He still didn’t respond. Tirah tried to calm herself and think. Then she climbed off the bed. “I’m going for help. Stay with me. Please.”
With a last worried glance, Tirah left his room and ran through his lair to the waterfall. This better work, because she didn’t have time to go back down the tunnel.
She swallowed deeply, closed her eyes, and drew carefully on her own power. Over the last few years she’d slowly tried to get used to the feel of it. It felt wonderful when she let it out, yet like a living entity, it always wanted more. And being scared, Tirah always shut it down.
She felt her skin tingle, and sucking in a deep breath, held onto the power flowing through her. Then she stuck her hand in the waterfall and grinned. Magic tingled over her. Tirah held her breath and kept going until she stood on the other side. She drew in deep gulps of air and fought to control the panic. With Saber dying, she really needed to get moving.
Tirah stared at the lake far below and wondered how badly it would hurt if she failed. I can’t believe I am going to do this. Pushing away the fear that had always stopped her in the past, Tirah called upon more of her power. This time, instead of shutting it down, she let it take hold.
Her whole body vibrated, and Tirah felt herself turning to a million particles of light and fire. When she rematerialized, Tirah craned her long neck to peruse her body. She was covered in dark-brown scales with a red swirling flame underneath. Then the sight of her long, sharp talons almost made her lose her balance.
Holy mites, I did it. I’m a dragon! Oh look, I have a tail. She would have laughed at herself if she hadn’t been so worried about Saber. Then her heart started to thunder as she contemplated her next step. Now to fly. Surely it will come naturally, right? Not at all sure, she opened her wings, closed her eyes, and dove off the ledge.
As she began to plummet straight toward the lake, panic engulfed her, stronger than ever. No. Not like this. She flapped her wings. Then she started to spin. Oh, demons.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Rocky Landing
Tirah panicked as the icy water grew swiftly closer. This is it. I’m going to die.
“No you aren’t. Calm down. Outstretch your wings.” Saber’s voice whispered through her mind.
“Saber?” Tirah did as she was told and felt herself slowing.
“Now flap your wings and fly.”
She flapped her wings and slowly began to rise. Elation made her want to shout at this small victory.
“Saber. I did it.” But when he failed to respond, her happiness quickly faded. Had she really heard him? Or did she want to so badly that she imagined it was him? Or, was he … gone? Demons. She needed to fetch help and fast.
Tirah continued to flap her wings until she was high above the mountains and moving forward. Her movements were jerky, but at least she wasn’t falling to the ground.
Although she’d never been to Darry Caverns, she knew the general direction. How do I turn? She practiced a couple moves until she finally headed in the right direction.
But once she reached her destination, it was clear there was no longer anyone there. Damn it to hell and back. Tirah circled in the air, searching for any sign of life, but there was none. Zales must’ve gotten everyone away. Now what do I do?
There was only one other option, and though it might cost Tirah her life, if it saved Saber, then it would be worth it. Turning once again, she hurried away.
A few minutes later, she spotted the wings of Fallen Mountain and below a speck of orange, then with her excellent eyesight, the village came into sight. The orange was the central bonfire. Terror for Saber consumed her. What if he died while she was gone? No, don’t think that.
Scared beyond anything she’d ever felt, Tirah tried to fly faster until she found herself going too fast. Oh, crap! Hitting the ground was going to hurt, though she wasn’t sure how to avoid it.
Suddenly another dragon materialized in the air beside her. “Who are you?” a female voice asked her.
Startled, Tirah began to fall and quickly steadied herself. I need to be more careful. She looked over to see moonlight reflecting off the pale blue-and-white scales of a smaller dragon.
“Whoa. Easy there,” the voice said, flying easily alongside her.
Tirah attempted to speak. “H-hello?”
The female dragon chuckled. “Hello. I don’t recognize you. Who are you?”
Oh, holy mites. I’m actually talking to someone in my head … just like that time with my mother. Maybe she hadn’t imagined Saber after all. That thought gave her hope.
“You’ve never done this before?” the female asked incredulously.
“Ah, no. I’ve never done a lot of this before …” Tirah flew lower and prepared to crash.
“I’m Skye,” the female dragon said.
“Oh, ah, I’m Tirah.”
A steely edge entered Skye’s voice. “What are you doing here, Tirah?”
I … I need to find someone named Cass. My friend is in trouble.” She’d left Saber too long already. Suddenly she dropped another ten feet and noticed the ground was getting awfully close. “Skye, can you tell me how to land?”
“You don’t know how to land?” Skye asked and Tirah could hear her disbelief.
“Ahm, no, never learned,” Tirah answered.
“What do you want with Cass?” Skye asked.
Tirah began to panic as the ground rose up even closer. Oh bloody hell, I’m going to crash.
The dragon beside her snorted. “You really don’t know how to land?”
“No, I don’t. Now, can you help me? Please?”
“Stop flapping your wings, for one. Now hold them out, like this.” Skye demonstrated.
Tirah imitated Skye, though it was still a rough landing.
“Thank you,” Tirah said once she was on her feet and upright.
“What the hell kind of parents did you have that never taught you flying basics?” Skye asked as she shifted into a beautiful teenage girl.
It took Tirah a moment to shift back into her human-form. When she did, there were ten large males surrounding them, and they didn’t appear very friendly.
“She’s looking for Cass,” Skye told the men.
The same male who had first abducted Tirah came forward and anger burned bright in his eyes. “Skye, what have I told you about flying alone at night?”
“What do you care?” Skye asked, then when Cass growled, she shrugged petulantly and motioned behind her at Tirah. “I needed to fly, and it was a good thing, too, because I found her. Says she’s looking for you.”
Angry green eyes shifted from Skye to Tirah. “You?” Cass snarled. The males surrounding them moved back as Cass advanced on Tirah. “What do you want? You must be eager to die.” Then without waiting for her to reply, he grabbed at her arm and started to pull her toward the village.
“What are you doing?” Skye asked, stepping in front to the large, angry male. Tirah stared at the girl. She was either crazy or fearless.
“Out of the way, Skye,” Cass said, a warning clear in his voice.
“No.” The girl crossed her arms over her chest and lifted her chin.
“Skye. Go to bed.”
At Cass’s words, Skye shook her head and indicated Tirah. “No, leave her alone. She came seeking help.”
Cass snarled. “She’s our enemy.”
“She’s one of us,” Skye said, glaring at him.
Cass frowned. “No, she’s the one who murdered your mother.”
Skye’s eyes grew wide, then she shook her head. “She can’t be. She’s a dragon, like us.”
“What are you talking about?” Cass asked with a frown.
Tirah, having grown tired of all this, interrupted. “Look, you can do what you want with me, but Saber needs your help.”
Cass narrowed his eyes on her. “What did you do to him?”
“I didn’t … I … it was my brother. He stabbed him with a poisoned knife,” she tried to explain and stopped at al
l the furious growls of hatred.
“I will kill you and your brother,” Cass said, fury shining bright in his eyes.
Tirah shook her head. “Saber already killed Casin—”
“Casin? As in the Ilyium’s latest commander?” someone asked.
Tirah nodded. “He’s not commander anymore, but yes.” She turned back to Cass. “Please, you need to help Saber, he’s dying. He was pale, green, and smelled like death. He wouldn’t respond to me. Please.”
There were gasps at her words.
“Where is he?” Cass asked.
“His home,” Tirah said.
Cass motioned a few of the other males forward. “Take her and secure her. I’ll deal with her when I get back.”
“No, please.” Tirah backed away when one of the males tried to grab her. “What are you doing, I need to get back to Saber, he needs me.”
Cass snorted. “I seriously doubt that. You’re likely the cause of his problem.”
Tirah stilled and reality hit her. It was the truth. Saber wouldn’t be dying if it wasn’t for her. Then the group parted and Zales strode toward them.
No one had even noticed him land or shift. “Leave her alone, Cass.”
Cass snarled at him, but Zales just moved in front of Tirah. “Saber asked me to protect her from you.”
Cass gaped at him. “What the fuck?”
Zales ignored him and concentrated on Tirah. “Are you all right? How did you get here?”
“I’m fine, I flew here—” Tirah’s heart skipped a beat, then it thumped slowly. She gasped and her hand went to her chest. “No.” Saber’s heart was slowing down, not her own. “We have to go, he’s dying, he’s been poisoned,” she said, frantic to get back now. “Please, tell me you can help him?” She looked pleadingly at Zales, unaware of the rest of the crowd as tears streamed down her face.
“You love him,” Zales said, surprised. Then he reached out and wiped one of the tears away. Tirah blinked and nodded, unable to speak. Oh angels, I do. I love him.
“Let’s go,” Zales said.
Cass looked at Skye. “You stay here.”
Light-blue eyes flashed as Skye shook her head. “No way. I’m going. I love Saber too.”
“You aren’t. We have no idea what we’ll find when we get there,” Cass said.
Skye glared at him, then without a word, she walked away.
“Skye,” Cass called, but she ignored him and shifted back into her dragon, then shot into the sky. Cass growled. “Fuck.”
One of the males slapped his back. “Good luck. It’s hard to tame the wild ones.”
Cass snarled at the guy. “You follow her, make sure she’s safe.” Then he turned to Tirah. “I’ll carry you.”
Tirah moved back, suddenly scared. As angry with her as Cass was, she wouldn’t put it past him to drop her from the sky. “No, I’m still learning, but I can fly myself.”
Cass scowled. “What do you mean, you can fly? Ilyium don’t fly.”
“I’m not, I’m—”
Zales smiled. “She’s Fire-born.”
Tirah gaped at him. “You know?”
“I suspected,” Zales said and at the gasps surrounding them, she cringed inwardly. When no one moved to attack, Tirah shoved her fear away. “I told you, you can do whatever you want with me later. Right now, we need to get back to Saber.”
Zales nodded. “I don’t think my brother will be letting anyone lay a finger on you. Come on then, if you want to fly, you can fly.”
Tirah tried to draw on her power, but she was so tired and so scared for Saber, nothing happened. “How … how do I change back into my dragon?”
That earned her a few raised eyebrows, which only made her angry.
Zales glared at the other males. “Cass and I have got this, you can all go.” He watched the others turn back to the village before looking at Tirah. “How much flying have you done?”
Tirah drew in a deep breath and let it out. “Coming here was my first time. Skye showed me how to land.”
Zales nodded. “Well, how about I carry you this time and we’ll leave it to Saber to teach you all you need to know?”
“Yes. Okay, that’s fine. I am tired and the thought of trying to land on that ledge at his place—” She shuddered.
Zales and Cass quickly shifted into their dragons, then Zales carefully held onto Tirah as they took to the sky.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Dragon Light
Zales landed, set Tirah down, and without waiting, she rushed through the waterfall, then ran through Saber’s home. She spared a quick glance back to make sure Zales and Cass were with her. “Hurry.”
She pulled up sharply when she entered Saber’s room. The air was deathly cold, and he was way too pale. “No,” with a cry, she climbed up beside him. “Saber. No, no.” She shoved the blankets back and laid her head on his chest but couldn’t hear a heartbeat. Then she felt for a pulse in his neck.
“Tirah, move,” Zales said gently and pulled her aside while Cass eased Saber over. Zales swore and Tirah gasped at the state of the wound in his back. It had grown, and there was a black ooze seeping out of it.
“Shit,” Cass swore and gazed at Zales.
Tirah frowned. It was apparent they were communicating silently. “What’s going on? Do something?” Tirah looked from Cass to Zales. “Please, he can’t die.”
Zales looked at her. “Did my brother ever tell you how close he was to losing his soul?”
Tirah’s heart tripped at the news. She shook her head. “No. I know he was having these really bad headaches. Was that why? He was starting to lose his humanity?”
Zales face was grim. “We’ve all been afraid that he’d turn rogue, and none of us are strong enough in power to stop him.”
Tirah narrowed her eyes on him. “Stop him?”
Zales didn’t answer, so she looked at Cass. “Explain. Please.”
Cass looked like he’d rather roast and eat her, but then he just sighed deeply. “He means none of us are strong enough to send him to the afterlife, now …” He studied Saber. “Now he’s dying.”
Tirah gaped at both of them as understanding dawned. “You can’t be serious? You want to let him die?”
“I suspected, but he kept it well hidden. I didn’t realize he really was this close to going rogue,” Cass muttered, then shook his head. “We don’t want him to die, but—”
Tirah shoved past Cass, climbed up beside Saber, and began to shake him. “Wake up, please. Saber, please. You told me I was your mate, don’t leave me,” she begged, ignoring the two men.
“Tirah,” Zales said softly and touched her shoulder. “What do you mean?”
She frowned at Saber’s brother, not sure what he was asking. “What?”
“Did Saber say you were his mate?” Zales asked, a hopeful light in his eyes.
Tirah nodded and stared down at the male she’d come to love. “I … I love him. We can’t let him die.”
“Zales—” Cass began.
“No.” Zales stared at Cass and after a moment, they both looked at her. “We need to cut out the poisoned flesh.” Zales indicated she move out of the way. Tirah quickly scooted to the other side of Saber, then held him to her while Cass slowly and carefully cut away the blackened flesh from his back.
Once done, Zales handed Cass a cloth and they pressed it to his wound before laying Saber on his back once again.
“Now what?” Tirah asked, hating how still, how pale and unresponsive Saber was.
“I’m going to pour some of my dragon light into him, then it will be up to you,” Zales said.
Tirah frowned. “You can do that? Give him your dragon light?”
“It will bring him around, though it will only be a temporary fix,” he answered.
Cass swore and went to go clean his hands in the bathing room. Tirah watched him for a moment, then looked at Zales. “W-what do I need to do?”
“You will need to bond with him. Ultimately, it is the only
way to save him from losing the little of his soul that is hanging on.”
“He was in so much agony, will he have to live like that?” she asked.
Zales shook his head. “No, once Saber bonds with you, he will regain the lost part of his soul.”
“Okay, good. That’s good,” Tirah said as Cass rejoined them. She was about to tell Zales to go ahead, when a sound outside of Saber’s room stopped her.
“It’s your mother and brother,” Zales said. “I had a couple of my men go and get them.”
“Thank you.” Relief filled Tirah when Ashara and Mihel entered the room. Though at the sight of them, Cass stiffened up and glared at the newcomers.
Ignoring him, Tirah climbed off the bed and hurried over to hug her mother. “Saber’s dying.”
“I heard. I’m so sorry, baby.” Ashara hugged her back, then she let Tirah go and inched farther away from Cass with a look of unease in her eyes.
“It’s all right. No one here will hurt you,” Tirah said, shooting Cass a return glare.
“That’s right,” Zales said, warning Cass as well. Lips pursed, Cass didn’t say a word.
Tirah looked at her mother. “I … I love him,” she said, suddenly feeling helpless. Then the tears started to fall when her mother wrapped her arms around her again.
A moment later, Tirah pulled away, wiped her face, and nodded at Zales. “I’ll do it, I’ll bond with him.”
“Tirah,” her mother and Mihel said at the same time. There was a warning in her mother’s eyes, whereas Mihel just looked worried. “Bonding is dangerous.”
“I can’t lose him.” She moved back to the bed and took Saber’s hand in hers.
“You’re absolutely sure? There’s no going back if I do this,” Zales said solemnly while Cass let out a low growl.
“Yes. I just hope he still wants me,” Tirah replied and Ashara’s reassuring smile gave her courage.
Zales ignored Cass and leaned over Saber. “I’m sure he will,” he said, then drew on his power.
Tirah held her breath. This had better work. She could feel how little time they had left. Then a power similar to what she’d felt when Zales shifted from dragon and back pervaded the room. Only this was different—stronger and much more intense.
Saberthorn (A Paranormal/Fantasy Dragonshifter Romance): Dragonkind ~ 52 Realms Page 17
