by G. K. DeRosa
“So are you going to ride the dragon beast or what?” Flix asked, waggling his brows.
I’d already filled him in on my dragon mating dilemma. I had made up my mind I wanted to be with Talon, but alcohol had loosened my lips and it didn’t hurt to get a second opinion, right?
“Oh, I would.” Valeria clapped her hands, and her wings flapped behind her. “Being tied to that dragon sounds like an absolutely delicious way to spend eternity.”
A ridiculous smile spread across my face as I imagined a very naked Talon and a horde of naughty thoughts. When was he coming back? It had been more than twenty-four hours, and I missed him like crazy. He still hadn’t even answered my mental messages. Talon? Hello, Talon? Nothing.
I exhaled and released a dramatic groan. Where are you, Talon?
“Are you avoiding my question?” Flix raised a curious brow.
“No. I love Talon, and I want to be with him. So yeah, duh, I’m totally jumping him when he gets back.” I clapped my hand over my mouth the moment the words were out. Damn my loose tongue!
Valeria and Flix broke into a fit of laughter, and heat blossomed along my cheeks.
“Damn girl. I didn’t realize it was so serious.” Flix pulled me into a hug. “I thought you guys were just fooling around. But wow, the L word and a mating bond. Congrats.”
“Thanks,” I mumbled, staring at the floor. My pixie friend had no idea of everything we’d been through. I hoped one day I could tell him the truth.
A faint rustle at the window caught my attention. I turned toward the dusty glass and squinted to see through the darkness. “Did you hear that?”
Flix shook his head as he took another sip of wine.
“Nope,” said Valeria.
A faint whirring sound seeped through the glass. I stood and crept toward the barred window, my head spinning and my knees wobbly. Damn it. I should’ve stopped at the third round.
A sharp crack broke the silence, and shards of glass sprayed into the small room. I covered my eyes and ducked as the jagged projectiles nicked my skin, and a burst of frigid air whipped over me. What the hell?
The stone around the window rumbled, fragments crumbling to the floor as something rammed against the obsidian. Again. And again. The floor shook beneath my feet, and I crouched lower to the ground to keep steady.
Flix’s scream pierced the air, and I spun toward my friend, my heart lodging in my throat. A bloody shard of glass jutted out from his abdomen. Oh, gods no. I scrambled across the floor to reach him as the blistering wind sent a chill down my spine.
Cradling his head in my lap, I shrieked, “Hayden! Dallas!” Crap, the silencing spell. I muttered the words of the reversing incantation and tried again. Nothing.
A deep growl echoed through the small space, and I froze. Flix stared wide-eyed over my shoulder, his porcelain skin two shades lighter than normal. “Watch out!” he cried, clutching at his belly.
The walls around the window crumbled, the stone and dust momentarily blocking my vision. From the cloud of ash, another earthshaking growl pierced the chaos. A pair of ice blue eyes luminesced through the haze, and my heart jackhammered against my ribs. The powerful flap of wings registered in my mind a second before the beast rammed his head through the opening.
Rows of sharp teeth glistened beneath the neon lights as the beast opened its maw and let out another roar. At least a dozen horns protruded from its massive leathery head. He twisted from side to side, knocking the wall down stone by stone.
“What the hell is that thing?” I shouted.
Flix stared up at me wide-eyed but didn’t answer.
Let’s eat him. I ignored my demon’s ravenous stirrings, shaking my head out. Now was not the time. I scanned the room for Valeria, but the pixie was nowhere to be found. Had she made it to the door?
The shrill blast of an alarm echoed across the room, adding to the mounting commotion. I clapped my hands over my ears as Flix trembled in my lap.
The creature at the window slammed into the wall again and the ground shook, dislodging a tower of boxes. I slung my arm across Flix’s body and dragged him back just before the massive containers tumbled on top of us. “We have to get out of here!” I shouted over the madness.
Flix’s eyes rolled back, his lids fluttering. The deathly pallor of his skin tore the air from my lungs. I had to move now. I tried to lift him, but the moment I moved he let out a sharp cry. I pulled my hand out from under him, and it came back covered in blood. Hazarding a look beneath him, I cringed. The pool of dark blood was getting bigger by the second. “Flix! Stay with me. Come on, you can’t give up on me.”
Where the hell was everyone? “Hayden! Dallas!” I shouted again. We can handle this, Azara. Let me help you. My she-demon’s voice echoed in my mind. I shoved her back. I couldn’t let her loose now; I’d come so far keeping her reined in. I couldn’t risk losing control.
Another tremor vibrated the room, and my head spun to the window. Nearly half of the hell beast’s body had made it inside. A few more hits and the wall would completely crumble. Shit. Shit. Shit.
I dragged Flix toward the door, despite his groans of protest and propped him behind a tower of boxes. “I’m sorry, buddy. I’ll be right back.” I lunged at the doorknob and screeched as my fingers closed around the brass handle. Scorching heat singed my flesh, and I jerked my hand back. What in all the realms? We were trapped.
Slamming my palm against the door, I hit it over and over again. “Help! Help!” A deep purple glow flashed across the corner of my eye. My tattoo flared to life, magic dancing over my skin.
Azara, we can do this. My inner demon urged me on. A streak of fear raced across my insides as dark tendrils of magic crept through my veins. If I let my warlock loose, would I release her too? My eyes darted from Flix to the demonic monster nearly through the window. I had to try.
“Hang tight, Flix.” I marched toward the window, freezing air whipping hair across my face. The creature hissed, and a jet of black liquid shot from its forked tongue. I threw my hand up just in time and the nasty venom bounced off my glowing palm. Hmm, that’s new.
“Armorem!” I shouted, and a dagger appeared in each of my hands.
The flying demon flapped its massive wings and retreated a few feet through the window. I let one of the daggers fly and held my breath. The blade pierced its scaled chest and it let out a gut-wrenching shriek. Gotcha! My pulse quickening, I threw the second dagger, but the monster darted left and it went wide.
Bring him to me.
“No!” I shouted at the voices in my head. Now I was really going nuts. I summoned another dagger and another, shooting them rapid-fire at the hovering demon. It screeched and shrank back as a few blades hit their mark. But it wasn’t slowing down.
Sweat poured off my brow as I summoned more and more weapons. The blades kept the beast at bay, but he kept coming back for more. How was I supposed to kill this thing? It let out another roar and flew at full speed toward the crumbling window. I gaped at the opening, my heart ramming at my ribcage. The hole had grown large enough for the monster to fit through now.
My mind whirled back to the SIA trials all those months back. It seemed like a lifetime ago. Did I dare risk the same move? Clenching my jaw, I steeled my nerves and called on my she-demon. All right, let’s do this.
Demon energy uncoiled in my core, tangling with the dark coils of magic. They swirled together, unfurling a raging storm of power. Heat writhed through my veins and sizzling energy hummed over every inch of me.
Now, Azara. I focused my gaze on the icy blue eyes barreling toward me. With each massive wing flap, I crept closer to the window. I trapped the monster in my sights, and his eyes yielded to mine. Luring him closer with my dark glare, the flapping slowed and his brilliant irises dulled.
Just a little closer. The demon landed inside the room, its hairy claws grasping onto the edge of the crumbling stone floor. I took a step but stopped, scared the floor would give away beneath our weight. Hol
Hunger clawed at my throat as wisps of demonic energy flitted to the surface. My lips parted, and the looming beast inched toward me. Tendrils of darkness seeped from my mouth and drew the monster’s maw open. A crimson haze burst from between pointy fangs, and its intense power drifted toward me.
I sucked it in, the heady sensations making my head spin. It tasted of ash and sulfur and fathomless darkness. I gulped down a greedy mouthful, and the creature’s head lolled back, its wings drooping to the floor.
A thundering smack drifted across my eardrums, but I barely registered it over the intoxicating sensations. “Azara!” A voice. I knew that voice. Its deep timbre reduced my insides to a quivering mess.
My head pounded, matching the beat of fists on thick timber. I squeezed my eyes shut and willed my demon back. Talon. I focused on his name, on his piercing silver irises, on the dragon who wanted to claim me as his.
The door whipped open, crashing against the wall and I spun toward the male barreling toward me. “Azara? Are you okay?” Steel bands closed around me, and I sank into his firm chest.
“Talon…” I murmured. “Where were you? I called and called but you never came.”
“I’m so sorry, I’m so, so sorry.” His warm breath swirled through my hair as he kissed my forehead.
I wanted nothing more than to succumb to the exhaustion and darkness pulling me under, but a niggling thought kept me conscious. There was something important… I gasped as Flix’s pallid face raced across my vision. “Flix!” I cried and jumped out of Talon’s hold.
Pushing boxes out of the way, I darted through the maze of dusty containers. Propped against the wall where I’d left him, Flix’s lids fluttered as I slid down beside him. “Everything’s going to be okay now. I’ve got you.”
Talon crouched down beside me and lifted the pixie in his arms.
“Where’s Hayden?” I cried.
Talon’s teeth ground together. “Hurt,” he gritted out.
Panic shot through my insides, and I sucked in a ragged breath. “Is he going to be okay? What about Dallas?”
“I don’t know. They’re both with Fiona now.” The hard set of his jaw told me everything I needed to know. I wrapped my arms around my middle to keep myself together. Whatever kept the guys from getting to me had been bad.
We’d been set up. But by whom?
Chapter Thirteen
“It must have been Delacroix,” Talon snarled, pacing the length of the SIA mini command center. “He knows all the ins and outs of the prison, and he’s got a veritable army of followers on the inside.”
“But why? Why would he want me dead?” I asked for the tenth time.
“There’s been more fighting in the Underworld, and Delacroix’s claim still hasn’t been confirmed,” Logan interjected. He pushed off the wall and walked to the computer, folding into Dallas’s chair. Dallas, Hayden and Flix were still in the infirmary recovering from their wounds. The guys had been ambushed while Flix, Valeria and I were getting drunk on bootleg booze. The unbearable guilt was real. Why did I possibly think I could have a day off from all the crazy?
“What now?” I snapped.
“One of the warlords, the eldest, from the fifth realm was killed.”
My mind flashed back to the dark lord pow wow and the one high demon leader who’d stood up for Delacroix. “Briden?” I whispered.
“That’s the one.” Logan huffed out a breath. “The circumstances of his death are suspicious, and now all the demons are in a frenzy once again.”
“What if Drayax sent the demon assassin after me?” I did try to kill him, and he failed in his first attempt at getting revenge. “Maybe he wanted to finish what he started.”
Talon shook his head. “It was Delacroix. I know it.”
Neither Hayden nor Dallas had been able to identify their attackers. They had used magic which should have been impossible. And it was strong magic. It had been enough to block the guys from getting to me and preventing Talon from sensing I was in trouble. And somehow Delacroix had always found a way around the magical wards within the prison. As much as I hated to admit it, the dark lord-elect did seem like the most likely suspect.
Talon stomped around the small room like a caged tiger. “Azara isn’t safe here, Logan. We have to do something.”
“I know.” He let out a frustrated sigh. “Maxim is on my ass, Talon. I don’t know how much longer I can hold him off. The new team you met with is already searching the Underworld.” He paused and raked a hand through his silver locks. “They want to question some of the inmates next.”
My eyes almost popped out of my head. “Seriously?”
“She’s not safe anywhere,” Talon muttered.
I slapped my hands on my hips and squared off with the two towering men. “Hey guys, not sure if you noticed but I took care of that flying monster by myself yesterday. Without going all demon evil. I can handle more than you guys give me credit for.”
They both nodded, and Talon’s fierce expression softened. “I know that, Azara, and you’re right. You were incredible yesterday, and I’m sorry I didn’t tell you how proud I am or how far you’ve come. I know how strong you are, but there are some things even you can’t handle on your own.”
I huffed out a breath. “So what are we going to do?”
“Keep you in your cell with me at all times until we figure out what happened,” Talon growled. “No one but Logan and the guys are allowed in. That means no Flix or Valeria either.”
I bit back the slew of curses threatening to break free. I knew he was scared for me, but I couldn’t live in a cage forever. Once the anger dissipated, I focused on his words. Valeria. She’d disappeared yesterday right when the demon attacked. In all the commotion I’d completely forgotten about her. How’d she get out of the room when we were trapped?
I slapped my hand over my mouth as a pit of dread unraveled in my gut.
“What?” Talon asked.
“It was Valeria,” I muttered. “She’s the one who tipped off my attempted murderer that you were gone. She knew exactly where we were all going to be. She’s the rat.”
Silver flames sparked across Talon’s irises, nearly eclipsing his narrowed black pupils. Shimmering scales rippled over his forearms as he stomped toward the door. “I’ll kill her,” he hissed, the emerging dragon deepening his tone.
A twinge of guilt twisted my gut. “Talon, don’t.” My hand shot out and grabbed his bicep. “We don’t know why she did it. What if Delacroix threatened her?”
“It’s no excuse. I told Ella the same damn thing. She should’ve come to me!”
My head snapped back at the mention of my cousin. I hadn’t thought about her twice, but apparently her betrayal was still fresh on Talon’s mind.
“I’ll deal with Valeria,” said Logan, rising. “I’ll get to the bottom of whatever is going on.”
“Thank you.” My fingers tightened around Talon’s arm as the warden brushed past. I still didn’t trust my dragon boyfriend not to go ballistic on the pixie.
Logan turned back when he reached the door and swiveled his gaze between the two of us. “I’m sorry, Azara, but for now, I think Talon’s right. You need to lay low, avoid the other inmates. Getting through the wards, loosing that macarbet demon, avoiding the guards and the Triad required in depth knowledge of the prison, not to mention major firepower. I’m with T, my money’s on Delacroix.”
I grumbled as Talon perked up beside me. So much for my newfound freedom within these obsidian walls.
The moment the door slammed behind Logan, I slumped into the vacated chair. Just when I thought things were getting better, fate threw me another attempted murder. Talon marched over and knelt down in front of me. His hands cradled my face, and he brushed his lips over my forehead. “We’ll figure this out. I promise. I’ll never let anything happen to you, I swear. No one will ever take you away from me again.”
I nodded, emotion tightening my throat. Weaving my fingers behind his neck, I leaned forward. “Let’s just run away,” I whispered against his lips. Maybe if I disappeared, everyone would forget about me.
“Name the place.”
My eyes widened at his immediate response. “Really?”
His head dipped, his molten gaze searing into mine. “I’d go anywhere with you, anytime. You are it for me.”
Gods, I didn’t deserve Talon. But I wanted him regardless. I crushed my lips to his, erasing the minute space. His tongue entangled with mine, his hand cradling the back of my neck to deepen the kiss. I teetered on the edge of the seat as the strokes of his tongue became more demanding. He tugged me down on top of him, and we stretched out across the floor. The damp stone sent a chill up my spine, and goosebumps puckered my heated skin.
Talon’s hands skimmed down my back and stopped at my waist, his fingers digging into my hips. His heated touch seared through my jumpsuit, kindling a fire in my core. I sat up, rocking my hips against his. Blazing silver peeked up at me through hooded lids, and his breath hitched. His hands moved up from my thighs, over the smooth planes of my stomach and froze on the zipper of my jumpsuit.
I closed my hand over his and drew the zipper down. A sharp exhale escaped his clenched lips as his gaze settled on my bare skin. “Azara,” he murmured. His pupils narrowed to reptilian slits as they raked over me, leaving a scorching trail in their wake. I shivered from the intensity. Mate. Mate. Mate. His dragon’s deep timbre bounced across my skull.
Talon’s eyes widened, the lusty haze lifting. “We should probably stop,” he murmured.
I shook my head, peeling his jumpsuit over his broad shoulders. The dazzling dragon flared to life on his chest. My heart staggered on a beat, heat pooling in my core. I rocked harder against his arousal, and his fingers sank deeper into my hips.
“Azara,” he growled and sat up. The increased pressure on the apex of my thighs nearly sent me tumbling over the edge. I sucked in a breath and quickened the maddening tempo.
Mate. Mate. Mate. His dragon’s words thundered in time with my pounding heart.
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