When Declan glanced back up, two more soldiers had taken that one's place. He huffed out his nostrils. They wouldn't last long like this. Either of them. He glanced down, seeing that Alexia had managed to wrestle free of Lotharus's hold. His eyes zeroed in on the crystal, the staff, and a bubble of frustration rose up inside him. It was as if he knew what they had to do, as if he had the answer buried inside him but couldn't bring it to the surface.
"Declan, look out!" At Alexia's warning, his gaze frantically scoured the ground below him and the balconies at eye level.
Too late.
A brilliant glint of metal caught his eye. Declan turned his head, cursing when he realized that not one but a volley of silver arrows were bearing down on him. Fast. Before he could pivot, the first one struck his shoulder. Another slammed into his collarbone and a third appeared poised to strike him between the eyes.
Declan roared, absorbing the blistering pain from the first two arrows, and prepared to roll to the side in a last-ditch attempt to escape the final one. Knowing the instant his wings faltered in their arcing sweep that he wouldn't be able to escape the blow entirely. Gods be damned! He'd been too caught up in his thoughts, he'd let his concentration waver from the fight. A mistake, he realized, which might prove fatal.
Life turned into a series of seconds. Everything happened in an eerie sort of slow motion: his wing slipping, keeping him in place instead of pulling him to safety. His heartbeat thudding behind his ribs. The arrow inching closer, so close he could see a fine crack in its brilliant surface. His name screamed from Alexia's lips, echoing in his ears.
A gunshot blasted from his right, snapping everything back to real time.
Great, now I'm going to be skewered and shot.
However, the bullet never hit him. Neither did the arrow. Instead, seconds before the arrow would have struck his face, a bullet slammed into the side of the arrow, sending it flying off course. It lodged in the stone wall to his left with a thud.
Panting at the near miss, Declan rolled his head to the right.
A figure, clad in black from head to toe, stood in one of the upper balconies. Tendrils of smoke curled out of the barrel of a gun still pointed at Declan, shrouding the person from view. Slowly, the gunman lowered his arm. He had shoulder-length black hair and a goatee. However, Declan did not recognize him, and he'd definitely never fought him before. It wasn't until the gunman flashed his fangs in a smirk that Declan realized a vampire had just saved his life.
"Watch your ass, Derkein, or there will be no one to watch hers," he said, giving an abrupt nod downward.
Declan sucked in a breath and shot his gaze below. Alexia still fought Lotharus, still managed to keep him at bay. Assured of her temporary safety, Declan looked back to the vampire, wanting to ask why he had saved him, who he was, what he wanted. But he was gone. Vanished. "Declan!"
Alexia's cry brought his attention back to the fight. However, instead of a crushing sense of certain failure, Declan saw in a brief flash of clarity how they could win.
"Alex, do you trust me?"
Alexia pinched her eyes and focused on speaking to him with her mind. "You know I do."
His smile beamed through her like sunshine. "Good girl. Now, when I give the signal, do exactly as I say."
She frowned, but did not argue. She didn't have time.
"You should have just stayed dead." Lotharus's hands clamped down on her shoulders, hauling her to him. "A woman's place is not in the seat of power. Just ask your dearly departed mother."
Something primal and raw inside her sparked at his words. Something she'd never felt before. Ash coated her tongue and the walls of her throat thickened and warmed. Waves of energy pulsed out of her, through her, around her. She drew it in. A fist crashed against her nose, but she didn't feel it. Another slammed her ear. However, it was Lotharus's howl of pain that she heard.
She dodged the swipe of his staff with an ease that surprised even her. And when he released a frustrated bellow and tried to hit her again, she caught the wood stick in her hands.
Lotharus's mouth opened, but no words came. His face grimaced, twisting in pain as she wrenched his arm back and kicked him with such force he burst through the cavern wall, spilling onto the sandy beach outside.
Alexia curled her fingers around the staff and stepped out after him. A rush of salty ocean air shot over her, and the heels of her boots dug into the sand with each step she took. When she rounded the cavern, her gaze immediately shot to her left. The first fingers of dawn's light traced the sky over the horizon.
Minutes. They had minutes before the sun came up, scorching them all to dust. Lotharus sensed it, too. Frantic, his dark eyes scoured the beach for aid. A shifted Declan stepped through the hole in the cliff wall. His bare chest was riddled with cuts and bruises. By the looks of it, he had laid waste to most of the soldiers. The few others who remained stood on the beach, their gazes on the crystal in Alexia's possession.
Lotharus scurried to his feet, clutching only the hem of his black robe in his hands. "What are you all standing there for? Kill them," he shouted. When the soldiers didn't move, Lotharus shot eyes filled with dread of the approaching daylight to Declan. "You. Dragon lord. Stop her," he pleaded, actually dropping to his knees in front of him. "Stop her and I'll give you anything you desire."
"I don't think so, you son of a bitch." Declan bent down, hauling Lotharus up by the front of his coat. "You tortured me and raped Alexia. You're done."
With a growl, he tossed the ancient against the rocky cliff.
"Alex," Declan shouted. "Shove it in his heart. Now!"
At his call, Alexia snapped the staff over her knee. Grabbing the baseball-size stone, she tore it free from its mount. The crystal warmed in her palm and Alexia got the distinct feeling the rock wanted the fate she was about to hand it.
She stepped up to Lotharus, hatred surging in her veins as for once she looked into his petrified eyes instead of the other way around. "You want power? Take it," she said, jabbing her fist into his chest as hard as she could. Lotharus's perplexed look was the last thing she saw before an unseen force slammed her backward, leaving the crystal embedded in his heart. Lotharus's black eyes widened, his hands closing over the wound. Bright and pulsing light strobed out of the hole in his chest, threading between his fingers.
Large hands covered her shoulders from behind. Alexia allowed them to guide her behind a boulder and force her to the ground. Declan's strong arms shielded her head in a canopy.
A heartbeat later, blinding white light ate up her vision. A jet of heat blasted hard against them. Declan tightened his body against her, pressing them against the rock wall as Lotharus's scream pierced her ears. She covered them, keeping her hands over them until the cloud of energy ebbed and settled.
Breathing hard, Alexia lifted her head, peeking over the rock. Sparking embers, charred ash and a glowing red ring were all that remained of Lotharus. Releasing a shaky breath, she swept her gaze around. Soldiers lay sprawled on the ground beside them like broken dolls. Brilliant shards of glass, the remnants of the crystal, coated their bodies and sprinkled the sand. Each piece flickered, catching the bright rays of the early morning light.
"Are you okay?" Declan panted in her ear.
Light.
Alexia looked toward the ocean and froze, unable to speak. The sun, the bright ginger sun, danced in front of her vision, blanketing the sea in intense orange, purples and reds. Its radiance and heat hit her like a wave. Pure and absolute warmth such as she'd never felt before flooded her skin.
She swallowed, waiting for the incredible burn to tear through her body before she, too, disappeared in a breath of ash like Lotharus. She supposed if she had to see anything before she died, the majestic beauty of the sunrise over her ocean home wasn't the worst thing she could imagine.
"Alex." Declan's voice sounded like it came from underwater or miles off. It must already be happening. Slamming her eyes closed, she burrowed into his chest, trying t
o hide from the fate sliding over her skin with each passing second.
Strong hands forced her head up, tilting her face toward him. At the sight of him, a pang of longing ripped through her. "I love you," she breathed, twining his arms around her neck and holding him tight. His arms met her, a hand coming to palm the back of her head, the other on her lower back.
"I love you, too, Alexia."
The panic of impending death fled from her soul the minute he whispered those words against her ear. She closed her eyes.
At least they died having tasted hope.
Her memory recalled that random thought from the day she'd met Declan, and a smile spread across her tear-coated lips. She'd tasted hope, tasted love, and that was all she'd ever wanted, even though she'd like to hold on to all of it a bit longer.
"Alex, you're choking me," Declan said with a laugh, unwrapping himself from her embrace. When she frantically tried to keep him in her arms, he cupped her cheeks, his eyes locking on hers with blazing intensity. "What is it, what's wrong?"
She nodded toward the water. "The sun," she said in a low voice, as if, if the star heard her, it would find her and strike her down.
Declan's expression knotted in confusion before it relaxed in understanding. Taking her hand in his, he brought her fingers to his lips, kissing the tip of each one. The motion drew her gaze. He'd reached her pinky before she noticed delicate fingernails had taken the place of her black claws.
"But..." She lifted her gaze to his.
"You're changing," he said. "Remember?"
The truth settled over her, hazy at first and then purging in its clarity. Of course. That's why Declan hadn't seemed concerned that they were outside the catacombs at sunrise. He'd known.
A smile tweaked her lips and she blinked in wonderment. The sun had risen in the sky, its heat coated her face in a warm glow she'd only read about. So bright she had to squint to see Declan's face clearly. It was full of concern and love and completely covered in filth. A laugh tickled her throat, but she contained it to a smile. His lips mimicked hers before he swooped, covering her mouth with his. She opened unquestionably for him and his tongue ran along her lip and then deeper. Moaning into his mouth, she ran her hands under his arms to clutch his wide back, pressing him closer against her. Although she never wanted to let him go, Alexia slowly pulled back.
Again the warmth of the sun washed over her. A soft wind rolled off the ocean, breathing over her kiss-dampened lips. She licked them, tasting the sweet salt air on her tongue. The primitive sensations pulled her back to reality. Forced her to face how very much her life had changed in just the few short hours since she'd left Declan's bed. In truth, Alexia couldn't believe she was still alive. Realizing others had not been so fortunate, she bit her lip and looked up at Declan.
"Lotharus?" she asked.
"Gone," he replied, nodding his head toward the cliff where they had last seen him.
Alexia tilted her head, finally truly taking in the site, the brevity of what had happened. "How did you know to destroy the crystal that way?" Eyes still fixed on the spot, Alexia moved to stand.
"Doc," he said, taking her by the arm and helping her up. "She said the crystal had the power to rule all or destroy one. We always took that to mean races. However, as I watched Lotharus fight, I realized the crystal gave one person the power to rule and held the power to destroy the ruler."
She nodded at the logic, but couldn't stop a questioning frown from tensing her brow. "But you carried the crystal inside you and didn't implode."
Declan smiled, placing his hands on her rib cage as he helped her maneuver down the bank of sand. "Alone, the crystal was a worthless paperweight. He needed it to harness your power, your mother's power. Lotharus could only hold on to them for so long without it."
Alexia stared at the blanket of ash on the sand. That was all that was left of Lotharus and the horrible yoke he'd put on her and her mother. Bending, she picked up the heavy garnet ring. The one Lotharus always wore on his forefinger. Something caught her eye as she moved to stow it in her pocket. Alexia held the ring up, noticing two capital S's had been carved in delicate script into the stone. They flowed with almost serpentine curves, the tail end of each letter coiling around the other. She frowned. Certain she'd seen such lettering before, but unsure where or what it meant.
"Like a perfume, the power Lotharus absorbed would leak and evaporate until none of it remained with him," Declan continued. "But with the crystal, he could channel and control the power indefinitely."
Alexia pressed the ring into a fold in her sweater and smiled up at Declan. "Okay, well, what about the whole dragons aren't allergic to the sun thing?" she joked. "When were you planning on telling me about that?"
Declan turned and Alexia's heart expanded painfully in her chest at the handsome smile that crossed his face.
"In my defense, there wasn't a lot of time."
"You could have warned me," she said, reaching out and pinching him. "I thought I was dying."
"I'm sorry," he said with a laugh, dodging her next attempt to squeeze him. Instead, warm arms encircled her, one cupping her under the knee and another around her back. He lifted her as if she were a feather, tucking her against his chest. "But I promise to spend all night making it up to you."
His blue eyes settled on her with an intense force she had already learned to recognize, but wasn't sure she'd ever get used to. Desire, heavy and raw, wrapped around her in a silken ribbon and she was glad he held her, for she was certain she couldn't have stood on her own. Then a wicked smile curved his lips and he bent his forehead to hers.
"So, don't you have something you're supposed to tell me?"
Alexia felt a beaming smile pass her lips and she tightened her arms around his neck. An urge to tease him reared its head, but quickly vanished. Instead, she tipped her lips to his ear. "I love you, too, Declan Black," she whispered.
The hands on her waist and legs tightened and she heard his smile in his low voice. "Does that mean you are ready to be my mate, my love, my Queen?"
Alexia leaned back to look at him, but before she could reply, his final word sunk in.
Queen.
"Declan." She grasped his face, forcing him to look at her. "I don't think I can be your Queen."
"Why not?"
She tried to keep back her smile. "I know this is going to sound crazy, but I think your parents are still alive. And I think I know how to find them."
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
DECLAN RELEASED HIS hold of Alexia at the mouth of the cavern, shifting back into his human form. His eyes quickly scanned her body, gauging her state of well-being.
"I'm fine," she said with a smile.
The stones shifted, undulating in that familiar rolling pattern until an opening formed. As he watched them move, his thoughts strayed to what Alexia had told him on the beach. How she believed her mother had not murdered the King and Queen, but hid them away on an island that until now he'd believed to exist only in myth. Declan struggled to wrap his mind around the idea his parents might not be lost to him. That he may one day walk through these doors and see their smiling faces again.
Instead, someone who looked a little like both his parents emerged from behind the wall the moment it opened.
"Tallon," he breathed.
Rushing forward, he took her in his arms. Gods, he couldn't remember the last time he'd hugged her, truly showed her affection. By her shocked gasp and hesitancy to embrace him back, it had been much too long. But her arms did come around him, and the instant he felt her squeeze him tight, he knew they would be able to cross whatever distance had spread between them the past days.
When he leaned back, Tallon's delicate face lit up in a genuine smile. One that he noticed faded the moment she looked over his shoulder and saw Alex.
"What is she doing here?"
ALEXIA LOOKED FROM T ALLON to Declan, hoping to convey the thoughts and ideas running through her mind to him effectively. When he smiled and n
odded, Alexia turned toward his sister. Tallon's dainty brows drew together as she neared. She scrutinized Alexia from the toes up, taking in each bloody mark, each wound on her battle-weary body. Then she fixed her eyes on Alexia's and her jaw dropped.
"What the hell is going on?" She turned to Declan. "How is she one of us?"
"Tallon." Alexia closed the distance between them. "I have a gift for you. One I hope will perhaps one day mend the gap between us."
Tallon shifted uncomfortably, her eyes guarded. As if dealing with a skittish animal, Alexia used slow movements to remove a soiled scrap of paper from inside her boot. Holding it flat in her outstretched palm, she offered it to Tallon. However, she only stared at it.
"Take it, Tal."
At her brother's prod, she grasped the parchment.
"Do you know of Dragon Island?" Alexia asked as Tallon unfolded the paper.
"The one off New Zealand?"
"No. The one beyond the Fatum, shrouded in Myst and protected by the Goddess. The one only visible to vampires." Alexia paused for a heartbeat, a smile turning up her lips. "It's the place I believe your parents are hidden."
Tallon's pink eyes widened. "What?" she breathed, twisting and inspecting the paper in her hands for some kind of answer or clue before shooting her gaze to her brother. "What is she talking about?"
When Declan walked forward, Alexia took a few steps back to give them space. "Tal, Alexia thinks they are still alive."
"How? I mean, this doesn't make any sense. Why would they keep them alive? Why go through all the trouble to hide them?"
Declan stepped up, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Right now, I don't care about any of that. I just want you to find out if it's true or not."
Tallon sucked in a breath. "Me?"
"Yes, you." He motioned to the three of them. "We are the only dragons who can find that island, Tal, the only ones with vampire blood in our veins. As compelled as I am to go, I cannot bear to wait until I am strong enough for the journey. And Alexia cannot shift yet." He sighed. "It's up to you to find them."
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