by Julia Mills
I really am a mess…
Searching her mind, she didn’t feel his presence but did find a link that hadn’t been there before. Carefully following the bond, Holly found unconditional acceptance, a wealth of love, unbending loyalty, and a warmth that could only be described as home.
She’d never been very good at telepathy and really only used it when she was away from Heaven, so she was resistant to trust what she felt. Asher had repeatedly chastised her for not honing her skills and she now knew why. But looking into Tomas’ deep brown eyes, Holly knew there was nothing to fear.
No sooner had the thought crossed her mind than she felt Tomas’ mental touch. He filled her with reassurance and a confidence that no matter what, everything would be all right. “Is that how you really feel?” The words were out of her mouth before she’d even finished the thought.
“Absolutely. You’re inside me. You’re part of me. Not just my mind but my soul…part of my very DNA. Don’t you see, Holly? This is Fate. This is what’s meant to be. We were made for one another. Two halves of the same whole. You are my mate.”
“But…”
“But nothing. I can feel the battle within you. And I can also feel that you know the truth. I know better than most that it’s never easy when things don’t turn out how you plan, especially when those plans are hundreds of years old, but you can’t beat Fate. She will not be denied. We are meant to be.”
Tomas had been moving towards her the entire time he spoke, the strength of his conviction surrounding her, overtaking her, begging her to believe they had a chance.
“Oh, Tomas…”
Words failed her as his hand touched hers and the proof of their connection skittered up her arm. Her heart beat faster and her body warmed. Unable to stand on her own, needing to feel the security of his embrace, Holly closed the scant distance between them and laid her head on his chest, the beat of his heart steady and true just like the man. She didn’t even try to hold back the sigh of contentment as his arms came around her.
How does he do that? How does he just know?
“Because I am yours and you are mine. My own angel, to love forever more.”
“Hey. How did you do that?”
“It is called mindspeak among my kin. We can only do it with those whom with we share a bond of fealty and blood and our mates. It’s just one of the many ways confirming that we really are meant to be.”
“I…” Holly was just about to agree, at least conditionally, when the mysterious presence she’d encountered on the mountaintop earlier that day forced its way into her mind. A strange humming sound accompanied by the feeling of fear and dread drowned out all other sound. Whatever the entity was, it was scared and calling out to her for help.
“What the hell is that?” Tomas asked, pulling back just enough to look in her in the eye.
“I have no idea. Earlier today I was out on the mountain trying to communicate with home when I felt a strange presence. It didn’t feel threatening. As a matter of fact, it didn’t feel like anything…just neutral, not good and not bad. Ya know what I mean?”
“Yeah…” as his only answer, but his furrowed brow said he wasn’t sure.
“I know it has a soul, I touched it. But it’s just kind of there. Maybe waiting to choose a side? I don’t know.” She shook her head. “I thought it was blocking my transmissions home, but then I just dismissed it. Why would anyone want to keep me from talking to Heaven?”
“I don’t know. But it’s obvious whatever it is it needs help and thinks you’re the one to deliver it.”
Holly opened her mouth to speak at the same time a wave of utter terror slashed through her mind. Grabbing her head, the angel slumped against Tomas, pulling on his strength to keep her upright during the barrage of turbulent emotions. Just as quickly as it had started, it was gone. The silence so complete, she could feel echoes of the loss.
Tomas was rubbing her back and whispering words of comfort. He’d heard her mysterious ‘friend’ but thankfully hadn’t been affected by its call. Pulling back, Holly tried to turn away. She needed to go see if she could help the strange entity. It was her duty. She was an angel. It was what she’d been born to do.
“And I’m guessing you think you’re going out in the dead of night, in a blizzard, to help God knows who, with God knows what, and I’m just gonna sit here and wait for you to… what? Come back? Call when you can? Handle whatever’s waiting all on your own?” The look of disgust on his face and slight shake of his head, coupled with his words, made it perfectly clear that Tomas was by no means being left behind.
Holly’s first instinct was to ignore his protests and simply leave. She was a five hundred year old angel with powers of her own who could handle herself, but then she knew he’d just follow and be mad on top of everything else.
“Guess I was wrong, huh?”
“Guess you were.” The fire in his eyes spoke louder than his words.
“All right then. Grab your coat and let’s go. I can still feel its fear.”
Securing her belt around her waist and her cape around her shoulders, Holly was shocked when Tomas was ready and waiting at the door of their grotto, sword in hand.
“You move pretty quick there, dragon man.”
“You ain’t seen nothing yet, angel girl.”
Chapter Five
Tomas wasn’t sure if racing out into a blizzard to help an unknown entity that could very well be drawing them into danger was what he’d had in mind in all the years he’d dreamt of finding his mate. But he’d also never imagined the one made for him would be a Christmas Angel, so nothing seemed out of the realm of possibility. He’d felt how much Holly needed to help the mysterious voice in her head and decided if it meant that much to her, that it was important to him.
She’d been so cute trying to leave without him. He’d almost laughed out loud. But then knowing what he already knew about his amazing mate, Tomas wondered if she could’ve actually slipped by him. She was older and had an ancient strength rivaling his own. Life was going to be an adventure with his sweet Holly, one he looked forward to with complete abandon.
Racing up the mountain side by side was exhilarating. For the first time he felt a real partnership growing, as well as her belief in their relationship. They reached an outcropping several hundred feet under the top mountain mere seconds before the enigmatic creature they were rushing to aid again cried out. Tomas knew they were close by the sheer volume and presence of noise in his head. He was also immediately aware that his shields had been blown wide open.
“What the hell was that?” Jace, Royce, Liam and Lance, all members of his Force, demanded in unison.
“Wish I knew,” was the only answer Tomas could give his brethren.
“Feels off somehow,” Rayne joined the conversation.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought, too,” he answered, trying to keep the existence of his mate a secret, at least until Holly was more comfortable with their relationship.
“That’s what you thought? Or what ‘your angel’ thought?” Royce was quick to ask.
His brethren laughed while he attempted to come up with an explanation but Holly was just too quick. “His angel, huh? That still remains to be seen.” The other Guardsmen howled at her response, but she wasn’t done embarrassing him yet. “Besides, he’s a young’un. I kinda feel like a cradle robber.”
The roar of laughter was deafening but the smile on her face made it all worthwhile. Her cautious acceptance warmed him through and through. He couldn’t even feel the wind or snow beating his body as they climbed the last few yards to the pinnacle of the mountain. Holly teasing him right along with his brethren was great. Life just didn’t get much better.
“I guess introductions are in order. Holly, this is the guys. Guys, this is Holly.”
“Hi, guys!” Holly joked, taking his extended family’s inopportune appearance in stride.
“Hey, Holly!” they all responded, still laughing so hard it was a little difficul
t to make out their words.
Royce was the first to gain a modicum of composure. “And so it begins. Your life will never be the same.”
Tomas chuckled. “Wouldn’t want it any other way.”
“Yep, he’s a goner.” Jace and Liam laughed in unison, but it was his Commander who got right back to business.
“I’m happy for you, Tomas, but what’s happening out there?”
“Not sure yet. Holly encountered the creature earlier but felt nothing threatening so let it be. She did note that its soul is in some flex state, and from what she can tell hasn’t decided if it’s playing for the Light or the Dark side.”
Already finishing each other’s thoughts, Holly added, “I thought it might be blocking my transmissions home…I mean to Heaven, but now I’m beginning to think that whatever my mysterious stranger is scared of may be the cause of my inability to speak to the other angels.”
Tomas noted a strong scent of danger and a feeling of darkness. He left his link to his brethren open so they could feel it too with the hopes one of them would know who or what it was.
Not surprisingly, it was Kyra, Royce’s mate who answered first. “Feels like black magic mixed with a demon’s. It’s old. Not as old as Holly, but old.” The white witch chuckled. “Hi, Holly. I’m Kyra, Royce’s mate and white witch extraordinaire.”
Once again everyone laughed. “Nice to meet you, Kyra. Thanks for the heads up,” Holly responded, pulling the jewel from the front of the buckle on her belt. She looked over her shoulder, catching Tomas’ eye, and spoke only to him. “I’m about to turn on my shield. It won’t affect you as before now that we’re linked mentally, but it’ll still be bright. Don’t look directly into the light. If you fall, it’s a long way down.”
She winked and Tomas wished to be anywhere other than climbing a mountain. Kissing her silly was number on his to do list. “Understood,” was all he said, but not before sending a picture of his thoughts to his mate. The blush on her cheeks was answer enough.
Damn, I love this woman.
“No shit, Sherlock,” Jace chuckled, then quickly added. “Throw up those mental blocks before thinking your mushy shit there, chief.”
“Now, if that’s not the pot calling the kettle black,” Royce laughed. “There’s not a Dragon Guardsman within a hundred miles that didn’t know you were head over heels for Melanie.”
And of course, Kyra had to add, “There are still times I get way too much information.”
“All right, all right, you chuckle-heads, so I’m not the best at shielding my thoughts.” Jace sounded completely unapologetic despite his words.
“Not the best?” Royce howled. “You’re not even in the top one hundred.”
The banter and laughter continued until they reached the top of the mountain. “We’re here.” All extra conversation immediately ceased. Tomas let his brethren see and feel everything he experienced.
At Holly’s side, her shield shining in front of them, the couple cautiously made their way to a small burrow in the side of an odd shaped hill that topped the mountain. Tomas sent a tendril of his preternatural senses into the hole in search of any signs of life. At first, there was nothing. It appeared to be an abandoned fox habitat, but as he reached farther into the earth, he bumped right into Holly’s little friend. It was just as she had explained. Although his dragon senses didn’t touch its soul, they did sense its life force, and just as the angel had said, it was completely neutral.
The mysterious little creature reached back. “It likes you better than me.” Holly joked. “It didn’t even acknowledge my presence before.”
“Yeah, but it called to you for help.”
“There is that,” she answered. “Can you tell what it is? All I get is its fear.”
“No clue.” Tomas continued to play a game of ‘touch and touch back’ with the entity, hoping to get some sense of its origin.
So distracted in his inspection, the Guardsman almost missed the tendrils of pure evil traveling through the earth straight for the little creature. Holly, pulled at his shoulder. “Get out of there! Let me shine my light into the hole. That evil needs to be forced back.”
Unwilling to leave the unknown being now that he’d met it, Tomas protested. “Give me just a minute to coax it out.”
He could feel Holly’s frustration with his decision but turned all his focus on the little creature hidden in the ground, fighting to find its true purpose. On some level, the dragon understood exactly what it was going through. Not so long ago, Tomas had been faced with the same decision. It had taken strength and conviction to walk away from a throne and a clan of his own. But he’d known becoming a Dragon Guardsman was his destiny and had embarked on the path to realize it with unwavering determination.
The entity in the ground deserved the same; deserved to make its own choice. Not to be forced into darkness by black magic and a demon. Evil didn’t play fair and Tomas had to believe the creature didn’t want a life in literal Hell, or it wouldn’t have begged Holly for help. Now, if the little thing would just cooperate and follow where the Guardsman led.
Before he had to ask, Holly lent her help. She bathed the earth around the being in warm, soft light. It was just the push the entity needed. Slowly, it began to move towards Tomas, holding onto the stream of Holly’s light like a lifeline.
“Just a little more,” Tomas said to no one in particular.
“Tomas, the darkness is getting stronger. There are real live beings coming up the far side of the mountain.” It was Kyra and she sounded more than a little pissed. “I can make out three wizards and a demon. Dammit, why did they have to bring one of Hell’s spawn to the party?”
“That’s just the way they roll,” Tomas joked with a levity he didn’t feel.
“We have to hurry. I need my light to fight what’s coming, but I don’t want to let the little creature go if we can save it.” Holly’s urgency spurred him on while he felt his brethren add their strength to their rescue mission.
The added push was all they needed. Within seconds, a very small human-like being bathed in the warm glow of Holly’s light emerged from the hole. Tomas’ first thought was that it was so ugly it was cute. Standing no more than eighteen inches high, its head was by far its largest feature and was sparsely covered with tiny sprouts that resembled hair but could’ve been some type of plant. Its large, bulbous eyes were blinking rapidly, while quickly taking in every aspect of its surroundings. They made the Guardsman think of the headlights on his Harley. The rest of it looked pretty much like a miniature human, pot belly and all, but its aura most definitely read magical, very magical, and although just born, very old.
“It’s female,” Holly commented. “No more ‘it’, she’s a ‘she’. And we need to get her hidden before company crosses that ridge.”
“Yes, you do,” Kyra agreed while pushing a spell into Tomas’ head that would combat the wizards.
He sent his thanks while securing the little female behind a shield of dragon magic. Being born of two pureblooded dragons gave Tomas a more potent magic than the average dragon, so splitting off enough to shield their new friend was not a problem.
Looking to his mate, Tomas filled with pride. Holly was poised like a warrior ready for battle. Her feet shoulder width apart and her shoulders thrown back, she stood tall with her shield in front of her. Her power crackled in the air around her as her cape unfurled behind her like a superhero. His mate was a force unlike any other.
“You ready?” he asked.
“I’m ready.”
Her words floated through his head just as the demon Kyra had warned them about crested the mountain, closely followed by three dark wizards. The stench of sulfur and brimstone filled Tomas’ senses as he gripped his broadsword and watched his enemies race towards them. His stomach turned as the snow beneath their feet instantly thawed and the ground turned the unmistakable black of scorched earth. Even the evergreens drooped and wilted as they passed. Their magic was wicked and evi
l and…ancient. This was no low-level demon. They were dealing with a Master.
Holly dropped to one knee and began counting down at the same time she said, “At the count of ten, I’m going to blast them.”
Tomas nodded, bracing himself for the light, preparing to take down every evil creature in his path.
“Four…three…two…one!”
Light burst from Holly’s shield, bathing the mountain a pure white glow. The demon’s spine-curdling screech made the hair on Tomas’ arms stand on end. The large cloaked figure stumbled, almost hitting the ground, but quickly regained his footing and continued towards them, throwing spell after spell. His dark magic bounced off Holly’s shield like bullets off an armored car. Fortunately, his cohorts were not as lucky. The wizards fell to their knees, wailing and tearing at their flesh as Holly’s light sought to purify them.
“Do it! Do it, now!” Kyra all but screamed in his mind.
Without hesitation, the Guardsman’s cry of “A bheith imithe! Du lar ais go dti’ ifreann! Riamh ar ais!” rang out with all the force of he and his brethren’s combined dragon magic.
The demon stumbled. Tomas yelled out again with Holly accompanying him in English. “Be gone! Go back to Hell! Never return!”
The demon fell face first onto the decimated earth beneath his feet but continued to claw the ground, pulling his large rotting frame towards them. The couple shouted the spell over and over. Holly poured her incredible energy into her shield, battling everything the demon threw at them, but still he persisted.
A tiny tug on the leg of Tomas’ jeans alerted him to the presence of their little female. It was then he realized the demon’s entire focus was on her. The hell spawn still believed he could possess her and her magic.
Tomas went to step in front of the little female but she would have none of it. Her grip on his jeans tightened. She lifted her right hand and closed her eyes. He felt her quake as a blast of bright green light shot from her hand, immediately incinerating the demon. The beam then landed on each of the wizards, leaving nothing but a pile of ash where they’d once laid.
