by ML Guida
She snaked her hands up his chest and held onto him, exploring his mouth. ’Twas tangy from the blood, but the taste was still William. Her dragon.
“’Tis not desire that binds us,” he murmured. He trailed kisses down her neck to the valley between her breasts. “Answer me.”
The words to tell him she loved him were on the tip of her tongue. She wanted to profess the same words for him. But her pride prevented her from spilling her heart. She couldn’t handle rejection. Not now. Her determination to save the crew would waver. “I…I…”
“You what?”
Footsteps pounded down the corridor. William grabbed Mariah’s arm and thrust her behind him. She licked her lips, tasting his essence, and her skin was chaffed where he had kissed her.
Doc burst into the brig. “Da cap’n has done ordered da crew to go ashore an’ done left me to guard ye both.”
William crossed his arms. “To guard us?”
“Aye, I swore dat if either of ye tried to escape, I’d kill ye.”
William slumped. “He wants us both dead?”
“He’s gone mad with hate, and grief. I’ve never seen him like dis. I fear he’ll lead da crew to their deaths.” He grabbed the key off the wall. “Witch, you said you could help us.”
Mariah studied Doc. “You believe me?”
“I donna know.” Doc inserted the key and unlock the cell. “I do know dat da cap’n is not himself. He took Cap’n Knight with him.” He swung open the door.
William rubbed the back of his neck. “The fool. Natasa is a lying bitch.” He seized Mariah’s hand and hurried her out of the cell. “Thank you, Doc.”
“Donna make me regret dis.” Doc shut the door and leaned against it. “Now what do we do?”
“We stop the cap’n from killing himself.” Ronan stepped out of the shadows and held Mariah’s gaze.
Desire shone in his eyes. “I told you I’d return. I’ll always return for you.”
William peeled backed his lips, and the warning wolf growl had returned. She couldn’t take another fight between them and squeezed his hand, trying to calm his anger.
Doc stepped in between the two men and held up his palms. “We done have no time for ye two bucks to fight over da lass.”
Mariah held out her palm. “William, give me Lark’s wand.”
William glanced down at her. “His wand?”
“I can’t use mine. There’s a chance I can channel his.” Pain surged through her neck, cutting off her air, and she cried out. Black dots swam in front of her eyes, and dizziness gripped her.
“No, you can’t.” William drew her to his chest. “It would be folly.” He kissed the top of her head. “Stop it, Mariah. You can’t use magic.”
Mariah fought through the pain and whispered, “You can. Call…forth…the…dragon.”
Blinding pain tore into her neck as if someone ripped off her flesh. Cruel laughter rang in her ears—her brother’s laughter. She tried to scream, but her voice was cut short. Air was robbed from her lungs, and her eyes fluttered shut.
William held Mariah’s limp body in his arms. “Doc, help her.”
Doc put his hand on her forehead. “She’s done got a fever. Take her to da crew’s quarters.”
William rushed into the crew’s quarters and carefully laid Mariah on the nearest hammock. Ronan and Doc stood on either side. Her face paled, and her lips turned blue.
“Let me see her, William.” Doc opened one of Mariah’s eyes. “She’s unconscious.” He placed his hand over her mouth. “Her breath’s shallow…too shallow.” He laid his head on her chest. “Heartbeat is faint. I donna understand.”
“Do something, Doc,” Ronan demanded.
Doc shook his head. “I donna know what to do. What’s wrong with her?”
William ran his hand through his hair. It was happening again. He was losing the woman he loved. He clenched his fists and paced back and forth, not sure what to do, powerless to stop her death.
“William,” Drakon said. “I know how to save her. But you must trust me.”
Ronan shoved William. “You eejit. ’Tis the yari. It will kill her if we donna do something to stop it. I saw what it did to Lark.”
Drakon roared inside William’s skull. “Use the wand, blighter”.
William winced. He was torn, unsure on what to do. “How will a wand help? Magic will kill her.”
“Use Lark’s wand,” Drakon repeated. “Combine with our power. Do it. She’s dying.”
His commanding voice sunk into William. He was being given a choice to save Mariah, a choice he’d never had with Sharon. He prayed Drakon was right and pulled out Lark’s wand.
Doc frowned. “What are you doing lad?”
“You buffoon.” Ronan grabbed William’s arm and wrestled for the wand. “You’ll kill her.”
“Trust me,” Drakon urged.
William drew on Drakon’s strength and flung Ronan off him. “I call forth the dragon’s magic.”
Blood quickened in his veins, his heart pumped faster and faster, and tingles raced over his skin as if lightning had clashed overhead. Power surged through him. The wand trembled in his hand, and a beam of light streamed out of it. The beam surrounded Mariah, bathing her in a soft white light. Her eyes flew open, and she arched her back, screaming.
“Mariah.” Ronan lunged for William and grabbed his arm. “You’re killin’ her!” He jerked his hand away and cried out. The stench of burned flesh filled the quarters. White smoke swirled around his hands. He curled his fist and swung.
Doc grabbed Ronan’s arm. “Do you have a death wish?”
“She’s in pain, Doc. I canna bear it.” He struggled, and Doc pulled him away.
Tears streamed down William’s face and he lowered the wand.
“No! Keep it up,” Drakon demanded.
William tottered, and ignoring Mariah’s cries, he bit back his fear and clasped the wand tight. What if Mariah and Drakon were wrong and he was killing her?
“Say it,” Drakon said.
“I love you, Mariah,” William murmured, not loud enough to drown out her screams or Ronan’s swearing.
Convulsions shook William, and waves upon waves of power surged through him, pulsing through his body. He opened his mouth and white light burst through and streamed toward Mariah’s neck. A loud crack rang in his ears.
The white light vanished, and William collapsed onto the floor. The room fell quiet, except for the creak from the swaying hammocks and his desperate pants to fill his burning lungs.
A soft sigh was music to his ears.
“William?”
He peered up through the strands of his hair, and Mariah smiled down at him from the hammock.
She stretched out her hand. “My dragon. You did it.” Pride echoed in her weary voice.
William didn’t know whether he should whoop with joy or sob with relief. He clasped her hand, and those three little words stuck in his closed throat.
Ronan’s eyes widened. “O’Brien.” Ronan pointed. “The yari, ’tis broken.”
William stumbled to his feet and helped Mariah out of the hammock. He pushed her dark hair. The yari slipped from her throat. Cracked diamonds fell off the silver band. Hand prints marred her flesh. “Your neck?”
“Black magic was choking me. You believed in me.”
He moved his head side to side. “No, I believed in us.”
“Are you well, Mariah?” Ronan’s eyes filled with concern.
She nodded. “Oui. We must get to the island.”
Dark circles were under Mariah’s eyes, and her color was still pale.
William kissed her hand. “You need to rest.” Fear made his voice shake.
“No, you do not understand. I had a vision while I was succumbing to the yari.”
Doc stared at her warily. “A vision?”
“Zuto. He wants us to come and speak with him.”
William couldn’t believe this was her plan—talk to Zuto?
“That bl
ack-hearted devil,” Ronan spat. “To murder us.”
“No.” She held each of their gaze. “He says we are right about Natasa. She lied to us.”
Doc smirked. “’Tis not a surprise.”
“You still do not understand. She lied about everything. Hannah’s not dead. Kane is bringing Knight to Natasa and she will have both father and daughter. She plans to take them both alive to Coaybay. He wants us to join forces.”
Ronan’s eyes blazed with cynicism. “What the bloody hell for?”
“To foil Natasa.”
William lifted her chin. “You trust him?”
She frowned. “No. But we have no choice. Kane and the crew are walking into a trap. Zuto showed me. We must get there now.”
William’s heartbeat turned sluggish and his gut dropped. He wanted to argue, but he knew Zuto. He’d shown Mariah what he wanted her to see. If they didn’t meet with him, it could mean his brother’s life.
Chapter 28
William stared at Mariah and couldn’t believe he’d heard the woman right. Had she gone daft? “You’re not serious!”
She braced his shoulders. “Oui, I am.”
Her defiant gaze and straight back dashed his hopes of dissuading the lass. He grounded his teeth. “I loathe Zuto. Thanks to that bastard, my brother’s cursed and doomed to be a vampire for eternity. Why the hell would I believe anything from his forked tongue?”
“We have little choice.” Mariah rubbed his tense arm. “You trusted me with Lark’s wand. Now, I am begging you to trust me with this. S’il vous plaît.”
He wanted to trust her, to believe in her. But the shrewd demon had led the crew down false paths before. Why would this be any different?
Doc frowned. “William, you can’t be serious thinkin’ of goin’ along with dis?”
Mariah stared at him with those doe eyes and she clasped his hand.
In William’s mind, Drakon paced back and forth.
“Trust in your power,” he said. “The demon does not understand true love. You must declare your love before you face him.”
William opened his eyes and squeezed Mariah’s hand. “We won’t know anything until we reach the island. Come on.”
Ronan rubbed his forehead. “Kane took all the long boats.”
“We don’t need long boats.” William slapped Ronan on the back. “We’ll fly.”
Ronan knotted his eyebrows. “Fly?”
William grinned. “By dragon.”
Mariah glanced up at the ceiling. “You mean ride on your back?”
He raised his eyebrow. “You’re not afraid, are you?”
“A little,” she said.
He raised her hand and kissed her knuckles. “You’re my life. I’d never drop you. You want me to go on this fool errand with you. Now you must believe in me.”
She trembled beneath his touch. ‘I do.”
“Grand,” he said. ‘So—”
She held up her palm. “Wait. I need to get some items.”
They quickly returned to the crew’s quarters. Mariah wasted no time adding items to her satchel.
Ronan looked at her bag suspiciously. “What’s in your bag?”
“Since we are going to face a demon, we’ll need charged stones.” She handed purple stones to Doc and Ronan. “William already has a one.”
William instinctively patted the jade stone around his neck. He was surprised it didn’t disappear when he changed into a dragon. But then again, it was charged by Morganna Fey, and knowing the crafty witch, she’d would have cast a spell to prevent it from vanishing like his clothes.
He gestured toward the door. “Very well then, let’s go.”
He gripped Mariah’s hand, and together, they walked up on deck with Ronan and Doc trailing behind, grumbling. They were going to face their greatest enemies, but he couldn’t help grinning at the unease emitting from the two vampire pirates, despite the throbbing of his bruised face.
William released Mariah’s hand and stepped away. He removed his clothes, handing them to Mariah who stuffed them into her bag. Ronan glowered, and William glared back. It wasn’t his fault dragons didn’t wear clothes.
He raised his head and lifted his arms toward the sky. “Dragon, come forth.”
Tingles rushed over him, and the hair rose on the back of his neck. Drakon roared. Heat swept over him, muscles rippled, and wings sprung out.
“I can’t believe how fast he can change,” Ronan murmured.
“’Tis because his power’s growing.” Mariah urged him closer. “Come on. We need to get on his back.”
Doc shook his head. “He isn’t strong enough to carry all of us.”
“Craven. I can change my size.”
“You can?”
“Watch.”
With that, William grew larger than he ever had before. Wings spread out wider, pushing the sails. Body swelled, talons enlarged, nails lengthened. Mariah, Doc, and Ronan stepped away, their eyes wide and mouths open. His long shadow covered them, blocking out the sun. The Phoenix groaned under his weight. Her stern sank deeper into the sea, and the bow tilted upward. William growled and swiped his tail, knocking Doc onto his arse. Ronan put his hands on his hips and laughed. “Apparently, he is strong enough, Doc.”
Mariah mounted William’s back, and Ronan sat behind her. Doc mumbled and slid behind them. William’s eyes widened at their light weight. They were more like heavy blankets tossed onto his back than two full grown men and a petite woman.
Mariah linked her arms around William’s neck as he leaned back onto his haunches and soared into the air. Wind and clouds rushed over him, and the island’s beach drew near. But William wanted to circle the island to map the terrain, to search for Kane as well as his enemies.
Legs squeezed on his ribs, and he glanced over his shoulder. Mariah held fast, and he thought he caught a glimmer of excitement in her eyes. Perhaps she might even enjoy the ride under different circumstances. But the other two were, well…Ronan, with his eyes bulging, clung to Mariah for dear life. Doc had his arms wrapped around Ronan’s neck. Ronan’s face was turning shades of red and purple.
“Doc,” Ronan gasped. “You’re chokin’ me, ye bloody eejit.”
“Donna talk to me,” Doc said. A hard slap hit William’s side. “Put us down, ye flyin’ lizard.”
William snorted, and black smoke puffed out of his nostrils. He had wanted to answer Doc and tell him his plan, but he only huffed like a squealing pig. Thick trees, their branches intertwining with each other, hugged together, protecting what lay underneath. He wished he had the ability to peer through the dense foliage. Colorful birds cawed and flew from treetop to treetop. A waterfall spilled down a rocky mountain into a lake. He recognized it. The same damn fresh water lake that Zuto had cursed and tricked Kane and his men into drinking.
He sailed toward where the trees were less dense. In the clearing was a village of grass huts. Natives pointed and yelled, but there was no sign of the demons or Kane and his men. He circled the island, and ’twas smaller than some of the nearby islands. On the opposite side of the island, the Fiery Damsel was berthed in a cove, her sails flattened.
Doc blurted. “Palmer.” Hate dripped from the single word.
“Please, Doc,” Ronan choked. “Loosen your grip. I donna want to pass out and fall off.”
William swung around and headed back to where the Phoenix’s long boats were beached. At least he had located the Fiery Damsel, but where the devil was Kane and the crew?
“There.” Mariah pointed. “On the beach, next to the long boats.”
Zuto waited for them as if he knew this was where they would land.
“You have not told her yet,” Drakon said.
This time, William wouldn’t make the same mistake of allowing a demon to cloud his judgment and get his love killed. He landed north of Zuto in a small cove and his three passengers slid off his back.
Mariah squeezed his neck. “What are you doing? We must meet with him, no?”
Doc wobbled. “Thank God. Solid ground.”
Ronan rubbed his throat. “What the hell is wrong with you, Doc? You nearly choked me to death.”
Doc sank on his knees. “Flyin’ is for birds, not men.”
Ronan rolled his eyes. “What are you babbling about? We turn into bats.”
“But I’m done in control.”
William’s muscles and bones contorted, and he convulsed. Sun beat down on his naked skin, and his feet sank into the white sand. He was a man again. He swayed on the beach and put his hand on his forehead. “’Tis so quick it makes me dizzy.”
“Jaaysus, O’Brien.” Ronan scrubbed his face with his hand. “D’ye not have any decency?”
He snatched the knapsack and tossed it at William. “Get dressed, ye damn lizard.”
William wanted to counter that Mariah had already seen him naked, but he refused to embarrass her. He stepped into his trousers. “Happy, vampire?”
Ronan crossed his arms over his chest. “Aye, I am.”
Doc glowered. “Will you bulls stop?”
William tilted his head at the jungle. “You two go ahead and scout it out. We need to find out where we are.”
Ronan looked between William and Mariah. “And what are you and her going to do?”
“I need to talk to Mariah. Alone.”
Doc pulled out his sword. “Come on, Ronan.”
Ronan didn’t move. Mariah walked over to him and kissed him on the cheek. “Be safe.”
He lowered his head and followed Doc into the dense jungle.
“So—”
William grabbed her shoulders and kissed her hard, desperate to taste her one more time, knowing that this might be the last time he would share her sweetness. Her tongue blended with his, and she held him tight, running her fingers through his hair. Desire surged through him, and he wanted her, wanted her one more time. Gathering his will, he reluctantly released her.
“We need to go, William. This is not the time.”
He smiled at the disappointment in her husky voice. “Aye, it is.” He tilted her chin and stared into those violet eyes. “Promise me you’ll stay alive. No matter what happens you must fight to survive.”
