Leilani pursed her lips. Raising her brows, she said, “That has got to be one of the most cockamamie plans I've ever heard.” When Zander started to speak, she held up one hand. “No. Really. You're not usually this dense,” she shot at him, throwing words he'd said to her back in his face. “First of all, for Mel and me to be as inactive as it would require for Gerszon to be fooled, we'd have to pretty much be comatose. And if you had any thoughts about knocking us out, think again."
The way the men moved—the two on the sofa leaning forward to hunch their shoulders and the two on their feet shifting from side to side—told her she was right on the money. She looked at them with wide eyes. “I can't believe ... You are out of your freaking minds if you think this will work. Gerszon's not stupid."
"No one's said he is.” Zander walked over to her and took her by the shoulders. Giving her a little shake, he said, “Trust me to take care of this."
She shrugged out of his grasp and moved a few steps away. He just didn't get it. Had never gotten it. “I don't need you to take care of it, Zander. This is a fight Mel and I have to face. What I need from you is support and extra power when the time comes."
"Leilani—"
"She's right.” Melantha stood and came over to Leilani. She slipped her arm around her waist. “This is a battle only an Aster—or two of them—can fight. Gerszon is after us because we're the last of Cathal's line. It will take Cathal's power, conducted through us, to defeat Gerszon again."
Zander scowled.
Leilani went back to him. Reaching up, she cupped his face in her hands. “Stop being the Rastaban for just a minute, and you'll see we're right."
His sigh fluttered her hair. He closed his eyes, his lashes dark against the rise of his cheeks. When he opened them and looked down into hers, acceptance and worry mingled in his gaze. “I don't like it."
"I know.” And she did know. Part of what made Aleksander Lyaksandro what he was, was the deep sense of duty he carried around with him like a mantle. He had always had a hard time stepping aside to let someone fight a battle he could easily fight and win.
Except this time, there would be nothing easy about it. This time he couldn't win it—only the women could.
"I want you to be safe.” The words were low and spoken harshly.
She drew in a deep breath. “But this isn't about what you want. It's about what has to be. Trust me.” As soon as she spoke the words, Leilani tensed. That was the entire issue between them. He didn't trust her—had never trusted her—and she didn't trust him. Oh, she was fully aware he would die before he'd let physical harm come to her, but emotionally?
He was the one who'd scarred her heart to begin with.
Zander drew in a breath. With a nod, he took her hands in his and pressed a kiss to each palm before looking back at the other dragons in the room. “We need to get up higher, anyway. We're our strongest when we have nothing beneath us but sky. So, let's get going."
* * * *
In dragon form, Zander flapped his wings in large sweeps, gaining altitude with each downward stroke. Leilani grasped the spurs on his back, her thighs and knees clutching the upward slope of his shoulders.
Before they'd left the cabin, he'd made sure she and her sister were bundled in warm coats, scarves and thick gloves. It was a good twenty degrees colder at the top of the mountain and he wanted to be sure they were in fighting form. Not shivering with cold.
He should have known she wouldn't sit still to be left out of any battle. And, as loathe as he was to admit it, she'd been right. This fight with Gerszon was hers and Melantha's to fight, with him and his fellow dragons there to try to protect them physically and lend their power to the women. That had been the point to the bonding, after all.
His heart thudded heavily in his chest, and not from the exertion of flying into the high altitude. He was cold with dread at the thought of something happening to his raindrop.
It was something he couldn't—wouldn't—allow.
He gave the other dragons a signal, and they began flying downward in ever decreasing circles until they touched down in a clearing at the summit of the mountain. Once Leilani and Melantha slid down onto the ground, the men's clothing in packs strapped to their backs, the four dragons transformed back to their human forms.
Zander took the backpack from Leilani while Terik helped Melantha out of the straps of hers. Zander handed Rainer his clothes and proceeded to get dressed himself.
As he dressed, he looked around the small clearing. Tall pine trees stood sentry along the ridge just above them, and large boulders dotted the edge of the clearing before the ground plunged steeply downward into a canyon. A stream gurgled nearby, a direct source of water for Leilani. Melantha had the ground under their feet to draw from.
And the dragons had the air all around them.
They were ready.
Looking at Leilani and Melantha, he amended his thought. They were almost ready.
Both women wore identical expressions of anxious anticipation. He could sense their fear, as well as their incredible courage. He admired them—both were a credit to their family.
A credit to his family, now. Pride surged through him.
With a small frown, he realized he'd never told Leilani in what high regard he held her. He would remedy that, right now.
Holding out his hand, he said, “Walk with me."
After a slight hesitation, Leilani placed her gloved hand in his. He wrapped his fingers around hers and lightly swung their hands as they walked to the other side of the clearing, where he could talk to her with greater privacy, away from the exceptional hearing of the other men.
"I don't mind telling you, I'm a little scared,” Leilani murmured.
Zander turned her to face him. “Gerszon won't get you, raindrop. I won't let him. We won't let him."
She sighed. Her gaze searched his, her eyes dark with worry. “I know you'll do everything you can, Zander. But Gerszon...” She shook her head. “He's so powerful."
"As are we.” Zander cupped her face in his hands, rubbing his thumbs over her lips. “Believe that. Trust us. Trust me."
He knew that was the hard part. Getting her to trust him again. How could he expect something of her he wasn't willing to give himself? And they didn't have time to rehash the past.
"I have complete faith in your abilities,” he told her. “All I ask is that you do the same with me. Trust me,” he repeated.
Surprise and shock flared in her eyes before her lashes dropped, hiding her gaze.
Wanting to lighten her mood if he could, he joked, “I smell smoke.” Slipping one hand under her chin, he tilted her face up to his. “Don't think so hard, Lani. You know as well as I do, your powers are an extension of your emotions. Thinking will only blunt your abilities."
"You telling me to play dumb?” she asked with a watery smile.
An answering grin tilted one side of his lips. “Not dumb, raindrop. Never dumb. Just don't think so much."
Seeing pain flash across Leilani's face, he threaded his fingers through her hair and touched his lips to hers.
"He's coming,” she murmured and drew away from him.
They ran to join the others in the middle of the clearing. The four men took positions facing the points of the compass, while Leilani and Melantha stood in their center, side by side. They took off their gloves and held each other's hands.
The wind grew in velocity. From the north, above the treetops, a large funnel cloud came into view.
"Hold steady,” Zander yelled over the roar of the wind. In the middle of the tornado, he saw the figure of a man, hands at his sides with palms facing forward as he rode inside the swirling maelstrom. “Whatever you're going to do,” he called to Leilani, “now's the time."
CHAPTER 10
Leilani squeezed Melantha's hands. Her sister's fingers were icy in her grasp, betraying her fear. The same fear Leilani felt.
The figure in the swirling cloud came nearer and, when the funnel touch
ed ground, he walked out of it as the churning, misty air dissipated. He was a smallish man, perhaps five and a half feet tall, and wore rough brown trousers tucked into flat-soled leather boots. His long-sleeved tunic was a grayish white and tied with a rope around his waist.
If she had met this man on the street, she would never have suspected what terrible power he wielded. He was so ... ordinary.
"That's close enough, Gerszon,” Zander called out while the man was still several yards away.
Gerszon looked Zander up and down, then his gaze went to Leilani and Melantha. Looking at Zander once again, he muttered a few words in what sounded to Leilani like a form of Gaelic.
"A spell to understand other languages,” Terik muttered. He edged closer to Melantha, his broad back nearly touching her, his head turned sideways so he could watch Gerszon, though his body remained facing east.
When no one responded, Gerszon spoke in perfect English, though with a heavy brogue that sounded like a combination of Irish, Scottish and English all mashed in one. “Daft lasses. You think dragons can save you?” He moved with assured strides toward them. Long, graying hair was swept back from his wide face and bushy eyebrows rose like two hairy caterpillars on his forehead.
"Dragons?” Melantha's voice was thin, but full of bravado. “We don't need no stinking dragons!"
Leilani heard a snort of laughter come from Rainer, while the weight of Zander's disapproval was tangible. She nudged Melantha with her foot. “You're not helping,” she sing-songed under her breath.
"Then send them home, if you hae no need of them,” Gerszon responded. He stopped in front of Zander, gazing at her over her lover's shoulder. “Unless you be afraid of one old man."
Old man was right. Gerszon had been in his late sixties when her ancestor had trapped him in his mystical prison beneath Stonehenge. Nearly three thousand years ago.
But it had taken all of Cathal's considerable power to do so. He'd had the ability to draw from all four elements, while she and Melantha each had but one. Which was why they had mountain dragons on their side—to tap into their power over air and fire.
"It's rather an unfair advantage you hae over me, what wi’ six standin’ against one."
"All's fair in love and war,” Melantha muttered.
Leilani squeezed her sister's fingers. “Would you shut up."
"No,” Gerszon murmured, taking a few steps forward, stopping when Zander tensed. “The lass has the right idea of it. Where there was love before, now there remains only hate. Only war."
"Love?” Leilani stared at him with narrowed eyes.
"Cathal an’ I were more than Druid priests servin’ the Goddess together. We were everythin’ to each other. Everythin'. Then he turned on me an’ imprisoned me ‘neath the Stones."
Leilani frowned. What was he saying? That he and Cathal had been lovers? Nothing like that had ever been recorded in the family history.
"You do no’ believe me, I can see.” He held out his right arm, drawing the sleeve up to his elbow, and showed them the scar on his inner wrist. “We took the blood oath, Cathal an’ I, beneath the full moon, vowing eternal devotion to one another ‘neath the watchful eye of the Goddess.” He dropped his hand back to his side. “Yet ‘twas not e'en the turn of the next full moon, an’ he stood wi’ the others against me."
"You let your power corrupt you,” Zander said, his voice flinty and unforgiving. “You left him no choice."
Gerszon's hands fisted. “Nay. There is where you are wrong. He had a choice. He could hae joined his power to mine. We would hae ruled the world together."
Leilani sucked in her breath at the madness in the Druid's dark eyes.
"The centuries passed slowly, givin’ me plenty of time to think. To plan.” His gaze narrowed on Leilani. “Since Cathal has been cold in his grave for thousands of years, it is impossible for me to exact my vengeance on him. But I will hae my revenge on his line, e'en if it is wi’ the last breath I draw."
"So ... you gonna talk us to death?” Terik drawled.
"Terik,” Zander growled.
"What?” Terik shifted his weight. “I'm beginnin’ to think this old man is just full of a lot of hot air."
Gerszon slowly raised his hands above his head, spreading his fingers wide. “I will show you hot air, me fine lad."
"Here we go,” Leilani muttered, and tightened her grip on Melantha. As one, the dragon men moved back until their brawny shoulders completely blocked Leilani and her sister from Gerszon's view.
Leilani could see the fine sheen of sweat on Zander's neck. The men reached out and grabbed each other's hands, making the circle complete around the two women.
"Whenever you need us, raindrop, you take hold of our power and use it.” Zander glanced over his shoulder at her, his eyes dark with worry and glittering with resolve.
She nodded.
The wind began blowing, gaining intensity until Zander had to lean forward to keep his balance against the force of it.
When Leilani felt the spike of icy hatred spear into her mind, she gasped. Her knees buckled, and she held onto Melantha. With a muttered curse, she called forth her power, drawing a wall of water from the stream.
Melantha's fingers tightened on hers. With a deep rumble, the earth in front of them began to split, forming a chasm between them and Gerszon.
The Druid laughed and, bringing his hands down to his sides, rose slowly in the air. As he went higher, black funnel clouds began to form all around them.
Leilani gripped tight to Melantha's hands. Her sister muttered a curse and called out Terik's name.
"I'm right here, darlin'. Draw upon my power."
Directly in front of Zander, almost faster than Leilani could follow, a wall of earth shot up, blocking the advance of the nearest funnel cloud. Another earthen wall rose in front of Terik, protecting them from another whirlwind.
With a deep breath, Leilani closed her eyes and focused on Zander and Rainer's power. Heat swirled up from the soles of her feet, erupting in her midsection to blast throughout her body like a fiery starburst. Using the twin dragon power of air and fire to boost the impact of her own water element, she built the wall of water thicker and higher, building, building...
She opened her eyes and, with a jerk of her head, sent the wall toward Gerszon with the force of a tsunami.
Just as Gerszon turned to face the attack, Nikolai and Rainer broke the circle. Transforming instantly to their dragon forms, they lifted into the air with wide, heavy sweeps of their wings. Within seconds, they both let loose streams of fire toward the Druid, forcing him to lower to the ground in his effort to deflect three simultaneous assaults. Zander and Terik stood in protection of Leilani and Melantha.
Leilani used Gerszon's distraction to her advantage and surrounded him with a wall of water. Melantha followed her lead, building up a thick encirclement of earth, capping it off with a large boulder.
Immediately the howling wind ceased. But, within seconds, small bits of dirt and large pebbles began shooting from the earthen walls as Gerszon fought to free himself from his prison.
A blast from the inside sent a melon-sized chunk of dirt and rock toward them with the force of a cannonball. Zander partially turned, hunching one shoulder, and grunted as the hard clump struck him. He staggered and would have fallen had Terik not grabbed him around the waist.
Leilani caught a glimpse of Gerszon's hand. The Druid flicked two fingers and more hardened earth shot away from the wall. The hole grew larger, allowing her to see him from mid-chest to his waist.
"Rebuild the wall, Mel,” Leilani shouted.
"I'm trying.” Melantha's eyes narrowed, her mouth tightened. Dirt began shooting up from the ground, filling in the opening as if a mason was laying bricks. Just as fast, the area above opened, forming another hole.
"Mel!"
"Use me, darlin'.” Terik turned and wrapped his arms around Melantha, though he didn't break the hold the two women had on each other's hands. “Take my power
."
A jolt like static electricity raced from her sister's hands into Leilani's, making her gasp. She felt the first stab of a mental attack from Gerszon. If he was able to get into their minds, she was afraid they would fail.
"Of course you will fail,” the Druid called out from behind the wall of his earthen prison. “You hae no hope of succeeding. You are no’ as strong as Cathal; only he could defeat me."
Zander slipped his arms around her, holding her firmly. “Don't listen to him, raindrop. You can do this.” His head dropped to her shoulder. “Take from me."
Rainer and Nikolai landed nearby and transformed back to their human forms. Naked, they padded back to them. Each man stood by his first and wrapped brawny arms around their respective partners, solidifying the double triad.
Leilani closed her eyes and imagined water filling the enclosure, like a cistern. She heard Gerszon shout, an unintelligible imprecation. Small holes appeared at the bottom of the wall, and water began pouring out.
"Lani, you can do it.” Heat poured off Zander's hands as he held her. “Use my power. Our power."
"I'm trying,” she cried. Her face felt flushed, then chilled. She squeezed her eyes shut. The hair at her nape was wet with sweat, though her skin was cold.
More dirt churned at their feet, then shot over to plug the new holes. Melantha seemed to be having no trouble with borrowing Terik's and Nikolai's power to boost her abilities over the element of earth.
Leilani focused, but couldn't draw any of her men's power to act as a fulcrum for her own. She sensed the water she had been able to build within the earthen walls was waning, and fast. She wasn't strong enough to hold it. “It's not working!"
If she didn't get it together, Gerszon would break free.
CHAPTER 11
Zander tightened his arms around Leilani. Her slender frame trembled against his; her face scrunched with deep concentration.
And the reason she didn't seem to be able to tap into his dragon power came to him with sudden heart-rending, gut-clenching clarity.
She didn't trust him. Was afraid he'd hurt her again and so had closed part of herself off from him. Which blocked the transfer of power.
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