Treoir Dragon Hoard

by Dianna Love

  Germanus must have decided this conversation would be better without his guards. A wave of his hand apparently gave the two gargoyles leave, because they took off over the side of the castle wall. “I look forward to leaving you in this place when I escape, Evalle.”

  “I have a feeling you’re going to be right here with me, oh great leader.”

  “Why do you keep trying to feed me that lie?”

  She finally turned, a feral smile in place. “I seem to be the only person in Scamall who can handle the truth. I’ve accepted my future. Why is it so hard for you to accept yours?”

  “Perhaps I need to give you another demonstration with the other twin.”

  Good one, Germanus. She’d spent the last two realm days dazed from total lack of sleep, blood loss and a corrupted mental state. She knew not to aggravate Germanus, but sometimes the words spilled out without any thought. Then he made a threat that slashed right through the pain in her chest and bludgeoned her heart.

  But he would only use those threats as long as he thought they would hurt her emotionally.

  Turning to him, she tried to spin the tables. “I have made friends with your beasts, Germanus. They know I’ll shield them from harm if I can. Their greatest threat is you sending them to their deaths and they’re starting to realize it. I have also realized you can’t kill a beast in this realm, not by your hand, can you?”

  His surprise was all the answer she needed to continue. “If you were someone special to Abandinu, he would not have punished you by leaving you in here with no humans for company. I salute him for taking away your ability to try to rape me, key word being try. Abandinu clearly likes winged creatures, especially majikal flying ones. What’s he going to say when he realizes how many of his pets you’ve smashed?”

  Germanus said nothing, but his eyes told how much he wanted to kill her.

  Looked like she had found a nerve.

  In that case, she would see what it would take to snap that nerve. She took a step toward him and lowered her voice. “Bring another teenager, or anyone else from my former life, to this miserable place to harm them and I will show you what happens when I turn one of your favorite beasts against you.”

  “You can’t do that,” Germanus mumbled. No conviction in that statement.

  “Really? You sure about that? Did you not find out exactly what you were bringing into your sick little zoo when you made a deal for me? Let me clue you in just in case the kidnapper who has played you perfectly to this point failed to share everything. I have Medb and Belador blood. I’m a gryphon who shifts to human and ... wait for it ... I talk to other flying creatures mind to mind.”

  Not exactly true since she hadn’t been able to communicate with the others here, but back home she could speak telepathically to other Belador gryphons and a dragon.

  Germanus failed to fold and start pissing his pants, which would have confirmed a direct strike.

  Damn. She’d so hoped for a loss of control on his part.

  But neither did he boast that he would show her how wrong she was and bring the other twin.

  For now, he seemed to at least be thinking about her words.

  That wouldn’t last long.

  She had been figuring out how to screw with Germanus, but it only lasted for a short time until his pea-sized brain realized she sometimes bluffed.

  She wasn’t sure how she’d stop him next time her lie didn’t work and he decided to drag someone she loved in here again.

  Of course, if she stayed here long enough she might find a way to communicate with the other creatures. The small group she hadn’t killed when she’d been forced to fight were wary of her, as they should be. She would have killed them, too, if she hadn’t figured out how to use her kinetics to pin them down until they quit fighting. Then she’d walk away in her gryphon form and they’d struggle back to standing.

  More than once, she’d glanced back to find the creature staring at her in confusion.

  The only person she wanted to maul and dismember at this point was Germanus. She’d never use her powers against a human, but he had given up that status in this place.

  Inside the castle, he’d found an effective way to hold her emotions hostage.

  Instead of burning the body after killing Kardos, Germanus had suspended the remains in the center of the castle. No scent of death lingered, just the balled-up, lifeless body inside an impossibly small cage. Every time she saw it, her mind replayed the vision of Kardos being killed … with sound.

  For all the times she’d protected the twins, one had faced a brutal death because of her.

  The first time she’d seen the macabre chandelier, she’d stopped to stare at it. She couldn’t even see his beautiful face.

  The fucking gargoyle that took him away had destroyed anything recognizable.

  If the day ever came for her to see Storm again, he would know the minute he opened his empathic senses that she was empty inside. Germanus had managed to annihilate her soul.

  Yet again, she was glad she had not bonded to Storm.

  What would he be going through right now if they had?

  Both gargoyle guards that had appeared with Germanus had flown over the castle wall. Now they started making their signature loud noises below her.

  She leaned over to see what was going on. They were pounding on the castle walls. What could have upset that pair?

  “You will regret all you have said,” Germanus called from behind her.

  When she looked around, he was grinning like he’d won the preternatural lottery. “The time has come for my escape to freedom.”

  “What are you talking about?” she asked the maniac.

  “We have an uninvited guest in the realm. It has to be Daegan.”

  Whipping around to search the horizon, she found nothing, nothing, nothing ... wait.

  There.

  Giant wings flapped against the stark background.

  Germanus was wrong.

  That was not just Daegan and she was sick about it. “Oh, Daegan, why did you bring my gryphon pack?” she whispered.

  Germanus walked up and spoke softly in her ear. “You will battle now and fight with all your might.”

  “No.” She would send everyone home where they would be safe. She trusted Storm and the Beladors to protect those she loved.

  This time Germanus gloated. “Look back down to the steps at the entrance.”

  When she leaned over the two-foot-thick parapet again, she saw the terrified face of Kellman. His mouth had a rag tied around it. One of the gargoyles lifted a claw that was longer than her hand and held it above the twin’s chest.

  She screamed, “Noooo.” As she yelled, she leaped up on the wall and jumped.

  Germanus shouted, “Stop her!”

  Her gryphon exploded out of her body. She was beyond feeling pain. Her wings flexed out and she banked away just before smashing into the stones below.

  Turning in the air, she headed back to dive-bomb the gargoyle holding Kellman, who kicked and fought.

  The second gargoyle appeared and stepped in front of his sidekick to launch himself at Evalle’s gryphon, hitting her hard and knocking her sideways.

  Spinning in the air, she tucked her wings and landed in a slide. Sand blew up in a blast.

  Germanus yelled down, “I give you my word he will live if you battle the dragon, Evalle.”

  When the dust cleared, the gargoyles and Kellman were gone.

  The seven flying creatures she’d battled were perched along the top edge of the castle staring down at her.

  They all wore faces of her friends who were gryphons.

  She shook her head.

  The hallucination vanished, but her flying army still waited for her to lead them. Taking a running start that wobbled with her crooked leg, she pushed up, catching air as she flapped to lift off. She circled the castle and on the second time around, she swooped across the top of the parapets, scr
eeching at the creatures.

  They must have understood that as a battle cry.

  Every one of them lifted off behind her.

  She had no choice but to battle her dragon king.

  If Daegan was with them, she had to convince him to get everyone out of here before Germanus unleashed his own dragon, which would have to be more powerful in this realm.

  If Germanus had convinced her of anything, it was that he did rule this realm.

  Her mind replayed what to tell Daegan and … it hit her. She could use telepathy. Not yet. She’d been able to access her kinetics more than once when she flew further from the castle. Germanus had ultimate power here, but he’d clearly never practiced enough with it to know his limitations.

  But she’d never spoken to anyone telepathically here either.

  Looked like a learning curve coming up for everyone.

  CHAPTER 28

  Realm of Scamall

  Storm flew through a strange realm on the back of Ixxter, one of the gryphons who’d volunteered to join the team. Miles and miles of sand. Who would want to live in a place surrounded by only aqua, orange, mint green, pink, yellow, red and silver sand for terrain?

  How did Abandinu keep any creature alive here?

  Daegan had said he would try to envision the winged beasts and Germanus at a distance in hopes of landing the attack team in a safe place. That had worked. Now for the next step.

  Adrianna rode on Daegan’s back, and they flew in the center of the pack. Tristan had suggested they hide the dragon until the last minute as a surprise weapon. Also, keeping Daegan and Storm out of view would prevent Evalle giving away their presence. Daegan agreed and told Tristan to initiate telepathic contact if Evalle came to them first.

  Quinn rode on the back of Tristan’s gryphon.

  Initially, Adrianna had cloaked all of them, but the moment they took off for the castle in the distance, Daegan had shouted that their cloaking had not held.

  One weapon down plus the loss of a surprise attack.

  The sight of seven gryphons flying in tight formation with a dragon tucked in the middle was one Storm would never forget, but he wished it could be eight gryphons with Evalle in the lead and they were all far away from here.

  Daegan called out, “They’re coming out to meet us.”

  Storm straightened to see wings flapping toward them. It appeared those creatures were flying from the castle that spread across half the horizon, but that flying division had no sense of formation. Just lots of huge wings whipping up and down.

  Silky energy slid over Storm’s body. This was some creepy realm.

  When Storm looked again, his heart lurched.

  Leading that flock of mismatched flying beasts was a golden-headed gryphon with aqua-blue wings.

  His throat tightened.

  Evalle’s gryphon was coming in hot. Did she even recognize her pack flying toward her?

  All at once, Ixxter set his wings to land.

  Storm looked around at the rest of them and Daegan’s dragon. They were all landing. Must have been a telepathic order.

  As soon as Ixxter stopped moving, Storm was off his back and heading for Evalle.

  Adrianna slid down next to him and grabbed his arm. “Wait.”

  He jerked around. “Let go, Adrianna. The last thing I want to do is harm you, but I have waited and waited on everything and everyone. I’m going to Evalle.”

  The witch removed her hand, but said, “What if she’s been compelled to kill everyone? Even you.”

  Power flushed around them, drawing Storm’s attention to Daegan, who had quietly shifted to his human form. The dragon king walked over and whispered, “Give Tristan a chance to reach Evalle using our telepathy.”

  Dressed in his medieval attire, Daegan pulled his sword over his shoulder and turned, preparing to battle.

  When Storm stepped up beside him, Daegan asked, “Do you want a sword?”

  “No. It would only get in my jaguar’s way.”

  Adrianna was right. Storm had learned patience in gaining Evalle as his mate, a prize worthy of giving up everything he owned. He would show that same patience to prevent putting her in a position to fight him.

  She’d win.

  He’d never lift a claw against her.

  CHAPTER 29

  Evalle’s heart had climbed up her throat and almost strangled her as she’d neared her gryphon pack. When they set their wings and landed, she drew a shaky breath of air.

  She mirrored Tristan’s action to land.

  He was clearly in the lead.

  As she slowed and set her wings, so did her small army that would die quickly beneath the Belador gryphon claws.

  But Tristan and company was no match for some of the massive beasts Germanus had shown her yesterday.

  On the ground, she turned to give her group a stay-put stare. They remained still.

  Hmm. Who knew obedience training worked with a look?

  Surprisingly, Storm and Daegan weren’t with the gryphons. She was glad she didn’t have to face Storm, but shocked that Daegan would send Tristan and the pack on their own.

  Or had Tristan figured out where she was and took it on himself to come here? That sounded like Tristan, but she couldn’t fault him for keeping their dragon king safe.

  It was her job to send the gryphons back alive.

  Stepping forward just enough to break out of her group, she sent a telepathic message to Tristan. Thank you for coming. Please go home. This is a death trap.

  Tristan replied, We know. No fun if this was easy, right? What the hell happened to you? Why aren’t you healing?

  She’d missed him. Long story and you don’t have time to hear it. You have to teleport out of here, all of you, right now. If you don’t, I have to battle you. I don’t have a choice. The guy in charge is called—

  Germanus, Tristan said. We know that, too.

  What you don’t know is that he’s holding a teenager he intends to kill if I don’t battle, she shouted mind to mind. He’s seen me fight others like the ones behind me. He’ll know if I don’t fight hard.

  Tristan muttered, Shit on a stick. We planned to teleport you out of here.

  She attempted a sad smile around her ripped beak. You can’t.

  I get that now. We have to find the kid first.

  She didn’t want to go into the whole explanation about the Noirre in her chest. She would bet that Germanus had stuck some in Kellman by now, just so he had to stay here, too.

  Did Abandinu even notice the population growth here?

  Tristan said, Daegan wants to know where the boy is being held.

  Evalle held her breath. Daegan is here?

  Hell, yes. So is the tomcat.

  Her heart did a backflip. She couldn’t decide whether to jump around and celebrate or start crying at the idea of seeing Storm one more time.

  She did neither, because Tristan warned, Don’t show any reaction, Evalle. That’s why we wanted you to see the gryphons first and why I’m talking to you instead of Daegan, but he can hear us. Also, we know about Abandinu and that he has a soft spot for flying creatures. We figured he might not smoke the gryphons.

  She admitted, I haven’t seen Abandinu since I arrived and Germanus thinks the god has abandoned him.

  Daegan’s voice boomed in Evalle’s head. That’s good. Abandinu may not care if we destroy that castle and Germanus.

  She implored Daegan, Please get everyone out of here. This bunch behind me is not the entire army. Germanus intends for me to fight you as a distraction, then while your guard is down he will send the real army. Daegan … he has a dragon.

  When Daegan said nothing, Evalle said, Please tell Storm I love him and there is no way to teleport me out of here. Just take him and leave.

  Daegan said, We heard that I could not teleport you out, but this battle is not over yet. As for Storm, Adrianna would have to put a Witchlock spell on your mate to get h
im out of here right now and she would no sooner do that than the rest of us would.

  Adrianna was here, too?

  Daegan said, About the boy Germanus is holding …

  The sound of thunderous wings reached her ears as every Treoir gryphon lifted its head at the sound.

  She swept her eagle-shaped head to look as well.

  Germanus must have realized she was communicating ... or this was exactly what he’d planned.

  His two gargoyles flew in the lead with Germanus on the back of one.

  The time had come for her to choose.

  Battle her friends to protect Kellman?

  Or fight beside her friends, knowing the boy would die?

  CHAPTER 30

  Standing next to the dragon king, Storm ordered, “Tell me what’s going on.”

  Daegan said, “Evalle has to battle us, me in particular, or a boy will be killed.”

  “You are not hurting her.” Storm couldn’t take his eyes off of Evalle, and he bled for how badly her gryphon had been damaged.

  Why hadn’t she healed? She could normally heal fast in gryphon form. The spot on her chest where the emerald had been was now caved in and surrounded by ragged gray skin, half-healed.

  “What did they do to her?” Storm said more to himself than anyone else.

  “I don’t know, but she will battle me,” Daegan confirmed.

  “No. Attack the others. Don’t. Touch. Her.”

  Daegan sounded heartsick when he said, “Germanus has seen her battle hard. He’ll know if she doesn’t and he holds a person’s life in the balance. Do you think Evalle wants the death of anyone, especially a young one, on her conscience? Trust me when I say I can do this.”

  “What the hell is that sound?” Storm pushed to the side to see through all the massive gryphons, wyverns and the rest of the preternatural bodies sitting behind Evalle’s gryphon.

  Two huge gargoyles flew point, ahead of a pack with a lot of muscle on the wing.

  Daegan said, “That’s the real enemy.”

  “There’s a dragon in that bunch, too.”

  “I saw, but Evalle warned me about it. I have no idea who the dragon is, but if possible I don’t want to kill that one.”