by Susan Illene
The rogue’s mouth opened wide, and he lunged upward. Pain blinded Aidan as sharp, dagger-like teeth sunk into his snout. He clawed at his opponent, digging into the beast’s neck and chest. The dragon only dug deeper. Aidan brought his hand up and stabbed one of his talons into the rogue’s eye. With a gurgled scream, the dragon finally unclamped his teeth.
Aidan leaped to his feet, stumbling back a few steps. Blood poured down his nose, and a coppery taste filled his mouth. He had puncture wounds all around his muzzle, making it difficult to drag in a decent breath of air through his nose. In a haze of pain, he caught sight of the green dragon pulling himself up. Aidan leaped forward, intent on kicking his opponent back down. The rogue caught hold of his leg and gripped his ankle tightly. Then he lifted Aidan into the air and spun him around. The city streets and buildings flew by with dizzying effect. It was an impressive feat of strength that the dragon could pull off such a move while lying injured on the ground. Aidan’s stomach was knotting by the fourth spin, but then he found himself sailing through the air. He slammed into a light post, his back striking it with bone-jarring force.
He fell to the ground in a crumpled heap. Agony raced down his spine and toward his legs. He wasn’t paralyzed, but something had cracked or broken during the impact, and he could hardly move. Blinking spots from his vision, he caught a glimpse of the dragon getting back to his feet. His gaze was intent on Aidan and finishing him off.
The rogues have crossed the border, Aidan called out telepathically on a frequency that would reach any shifter within a few miles. We need your assistance now!
His pride be damned. These rogues were among the strongest he’d ever encountered, and Aidan wasn’t about to risk his and Bailey’s life by not requesting help.
We will be there in less than two minutes, one of the roving guards replied.
Aidan clutched at the bent lamppost, using it to help him get to his feet. The dragon was only a dozen paces away now. One of his eyelids was swollen shut, blood leaking from it. The other blazed bright red with anger, glowing in the moonlight. The dragon stomped his way closer and closer with murderous intent, blood dripping from his mouth—Aidan’s blood. The rogue licked at it as if he enjoyed the taste and wanted more.
Pushing aside the excruciating agony he felt, Aidan crouched low. Then he pushed off with his hind legs and leaped at the pure dragon, colliding with him. The momentum sent them to the ground. They wrestled back and forth, neither able to hold the top position for long. Aidan clawed at his opponent’s face and chest, working to do as much damage as possible.
A scream tore through the air—Bailey on the rooftop.
Adrenaline surged through Aidan. He swung back his arm and punched the rogue as hard as he could in the snout, smashing bones and knocking out teeth. The dragon bellowed in pain. It was just enough of a distraction that Aidan could untangle himself and get back to his feet. He lifted into the air, not caring about his opponent anymore or his injuries, and raced toward Bailey. She was the only thing he cared about.
From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the shifter patrol arriving. Both went for the rogue he’d left behind. Aidan focused on Bailey’s attacker on the rooftop, whose back faced toward him. He jumped on top of the dragon, clawing at his neck. The rogue roared loudly and spun around so fast he sent Aidan flying off. He crashed into a short, cement barrier at the roof’s edge. Aidan struggled to get up, fighting through another round of shooting pain in his back.
The rogue began stomping his way, but then his gaze moved past Aidan. He snarled and took off from the roof, flying straight for the shifters below who struggled against the pure dragon on the ground. The massive beast picked the guards up by their necks and flung them in opposite directions through the air. Then he grabbed hold of his injured brother and took off, heading straight for the Thamaran border.
Aidan was in no shape to get into the air and stop them before they crossed. The two shifter guards recovered, rising to their feet. They took flight right away, but not soon enough. By the time they got close, the rogues had entered the neutral zone and only needed a few seconds to get to safety. Aidan cursed. This was not how he’d expected the battle to go at all.
“Aidan,” Bailey called out. She lay sprawled about twenty feet away, resting on her elbows, and one of her legs sat at an odd angle.
He stumbled toward her and let Beast take over. How badly are you hurt?
“Just a few gashes and a broken leg,” she said, giving him a wobbly smile. “If you hadn’t come when you did, that ugly dragon might have ripped my throat out—which would have sucked. I can only imagine the scars his teeth would have left behind.”
Beast fell to his knees next to her. I do not find this situation humorous.
Bailey brushed some stray strands of hair from her face. Her braid must have come loose during the battle. “Joking helps me not to think about the pain as much.”
The shifter guards landed on the rooftop. One of them stared at Bailey, while the other turned his attention to Aidan. Those were no ordinary warriors. The two of you are lucky you were not killed before we got here.
We injured the rogues enough they will not return tonight, but I suggest you double the guard for tomorrow, Aidan replied, taking back over from Beast. They are man-eaters and too dangerous to fight one-on-one.
The shifter nodded. Agreed. Do you need us to take you to the healer?
There was a shifter at the fortress who had a magical talent for treating wounds and illness, much like Danae. But Bailey was not accepted by his toriq well enough for her to be allowed into the circle of stones where the healer performed his strongest work, and Aidan would not go without her. They could ask for Danae’s assistance, but the sorceress would be in no shape to help them after treating the attack victims of the previous night. For now, he and Bailey would have to recuperate on their own.
No. Aidan shook his head. We will be fine.
The guard’s yellow gaze reflected indecision. But you are in no shape to fly back, and the slayer cannot walk. We…we could return you and your mate to your lair if you like.
Aidan could not believe what he’d just heard. They would voluntarily carry the slayer back to his home without being ordered? As of yet, the only other shifter to carry Bailey while in dragon form aside from Aidan was Nanoq, the pendragon. He’d done it to test her, and because he knew his warriors would protest if they were made to do it.
You would carry the slayer? he asked.
We saw the two of you together earlier and how comfortable she is with you. The guard adjusted his wings. And she fought bravely against one of our enemies. It is only right that we take her someplace safe where she can rest and recuperate.
“What is he saying?” Bailey asked.
Beast took over Aidan’s body once more to answer her, using an open line of communication they could all hear. They will carry us home.
“Really?” She glanced at the guards. “You would do that?”
They both bowed their heads, then cast a surprised look at Aidan. Until now, very few knew his beast could talk to Bailey through telepathic means.
She grimaced as she sat up a little more. “You will have my eternal gratitude.”
Tell her she owes us nothing. The guard spoke only to Aidan since he did not have the ability to communicate with Bailey. We will also see if the healer can visit you at your lair tomorrow. It is the least we can do for you and your mate.
Without the mystical standing stones next to the fortress, the healer would not be as powerful, but at least their recovery time would be less. I would appreciate that.
One of the guards moved closer to Bailey, waiting until she gave permission to pick her up. She cried out as her broken leg was jostled, but then she rested against his chest. Aidan tried not to feel jealous over it. The other guard helped him to his feet, but he shook his head at being carried. While he was in too much pain to take on Bailey’s weight, he could at least leave of his own accord. Aidan stret
ched his wings to test them, then lifted into the air. His aching back protested, but he found he could fly. The guards followed him as he slowly made his way home.
Chapter 7
Bailey
Loud pounding on the front door jerked me awake. I sat up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes and trying to remember why I was in the living room. Then it all came flooding back. Sometime during the night, the house had become so cold that our breath fogged the air, and Aidan was shivering. Since the stove he was building for the bedroom wasn’t ready yet, we’d taken our mattress and camrium blankets downstairs to sleep in front of the fireplace.
The logs had nearly burned up since Aidan got the blaze going hours ago. Checking my watch, I discovered it was just past noon. I ignored another round of knocking and added more wood, stoking the fire back to life. My friends outside could wait another minute—I could hear them talking to each other out there and discussing what was taking me so long.
It had been over two days since the battle with the rogues, and our injuries were mostly healed, but my right knee still felt stiff and sore from being broken. The healer from the shifter fortress had done what he could, but apparently, he needed some sort of mystical standing stones to use his full powers. It took all he had to reset my kneecap and start the mending process for my fractured patella, as well as help Aidan who had cracked his spine in multiple places. How he managed to fly back to the house was beyond everyone. We’d been ordered to rest and recuperate for a few days before doing anything strenuous.
The knocking started up again. “Alright, alright. I’m coming!”
Stumbling toward the couch, I grabbed a set of clothes I’d left there the night before and pulled them on as fast as I could. Aidan barely stirred where he still lay on the mattress, wrapped in his blanket like a cocoon. While the living room wasn’t that cold for me, it was still freezing for him thanks to the fire dying down while we were asleep. It would take a bit for the warmth to build back up.
Limping toward the door, I pulled it open a few inches to peek out. Conrad and Danae stood on the porch, both wearing heavy jackets, hats, and gloves. Beyond them, a blanket of snow covered the lawn, and the sky was hazy and gray. No wonder my home had become freezing last night. We’d started keeping the heavy curtains over the windows shut at night and didn’t realize it had snowed.
“Hurry, get in here,” I urged, not wanting to let any heat escape from the house.
They rushed inside, and I shut the door.
Conrad turned to face me. “Where have you been for the last two days?”
“Sleeping,” I said, then limped toward the kitchen with them following close behind. This situation definitely called for coffee—and a lot of it. I turned on the stove to heat some water and pulled out the various canisters I’d need.
Danae leaned an arm against the counter. “Why are you limping?”
“I broke my knee.” My conversational skills were at their optimum this morning. I pulled out a few coffee cups from the cabinet and set them by the stove.
“What? When?” she asked, glancing down at my right leg.
“A few nights ago.”
Conrad brushed me aside. “I got this. You go sit and let Danae take care of you.”
“It’s almost healed,” I said but didn’t argue when my sorceress friend led me to the dining room table. “Another day and I’ll be good as new.”
She forced me down onto a chair. “Let me be the judge of that. Who set the bone?”
“A healer from the shifter fortress,” I replied.
“This was over two days ago, and you’re still limping? He didn’t do a very good job.” Danae took hold of the waistband of my pants and pulled them off of me in one swift move.
I gasped. “Do you mind? What if I hadn’t been wearing underwear?”
“Conrad is busy making coffee in the kitchen, and I would have told him not to look this way,” Danae said, examining my leg. “It’s not like we haven’t seen each other naked before.”
She had a point. Over recent months there’d been plenty of times where we saw more than we might have wanted of each other. I’d had my clothes destroyed in dragon flames a couple of times when I wasn’t wearing camrium, we used the same outdoor areas to urinate, we often bathed in the same lakes or ponds, and there’d been that time in the cave when Aidan’s flames burned Danae and Conrad’s clothes off. We didn’t have many secrets left from each other—physical or otherwise.
“I’ve never had my clothes torn off by a girl before.” I grinned. “One more thing off my bucket list.”
Danae snickered, laying my pants on the table. “One more off my list, too.”
She leaned down and started poking and prodding at my knee. Then she furrowed her brows, concentrating as she probed the inside with her mind. It was some weird healer trick I couldn’t hope to understand, but it let her see the bones sort of like an x-ray. Then her eyes came back into focus, and she started pressing on my knee again.
I winced. “Your bedside manner leaves something to be desired.”
“You should have come to see me sooner.” She gave me an accusing look.
“I couldn’t drive, and Aidan broke his back. If some of his fellow shifters hadn’t helped us home, I don’t know what we would have done.” I gritted my teeth as she sent some of her healing magic through my knee—the worst part of the process. “And anyway, you had other patients to worry about.”
“Not today, I don’t.”
Danae turned silent, focusing her powers on torturing me. Time passed by with excruciating slowness. It seemed like forever, but in reality, it only took about five minutes before she pulled away and most of my pain was gone. It would be a few hours more for her magic to finish its work and for me to be good as new.
“Is the family you were taking care of okay now?” I asked, putting my pants back on.
“Yes,” she said, settling into the chair next to me. “I couldn’t quite heal all the burns in time, but the scarring will be light. They’ve also found a new home close to downtown that they’re moving into tomorrow. People have been donating clothes and furniture to help them start over.”
I suspected we had our radio guy to thank for that. Hank gave the town a solidarity we wouldn’t otherwise have, and he’d probably put out a request for people to help. It wasn’t like it cost anyone money. All they had to do was loot stores or unoccupied houses to get things, though moving furniture would be a pain.
Conrad poked his head around the kitchen doorway. “Can I leave this stove on for a few minutes to get more warmth in here?”
“Yeah, sure,” I agreed, figuring Aidan would appreciate the extra heat as well. It would burn through more of my propane, but I’d started formulating a plan on how to obtain another tank. It would just require making a deal with the right person—and getting a lot of green dragon scales. Killing those rogues would be a good start.
Danae glanced toward the living room. “I’m surprised Aidan isn’t up.”
“Between his injured back and the cold, he’s pretty much in a coma state for the moment.” And he trusted me to watch over him while he slept. There was something nice about knowing a dragon had full faith in my willingness to protect him while he was vulnerable, despite me being a slayer.
Her brows furrowed. “I could take a look at him if you want.”
“Do you still have enough energy left?” I asked.
She made a dismissive gesture. “Your leg was easy, and he’s probably half-healed already, too.”
Conrad came in carrying steaming coffee mugs for us. Danae and I took ours, sipping at their soothing goodness. He stared down at me. “So I’m guessin’ since nobody has seen the rogues for a couple of days that you killed them?”
“Unfortunately, no.” I shook my head. “They kicked our asses and then ran when reinforcements showed up. We did wound them pretty badly though, so maybe they’re recovering from that.”
He sighed. “Damn. I’d hoped you got them.”
Surprise flickered in Danae’s gaze. “They were so tough that you and Aidan couldn’t take them down together?”
“They were huge, and the strongest dragons I’ve ever fought.” I frowned. “It’s going to take more than two of us if we want to kill them.”
She grimaced. “That’s not good.”
“No, it isn’t.”
Conrad headed back for the kitchen, returning a moment later with a bowl of oatmeal for me and an apple. Aidan kept our home stocked with all kinds of food from the fortress, so I didn’t have to forage for supplies that much anymore. From what I understood, they had greenhouses where they could grow enough fruits and vegetables to provide for most of their clan through the winter. Aidan still hunted a couple of times a week so we could have fresh meat, though. I was almost certain I’d gained a few pounds since we started living together because he kept me a little too well fed.
“Thanks,” I said to Conrad. “You didn’t have to get me breakfast, too.”
He settled into a chair on the opposite side of the table from us and cradled his coffee mug. “I might have eaten some of those rolls you had in there.” He shrugged. “I figured the least I could do was bring you breakfast. But damn, those rolls are good.”
“I keep telling Aidan we should steal Kayla from the fortress and have her live here so she can make them for us every day.” She was a teenage human girl who’d been living with the shifters for a few years since accidentally crossing into Kederrawien. Occasionally she did some spying for Aidan, but her primary job was in the castle kitchens. No one could make sweeter rolls than her. She’d dropped by yesterday to bring us a fresh batch since she’d heard we were stuck home recovering.
