Dragon's Flame

by Jory Strong

  “I wonder if his father knows.”

  “If he does, Crew and Gaige will find out.”

  Saffron asked Genevieve, “Does the name Nelson Arrington sound familiar?”

  “No.”

  Taine rubbed his thumb over Saffron’s knuckles. “It’s not necessarily the sorcerer’s real name. Kristof might have found out more. I’ll—”

  Taine’s cell pinged with a text. He checked the message and said, “We’re converging on Elon’s house.”

  They stood. Saffron slipped the charm beneath her shirt.

  “I hope I’ll see you in the future,” Genevieve told her.

  “You might. And I think it’s a sure bet you’ll get a visit from my twin, Sabra, when I tell her about having sorcerer’s blood.”

  Genevieve clapped her hands together. “A twin! I’m envious. Identical or fraternal?”

  “Fraternal.” Which had been a bummer when they were kids, but as they’d gotten older they’d appreciated being different.

  In the sedan, Taine took a few seconds to send a text.

  His cellphone pinged a response.

  Saffron leaned over to read the screen. In response to Any info on Nelson Arrington? Kristof had sent I got nothing.

  It took them thirty minutes to get to Elon’s neighborhood. A crowd composed of the elderly and mothers with young children had gathered behind police barricades set up two blocks from the house.

  Several cars along the street had dogs with their muzzles pressed through open windows. Taine spotted animal carriers and piles of clothing on the seats of other vehicles. His mate saw the same and said, “The police have evacuated nearby homes.”

  “It’s a smart precaution.”

  He double parked next to another IRE black sedan. In front of them, closer to the barricade, was the evidence collection and artifact transport van. Behind it was Maksim’s black Hummer.

  Fire engines stood ready. Gaige and Crew waited in the yard, close to the street. Maksim stood on the sidewalk leading to a porch-sheltered front door, while Kristof, with Kellen in fey hound form, prowled along an unseen perimeter.

  “That’s the dog I saw you with at the beach.”

  Pleasure glided through Taine’s chest. “So you noticed me.”

  “I noticed the dog,” his mate teased. “Hard not to when he looks like an Irish Wolfhound on steroids.”

  “That’s Kellen.”

  “He belongs to Kristof?”

  Taine choked on a laugh. “Not even in the sorcerer’s dreams. He belongs to Maksim.”

  Technically, as IRE agents, everyone belonged to Maksim. So it wasn’t a stretch.

  They got out of the sedan. Taine prided himself on having the sense not to reach for his mate’s hand in the presence of other firefighters though his hand twitched with the need to demonstrate by touch that Saffron was his.

  He’d have to tell her soon what he was—and what she was to him. A mate. Genevieve had come close to revealing it, had stopped short of it because they were allies, not adversaries. Someone else—his gaze went to the van where the prudish gnome waited—wouldn’t have the same restraint.

  Taine flashed his badge and they were allowed through the blockade. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Saffron squinting.

  A sorceress. She’d definitely put a spell on him.

  Smile turned into grimace. A sorceress.

  He’d have to make an effort to police his comments when it came to sorcerers. It’d be hard, almost all of his work could be summed up as sorcerers behaving badly. Not unexpected given that this was the human realm, and as the existence of supernatural beings was slowly being revealed, it made sense that sorcerers would be capable of getting into more trouble.

  Reaching Crew and Gaige, Taine asked, “What’s the situation?”

  Crew answered, “There’s definitely a defensive spell in place.”

  “Can Kristof unravel it?”

  “Doubtful. He’s making another pass looking for possible glitches but it appears Moates was able to channel some of the phoenix’s energy into the spell protecting the house.”

  “Which explains the fire engines.”

  “Yep.”

  The sorcerer’s home was a small beige adobe house. Groves of short palm trees planted to frame the lightly stained front door created the feel of a cave-like lair that appealed to Taine. It’d be a shame for it to go up in flames.

  Crew directed a look at Saffron that was followed by a smile directed at Taine. “Before sunrise?”

  Taine glared a warning but nodded a small yes. Of course Crew could sense the bond. And of course, bets would have been placed.

  Crew turned his smile on Saffron. “What’d Genevieve say about the charm?”

  “It can’t be used against Elon. But it has attached itself to me, probably because I’ve got sorcerer’s blood.”

  “That has possibilities,” Maksim said, joining them. “The charm will protect you from the sorcerer’s spells?”

  No! Absolutely not! Saffron would not be put in danger!

  “Maksim,” Taine said though it came out more rumbled growl than a name.

  “Saffron was assigned to IRE. She works for me,” Maksim said, his voice holding its own warning. He offered his hand to Saffron. “I’m Maksim.”

  They shook while Taine fought off the urge to grab her and haul her far away from the danger—not that she’d go willingly.

  Kristof and Kellen came around the right side of the house and headed toward them. The sorcerer’s grim expression had Taine’s heart pounding out an S-O-S and his dragon instincts warring with the duty he’d taken on when he became part of IRE.

  Saffron reached out to pet Kellen’s head and Taine lost his battle not to touch her. He snagged her hand and said, “Better not.”

  That gained him a round of subtle head shakes and a smirk from Crew before Kristof told Maksim, “I’d say there’s a ninety-nine percent chance the house will burn as soon as I attempt to unravel or counter the spells Elon has in place.”

  Maksim glanced at the house. “That level of defense suggests Moates is afraid we’ll find out what he’s up to and where he’ll be with the egg. We have no choice but to go to plan B.”

  “Didn’t know we had a plan B,” Kristof said.

  “I’m plan B,” Saffron said as Anders hurried toward them so he wouldn’t be left out of the discussion.

  “No,” Taine growled, drawing everyone’s gaze.

  Maksim turned toward Saffron. “Let’s see the charm that’s been protecting Elon’s sister from his spells.”

  She tugged the charm out from beneath her shirt.

  Maksim said, “Genevieve thinks it’s now attached to Saffron. What’s your read Kristof?”

  The sorcerer edged closer and examined the charm without attempting to touch it.

  “If she survives, the charm needs to be turned over to me,” Anders said, petulance in his voice at not already being in possession of the charm.

  Taine glowered at the gnome. “She’ll survive.”

  The gnome’s pinched lips disappeared altogether. “There are no guarantees.”

  Taine fantasized about incinerating Anders where he stood. Even by gnome standards this one was a nasty piece of work.

  “Enough!” Maksim‘s displeasure was fully directed at Anders.

  “I’m inclined to trust Genevieve’s reading,” Kristof said. “The outside spells all belong to Elon. Saffron should be safe from those, but if there’s another sorcerer involved and she trips that sorcerer’s defensive spells…”

  “I’ve got to take that chance,” Saffron said. “There are a lot of lives at stake and going into fires is my job.”

  Taine could hear the sound of her heart pounding hard and fast. He could scent adrenaline and fear laced with resolve, all evidence of his mate’s bravery.

  “I’m going in with you.”

  “No,” Maksim said.

  Taine met Maksim’s gaze. “Genevieve said that in dire circumstance
s the charm would protect me.”

  “No,” Saffron contradicted. “She said it might protect you if we were separated and the charm was in your possession.”

  He pulled her against him, everything inside him screaming, I can’t lose you. “Genevieve said the charm should protect you. Should, no guarantees.”

  “People are at risk. A city is at risk and we are running out of time.”

  This is who I am. This is what I do.

  I’m a firefighter. A protector, the same as you.

  She didn’t say those words but she didn’t need to. She was his mate and he’d had a month to get to know her from a distance.

  He hugged her against him. Slammed his mouth onto hers and she welcomed the slide of his tongue against hers. Didn’t seem to care that they stood among IRE agents with firefighters looking on.

  The kiss gave him hope to cling to, that she would emerge from the house unscathed. The kiss reminded him of torched sports cars and a truth he wouldn’t change—he’d known from the beginning that she was going to be a troublesome kind of mate.

  He stared into her eyes for a long moment. “Get in. Get out. Make it quick,” he said, then forced himself to release her.

  She asked Kristof and Maksim, “What should I be looking for?”

  Maksim said, “Personal journals or something that looks like blueprint rolls.”

  Kristof glanced around. “Anybody have paper and pen?”

  Reluctantly the sour-faced Anders offered a clipboard along with a pen.

  Kristof took it from the gnome, wrote symbols on the back of a log-in form. “These are specific to the djinn realms and phoenixes. It might help you decide what’s worth bringing out.”

  Saffron studied what he’d written, then folded the symbol-filled piece of paper and shoved it into her pocket. She glanced toward the waiting fire engines. “Makes sense to borrow some turnout gear.”

  “Nothing made in our world will protect you from a fire with phoenix origins,” Kristof said. “Not at the point of origin.”

  Closing her hand around the charms beneath her shirt, the one Taine knew had been given to her by her twin and the one given to her by Shanna, Saffron said, “So I’ve got to trust in magic?”

  Kristof nodded. “That sums it up.”

  The scent of fear and adrenaline and determination, her courage, deepened. She said, “Okay. How am I going to get into the house?”

  Maksim handed her a small ring of keys. “They’re masters. One of them should work.” He glanced at the waiting firefighters, his gaze settling on a woman her size. “If this house goes up in flames, it’ll reduce the cover-up effort if you go in properly attired for survival. Gaige.”

  “On it.” He strode toward the firefighters.

  “I should be the one—”

  “He’s better at spin,” Maksim said, interrupting Saffron with an explanation that barely touched on the Sidhe prince’s effect on humans.

  This time was no exception. A few minutes later Gaige returned with protective gear, including an air tank and breathing apparatus.

  Taine couldn’t let Saffron go in without taking her lips again, this kiss tasting of desperation and fear—not for his life, though it would end if hers did—but an agony of concern for his mate. “Get in, get out, make it quick.”

  “Got it,” she said against his lips before stepping away.

  His mate waved a thank you to the female firefighter. Suited up in the personal protection gear then resolutely headed toward the front door.

  Taine’s heart beat its way up his throat with each of her steps. Everything inside him demanded that he accompany his mate into the house if he couldn’t prevent her from going in at all.

  Crew’s hand settled on his shoulder. “I’ll run the other way if I stumble on my mate, but I understand why you didn’t make that choice.”

  As Saffron neared the bricked front stoop, Maksim said, “Time to retreat to the street.”

  They moved back and Taine saw that the firefighters had already taken up positions. His instincts screamed Shift, get to your mate!

  Maksim manacled Taine’s right forearm. Crew manacled his left, not that they could prevent the shift.

  “Rock, paper, scissors,” Gaige said. “Odds of winning against that type of fire aren’t in your favor.”

  Saffron reached the front door. Didn’t look back before attempting to slide a key into the lock.

  Nothing happened.

  She tried a different key.

  A fiery roar built in Taine’s chest. No! Not my mate! She can’t go in there!

  Maksim murmured, “Don’t force us into using magical restraints on you.”

  The third key slid in.

  She opened the door and stepped into the house.

  Nothing happened.

  Nothing happened.

  Taine drew a small breath.

  Exhaled carefully so he wouldn’t breathe smoke and fire.

  A minute crawled past.

  Another minute.

  Kristof shifted from foot to foot as if he imagined himself in Saffron’s place, searching the house.

  Even the gnome smiled at the apparent success.

  Maksim’s hand on Taine’s arm loosened, then tightened when Kellen lifted his muzzle, sniffed the air.

  BOOM!

  The force of it shattered windows.

  A wall of heat blasted into and over them and then the house was suddenly, totally engulfed by fire.

  No!

  Taine lunged forward and was wrestled to the ground by Maksim, Crew and Gaige.

  Shift! He needed to shift! He needed to get to his mate!

  The intention was there but before he could shed his human form, Crew said, “Think Taine, think! You’re bound to her and you’re alive!”

  Chapter 12

  Get out! Get out! Get out! Saffron silently screamed as she was buffeted by intense heat. Get out!

  The borrowed turnout gear burned. It smoked and blackened on top of what felt like a thin protective bubble between it and her.

  The breathing apparatus failed.

  She held her breath, afraid of frying her lungs.

  Get out! Get out! Get out!

  How much of the fire was linked to the unhatched phoenix and how much of it was natural, she couldn’t tell. But she needed to get out, didn’t want a fellow firefighter rushing in, trying to save her and dying because of her.

  Flailing, feeling as if she was swimming through flame, she moved in the direction she hoped was the front door. To keep panic at bay, she counted her steps.

  One.

  Two.

  Three.

  Four.

  At nineteen, panic threatened to gain the upper hand.

  It was a small house. By now she should be clear of it, or at least be able to discern an exterior wall.

  She couldn’t.

  Fire raged and swirled around her like a desert sandstorm, like tornadoes made of flame.

  She needed to breathe.

  Desperately needed to breathe.

  I should be clear of the house.

  I should be clear of the house.

  The thought swirled like the fire around her. She should be clear of the house. Somehow she’d gotten turned around, the way she had in the water when she’d rescued the kid.

  If Taine hadn’t grabbed her, pointed her toward the surface…

  Maybe she should—

  Don’t!

  She couldn’t second guess herself now. She needed to keep going straight.

  Stay on course. Change it now and they’d find what was left of her somewhere in the house, maybe steps away from an opening.

  Twenty.

  Twenty-one.

  A few feet to her right fire slammed into fire, vertical into horizontal, forming a window that lasted less than a heartbeat but it was enough.

  She lunged forward. Cleared the burning house, stumbled and went to her knees.

  Within seconds a firefighter was there. Then anothe
r, foaming what remained of the protective gear to cool it down.

  Taine reached her. Stripped the outerwear off with barely suppressed violence, ignoring the shouts of the firemen.

  She shivered. Reaction setting in and for a long moment, she battled nausea.

  “Saffron,” he said, voice choked, his hands trembling as they swept over her, and it was that trembling that brought her back to herself.

  Her eyes locked to his. “I’m good. I’m okay.”

  His hands kept moving, gliding possessively over her skin. Her nipples became hard points.

  An awareness that they weren’t alone had her batting his hands away, torn between laughing relief and embarrassment. “I’m good! Quit! I’m good already.”

  “Our work here is done,” Maksim said. “Headquarters everyone.”

  She was grateful IRE credentials got them out of there before she was asked questions she couldn’t answer, at least not without sounding crazy to fellow firefighters and paramedics. And she was glad to see that other than scorched adobe, broken windows and burned trees, Elon’s neighbors hadn’t suffered any losses.

  In the sedan, Taine pulled her to him and kissed her hard, with enough heat to set her pussy on fire. Damn she wanted him, needed him, tried to tell herself it was natural, could be totally attributed to surviving what would have been impossible to survive without the charm.

  “Never again,” he growled, though they both knew she’d take the risk to keep San Diego from burning.

  And so would he.

  Her heart flipped with thoughts of him coming under attack. Constricted with memories of what it’d felt like each time her father deployed, the ever present worry that had come knowing her brother was patrolling the city, at risk every time he pulled a driver over or responded to a callout.

  Feeling those feelings was exactly what she’d tried to avoid. And still, she didn’t push Taine away.

  Her mouth clung to his. Her tongue plunged through his lips, her sex swelling, anxious and wet and ready for the thrust of his cock.

  He tugged her shirt upward, cupped her side. His hand against her bare skin made her breasts tighten and ache.

  She covered his hand with hers, urging it toward the place she needed it to be. A blaring horn jarred her and she moaned in protest.