Licked by the Flame

by Serena Gilley

“You’ve been away from your own kind for so long. Nic. You’ve walked in that frail human body so many years…I wonder if you haven’t developed an affection for them.”

  “Watch what you imply there, my friend. You might soon learn I have very little affection for anything these days. Go to my clan and tell them I will soon have this mountain free from any encroachment, human or otherwise.”

  “Very well. But I’ll stay on my watch, just in case,” Eubryd replied. “You might find you require my help.”

  “I won’t. I can handle things here.”

  “Even the female?”

  He snarled at his friend’s insinuation. “Especially the female. Now go.”

  Eubryd shook her reptilian head and clenched her clawed feet. Clearly she had some misgivings about leaving him to deal with things entirely on his own, but he found her hesitation somehow endearing. Wyverns were tiny little things, yet they were fierce. She’d sworn an oath to serve his Dragonrealm, and she was deadly serious in her determination to fulfill that oath.

  “I will return to complete this mission, Nicolai,” she vowed.

  He doubted he’d need her, but appreciated the sentiment. “Thank you, Eubryd. Take care on your travels.”

  She unfurled her wings—tipped with little hooks that she used as her fingers—and took off into the night. Her snakelike form undulated through the cool air and disappeared into the enormity of the sky in a matter of moments. Her wyvern senses would keep her safe, as would the security of the Veil. She would travel to their homeland in a matter of a few hours, magic assisting her the whole way.

  Meanwhile, Nic had a few things here to deal with. He would start by resetting this sensor and doctoring the readouts. Then he would alter Lianne’s memories of the night—she’d believe his so-called findings regarding their equipment were accurate. Now that he had his strength back, he no longer had to keep everyone calm by convincing them this was nothing more than a glitch. He could finally insinuate himself deep enough into their minds to actually control their perceptions. He would convince them that there had, indeed, been an earthquake, and that the other sensors recorded the same thing. The mountain was unstable and the humans would believe they were in danger the longer they stayed here. He could finally accomplish his goal of being rid of them once and for all.

  Just in time to deal with this new threat from, apparently, fairies.

  He stooped to examine the sensor with its odd little add-on. Fairies may have been responsible for altering the RGS, but they certainly had not manufactured the added device. That was clearly crafted by humans—humans who knew enough about magic to incorporate it into their technology.

  They would have to be working with the fairies to accomplish such a thing. Could this really be so? What would be the point of such an alliance? And how did the magic pass so freely through the Veil that was made specifically to prevent such a thing?

  If the Veil could be penetrated this way, then his protections over the mountain might be as well. How could he know, without giving away any secrets? The clutch could be in mortal danger even as he stood here.

  He concentrated his energy once again, reaching with his mind into the darkness. He could feel Lianne, waiting for him in the vehicle. He could feel a storm gathering in the distance, too. Foaming black clouds were beginning to form over the waters and were moving this way. He could feel the magic of the mountain, and the strange, sinister sensation that lingered around him. Had his security been breached? Was his enemy still nearby, watching to follow him into the mountain? He wished he could be certain that was not the case.

  He couldn’t let fear cloud his senses. He would single out any anomaly and trace it to its source, or its destination. The equipment shed…he sensed this magic would lead him that way. Yes, something had happened there. Magic left footprints, and he was an indomitable tracker.

  Chapter Eleven

  Kyne kept Raea safely behind him as he peered through the darkness. As they’d guessed, the man they had seen left that broken sensor and was driving toward the equipment shed they’d also broken. He was tracing their actions—somehow he knew where they’d been. If only they’d been able to get close enough to him to really see what he was up to. Raea had sworn he’d been talking to someone, but even with invisibility, Kyne had insisted they observe him only from a safe distance.

  Now, however, it was obvious they needed to know more. This man had magic. They had felt it all over him. When he used that magic to reach into the darkness and detect them, they’d taken off in a hurry. He hadn’t followed them, though. He’d gotten back into his vehicle and gone straight for the equipment shed.

  “Here he comes,” Raea said, pressing her body closer to Kyne’s as they hid in a shadow in the rocky face of the mountain overlooking the shed.

  “Just stay calm,” Kyne advised. “He can’t see us, and he couldn’t track us, so we will be safe. We will watch what he does and learn what we can, then leave before he detects us again.”

  “Okay. He has strange magic, though, Kyne. How can a human possess that?”

  “I don’t know. That’s what we need to understand.”

  The approaching vehicle slowed, then came to a stop very near the small building. Raea trembled beside him, but she made no sound. Their invisibility was still strong and he assured himself they were safe here. The human would not find them.

  He got out of his vehicle. The man was tall, and everything about him exuded confidence and power. Even Kyne had to admit this human commanded respect. In fact…he was not quite human, was he?

  He could feel that strange, ancient magic that tainted the air. The man wore it like a dark cloak. He was imposing, even by human standards—broad, solid, and dangerous—but he was not human. Kyne understood why his magic felt strange.

  It wasn’t like fairy magic, a light, airy magic of the skies. No, the magic that radiated like heat from the man they were watching was more fundamental. This creature carried the same magic that had built the foundations of the earth, that forged the very rocks of the ground all around them. This was a magic that sprang from fire, from the very flames of creation.

  The Veil contained only one source for magic like this. Kyne had never actually encountered it before, but it made perfect sense that he should encounter it here, stalking the terrain of a weathered volcano. There could be no better place for a creature like this than such a volatile wilderness. Kyne had no doubt what he truly was.

  Raea must have suspected it, too. He heard her catch her breath as the feel of ancient magic flowed over them. He wished he could pull her tight and reassure her that they would be fine, that there was nothing to fear, but he could not lie to her. His kind may exist behind the Veil just the same as fairies did, but no one knew or understood their mysterious ways. By all rights, this fellow Veiled creature should be considered an ally, but no one knew better than Kyne that things weren’t quite right.

  “He’s not human,” Raea breathed behind him. “He’s trying to appear so, but he isn’t.”

  “No. He’s not human.”

  “But I don’t understand. He can’t be a…?”

  “He is.”

  “But we haven’t seen his kind in centuries.”

  “No, we haven’t. They’ve closed themselves off and gone dormant in the deepest recesses of the earth.”

  “But you’re sure he’s a real one?”

  “I’m sure. He’s a dragon.”

  He felt the shudder that ran through her, and she pressed herself against him.

  “A dragon,” she murmured. “But what’s he doing here? Do you think he’s involved in whatever has been going on?”

  “He must be. Why else would he be here right now?”

  There wasn’t any sort of answer for that, so they were both silent. The foreboding creature was closer to them now, inspecting the little equipment shed that they’d taken shelter behind. Kyne could only hope the dragon didn’t detect them. A strangely magical human would be one thing to es
cape from, but a dragon? There was no telling whether or not the Invisibility Wish they’d made with Raea’s Fairy Dust was strong enough to hide them from dragon magic.

  All they could do was duck deeper into the shadows and hope for the best. Fortunately, the dragon seemed content to concentrate on the building. The sound of keys rattling against a lock chained to the door around the front was more than reassuring. Despite possessing magic of epic proportions, this creature was fumbling at a lock as any mundane human might. He cursed like a human, too, when the lock appeared to hamper his progress.

  Human curses turned rapidly to a more dragon-like rage. From their position they could not see exactly what was going on, but the dragon made no effort to keep quiet. He must have abandoned his key and resorted to ripping the lock fully off the door. There was a furious wrenching sound and the shed violently shook. The door banged against the building as the dragon obviously threw it open and gained entrance.

  “This might be a really good time to leave,” Raea whispered.

  “You should go. Get somewhere safe and I’ll follow.”

  He hadn’t really expected her to agree. She didn’t.

  “Of course I’m not leaving without you.”

  “I have to stay. We need to know what he’s up to.”

  “He’s fixing the machinery,” she whispered in his ear. “You know what will happen to us if we’re still here and it starts running again.”

  “We’re fine as long as our invisibility holds out.”

  “But what if—”

  More angry cursing from inside the shed interrupted them. Had they been careless? Did the dragon hear their whispers, sense them hiding in the rocks? Kyne held his breath, mentally devising a plan to distract the damn dragon if he came charging around the side of the building. Kyne would attack, fend him off long enough to let Raea get away.

  He was tensing his muscles, getting into position when they heard the door on the other side of the shed slam shut. The furious dragon did indeed storm back into view, but he was not moving their way. He went straight for his vehicle, curses still trailing from him and scorching the cold air around them.

  “Thank the Clouds. He’s leaving.” Raea sighed.

  “It looks that way.”

  The vehicle ground into gear and its tires spit bits of rock and earth up into the empty night. Beams from the headlights swept over the landscape as the dragon set his course toward the other side of the mountain. Whatever he planned to do now, he intended to do it without delay.

  “I guess he couldn’t fix the machinery,” Raea said. “That must be what made him so upset.”

  That certainly did seem to be the case. It was obvious all the banging around they’d heard inside the shed hadn’t accomplished anything. There was no humming drone of equipment, no lust-inducing side effects fogging Kyne’s mind. It appeared the machines were still inoperative and he and Raea were safe—for the moment.

  The red glow of taillights faded in the distance as Kyne inched his way out of their hiding spot and down toward the shed. They were still invisible, and there was no indication of anyone nearby to discover them, but it couldn’t hurt to be extra cautious. He held Raea’s hand to keep her close to him, and peered around the corner of the small building. The dragon had left the shed door hanging open.

  He’d practically ripped the door completely off its hinges, as a matter of fact. Fortunately for them, this meant they’d have access to the equipment inside. Baylor would want a detailed description, no doubt, and the dragon had just made that easy for them.

  Until Kyne slipped past the skewed door and into the near darkness of the shed’s interior. Raea padded softly up behind him, then uttered a hushed expletive that was far milder than the one Kyne would have used.

  “He destroyed the machine!” she exclaimed after taking in the scene before them.

  The moonlight outside spilled through the open doorway. There was no doubt what they were looking at. Whatever this equipment had been created to do, it would never serve that purpose again. It was broken, smashed and dismantled beyond what could have possibly happened when it overloaded due to their passion.

  “Maybe he knew we would find it,” she suggested. “Maybe he trashed it all so we couldn’t figure out what it did, how it was supposed to work.”

  “No, if he wanted to hide it entirely, he could have simply incinerated it. I think he just wanted to make sure no one could set it up running again.”

  “But why? If he is working with them, wouldn’t he want the machine to work properly?”

  “I don’t know. I can’t make any sense of it.”

  “Unless…maybe he isn’t working with them. He certainly did sound angry when he came in here,” Raea noted. “Maybe he didn’t realize this was here.”

  “He drove right to this spot,” Kyne pointed out. “He must have known it was here.”

  “He probably sensed the magic.” She squeezed his hand. “Or maybe he senses us! We should leave, go back to your father now and tell him about this.”

  “We still don’t have a clue what’s going on. We found a dragon beside a volcano with some broken equipment, but all that gives us is more questions.”

  He could feel the fear clutching Raea. Even without seeing her, he knew how she felt. By the Skies, he should probably listen to her. It was time they went back to that cabin where she would be safe. Unfortunately, he’d already made his case for staying.

  “You’re right,” she said. “We need to find more information. Where do you think the dragon is going next?”

  Kyne peeked out of the shed and squinted into the distance. He could just barely make out the slight glow of taillights still jouncing over the terrain. “Looks like he’s going around to the far side of the mountain.”

  “And…I think I noticed something,” Raea said slowly.

  “What was it?”

  “I’m pretty sure he’s not alone.”

  If he could have shown her his expression, she would have seen he was frowning. “Someone was with him?”

  “I think so,” Raea replied. “I got a glimpse of someone in the vehicle as he was driving away.”

  “Another dragon?”

  “No. A human. He had a human woman in the vehicle with him. She wasn’t moving, either.”

  “You didn’t mention this to me?”

  “I was afraid if I did, you’d go tearing off after him on some kind of rescue mission.”

  “So a raging dragon is carting an unconscious woman off to his lair. That sounds a little medieval, don’t you think?”

  “Yes, and from what I recall from history lessons, the last time things like that went on, humans tried to exterminate magical creatures.”

  “Maybe that’s what’s happening again. It would actually explain things, if humans found a way to harness our magic and use it against us.”

  “Unless it’s the opposite, and dragons are trying to take over humanity, using their dark magic to control them.”

  “Yeah, I guess it could be something like that, too.”

  “What do we do? Should we try to go save that woman?”

  “It’s probably too late for her, sorry to say,” he had to admit. “If a dragon has her in his sway, there’s not much we can do. Besides, look at those clouds in the distance. There’s a storm blowing in. We’d probably be better off to get back to Baylor. The more we’re finding out, the worse this is getting.”

  “I know…but I wish we could help her.”

  She pulled her hand away from his, and the air beside him slowly began to sparkle. He could see her pink aura forming, large and nebulous at first, then shrinking and concentrating in density. A moment later, Raea was fully visible, her body returned to its tiny form and her wings fluttering to keep her aloft.

  “Sorry. I didn’t use much dust since I don’t know how much we’ll need to get home,” she said with a sheepish smile.

  “It’s okay. I’ll be visible in a little while, too. Why don’t we look over
this machine and figure out a few key components to take back to Baylor? He might be able to understand it then. If you still have some Sizing Dust, we can shrink the parts and carry them with us.”

  “That’s a really good idea, Kyne. I just wish…” she said, hovering near the doorway and glancing out after the disappearing vehicle. “I just wish we understood what he was up to.”

  He let go of his physical form, shaking off the lingering effects of their Fairy Dust. Soon his body was shrinking, shimmering into view, much as hers had moments ago. He smiled and moved toward her, pulling her into his arms. No secret machinery directed him now, only his sheer passion for Raea.

  “He is a dragon,” he said. “They do as they please. I doubt anyone understands them.”

  “The poor woman. I wish we could help her. I hate to think what that dragon might do to her.”

  “Be careful, my dear. You’re starting to sound like quite the lover of humans.”

  She gave up her worry and melted into his kiss.

  “No,” she replied. “I’m simply a lover of one very specific half human.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Lianne realized she’d been sleeping again. What was wrong with her? She hadn’t known she was this tired, yet here she was, blinking into the dark and trying to shake the fog from her brain.

  Where were they? Still out on the mountain, by the looks of things. Once more, the vehicle was parked and Nic was nowhere to be seen. How long had she dozed off this time? Where was he? The dark sky was still dotted with a myriad of stars; clearly, dawn was a couple of hours away. She must not have been asleep long. That meant Nic was, no doubt, somewhere nearby.

  She unfastened her seat belt and opened the door. Cold wind rushed in immediately, helping to chase the fog from her brain. Good. She needed the wake-up. She pulled her coat more tightly around her and stepped out into the wide-open wasteland.

  The mountain rose up on one side; jagged rocks surrounded the narrow valley that had served as their road. The huge glacier reflected moonlight in the distance as it wrapped its way around the mountain and scraped and gouged its way through the valley on the far side. Overhead, the stars crowded the dark canvas, glittering against the glow of northern lights and distant, gathering clouds.