scream far below snapped him back to reality.

  His dragon roared as a burning rage unfurled inside him. Something had scared his prey. Saber spun in a circle and went into a dive, only to witness his longtime friend snatch his female, then shoot into the sky with her.

  Wait! His female? What the fuck? The thought, along with the storm in his mind, momentarily distracted him. Then she screamed again, and Saber shot toward the other dragon.

  “Cass, what are you doing?” he asked, trying to sound calmer than he felt as he caught up to Maya’s mate.

  “I’ve got her,” Cass replied.

  Saber felt his fury rise. “She is mine. I’ve been hunting her all these years,” he growled, and then his mind splintered even more at this unexpected act.

  Cass didn’t even slow. “We want the same thing.”

  “No, I—" Saber paused, suddenly unsure. While he’d lived for his revenge, subconsciously, he and his dragon had always wanted more. “You need to stop and give her back to me.” He sounded as if he were a Young wanting a toy that one of his siblings had taken from him.

  Cass didn’t answer or slow down. Instead, he flew even faster.

  “Where are you taking her?” Every bone in Saber’s body screamed to attack the other dragon, yet Cass was his friend. Besides, the female wouldn’t survive if he and Cass fought in the air.

  “Cass?” A shiver of trepidation slithered through Saber for some inexplicable reason. He flew close, ready to put his power to the test and force an answer from his friend, when he realized it no longer mattered. Below him, Foil Forest sparkled in the early evening light, telling Saber exactly where they were headed.

  Within minutes, Cass landed on the outskirts of his village and shifted back into his human-form. Saber tried to control his anger and waited a moment before lowering himself from the sky. Still, he couldn’t help the growl when he saw Cass binding the hands of his prey. The female yanked herself from Cass’s grip, tripped, and fell back onto the ground.

  Saber roared, and sent a funnel of fire near the pair, making them both pause and look up. Saber drew in his wings and with rage pumping through his veins, landed with a heavy crash that made the ground tremble. Eyes blazing and mind splintering again, he prepared to end the life of anyone who got between him and the female. No. Cass is one of our only friends. The sane part of him reminded the not so stable part.

  Saber shifted into his human-form. “Cass, I’m warning you. She is mine.”

  “I don’t belong to you or anyone. I’m not chattel to own,” the female snapped bravely, though fear flashed in her eyes. They both ignored her.

  “Vengeance doesn’t belong solely to you,” Cass said to Saber, eyes hard as he glared at the female cowering on the ground. “This is her, correct?”

  Saber ground his teeth and narrowed his eyes. “Yes, but how did you—” Then it dawned on him. “Have you been following me?”

  “Zales asked me to keep an eye on you.” Cass gave an ironic laugh, and Saber understood why.

  “Fuck me.” He breathed, pissed that he hadn’t been aware. “He shouldn’t have done that,” Saber snarled. Cass was too close to losing his own humanity, he shouldn’t be worrying about watching over anyone else.

  Cass shrugged. “Watching your dumb ass do stupid shit was a welcome distraction. Plus, I knew you were hunting the last of Maya’s murderers, so two birds, one stone.”

  Saber advanced on his friend and shoved him back. “Well, you are done babysitting my dumb ass. I don’t need anyone keeping an eye on me.”

  Cass shoved him back. Saber went to punch him when he spotted the female trying to inch away. His hand dropped and he unclenched his fist as bright-amber eyes that had haunted him for so long, stared back at him. Then he noticed the rope chafing her wrists. “You wasted no time securing her.”

  “Yes, well, you were a little busy checking out the ground back there.” Sarcasm dripped from Cass’s voice.

  “You saw that?” Saber asked, mostly to buy time as he tried to figure out what to do about the female. He knew Cass wasn’t going to give her up easily. Not even to him, and Saber didn’t intend to either. Still, he didn’t want to beat up his only friend.

  “She got you good. How’d that ground feel anyway? Like a new experience?” Cass asked, teasing him, though his eyes were cold and devoid of any expression as he watched Saber.

  “Ha-ha. Fuck you.” Saber snapped. He reached down and drew the female to her feet. She tried to pull away, but Saber hung on as he spoke to Cass. “Thanks for getting her for me, I’ll take it from here.”

  Cass narrowed his eyes. “You aren’t taking her anywhere, it’s my mate she helped murder. I plan on getting my bit of revenge.”

  Pain—jagged shards of white-hot blades struck, piercing Saber’s skull as if ready to split wide open. Then his dragon roared inside of him. His eyes began to glow with fury. And yet, what was he here for, if not revenge and information? His mind drifted and didn’t catch what Cass said.

  What was I doing?

  Chapter Nineteen

  Magical Fingers

  Saber shook his head. Right. Information. He’d use that. “I need to find out what she knows, how to break the spell to get Adarias back,” he said, but Cass appeared ready to attack, menace in every muscle as he growled at Saber.

  Saber drew the female in behind him and watched Cass. “Are you challenging me? Because if you are, I will lay you out, and you know I can do it.” He stared at his dead niece’s mate. Friends for too many years to count, they were as close as brothers, yet Saber refused to yield on this.

  Cass blinked. “Why are you doing this?” His voice cracked, and Saber suddenly felt bad.

  Why? Saber honestly wasn’t sure, he just knew he wasn’t about to turn her over to his friend. There was something inside of him that would never let that happen. “You know I need to find out how to get Adarias back before either of us extracts our revenge. I just need a little time.”

  Cass stared for a long moment, showing no emotion at all. “I love you, brother, but you took care of all the others responsible for M—” He choked on his mate’s name and glanced away. When he looked back at Saber, his eyes glinted with moisture. “I need some closure. I want my revenge.”

  An ache grew in Saber’s chest at his friend’s suffering. “I know.” His tone softened. “I promise, you will have it. Please, just give me a little time?”

  Cass drew in a deep breath, let it out slowly. “Fine, but you don’t kill her, I do.” Then he held out a small dagger and the female’s pack. “Here, these are hers. No telling what she might need to break the spell.”

  Saber accepted the items and slipped the dagger between his belt and pants. Heart racing at the thought of killing her, he frowned, still no closer to understanding the strange feelings he had toward this female. The thought of anyone hurting her, never mind killing her, was akin to his own soul being ripped from his c
hest.

  Still, he had to agree, or Cass would never let him leave with her. He nodded.

  “I saw Skye and Aries last night. They’re worried about you,” Saber said as the other male walked away. Cass hesitated and his shoulders drooped. Then ignoring Saber’s comment, Cass shifted into a silver lightning dragon, and with a tremendous flap of his wings, rose into the air.

  “Remember, I will be expecting my revenge,” Cass said, then thunder rumbled and lightning crackled throughout the sky. A whiff of ozone hit Saber as Cass flew away.

  Saber sighed and looked at the female. He had to resist the urge to pull her up against his body and claim her lips. Large, angry eyes glared back at him. The only indication of her distress was a slight tremble.

  Suddenly, Saber didn’t want her scared of him, but realized that he couldn’t let on. He was supposed to interrogate her.

  “I can’t tell you anything, so if you’re going to kill me, just do it already.” She was trying to be brave, but Saber heard the fear in her voice.

  “Don’t worry, I will. Just not yet, and you will tell me what you know.” He wondered where to take her as agony throbbed through his skull. He could take her to his old family home, but it was unsecured, and he wasn’t in any shape to be setting new wards. After considering his options, he knew there was only one place, and judging by the fog in his mind, he needed to get there quick.

  Saber shifted back into his dragon and picked her up in his large talons. She gave a startled cry as they rose into the air, and though her hands were still tied, she gripped him tightly. Her anxiety tasted like acid on his tongue as they flew. A few seconds later she relaxed, and Saber felt her amazement as she stared at the ground far below. If he’d been in his two-legged talking form, he might have smiled.

  He was savoring the flight when jagged shards lanced his brain, quickly followed by visions of death. No, not now! The torture increased to a dull roar and it was all he could do to focus on staying adrift of the air currents. He battled the onslaught, knowing he couldn’t afford to lose his mind while carrying the female. Suddenly, her scent drifted up to him. Saber looked down, shocked to find her asleep. Yet magical fingers of calm, soothing waves rose from her. They suffused him and eased the chaos to a dull throb. What the fuck is that?

  Stunned, though glad of whatever it was, Saber hurried to their destination. He breathed a sigh of relief as he set down on the familiar ledge just outside of his lair. A ledge that jutted out over the lake five hundred feet below. He started to wake the female, when the thundering roar of the thousand-foot waterfall beside them snapped her awake.

  Saber gently placed her on her feet and shifted back into his human-form. As soon as he stepped away, the warmth cocooning him disappeared and the pain returned, intensified tenfold.

  He needed to sleep and right away. He hadn’t slept the night before and since he’d lost time, he didn’t know how long it had been. Though the degree of torment indicated it was way too long.

  “Where are we?” she asked, staring up at the waterfall. Her mouth dropped open as her gaze traveled up the tall, pointed spires of the deadly mountains surrounding them. “I’ve never seen Death Ridge up close, this is stunning.”

  Then she glanced past him.

  Saber’s lips twitched as she blanched at the five-hundred-foot drop right behind them. She inched closer to the edge and he frowned when her eyes began to glow at the sight far below. He had no idea that any of the Ilyium’s eyes could glow like a lot of other supernatural species.

  The lake was a stunning mix of deep warm colors as it reflected the fiery balls of Tartaria’s three suns preparing to sleep for the night. “This is amaze—” she began.

  Knowing he couldn’t wait any longer, Saber grabbed her arm and pulled her close to the thundering waterfall.

  “Where are you taking me?” she snapped, fighting to pull away. “No, don’t! What are you doing?”

  Talons dripped blood … Agony … Screams echoed in his skull … Mind fragmenting again, Saber didn’t know if the visions he saw was stuff he’d done, or something he might do. He lifted her into his arms, drawing on his power at the same time, then winced as her panicked squeal pierced his ear drums. Without warning, he stepped into the crushing water.

  Except, it didn’t so much as touch them. When he released her on the other side, the thundering rush falling past them was blessedly silent.

  “Let me go,” she hissed and pushed him away, eyes blazing with fury.

  Suddenly, a different thunder engulfed him. Saber resisted the urge to pull her back into his arms, or lean close and breathe her in. Instead, he dropped her pack to the ground and quickly untied her hands. Saber frowned at the red burn marks left by the rope while she gaped at him.

  “How did you—?” She patted her dry clothing, then she felt her hair before gaping back at the cascade.

  Every breath he drew in was torture, and he shouldn’t have been able to hear her for the noise in his skull, yet Saber caught every softly spoken word. An urge to smile once again came upon him. I must be going mental. He shoved all the urges away and grew angrier with himself. How was he to interrogate her, when all he wanted to do was strip her, breathe her in, and taste her all over? With a growl, Saber mentally set the wards that would keep all trespassers out, and others in.

  “What is this place?” she asked, as she followed him through the short entryway tunnel. Her light voice sent a shiver of delight through him, making his cock hard. He should have gagged her. Despite the effect she had on him, the agony in his head now left Saber unable to answer in fear of throwing up. Yeah, then she will really see just how tough you are.

  “You live here?” She eyed the open kitchen and living area.

  Saber tried to see his place through her eyes. A large cave with plenty of space served as his kitchen, dining area and living room. And this was the beginning of his home. Millions of crystals and gems of various sizes were embedded in the walls. They reflected the light from the sky windows he’d installed hundreds of years ago. The place was lit during the day, but with the suns setting, it was a little dark. With just a thought, Saber lit the many candles and lamps, hearing a gasp of surprise.

  “This is … I’d have thought a nasty dragon shifter would live in a cave filled with the bones of his victims,” she said.

  Saber’s spine stiffened at her insult, then realized it didn’t matter. All he wanted was his bed.

  “You don’t say much, do you?” she asked, then frowned. “Dreads, are you … ah, all right?”

  Saber blinked, surprised at her name for him, or that she’d even ask. Then he wondered why she did. He’d been doing his best to hide his suffering, and she shouldn’t have noticed. Though the fact she even gave a shit, threw him as well.

  He drew on his power and fought the nausea so that he could speak. “Help yourself to food and drink. Just don’t try to leave. I have wards up.” Without another word, he slid her dagger from his belt and set it on the counter, then walked away.

  Saber made his way into a wide corridor that curved to the left. Once out of sight, he shuddered and reached out to steady himself against the wall. His vision was beginning to blur. As quickly as he could move, he hurried to his large sleeping chamber. Once inside, he drew on more of his power and attempted to set a ward, but his magic quickly fizzled out. Saber fell onto his bed, passed out cold.

  Chapter Twenty

  Dreads

  As Dreads left her alone, Tirah felt a twinge of regret at her comment about his home. She didn’t know how, but she sensed something was very wrong with him. He just kidnapped you, why do you even care?

  She sighed. He had kidnapped her, though he could have just as easily killed her, or let the other guy do so. Yet for some reason, she got the impression he didn’t want that. Cass—that was what Dreads had called him—would have tortured and killed her in an instant, she’d felt it deep inside.

  From what she’d gleaned, his mate had been the one killed in th
e witch circle. So really, she could hardly blame the guy for wanting revenge.

  Tirah reached out and touched one of the shiny pink crystals in the wall, and her heart thrilled at the magic that soaked into her. Suddenly she was no longer cold, but instead comfortably warm. Keeping an eye behind her in case Dreads returned, Tirah made her way through the short corridor back to the waterfall. Slowly, she reached out and stuck her hand in it, expecting the swiftly moving water to sting. It didn’t. In fact, nothing happened.

  With a frown, she grabbed her pack and moved closer. Could Dreads have just been saying it was warded, thinking she couldn’t get through? Once again, she stuck her hand out. When she didn’t feel anything, she inched closer to the cascading wall. A faint tingle warned her not to try it.

  Tirah stopped and concentrated. She could feel the magic. It didn’t irritate her like most magic did. Instead if felt somewhat familiar. She was sure she could make it through to the other side, but Tirah wasn’t ready to test her theory.

  She went back into the larger cavern, and thought about the male holding her captive. Then she went to the kitchen area, dropped her pack to the floor, and eyed her dagger. Wasn’t he concerned she’d try to use it? Maybe he was waiting for her to attempt something, so he’d have a reason to kill her. Yet that was stupid. Dreads already had a reason.

  Tirah growled at herself. Don’t assume anything. Her captor was a Thorn son, and they were the most dangerous dragon shifters around, known for their brutality toward the Ilyium. Even if it was a test, it didn’t matter.

  Tirah ran her hand over the granite countertops and then snatched up the blade. Holding it at her side, she checked out the appliances. The only time she’d seen the like was during a brief stint on Yara. The place had been too advanced, making it hard to earn cash without credentials.

  How did Dreads power his lair? She glanced toward the entrance. Of course, besides having magic, her sexy dragon captor did have a huge-ass waterfall that could generate power. Well, if one knew how to go about doing that. Though she wouldn’t have been surprised if Dreads did. He seemed very intelligent after all.