by Amber Kallyn
Without thought, she raced toward her companion. She didn’t consciously choose to shift. Her dragon took over. One minute, she was running on two frail human legs, the next, her body expanded, flowing out into impressive size. Her bulk shook the ground, claws digging deep into the frozen snow, propelling her forward.
She reached Wolf, still surrounded by dark smoke, his whimpers reaching her keen ears. She leapt over him, flapping her emerald wings and twisting in the air.
Her tail slammed into the first line of overgrown dryads, the long spikes easily ripping them apart. Wooden bodies splintered and cracked. The air filled with shrieks.
Garreth came up beside her. His blue scales shimmered in the light. Slightly bigger than herself, he clawed and bit at the dryads to her right.
She turned, taking on those to her left.
Without warning a stream of fire scorched her left flank. Though she was afraid to use the magic her father had given her, it took control. Just as the fire began to burn with uncontrollable agony, power spread through her. The flames doused and a thin, shimmering shield appeared around her.
Turning her snout to the sky, she spotted the culprit. A dark gray dragon hovered above her.
Flapping her wings, she pushed into the air, chasing after the dragon, wondering where it had come from. Drawing closer, Anna faltered. It was a woman.
And the shape, the eyes, the remnant of pine green still visible beneath the grayish black, all reminded Anna of her beloved mama.
But it wasn’t possible.
The master had shown her and her papa the small glass orb containing the soul he’d stolen before killing her madre. Papa hadn’t believed it could be her soul, until the master touched the orb to his hand. Her papa’s response still lingered vividly in her heart. His anguished screams lasted until he became hoarse, then could make sound no more.
But this dragon? How? It was corrupt, Other. But it could not be her madre.
The Other flashed through the air, claws striking the side of Anna’s neck. Scales ripped and blood began to flow. Anna dodged, ducking a blow from its tail and flew forward in a burst of speed. But a second before her teeth bit into a wing, she turned and spun higher.
It could not be her mama, yet, she wasn’t sure. And if it was, she could not fight.
A bellow trumpeted up at her. Garreth. The huge blue dragon hurtled through the air, flying higher, swooping between her and the other female dragon. He blew fire at the smaller dark dragon.
It screamed shrilly, falling from the sky to land in a lump on rapidly melting snow. The water put out the fire, yet the dragon didn’t stir.
Anna stayed aloft, barely able to keep her wings moving, as she stared at the gray receding slightly from the dragon. Dark green showed brighter. The same shade as her mama.
Then Garreth was in front of her, blocking her view and snapping her from the trance. He bellowed another trumpet call, pushing his head against her side to get her moving.
She headed toward the ground, ready to face the dryads once more, hoping to catch another glimpse of the dragon.
They were near the treetops when the air stirred. Snow swirled, blowing against her, getting into her eyes, nose and mouth. The billowing wind pummeled her. Something dark hurtled at her through the blinding whiteness. It pierced her wing. Pain spread rapidly as if she were on fire, her scales burning. Uncontrollably, she spiraled toward the ground in free fall. Claws grappled at her back. Garreth, trying to slow her perilous descent.
Everything stopped. Magic held her suspended in the air, Garreth still clutching at her. Movement became impossible, for them both judging by the rumbling growls coming from above.
Powerful magic encased her, pushing against every inch of her scales as if she were a bug someone wanted to squish. Agony rippled over her scales. Loosened, they began to fall to the ground below. Soon, the snow was covered in purple and blue scales.
The pressure around her increased, the pain becoming unbearable. She screamed, the sound forced from her chest with every last bit of breath she held.
Her father’s magic, still buried deep within, began to push back. The internal fight wracked her body, driving spikes of torturous agony across her naked skin, through her bones. Even into her fangs and horns.
Garreth fell past her, human rather than dragon.
And she knew exactly what the magic was trying to do. She struggled harder through the mind-hazing hurt. But it overcame everything she had. Shifting was a part of life, a part of herself. Usually seamless, she could flow from one form to the other.
But this time, the force ripped her dragon form away, leaving her a weak, cold human.
She fell, landing with a bone-jarring thump in a snowdrift. For the longest time, she did nothing but breathe deeply of the chilly air, waiting for the pain to lessen.
Garreth called her name, but answering was beyond her capabilities no matter how hard she tried. She wanted him near, needed to feel his touch, to let her know they were both alive. Then, as if in a dream, her warrior was there in real life, plucking her from the snow and cradling her in his arms.
Garreth held her upright and together they limped to what was left of the cabin porch. Wolf lay on the wooden planks. She gripped Garreth tighter, knowing he must’ve helped her wolf while she’d been distracted by the female dragon. Remembering, Anna glanced around, but there was no sign of the Other.
Waves of power came from the dryads as the remaining wooden creatures once more created a semi-circle around the front of the house.
But this time, a tall, black-cloaked figure stood in front of them.
Anna knew him well.
The master had arrived.
Her mouth went dry. Her hands shook with the last remnants of her energy. They were doomed. She couldn’t face a fly in the shape she was in, much less this powerful mage.
Wolf howled, scrabbling to his feet as he pushed in front of her. Garreth’s arms tightened as he turned to face the master.
“It is time, my dear girl,” the mage said, his slimy voice sending chills skittering down her spine.
Before she could stop him, Wolf darted down the steps. He hit the ground running and leapt straight at the master. He stopped mid-flight, frozen as if caught in a still photograph.
Her wolf hovered in the air, motionless for a few seconds, before being thrown back and crashing into a tree.
She started forward, but Garreth held her back. She cried out against his hold as her wolf lay unmoving. She couldn’t tell if he was even breathing.
Before she could demand release, the air around them stirred. Power slammed into her, sending her flying one way, while Garreth was hurled the opposite direction. She slammed into one of the remaining walls of the cabin.
Dazed, feeling pain in her ribs and hip, she stumbled to her feet and looked for Garreth. He lay far, too far, away, but at least he was moving.
Facing the master, Anna didn’t know what to do. It was frightening to think of using her magic, even with Garreth’s words floating in her head. He’d said the magic was not corrupt if it had been given willingly, but still…
Yet, the master would destroy Wolf and Garreth if she didn’t do something.
Anna limped to the porch.
Her thoughts whirled as she tried to come up with something to do. She felt helpless as a babe, unsure and unconfident. This mage’s powers far exceeded hers. How was she to even stand a chance?
A groan came from Garreth, and a weak whimper from Wolf on her other side. Her thoughts shut down as her dragon rose to the surface. Only the need to protect and defend remained.
Raising her hands, she faced the master and pushed her hate and anger at the man with a blast of magic. Sparks lit up the air, but they stopped a good foot from the mage. His body shook, then his laughter filled the air.
She wanted to shift, but she knew better. Unfortunately, from the right came a rustling as Garreth shifted into his dragon form. With a bellow and a blast of fire, the dragon charged
at the master. A boom filled the air. Garreth stopped, he too frozen in time as if caught in a snapshot. He bellowed loudly, but could not advance.
Shudders wracked her at the thought of what she needed to do. A whisper of her father’s voice surrounded her, saying he loved her. It was joined by Garreth assuring her the magic was not corrupt, but a gift.
Now was the time. Now, while the master was distracted.
She threw her magic once more. This time, the master stumbled back a step. Courage growing, she took a step forward, ready to try again.
Slowly, his arm rose. A thin white hand slipped from the robe sleeve. Hovering above his palm were two small glass balls, ghostly white and green mist swirling inside each one.
His voice, high-pitched and scratchy, vibrated painfully against her ears. “Are you certain you wish to continue this fight, my dear? I can always crush your parents’ souls.”
Chapter Eleven
Anna’s heart stopped beating for a long second. Hands shaking, she took a wobbly step back. When her heart resumed, it pounded against her ribs at a gallop.
“Come now, dearest. Don’t worry, I won’t kill you. Besides, I must have a dragon not already corrupted by black magic. The one you fought is practically useless to my needs. And with the powers you inherited from both your parents, combined with the magic you took from your father, you’re too sweet of a commodity to waste.” He snorted. “It is annoying that your dear papa’s soul is useless without his magic.”
A hysterical laugh bubbled up in her pained chest. The evil man couldn’t use her father’s soul, yet he kept it still. She would avenge such a thing. Going against him meant sure death, but she’d rather be dead than chained once more in his creepy castle, used as a magical base, drained whenever he needed to replenish his powers.
Not again.
Never again.
Rage. Pain. Terror.
They swamped her, turning the world into nothing but this tiny slice of place and time. A reddish haze tinted her vision.
There was only her wolf, her lover, herself and this evil being wanting to destroy them all. As adrenaline rushed through her body, power surged with it.
It was her power, yes, inherited from her mama. But along with it came the familiar, comforting scent of her dear papa. His magic mingled, joining with her own, becoming one. This time, it was seamless. Painless.
She took a strong, confident step toward the mage holding her parents’ souls. He would not take hers, or Garreth’s. But neither would he keep his evil hold on her mama and papa.
Another step. Small and faltering, but still a step.
“Give yourself up to me, and I will spare the two behind you,” the mage sneered. “Otherwise, I will kill them both and add their souls to my collection.” But his arm, holding the spheres, twitched.
She took another step as power consumed her. It filled her with energy, forcing the pain away. Far, far away.
* * *
Garreth watched Anna advance. Her face was expressionless, her eyes unfocused as if in a trance. Her limp arms brushed against her sides.
She drew closer to the hooded figure, one small step at a time.
He wanted to scream at her to run. He tried to twist and writhe against the invisible hold on his body, but nothing worked.
His dragon, furious, urged him on, their power strong, but not frackin strong enough. Yet their mate was about to give herself over to this evil being. To save him, and her wolf and parents.
Garreth refused to allow such a thing.
Yet there was nothing he could do to prevent it.
Something tingled in his chest, a warmth spreading from his heart. Smells cut through the bland chilly air around him. His little sister, Calla. His brother, Tyler, and their youngest brother, Peter. Then the rest of their siblings. Their scents wrapped around him, pushing warmth into his chest, expanding it through his body.
Slowly, Anna drew closer to the master.
Slowly, the power inside him increased, coming through the linked bond he shared with his brothers and sisters. It shattered open and their power flooded into his body.
Garreth had never known he could call on their magic, use it for himself. Yet he wasn’t about to question it now. He used it like he would his own, forcing the invisible barrier holding him tight to retreat.
Anna took another tiny step forward.
He moved his wings an inch. Then another. He bellowed, calling for her to run.
She didn’t twitch, but took another small step closer to the mage. In seconds, she would be within evil’s reach.
Garreth pushed harder, fighting for his release. It shattered and he was free.
He bounded forward, swearing to reach the cloaked figure before it could take Anna. As he reached out a paw to swipe at the mage, the world exploded into a white light that blinded him.
Anna screamed.
As a blaring crash joined the blinding light, Garreth lost track of everything.
* * *
Anna felt the power coming from behind her, and it didn’t surprise her when Garreth broke free of the master’s hold. He trumpeted for her to flee, but she would not do such a thing.
Instead, she concentrated on reaching the mage. When she was only a few feet away, her swirling rage-filled thoughts cleared. She knew exactly what she needed to do.
In a second she raised her hands. Then, she threw her power, filled with magic inherited from her mother and given by her father, at the mage.
A blinding light filled the area. Only she and the master remained. His darkness came clear through the brightness as he stumbled back.
Her gaze locked onto the two spheres hovering above his hand, as they tilted and began to wobble.
She pushed the energy inside her, flinging every last bit at the evil man. As she did, Anna rushed forward, her hands tightening on the spheres and clutching them to her chest.
Another boom shook the air, driving into her like spikes, knives of silvery blades slicing along her skin, shredding her inside.
Then she was falling.
She held the orbs tight against her, protecting them with her arms, unmindful as she hit the ground. Something hard hidden beneath the snow slammed into her head. Her last thought was to protect the souls cradled in her arms.
* * *
Garreth roared, pushing through the nothingness surrounding him. As suddenly as it had appeared, it was gone. Anna lay on the ground, eyes closed, unmoving, a bloody gash on her temple. The hooded figure stood above her. His arms rose, white, skeletal hands uncovered as the robe slid back. He pointed at Anna.
Garreth flapped his wings as he charged at the master. He barreled into the figure, knocking him back. The mage screamed, pain and anger filling the sound. He hurtled through the air, slamming into a tree.
Yet, the tree, as if under his command, opened up. A seething darkness seemed to suck the mage in. Then he was gone, only crazed laughter remaining.
Garreth knew he’d be back.
Hurriedly, he shifted and looked Anna over. Her arms were crossed, and no matter how he tried, he couldn’t move them.
She seemed to be all right, only sleeping, maybe unconscious from the gash on the head. As Garreth moved to pick her up, he spied the rock.
Relief flooded through him. This wasn’t a magical sleep, just a bump on the head. He carried her into the freezing cabin, knowing it was unsafe, but it was the only shelter they had. He laid her on the couch, then scrambled for all the dry blankets he could find.
Then he went back outside for her wolf.
Once both were safe and secure, he hunkered down. They needed warmth, and they needed safety. This cabin no longer provided either. Hopefully their ride would arrive before the mage came back.
* * *
Two hours later, the storm began to ease. Small rays of sunshine even leaked through a time or two. Garreth paced, the lupine keeping up with his stiff movements. He glanced at Anna’s listless form every minute, hoping for some change.
The woman still hadn’t woken. His concern grew by leaps and bounds.
Just when he was afraid he might lose it, the sound of a vehicle reached him. He strode to the remains of the porch, staring out at the whiteness. Eons later, a dark shadow drew closer, resolving into an oversized snow crawler.
It stopped near the destroyed house and a bundled figure jumped out from the cab. Bulky from the many layers of clothes, the figure reached up and tugged off a bright orange cap.
“Fred?” Garreth asked in surprise.
“Ayup,” the old man—Scott O’Neil’s family friend—replied with a creaky, lined grin. “Your little Calla sent me to get you. She’s headed to Edmonton. I’ll be takin’ you there.”
Garreth took a step back, crossed his arms over his chest and barked out a cough of laughter. “I don’t suppose you know anything about healing, old man?”
Fred’s eyes, a dank faded gray, shifted, the iris bleeding into a bright orange. He surveyed the scene, his gaze landing on the wolf lying next to Anna. The man drew his shoulders tight, stepping back. A flash of something, almost fear, shone from his eyes. “Who’s the pup?”
“A pet.”
“You wanna put him in the back section of the snow truck? Dogs don’t much like ol’ Fred.”
He looked from the wolf, back to Fred, before shrugging and turning to go inside. He crouched near the lupine, who was doing a good statue impression, his ears perked, hackles raised, teeth bared. Low, almost silent growls rumbled from his chest as he stared at Fred.
The old man wasn’t kidding. The wolf was shaking.
Garreth surreptitiously glanced at the man casually lounging against the front of the truck. He hadn’t been around Fred all that much, though his little sister had. She’d only ever had good things to say about him, even if her curiosity burned deep. After a couple months, she still didn’t know what kind of magical beast the old man was.
He didn’t know of any creature who caused such a reaction in any type of dog—not the way the wolf was right now. Terrified.
“Come on. Let’s get you packed in, then we’ll get our lady taken care of,” he whispered.
