While his mind shouted, "Hell, no," he climbed aboard. "Let the war games begin," he muttered.
WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER anchored firmly on his back and a black hose in his hands, Gray prowled through the forest trees. Morning had yet to dawn, so he was immensely grateful for his superior night vision.
Brand had dropped him off about a half mile back before leaping back into the air. The dragons carrying the fire extinguishers silently descended to his side. Up ahead, he could hear the pounding footsteps of the demon and vampire armies as they drew closer.
The murmur of voices soon drifted to his ears. He heard the clang of metal and the whoosh of footsteps. Gray stopped behind a thick tree trunk and crouched low, preparing to strike. He waited...waited...waited...
Above him, Darius emitted a war cry.
Hose raised, adrenaline high, Gray burst into the enemy lines. He sprinted straight to the demons, spraying white foam. Fire spewed from the dragons, white-hot beams of flashing light and scorching rays, a Fourth of July barbecue gone awry. The heat of it instantly wafted to him, and he did his best to remain out of its path.
Torturous screams echoed through the coming dawn. Amid the cries of pain rose the scents of dying flesh and sulfur. Gray continued to spray, avoiding vampires, keeping the liquid ice trained on the demons.
When a demon flew at him, he tried to spray it but his tube sputtered. Empty. Shit. He whipped out his knife, and the bastard jumped on him. Before he could make his first slash, it was jerked off of him and tossed onto the ground. A dragon, Renard, cut its throat with his claws.
"Work on those reflexes," he told the dragon. "Any slower and I would have been a goner."
His only reply was a grunt before Renard flew back into the fray.
At Gray's left, a vampire spied him and attacked. They clashed and tumbled to the ground. The vampire was about to bite him, about to sink his teeth into Gray's neck, when he paused.
"Dunamis?" the bloodsucker said, shocked and reverent. He released Gray as if he were poison and backed away, disappearing from view.
They smelled Jewel on him, he realized.
Someone handed him another extinguisher, and Gray popped to his feet. The rest of the dragons descended from the sky and attacked the remaining army on foot. Their steady steam of fire never slowed. Staying low, Gray crept through the rest of the camp, searching through the shadows. Over and over, he repeated the same action: spray the extinguisher, slit a demon's throat. Sweat dripped from him and soaked his clothing.
He could scent the blood around him, and it made his mouth water. However, he kept a tight rein on his impulse to drink, concentrating instead on the task he'd been given. Eleven times he was forced to exchange one extinguisher for another.
"Damn you, Darius," he heard a male voice lash out.
Gray spotted the speaker immediately. Layel. The vampire king who had saved Jewel's life, as well as his own. Darius suddenly materialized and swooped in. The two men grappled. Gray hated to admit it, but he was torn. He was here to help the dragons, was indebted to Darius, but was also indebted to this particular vampire.
He heard a growl behind him and spun around, spraying foam. The demon hissed and tore at his skin. Wincing, he shouted, "Darius, let him go," then quickly dispatched his attacker.
Darius shot another round of fire, but the vampire king quickly dodged it.
"Do your job, human," Darius gritted as Layel snarled, "I need no help from you, human."
"This is an old war," someone said beside him. Brand, he realized. "Do not get in the middle."
The two men continued to fight, and Gray watched helplessly, killing any creatures who came along to interfere. Neither man was winning, for they were equally matched.
"You!" a female screeched.
Gray pivoted, his eyes narrowing. Marina, Demon Queen, hovered in front of him, her red gaze slitted and glowing. She bared her teeth at him.
"You stole Dunamis from me. You are the cause of this hell." She launched herself at him.
His fingers squeezed the hose trigger, but no foam emerged. Empty yet again. Great.
She slammed into him, tossing him like a doll. In the next instant, she was on top of him, pounding a fist into his nose. He heard the cartilage snap, felt the sharp sting and the warm trickle of blood onto his lip. Her claws ripped into his shoulder.
Unfucking believable. His ass was being kicked by a girl. Still, he felt the cartilage in his nose move back into place, felt the claw marks closing. One of the perks of belonging to the dark side, he supposed.
He shoved her off him, but she flew at him again. He'd never hit a woman in his life but he was drawing back his fist to do just that when she was dragged off him. Layel sank his teeth into her neck, the action fierce, lethal, and as wild as any animal.
Marina's body jerked and spasmed once, twice, then stilled completely. Her head fell lifelessly to the side. When Layel finished feeding, he rose and faced Darius with quiet fury. Blood trickled from his mouth. He looked around, seeing the many men he'd lost, seeing the dragon army now surrounding him.
"I concede this victory to you, but things are not finished between us."
"They never are," Darius said. "Take the rest of your men and go. And know that I allowed you to leave only because you saved the human."
Layel grinned, the action devoid of humor. "We've done this before. I save one of your humans, and you send me on my way. That will not always be the case. One day, I will feast on your blood. Since you are being so generous, however, I will do you a favor and tell you the nymphs have overtaken Javar's palace."
"You lie. My men guard it well."
"Go and see for yourself. We meant to take it, too, Marina and I, but they beat us there. Our battle was with you, so we left them to it."
A low growl emerged from Darius's throat, and he took a menacing step forward.
"Tell your woman I said hello. I still remember the taste of her," Layel said, his humorless grin growing wider. "Until next time."
The vampire king vanished.
All around him lay demon, dragon, and vampire bodies. The living dragons gathered around Darius. "You," Darius said, pointing to a group of them. Fury darkened his features. "Go to Javar's palace and find Kendrick. Do not let yourselves be seen. I want to know if the nymphs are truly there."
Gray's shoulders slumped wearily, and he blocked out the rest of Darius's instructions. With this battle finished, his time with Jewel ended.
He wasn't even close to being ready to let her go.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
AS ALWAYS, Jewel's visions never told of her own danger.
Jewel and Grace had sneaked atop the palace parapet, hoping to catch a glimpse of the battle. Jewel paced. Her nerves refused to settle, and she couldn't rid herself of a sense of apprehension. Was Gray all right? Had he been hurt?
She couldn't see the battle in her mind. What good were her gifts if she could not help the man she loved? Constantly her fingers rubbed the armband Gray had given her, trying to take strength from it.
"Tell me again that they will return to us unharmed," Grace said, her nervousness as great as Jewel's. "This is what I hate most about being a warrior's wife. I love Darius with my whole heart. He's a part of me, but he fights these wars and I almost die of worry every time."
Jewel paused and gave her a half smile. "Your husband will live a long and healthy life. As will you and your children."
Grace studied her for several minutes, then breathed a sigh of relief. "I'd rather die myself than have anything happen to him."
"I understand. I love Gray with all my heart." She sighed. A gentle night breeze danced around her, tangling her robe and hair. "But I am destined to lose him, it seems."
"Why? There's no reason for two people in love not to stay together."
"I would die on the surface, and if he stays here, humans will continually come through the portals, plaguing our land in an attempt to steal or destroy me."
"
Okay, that's a reason. I'm so sorry." Grace gave her a quick hug before Jewel continued her pacing.
"Distract me. Tell me of you and Darius."
"My favorite subject," she said with a grin. "I remember when he and I were first dating." She laughed. "I call it dating, he calls it duty."
Somehow, Jewel couldn't picture the fierce dragon courting anyone. Demand she wed him, yes. Bring her flowers and ask her on dates, no.
"He was determined to kill me, you see."
"What!" Jewel stopped midstep and faced the delicate-looking woman. "He wanted to kill you?" She paused. "I don't know why I'm surprised. That is Darius for you, a man who does his duty no matter the circumstances."
"Darius even had his sword raised, ready to strike. I had just passed through the portal, and it was his sworn duty to silence me permanently. But he didn't. He couldn't. He helped me find my brother instead, and in return, I like to think I've filled his life with the emotions he had always denied himself and love." Her head canted to the side thoughtfully. "Gray needs that, too, I think. He's got that same hard look Darius sometimes wears."
"What am I going to do?" Jewel asked dejectedly.
Neither of them had an answer.
"Do you think the battle is over yet?" Grace asked, her hands wringing together. "I won't be able to rest until Darius is in my arms again."
Jewel closed her eyes and once more tried to send her consciousness outside of the palace and through the forest. Just as the scene was at last forming in her mind, a sense of being watched flittered over her. A menacing shadow covered her mind, and a sense of danger rocked her.
"Grace," she said, looking to her new friend. "We're in trouble."
Grace paled, making her freckles all the more obvious. "What do you mean?"
"There are demons on their way to the palace. They stole a dragon medallion and plan to use it to get inside the palace." Jewel glanced around for a weapon, intent on using anything, just as Gray had showed her. She found a long stick and several fat rocks. She handed the rocks to Grace, her hands shaky. "They cannot die without their throats cut, but we can try to hold them off until help arrives. Come on, let's go down and warn--"
It was too late.
Six demons swooped onto the parapet, their wings flapping furiously. Their claws were elongated and their teeth glistening with saliva. Without their queen around, they would not be concerned with keeping Jewel safe and unharmed.
Death gleamed in their eyes.
Grace raced beside her, determination hardening her expression and washing away her fear. "You take the three on the right, and I'll take the other three."
"Deal."
All at once, Jewel heard their thoughts. I've wanted a taste of Dunamis for a long time. The human smells sweet, and so does the babe in her belly.
"You're pregnant," Jewel told her, fearing for them. "Just stay behind me."
Grace gasped and her hand went to her belly. She hadn't known she was pregnant, Jewel realized, not wanting the woman to fight now. "Stay behind me," she repeated.
Grace hesitated only a moment before shaking her head. "No. We do this together."
Jewel leapt into action. Grace didn't heed her words, but was right beside her. The demons realized what was happening and their eyes widened. Jewel swung her stick, aiming for its nose. She heard it snap and watched the creature's head whip to the side. Blood poured down his face. Grace threw one of her rocks and it slammed into one of the demon's temples. He hissed in pain and shock.
Grace threw another rock and it slammed into his same temple. This time he flew backward and into the wall. Two others tried to fly at her, but Jewel jumped in front of her and swung her stick.
She aimed for their groins. Demons might not look like humans, but they procreated the same way. Contact. The bastard howled. She continually swung the stick, keeping the creatures at bay.
In English, so the demons couldn't understand, she told Grace, "Back up. If we can reach the door, we can run to a room and hide."
"Step with me."
"Okay." Together, they backed up. The demons followed, lashing out with their claws and legs, but Jewel managed to fend them off, never letting her swing grow lax.
"We're at the door," Grace whispered. "I'm wearing my medallion so it opened on its own." The dragon medallions acted as sensors, opening and closing all the doorways.
"When we cross the threshold, cover your medallion so the doors will close quickly. They'll have to wait for them to open again. On my count. One, two. Three!"
Jewel spun around and stepped past the door, right beside Grace. The doors slammed closed behind them. She heard the demons grunt as they knocked into the thick stone, the medallion they'd stolen probably--thankfully--hidden underneath a shirt, unused to the sensor-abilities as they were. "Run! Faster," she shouted.
But all too soon they figured out the problem and opened the door. They raced inside, hot on her heels. Anything in her path, she threw behind her, happy when she heard it thump against their pursuers.
One of them reached her and grabbed her by the shoulders, jerking her backward. As she fell, she lifted her stick and stabbed upward. Her momentum gave her added strength, and her impromptu weapon imbedded in the demon's throat. He hissed and jerked, then collapsed.
Grace was nowhere to be seen; she'd disappeared beyond the staircase. The remaining demons hovered around her, growling low in their throats.
"You will pay for that," one of them said.
In a flurry of movement, Grace suddenly appeared at the bottom of the stairs. "Use this," she shouted, tossing a dagger.
Jewel caught it just as a demon spun and launched himself at Grace. The other flew at her. She kicked out and nailed him in the stomach, and while he gasped for breath she finished him off. He fell at her feet and she searched the bottom of the stairs for Grace. The petite woman was holding off the remaining demon with a long sword.
Jewel leapt on top of him, wrapping her hands around his throat. Her blade sliced. He was dead within seconds.
And then it was over.
She stayed where she was, panting, while the dragons who had remained behind to guard them pounded down the stairs. "What happened?" one of them shouted. "Why didn't you call for help?"
"I thought my scream of terror was enough," Grace snapped. She doubled over, gasping for breath.
Jewel gazed at the blood on her hands. She'd done it. She'd proven she could protect herself, no matter her enemy. That knowledge should have made her happy, but it didn't. Gray would leave her now.
A few seconds later, Gray, Darius and the dragon army strode inside. They wore expressions of smug victory...until they took in the scene of blood and death. Darius rushed to Grace and Gray rushed to Jewel, and both men jerked them into their arms, holding tight.
"What happened?" the two men demanded at once.
"You're safe," Jewel said, tears filling her eyes. Her knees weakened with relief. "You're safe. Thank the gods."
His hands trailed over her, searching for injuries. "Are you hurt? Tell me you're not hurt."
"This isn't my blood." She locked her arms around his neck.
Beside them, Darius was running his hands over Grace, kissing her and scolding her and shouting orders to his men to clean up the mess and kill the demons all over again.
A sense of urgency rose inside Jewel. Her time with Gray was at an end; she felt it all the way to her bones. She should inquire about the battle, she should allow him time to rest. But she did neither of those things. "Take me to our room, Gray. Right now. Please."
He didn't hesitate; he felt the urgency, too. He swooped her up and into his arms. "Don't come looking for us," he said over his shoulder.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
"I DON'T UNDERSTAND what this means," Jewel said.
It had been two days since the battle and Gray hadn't found the strength to leave her. So here he was, ensconced in the dragon palace, sitting atop the bed with Jewel while she studied broken, faded ta
blets the dragons had found at the ruined Temple of Cronus.
She'd spent all of last night fitting the small pieces together like a puzzle, working painstakingly through the long hours.
"Do you see these words?" She pointed to a line of jagged symbols.
She looked so lovely. Her hair tumbled down her back. Color bloomed bright in her cheeks, and her lips were lush and swollen from their recent loving. "I see them," he said.
"They say I am dragon."
He wasn't surprised. "You do have Darius's eyes."
"But here it says I'm vampire."
Brow furrowing, Gray sat up.
"And here it says I am Centaur. Here, a minotaur. Here, a mer. Here, a nymph. Here--"
"I get the picture. Shit, baby, you're everything." How many times had he looked at her and thought she possessed certain qualities of the different races?
"I don't understand," she repeated.
"You're made up of every creature."
"That's...that's impossible."
"Ha! I've learned that nothing is impossible. What else does it say?"
"That I am the daughter of Cronus. Gray," she said, turning wide, shocked eyes to him. "He is king of the gods. Or he was until his son, Zeus, killed him and used his blood to make us." The last was said on a sad, broken gasp. "He's dead. My father is dead. But...how did I see him that day? He hugged me. He held me in his arms."
"Perhaps it wasn't your father who held you."
"Zeus," she said. "It was Zeus. My...brother. He told me he was sorry and I assumed he meant for ignoring me. But Zeus apologized for killing our father. How could I not have realized? It's so clear now." She rested her head on his shoulder, and he felt the warm liquid of her tears slide down his arm. "This is so hard. I expected so many things, but not that. Never that."
He hugged her to him for more than an hour, simply holding her and letting her cry. He whispered things into her ear, sweet things, loving things, all the things he wanted her to know but would never have another chance to tell her.
When her tears died, he squeezed his eyes tightly shut. I have to leave. His chest constricted. Now everything was complete. She knew about her past, her greatest enemies were defeated, and she was safe. It was time to tell her goodbye. How he would have loved to spend his life beside her, making her forget her sadness about her father. Comforting her. Simply loving her.
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