by Brenda Trim
She had no idea who it was, but adjusted her course to help the fallen Máahes. No way was she letting a dragon die if she could help it. A hot hand gripped her upper arm, stopping her. “Oh, no, you don’t. The others will help him. Our only mission is to get to your mate.”
“Shit,” she cursed. “You’re right.” It was hard to turn her back on a fellow warrior in need, but she had to save Kyran.
Rhett ran behind one of the small buildings and crouched beneath an open window. He placed a finger over his mouth then motioned for her to stay put. He stood up with raised hands and two scalding streams of fire left his hands. She watched the skin of his arms glow brightly and realized the luminescent quality to his skin was caused by the fire flowing through his veins. She wondered if he bled fire or blood.
A charred body sailed through the window and began rolling around on the ground. When she stood up she looked through the window and saw they had been next to a house that was now being decimated by fire.
A large, green hand reached for her, but thankfully, that vamp-blood had her moving faster than normal. She ducked the appendage and swung one of her swords upward while she swung the other low. She sliced into a forearm as well as a leg. It didn’t stop the ogre so she kept hacking at the legs. If she could get the thing on the ground then she could take care of it.
She danced around, confusing the simple beast. Eventually, she managed to get behind it and cut through the hamstrings and it hit the ground. She took stock of what was around her so she wasn’t caught off guard. She was surrounded by dragons engaging Buggane and Rhett was fighting two ogres not far away. She bent over the creature that had turned to its back and plunged her sword into its neck. Green blood spurted out and splashed her boots.
She snarled and brought her weapon down again and again until the head rolled away from the body. Panting, she glanced around, hoping she didn’t have to do that again. She was covered in gore and it was burning her skin. She headed toward Rhett when she realized that he was struggling. The noise of metal clanging metal allowed her to sneak up on one of the ogres facing Rhett. Pulling her signature move, she sliced its hamstrings and nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard Nate bellow her name in her head.
She spun around and crouched, expecting the Buggane trying to sneak up on her. She watched as Nate dropped down, startling the ogre. The dragon lifted the biggest battle axe she ever seen and smashed it over the ogre’s head. The axe went through the body, splitting it down the middle. Green blood and organs showered her and the ground around her. She heard the sizzle as the liquid hit the dirt and her body. She stifled her scream as pain seared her skin.
“Thanks, I owe you one,” she muttered through gritted teeth.
“No problem. Now, watch that pretty head of yours,” his reply echoed in her mind before he turned lightly on large talons to obliterate another Buggane. Rhett was at her side urging her on while Nate fought.
They ran and made their way around houses and carnage. They hid behind a building closest to the fortress when she realized she hadn’t even looked for keys yet. “I don’t have keys. Did you get any?”
“No. I haven’t seen any. We will likely find them on a guard inside. I’ll go in before you,” he instructed and grabbed two weapons from his belt.
“Aren’t you using your flame?”
“Not this time. We can’t risk me setting the place on fire. We need to have enough time to find Kyran and get out.”
She sighed. This was going to be much harder than she expected. She had seen how effective his flames were against these things. “Get on your knees and pray to your Gods. We’re going to need a miracle. These fuckers are like roaches,” she vented, running her hand through her hair. When she didn’t feel the strands fall back into her face she realized that she had smeared blood and guts through it…so disgusting.
She missed her skirm. They were so clean to fight. She plunged her blade into their hearts and poof, they turned to ash. Nothing on this planet was clean. The spiders and blood and guts and gore made her need a shower every five seconds. She was never taking her easy battles for granted again.
He chuckled and wiped her cheek. “You’re our miracle, Sunshine. Don’t worry, I’ll be at your front this time,” he promised, wiping his hand on his leather pants.
She retrieved the swords she had sheathed as they ran. “Let’s go in quiet as possible. While I don’t mind killing, I don’t want the entire fortress coming down on our heads. The faster we get this done, the faster we are home.”
“Don’t forget we need keys.” Rhett inched his way down the wall to the door. He paused for a second before he slipped inside. She took a deep breath and followed. Once the door shut behind her, she placed a wall at her back and looked around. She saw Rhett waiting for her at the end of the short hall, motioning her forward. She made her way to his side, hoping she wasn’t as loud as she feared. Between her breathing and her shoes, she was sure she was announcing their presence through a loud speaker.
“We need to go to the left, deeper into Unut’s bowels. They will keep their prisoners in the middle, well-guarded,” he whispered in her ear.
“Of course he’d be in the middle of this hell-hole,” she muttered under her breath. Her grip was slick with sweat and she had to rub her hands against her pants. She glanced down and realized that another shirt was ruined. And, didn’t that piss her off even more. It was the first shirt anyone had given her and she appreciated that more than anything, especially since it fit her personality so well.
They turned left and had gone fifteen feet before Rhett yanked her into an alcove, flattening them into the shadows. It was a tight fit and she held her breath while four guards ran past and headed outside to join the fight. Rhett stuck his head out and nodded the all-clear. They went down one hall then another and before long she had no idea which way was up. She was grateful he was with her because she never would have known where to go on her own.
She stood on tiptoes and leaned in close when he paused at a crossroads. “Do you know where to go next?” she asked in a whisper.
“No,” he responded, making her mouth drop open. They were fucked. “But, I’m following Kyran’s scent, so I’m fairly sure we are going in the right direction,” he finished.
Her gut clenched and her urgency drove her on. They had to reach Kyran before it was too late. They went down several more halls and were forced to hide numerous times before they finally made it to the cells. They would not have made it unscathed if the Buggane hadn’t been responding to the battle raging outside and she was thankful the dragons were providing the distraction they needed.
She peered around Rhett’s shoulders and saw five ogres surrounding something in the center of the cells. The sound of flesh striking flesh echoed throughout the room and she hated the thought that they might be beating Kyran. Several prisoners rattled their cell doors and she noticed creatures she’d never seen before. She examined the doors and searched for a lock. She didn’t see one, but she did see those same runes carved into them.
She tapped Rhett’s shoulder and mouthed “There’s no lock,” to him. He nodded and pointed to the group at the end. He rushed forward and had a head rolling her way before the others even caught on. She followed behind him and jumped up, crossing her swords behind the neck of another. She brought them together with all her strength and was shocked when the head fell forward with her. She didn’t think but swiped low at a second and felt heat next to her. She stepped on the body of the one she’d killed and silver flashed in the candle light as she sliced her weapon through the neck of another. The head hung to the side, connected to the body by a single tendon, and the huge form dropped to the floor.
She ignored that, spinning in a circle to see that Rhett had the other two incapacitated. She glanced at the altar in the center of the room and cried out as she rushed to Kyran’s side. His face was a bloody mess and one eye was swollen completely shut. She knew the moment he recognized her because his other e
ye turned black and he roared, “Naaaaay!”
She slapped her hand over his mouth and leaned into his ear. “Stop it or you will bring them all down on us, dammit. We’re here to get you and the dragons’ distraction won’t last forever. You have lost too much blood,” she observed as she saw the liquid pooled on the ground. “Feed from me while I try and get these manacles off you.”
“I willna be gentle right now. I can wait,” he said in a hoarse voice
“No, you won’t wait. You are a mess and I refuse to carry your ass. You have to be able to walk on your own. I don’t give a shit if you chew through my wrist. I am getting you out of here.” She glared at him, telling him this wasn’t up for debate.
“You are a pain in the arse,” he grumbled, watching her closely.
“So I’ve been told, blood-sucker,” she smirked. “Here, be quick about it. We need to leave.” She placed her left wrist at his mouth and waited until he bared his fangs and sank them into her flesh. He was fast to capitulate, and shit, he hadn’t been kidding about not being gentle. The other times he had fed from her the experience had been orgasmic. This time, he was brutal and she felt his desperation and it was nothing short of agonizing.
She forced back the pain and focused on the cuffs surrounding his wrists. Tracing the runes with her finger, she felt for the signature of the spell. It took several tries before she was able to focus enough to catch the trail. In the end, it took her being consumed with the need to release her mate that was the key. She traced the runes in order of intensity and finally the left cuff popped open. She immediately went to work on the right. As soon as the right was unlocked, Kyran licked her wrist, sealing the incisions and she helped him sit up.
“How the hell did you do that?” he asked, confusion clear in his voice.
“I’m not exactly sure. Apparently, you were right and I’m special,” she shrugged.
“How did you know what to do? The dragons?”
“Legette agreed with you that our mating changed me, but they didn’t give me instruction. They brought me here hoping I could help, but in reality, I have no idea what I’m doing.”
He glanced over and watched Rhett fight the two ogres and then looked back at her. “The dragons are helping you?” She knew he must have a thousand questions and might even disagree with her methods, but they didn’t have time to debate this right now. They needed to be on the move.
“We can discuss this when we get back to Tatenen. Let me get these off your ankles.”
It was much easier for her to release the locks around his ankles and they were both making their way to the exit when Kyran took one of her swords and turned back to Rhett’s side. She watched as two heads hit the ground in what had to be record time. Kyran was a lethal killing machine.
“Okay, that was hot as hell, but try to rein your shit in. We aren’t here to fight all these assholes. We are going to slip out of here unnoticed and run for the jungle like our lives depend on it…because, news flash, Kyran, they do. We have bigger fish to fry once we are out of here.”
“Have you seen Akilam?” Rhett asked Kyran.
“No’ since he locked me to that table. He left those idiots to beat answers oot of me while he ran off with the rest. I didna know it was because the dragons were attacking.”
“Talk later. Move now,” she shook her head and took off down the hall, muttering, “and they say women talk a lot.”
She heard Rhett chuckle and tell Kyran, “I like your mate, she’s spirited.”
“Aye, she is,” Kyran replied. Rhett passed her and quickly led the way to the door they had entered the fortress through. Kyran wrapped his arm around her waist and looked to Rhett. “I am going to sift us to the jungle. Grab hold of my shoulder as soon as we are ootside and close your eyes. Which direction are we going?”
“To the west. What is sifting?”
Mack smiled at the fire demon. “Kyran can move from one place to another with a thought. It’s like a roller coaster ride, you’ll love it. And, don’t listen to him, keep your eyes open.”
“You’re cruel, Firecracker,” Kyran told her and kissed her hard and fast before he opened the door and stepped into the fading sun. She laughed out loud as they began traveling, Rhett cursing her the entire way.
CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT
Kyran sifted to the middle of the Goddess-forsaken Buggane city and paused while the fire demon hurled. Rhett was lucky he didn’t vomit while they sifted or he’d be missing some teeth right about now. He glanced around and amongst the rudimentary stone houses he saw dragons fighting the large ogres. It was a vision of violence and mayhem that tempted him to join. The clash of green skin against slate scales followed by sprays of green and red blood was shocking because this was all in the effort of rescuing him. He was somehow very important to the dragons which made him wary. Because Mackendra was unharmed, he would give them the benefit of the doubt.
“There’s Nate,” Mackendra told him, pointing to a dragon that was perched on top of a house and bellowing fire at the ogres around him.
“We doona have time for this. We need to go. You done?” he asked Rhett, who looked up and glared at him. Kyran chuckled, his mate had a twisted sense of humor telling the male to keep his eyes open and he loved it.
Mackendra ignored him and called out, “Nate, Nate, it’s Mack! We got him!” Nate must have heard her because he turned his head and nodded.
As Kyran sifted, taking them over the wall and into the safety of the trees, two things happened. First, a burst of power shot out from the fortress and plants erupted from the ground and came to life, snapping their huge jaws. And second, a dragon was suddenly shouting in his mind. Hearing Nate broadcast that the Nightwalker was freed and all Máahes needed to retreat was so disorienting that Kyran nearly lost his concentration. Only centuries of his brothers and sister communicating directly in his mind during battles, kept him on track. The last thing he needed was to smack into a tree with his body already so battered and bruised.
He dodged the giant plants with several more jumps and led them further into the jungle. Mackendra wrapped her arm around Rhett’s waist to support the demon and Kyran found himself growling his displeasure. She glanced his way and narrowed her eyes. “Don’t growl at me, leech. It’s my fault he’s sick and can barely stand up.”
“You can let me go,” the demon told his mate. “You are a mean, mean female. ‘Keep your eyes open’,” he mocked in a falsetto.
“I thought you liked adventure, Mr. Fun. It took me some getting used to, but there is no thrill like traveling with Kyran.”
Kyran had no idea what had occurred between these two, but it was obvious that they’d gotten to know one another rather well. In a short span of time, his mate had befriended a fire demon, walked into a den of dragons and convinced a cadre of those dragons to go on a suicide mission to rescue him from the clutches of their sworn enemy. He’d never been more turned on by a female in his life and this female was his.
“What deal did you make with the Cuelebre to save me?”
“They were coming after you, regardless of me, but I got them to agree not to kill you if I helped. Don’t look at me like that. They wouldn’t have been able to save you without me and Rhett was there to protect me.” Her last words were muffled against his chest as he grabbed her and pulled her against him, smashing her face into his torso. He held her tight for several seconds.
He’d never forget his panic for her safety when he came to. Last thing he recalled was being thrown into a tree and blacking out. Next thing he knew, he woke up as he was being carted through the jungle by the ogres. He’d had no idea what had happened to Mackendra. An overwhelming fear that she had been killed nearly incapacitated him until he realized that he could feel her through their bond. Her anxiety and determination had come through to him clear as a bell and her soul had provided comfort when the torture began.
“Doona ever put yourself at risk like that again, mate, or I will use one of my canes on yo
u,” he promised looking down on her.
“You’re cute in that delusional world of yours,” she indulged, patting his cheek sweetly. “By the way, your beard is verging on mountain-man territory, but you’re still sexy. Now, let’s get to Tatenen, shall we?”
“I am not traveling with you lot anymore. I’ll go on foot and see you next year,” Rhett declined.
“Don’t be a baby. Close your eyes this time and it will be fine. I need you there, Match.”
Kyran looked at her and raised an eyebrow. She needed him? Apparently, his mate had gotten very close to this male. Her gorgeous whiskey eyes narrowed on him again. “Stop it. You sound like an angry animal.”
“I am an angry animal, mate. You are mine, Mackendra. Perhaps you need a reminder?” He watched her pupils dilate and that tongue she enjoyed tormenting him with snaked out and ran along her full, bottom lip. He was a breath away from taking her right then and there. The possessive beast that lived in his soul wanted what was his.
“I am yours, but I wouldn’t be standing here without him, Kyran,” she soothed, running her hand over his chest.
He ignored the erection fighting for freedom and addressed the fire demon. “You’re coming. Let’s move. The dragons have passed overhead. I doona want to be in this area when those ogres come searching.”
“Fine, but I’m going to let the vomit fly this time,” Rhett warned.
Kyran grabbed hold of his mate and Rhett and took off. They stopped and Mackendra screamed at him to continue. He glanced over and saw that redcaps were running toward them. He didn’t give the fiends a chance to reach them before he blasted to the next stop and kept going until he reached a familiar area. They were close to Nate’s house now and he knew exactly where they were going.
