Montana Firestorm

by Aaron Crash

  Big Timber was a cow town, and the place obviously loved being called that. Ranches full of horses and green grass spread out under a twilight sky clearing of clouds. The Beartooth Mountains sat in the distance. Somewhere in them was Mathaal, being taken care of by Uchiko. Where they were was a mystery. The third volume’s encrypted pages weren’t giving Steven anything. When he last checked, the words had swirled around but had never coalesced into anything he could read.

  He’d sat looking over the third volume of his father’s spell book in the simple motel room, alone for the moment. They’d gotten four rooms at the place, which wasn’t a Marriott—Aria kept pointing that out. She thought maybe the Super 8 might be a better deal, but it had been booked. However, the River Valley Inn had good reviews online. It was clean, if a little dated. Finding a place to plug in their phones had been rough. The wood paneling gave it an old, classic motel feeling. And the TVs were old hunks of square plastic and glass. Tessa had used the word “retro” any number of times, but something was still bothering her. What was it?

  News of the trouble on I-90 filled the local channels. They were calling it gang warfare between rival motorcycle clubs. Truckers swore they had just been trying to move freight when the battle broke out. They mentioned the burned Chevy Silverado, but local law enforcement hadn’t been able to pull the VIN from the wreckage. So Steven and his people wouldn’t be implicated. Sabina had been wise. She was in her own room, meditating and eating celery from the local Western Family supermarket. They all were wearing clothes from the Dollar Store. Aria hadn’t complained out loud, but she had done a lot of sighing. A lot.

  Liam, after a few healing spells, felt good enough to go out and find a pawnshop to sell more of the gold coins. He’d also found a new set of wheels for them off Craigslist, a Chevy Suburban from the late 1970s. It was cheap. It still ran. Good enough for what they needed at the moment. Steven did miss the good ol’ Orange Crush parked back at the Infinity Ranch. He hoped they wouldn’t start going through vehicles like they went through clothes.

  When Steven’s phone rang, it had been Mouse on the other end. “Steven, I’m worried about Tessa. Can you go and talk to her?”

  Steven had left his room and the motel. It was a block of brick and siding, sitting alone on a wide parking lot where weeds pushed up through the pavement. The asphalt on the sides flecked away into pebbles and grass.

  Steven breathed in the air. The wet grass mixed with the smell of cattle. Yeah, uh, earthy. But it was somehow comforting. Maybe it was the simple fact that he was still around to be able to smell anything.

  Tessa stood at the far corner, smoking. He didn’t like the cigarettes, but Tessa only did them when she was stressed, or to keep Mouse company while she smoked. Mouse smoking was far better than Mouse drinking.

  He approached her, hands in the pockets of his dorky khaki slacks. The Dollar Store had been out of jeans. He’d bought a Hawaiian shirt, not really caring. He’d rip through them the next time he shifted into a dragon anyway. And he didn’t care how he looked like anyway. The women of his Escort loved him. End of story.

  His feet were bare. The asphalt was smooth. It felt good to be out of shoes, but it would’ve felt better to dragon out and fly around. The sky was beautiful, the air warm, the humidity just right. The mountains were gorgeous in the distance. Traffic from the highway sounded like a waterfall.

  Tessa wore tight black jeans she’d gotten in France, ripped at the thighs. Black boots on her feet. A loose white blouse with a low neckline showed off another one of her Halestorm T-shirts. She breathed out smoke. “So who ratted me out? I’m betting it was Mouse.”

  “It was,” Steven said.

  Tessa smiled but then tears filled her eyes. “I can’t stop crying. And I’m not sure why. If you mention PMS I will shoot you. I’m nowhere near my monthlies.”

  “Monthlies?” Steven grinned. “Do you mean your menses?”

  “Ugh, not that word. You sound like Dwight Schrute from The Office. I used to call it Aunt Flow. I kind of like monthlies though. I’m regular like that.”

  “No mention of PMS.” Steven raised his hand. “I promise.”

  Tessa laughed. “Oh, it feels good to laugh.” She teared up immediately. “There I go again. Niagara Falls.”

  “What’s up?” Steven asked.

  She squeezed her eyes shut. “It got to me. The fighting, the fear, the damage. Sabina driving, me shooting, and then when the truck crashed … I’ve been in other wrecks. I was dating this guy, Bertram, and we got into an accident when he was drunk. He was one of those guys who loved to drink and drive. Thought he was a real rebel badass doing it. Idjit.”

  Steven moved over to her and grabbed her hand. “Another one of Tessa’s boyfriends.”

  “Yeah,” she said. “I got a bunch of them. Then again, I like people, and I love sex. So, put the two together, and you get me. Anyway, it brought back memories of that night. Trauma, yeah? Lots of trauma. But it was Cassius Pine … that’s what really got to me.”

  “How so?”

  Tessa looked into his eyes. “I thought he was for real. I thought he was going to help us out. But the minute you said you weren’t going to join forces, he tried to kill you. I guess I got my hopes up.”

  Steven wasn’t sure how to respond. They’d come so far, done so much, just on their own. “Cassius Pine was a two-faced, murdering, smarmy asshat.”

  “You forgot armless, two-faced, burnt-to-a-crisp, murdering, smarmy asshat.” Tessa took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “It’s always going to be like this, isn’t it?”

  “War and sex.” Aria had warned Steven: the life of a Dragonsoul was constant battle and sex to recharge for the next fight. Over and over.

  “I like the sex part,” Tessa said. “Like a lot. Like, with every part of me. But the war? It’s getting to me. The weird thing is that when we’re not fighting, I miss it, the adrenaline, the misery.”

  “You miss the misery? That’s a Halestorm song,” Steven said softly.

  She punched his arm lightly. “I guess it is. When Cassius came to us waving a white flag, I thought that would be the new normal. We’d start making treaties and forming alliances. Yeah, no.” She turned away and walked down the asphalt.

  Steven caught a whiff of her perfume. She’d showered and no longer smelled like a battlefield or burning plastic. Instead of chasing after her, he stood in the parking lot with his arms crossed. The orange of the sunset outlined the clouds above.

  Tessa turned around. She wiped the tears out of her eyes. Was she going to leave them? Was the fighting too much for her?

  Steven would hate to see her go, but he couldn’t stop now. He was close to getting vengeance on the Dragonsoul, the Alpheros, who had orchestrated his father’s murder. Even after he killed Rahaab, Steven didn’t plan on stopping. He was destined to bring revolution to the world.

  The two stared at one another.

  Tessa spoke first. “I’ll be fine. I’m just having a weak moment. I’m a softy at heart. It’s why I’m so good at sex. I’m super sensitive. That can be good, and it can be bad. I get hurt pretty easily.”

  “Not true,” Steven said. “Remember the Infinity Ranch fight? You were trampled, beaten, bitten, and yet, you made that last shot. Killed Kai Charon. You’re tough, Tessa. Holy shit, you’re tough.”

  “So you don’t hate me?” Tessa asked.

  “Never. I love you. I’ve loved ever since the day we first met.” Steven held out a hand.

  She hurried to take it.

  “And Tessa, Cassius tried to trick us. He didn’t come at us thinking we were an easy target. Even Rahaab isn’t coming at us directly. The Dragonsouls are learning that we’re a force to be reckoned with. Yeah, it’s hard now, but I see a day where we can start forming alliances like in those reality TV shows. I don’t know how that works, but we’ll figure it out.”

  “I loved watching Survivor with my brother.” Tessa let a smile shine on her face. “That’s goin
g to be a whole different deal, though. It’ll be all diplomacy, political drama, and betrayals. We’ll have to worry about being poisoned. There’ll be less shooting. So that’ll be nice.”

  “In the end,” Steven said, “I see a world where Dragonsouls don’t have to fight each other for territory. I see peace. But it’s going to take a fuckton of fighting to get there.”

  Tessa’s brow furrowed. “Fighting for peace is like fucking for chastity. At some point, we’ll have to put down the sword.”

  “That’s fine,” Steven smirked. “We can drop the sword because you have your Peacekeepers, and I’ll soon have IonClaws. And we’ll have Sabina as a full-on dragon. Cool?”

  She punched him again, and then they were kissing, wrapped up in each other’s arms.

  She broke the kiss. “You know what I mean. At some point, violence can’t be our only tool to change things.”

  Steven pressed his forehead against hers. “At this stage, I only want two things. I want to keep you and the others safe. And I want revenge. After that? You might be right, but if anyone comes after us, they need to know it’s total war. I won’t stop. And I won’t hesitate.”

  “Which is why you had your shield ready with Cassius Pine.”

  “Damn straight.” Kissing Tessa, smelling her, feeling her breasts against him, had him going again. He pushed himself against her so she could feel his excitement.

  “I think you might be sending me some kind of secret message,” Tessa said. “Let’s go inside and see if I can’t unravel it.”

  They held hands and went back inside the motel through a side door. They didn’t bother with the elevator but took the stairs. However, Tessa couldn’t wait. On the landing between the first- and second-floor landing, she pushed him against the corner, got down on her knees, and unzipped his ugly khakis. He was out and in her mouth in a second.

  The excitement of potentially getting caught nearly pushed him over the edge. But he wanted her naked, in private, just the two of them. He pulled her up and kissed her wet mouth. He didn’t bother tucking himself back into his pants.

  Tessa took his hand for her turn. Her jeans, however, were too tight for him to get a hand down to her sex.

  She unbuttoned them, then unzipped them. She wiggled them down to her knees along with her panties. He French-kissed her and slipped a finger through her pubic hair and between her legs.

  She moaned into his mouth. She could only spread her legs so far because of the jeans. But it was enough. They kissed, and then she whispered, “Put a finger in me.”

  He did. She was soft, warm, soaked.

  Tessa pulled up her shirts and her bra. Her breasts were exposed. Her nipples were hard.

  “Suck on me.”

  He latched onto a nipple. She reached down and rubbed herself into a gasping, sweaty orgasm. Animus filled her.

  This was crazy. The could get caught. And if they were arrested for indecent exposure, well, that would put them on the map for anyone to find.

  Tessa pushed her jeans off and kicked off her underwear. She gripped the hand railing and then offered herself up to him. “Hurry. We can do it quick and not get caught.”

  Steven wasn’t thinking clearly, not a bit. But he’d survived another fight and was feeling reckless. He knew his life might be cut short at any moment. And Tessa was hot and ready.

  Then he realized something. “We don’t have to worry about getting caught. We can remove memories from people’s minds.”

  “Mind Wipe,” she agreed. “You’re a genius.”

  He took hold of her pliant hips. He was already stiff and ready. His zipper, though, was causing him some discomfort. He might as well go all in.

  He undid his pants and pushed them down to his knees. And then he was in Tessa. She hissed in pleasure. Steven couldn’t help himself. His middle slapped against her ass as he lost control.

  The door to the second floor was thrown open.

  Tessa didn’t move but Steven stopped. He turned, expecting the worst.

  Only, it was the best. Aria came down in a frilly white dress. It made her skin look good. She was barefoot. She slapped down the steps to get to them. “You both are being too loud. And what if you get caught?”

  “I was nearly there,” Steven said.

  “And I’ve been there and back,” Tessa giggled. “Help us. And we can Mind Wipe anyone who catches us. We’re fucking Magicians.”

  Aria sighed. “That was a bad pun. And that Defensio spell is very specific to human’s memories of Dragonsouls. To alter the magic would be difficult. I’ll do what I can to hurry you along.” She undid the top part of her dress, revealing her small, pert breasts. Her nipples pointed skyward.

  That was going to help Steven without a doubt.

  Then it got even better.

  Steven thrust into Tessa as Aria kissed him with lots of tongue. She whispered into his ear, “Sabina came to me. She needed Animus for the Dragonskin rituals. She was so hot, so kinky, making me watch her while she rubbed herself. She stopped me from joining her until she finished. Then she was on me, kissing me, sucking on me, licking me. She kept asking about you, how you liked it, what she could do to get you off. She wants you, Steven.”

  The mental image of Sabina’s thick body and Aria’s thin body was too much for Steven. He drove himself as far as he could into Tessa and let the ecstasy take him. Animus filled him and Tessa—even Aria got some, though after her experiences with Sabina, the Indian woman would be full.

  The third floor’s door opened. Footsteps echoed down.

  Tessa was amazing. She had her jeans around her ankles in seconds and then pulled up.

  As for Steven, SerpentGrace gave him the ability to get everything on. By the time the two guys came marching down, he was dressed, Aria had her top back on, and Tessa, well, she let her blouse fall to cover her undone pants.

  Two beefy men jounced down the stairs. They went past Steven and the two women, who were both flushed and exuding sexiness. The guys glanced at them twice, but kept on going. They must’ve known, but that didn’t warrant wiping their minds.

  In the end, Steven didn’t care one bit.

  Once they were out the door downstairs, Tessa fell against the wall. “Well, now, that was exciting.”

  “And kind of stupid.” Aria pulled the barista in for a kiss. Both turned on him. “Well?”

  “Round two?” Steven couldn’t help but grin.

  “We’ll give Vātsyāyana something new to include in his next book,” Aria said.

  Tessa looked at Steven, then shrugged. Both were clueless.

  “Ha! That’s not even popular culture!” Aria said triumphantly. She hooked her arms into Steven’s and Tessa’s and escorted them up the stairs. “Vātsyāyana wrote the Kama Sutra. I’ll show you book two, chapter six, in some detail.”

  Steven couldn’t wait for that.

  TWENTY-TWO

  Rahaab lay on the rooftop of the late Cassius Pine’s Yellowstone Aerie, bathed in moonlight. Fifty feet long, he sprawled over the top, his white wings tucked next to his silver body. His white beard hung off the side and brushed the outdoor patio below. Stars were mirrored in his shining opalescent claws. The heat felt good though the air was dry. The American West was such a desert. It was only fit for snakes, ground rodents, and humans.

  Another Dragonsoul had fallen to Steven Drokharis’ unstoppable destiny. Rahaab wasn’t surprised that Cassius Pine would foolishly get himself killed. He was a bit disappointed that his plan to get someone close to the Drokharis whelp had failed, but it wouldn’t be long before Rahaab found the brat on his doorstep, coming to slay the dragon.

  That term—slaying the dragon—was cute. As was how the humans had incorporated Dragonkind into their myths and stories. Most of Western civilization saw them as satanic worms that needed to be slain. Eastern civilization, for the most part, recognized the dragon as a symbol for wisdom and power. Both were wrong. True dragons didn’t exist anymore, except for Rahaab. Mathaal didn’t co
unt any longer, not after what Rahaab had done to him.

  The last Alpheros pondered his fate.

  His ruse with the third volume was risky. Partly, it was to draw the last Drokharis into his lair so that his Templar Knights or the Trinity could destroy them. That had failed, but it had split them up. Unfortunately, Priest hadn’t been able to engage them until they had reunited.

  And now? Now, Mouse was in some town called Big Timber. They might find Mathaal, or they might not. Either way, that book had most likely put fear in the Drokharis child’s heart and in the hearts of his Escort.

  Only an ancient could kill an ancient. There was no other way. That might give them pause and give Rahaab the advantage.

  His wives slept around him, under the pine trees, in their dragon shapes. Bivouacked around the mansion Aerie were hundreds of tents, full of every Dragonskin who had ever served Rahaab, including Priest. He’d returned with those who had survived the fight. And though he didn’t say a word, Rahaab knew Priest felt bad for failing to kill the boy.

  Of course he’d failed. When attacked, Steven Drokharis won. But how well did he fare when put on the offensive? And what chance would the child have when he encountered all the traps, tricks, and magic Rahaab had sown around the Yellowstone Aerie?

  The ancient silver dragon turned on his back, spreading his wings out. He broke a window when he moved his tail. He looked up at the stars above, his home, in the end. Yellowstone would be a good place to either achieve another victory or die. It was a primal place of mountains and molten rock, close to the heavens.

  He had wanted to put himself within reach of Steven. If he’d stayed in one of his other Aeries, which were spread across the world, the Drokharis child might not have come after him. This way, Steven would strike at him eventually. Good. If Rahaab was to die, he’d rather get it over with, like an unpleasant task.

  Rahaab had grown up on the mountains of the Alpheros home world, the grand peaks of ice, dusted with snow. There, his mothers taught him well while his father battled to keep his kingdom safe. When faced with a list of chores, one should always do the worst one first. Get it out of the way. Death was just another chore. And Rahaab was weary. In some ways, he was envious of Icharaam, who’d already performed the task, and Mathaal, who had forgotten that death even existed.