by Dianna Love
“Why?”
Daegan turned a snarl on him. “Because that might be someone from my past who needs us just as I needed your help getting out of TÅμr Medb. I won’t allow the dragon to harm any of my people, but I’m pretty sure his orders are specifically to kill me.”
“Fine. Fight the damn dragon.”
“Not until I engage Evalle.”
Fuck this crap. Storm burst into the open, running to his mate.
Evalle’s gryphon looked down at him, obviously horrified.
Why? Did she not expect him to come for her? He’d have been here sooner if they’d bonded.
She lifted a wing and used it to hide her face and chest.
“Oh, sweetheart.” He slowed and walked over to her gryphon, opening his arms to hug as much as he could reach around her chest. “Don’t ever hide from me. I love you.”
When he looked up, a fat tear rolled down her eagle face.
Then her head jerked up and she pushed off the ground.
“Evalle, don’t!”
Fifty feet away, the pair of attack gargoyles slowed to land while the rest of the enemy air brigade split off, climbing high into the air.
Wings flapped behind him as the gryphons ... and Daegan in dragon form, lifted off.
Storm ripped his shirt apart and shifted into his jaguar.
He caught sight of Adrianna and Quinn on the backs of gryphons as they flew past him.
He’d gladly take on the gargoyles, but those two hadn’t even approached.
Their attention was locked on the screeching battles in the air. Storm didn’t want to look, but he did.
Evalle flew at Daegan’s dragon, slamming him, but then Daegan pushed her away. She flapped around and came back for the next lunge. The dragon could fly faster and had far more wingspan. He whipped back and forth, moving quickly for something his size.
She picked up speed, shot up in the air a quarter mile, did a fast spin and came down, heading for the dragon.
The guy Storm assumed was Germanus yelled, “You are not fighting hard enough, Evalle! The boy dies!”
Fucking bastard. Storm stretched his neck to watch Evalle and Daegan.
She jerked her head toward Germanus just before impact with Daegan.
They crashed in a blast of aqua feathers, red scales and her squawking in pain. Her gryphon tumbled through the air until Daegan’s dragon made a crazy sharp turn and dove, snatching her up by the wing just before she would have hit the ground head first.
Speaking of the damn ground, it was no longer sand, but now hard as stone.
Had Germanus just done that to watch her splatter?
As Daegan’s dragon pulled Evalle’s gryphon up, her eagle head was staring at Germanus and shaking from side to side. Was she telling Germanus no?
Storm’s jaguar turned to the gargoyles.
One was gone, flying for the castle with Germanus on his back.
Now Storm understood that Evalle was trying to tell Germanus no. That bastard had hurt her enough. He was not making Evalle responsible for the death of that boy. Evalle would champion and protect even a stranger she considered an innocent.
Storm turned his jaguar loose, racing for the castle.
The gargoyle left behind lunged at him.
Storm’s jaguar leaped to the right, ruining the gargoyle’s timing. The winged beast landed hard on its face. Storm gave his jaguar free reign to jump on the gargoyle and tear through its neck with his claws and fangs.
As soon as the head flopped to the side, his jaguar roared a deafening sound then looked around to find Evalle. She flew high above him with the dragon.
Storm couldn’t help her by standing here. He ripped away, racing hell-bent to reach that boy before Germanus did.
Daegan had better be good for his word on keeping Evalle safe.
CHAPTER 31
Evalle’s gryphon had some broken bones in one wing and no way to heal it fast. Her bad leg had taken days to strengthen and had a bend in it.
She hoped her wings would hold up and she could still fly.
Once Daegan had lifted her gryphon a mile in the air, he released her. His voice came into her mind. Sorry, Evalle. I intended to make the battle appear genuine, but not to the point of harming you.
My fault, Daegan. Germanus pulled my attention away. I don’t care. Germanus left. He didn’t believe the battle.
The dragon swept around to face the castle.
So did Evalle’s gryphon.
That’s when she saw Storm’s jaguar far ahead of them, streaking toward the castle. No! Daegan, please stop Storm. Germanus threatened to kill him, too, if I failed.
This was worse than any nightmare she’d had here.
She abandoned the battle still raging between the Treoir gryphons and the realm army. White flashes of energy shot out from Adrianna’s hand and Quinn was probably using mind lock.
Flying hard, she looked to her right.
Daegan’s dragon stayed with her when he could easily outpace her. He was doing that to protect her, but she wanted him to go ahead and help Storm.
Before she could send him on, a flash of silver yanked her attention up. Daegan, look out above!
The realm dragon that had flown high into the clouds was executing the same attack that Evalle had attempted in her effort to show she really was fighting Daegan.
Daegan’s red dragon banked hard just before the silver dragon collided with him.
But when the silver one pulled up, he arced to the left, slamming into Evalle’s gryphon.
She had the presence of mind this time to dig her claws into the dragon’s chest upon impact. If she was going down, so was he.
His claws raked the insides of her wings. Ow. Ow. Ow.
Why had he not blowtorched her yet?
Why couldn’t she thank her lucky stars for one thing in her favor and not look for more trouble?
They tangled with flapping wings and slashing claws. Where was Daegan? He could kill this dragon right now with the silver one so vulnerable.
Daegan’s claws closed around the silver dragon’s neck, then he flapped backwards hard, yanking the realm dragon off Evalle. She fluttered to the ground, landing hard and rolling.
Her poor wing hung loose.
Clenching her beak tight, she forced the wing back in place and called up her healing. A tiny push of energy went to the wing.
Boom. The ground shook beneath her.
She hobbled around. Daegan and the silver dragon had landed hard and were battling. Why was Daegan not killing that dragon?
Please tell her that Storm saved Kellman and himself as well. She couldn’t leave Daegan when he was at the mercy of anything Germanus threw at him.
She started hobbling toward the battling dragons.
That would be an incredible view if not for Daegan’s life at risk. She called out telepathically. Pin the dragon down, Daegan, and I’ll rip out his throat.
No. Do not touch him.
Evalle’s gryphon stopped. What?
The red dragon flapped up, lifting the silver one off the ground, then he dropped the realm dragon hard enough to knock him senseless.
When the silver dragon stopped moving, she said, You did it, Daegan. You killed him.
His red dragon banked around to face her. No, I didn’t. I want to take him back with us.
You can’t take anything out of here.
I will take you both.
She was not arguing with a dragon that had lost its mind. I’m going after Storm.
Without waiting on an answer, because the dragon king could reach her telepathically, she pushed off, groaning in pain. When she reached the castle, she found large patches of blood.
No! That gargoyle had better not have hurt Storm.
She shifted back to her human form. She wasn’t as powerful in this form, but she could get around inside far better as a woman than as a huge gryphon.
Inside
she listened for ... Kellman screaming, the sound of a jaguar fighting ... anything to give her a tip.
The silence frightened her more than the noises she’d anticipated.
Her heart thumped like mad. Which way should she go?
Up or down?
What about the arena? Would Germanus be there with Kellman? The arena was behind the castle, but accessed through a lower level.
Padding around on her bare feet and wearing the sack that automatically clothed her every time she was in human form, she peeked at the mangled body suspended above her head.
No second body yet.
Germanus would have hung the second one by now. He was just that sick. She had a chance to save Kellman, but she also had to find Storm.
Her gut said to go downstairs. If Germanus was not there, then she’d check the arena next. Tiptoeing quietly down every step, she listened for any hint of a gargoyle attack.
She’d never seen the gargoyles down here, so maybe they couldn’t navigate these steps?
She paused to look into the treasure room where the hoard glowed innocently. What could be worth more than life?
Nothing.
She started to bypass it and head to the arena when she heard a weak, “Evalle, help.”
Kellman?
Catching herself, she stepped into the room and moved deeper past the pile of treasure until she saw Germanus in his special alcove with one hand around Kellman’s throat, holding him above the ground.
Kellman had his back to her.
“Let him go, Germanus. I did as you wanted. I fought the dragon.”
“No, you didn’t.” A gold and silver sword stood next to his throne. His stolen throne. He was no leader.
“Yes,” she argued. “Daegan is dead. Go outside to see for yourself.” That would give her a chance to grab Kellman. She didn’t know what she’d do then, but she would fight everything Germanus threw at her to save that boy.
“Take another sword from the pile and bring me the dragon’s head.”
Well, shit. “I am too busted up to drag a head that big in here. I need time to heal.” So true. Her battered arm fell loose on one side. She could feel blood seeping through the sack dress and down her legs. “Let’s go to the roof so you can see for yourself.”
“I am not leaving here.”
Why? Was he worried someone would steal his booty?
A loud and vicious roar echoed through the building.
The sound of Storm’s jaguar was music to her ears, but she didn’t want him in here.
Now that she thought about it, Germanus had brought no gargoyles in here either time she’d been in this space with him.
Did that mean Germanus was more powerful in here?
She felt Storm’s energy enter the room behind her. Her heart squeezed with the need to turn around and hug her black jaguar, but that would only put him at further risk. Without moving, she pleaded, “Please leave Storm. He wants to kill you and Kellman.”
Did her mate leave?
No. Storm shifted back to human. She’d been around him enough to recognize the power shift when he changed forms.
He walked over to her, but didn’t touch her. She didn’t blame him.
She looked like an abomination even in human form, and she had to be filthy since Germanus had given her no way to bathe. She didn’t look at Storm for fear of seeing how awful she appeared reflected in his eyes, but she would never forget him hugging her gryphon and saying he loved her.
Storm told her, “Not going anywhere without you.”
She opened her mouth to make him understand that she couldn’t leave here.
Germanus yelled, “This one dies!”
“No!” Evalle lunged, but Storm held her back.
Germanus had a crazy look in his eyes. He grabbed the sword and shoved it through Kellman, then dropped him.
Evalle screamed and fought against Storm’s hold.
Kellman made a painful noise and doubled over, falling to the side.
Storm was saying, “Stop!”
She fought to get to Germanus. “No! He killed Kellman.”
“No, he didn’t.” Storm was holding her carefully, but he was not turning her loose. “Stop, Evalle, or I’m going to hurt you by accident.”
She begged, “Let me kill him. Please, let me kill him.”
Germanus smiled, “Your mate knows I’m safe here.”
Energy burst into the room. Daegan stood there a second later looking like a deadly warlord from a time long past. “You son of a bitch.”
That deflated the arrogance that had been growing in the face of that monster.
Evalle didn’t care who showed up. She kept pleading, “Let me go, Storm!”
Daegan said, “You can’t harm Germanus in here, Evalle. This is a sanctuary room for him. To attack him would hurt you.”
She folded at the knees, which took her to the floor. Living with those two deaths on her conscience was more than she could do.
Storm kept his hands on her.
She cried for the twins she’d loved so long. Her voice broke. “I have to kill him. Please,” came out in a whisper.
Daegan said, “That is my father’s throne and his treasure, Germanus.”
The bastard lifted his chin. “It’s all mine now, dragon. Just wait until I call my dragon in to thrash you.”
“Your dragon tried. He failed.”
“Not possible. You can’t kill my dragon in this realm. He’s more powerful than you.”
Daegan said, “He recognized my power. He’s the second son of the ice dragon house. You put him in here for two thousand years!”
“Not me. Abandinu.”
Daegan accused, “That god would not have brought a dragon from my time when we were all born of powerful dragon houses. Not without everyone believing that dragon was dead. Abandinu would not do such a thing knowing it would start a war with all the dragon houses for that insult.”
Guilt spread across Germanus from his eyes to his shaking hands. But that didn’t stop him from spewing more garbage. “You don’t know what happened. You were in Queen Maeve’s tender care when the war started.”
“Why is that dragon here?” Daegan demanded.
Evalle heaved hard breaths in and out, watching as Germanus began to squirm. Now, right now, she could rip him apart.
Storm knelt behind her with his arms loosely wrapped around her. Any touch hurt, but she would not give up this moment with him.
Germanus warned, “Do not anger Abandinu. I know your mother was a goddess, but this is not her realm, which means she would be vulnerable here.”
“No, it is not her realm, but only a fool would assume anything about a powerful being of which they know nothing. You are a fool. Abandinu is not. What would make you do something so stupid, Germanus?”
“Do not call me stupid.” Germanus stood up shouting, “I am the one holding all the power right now. You will eventually die. When you do, I am free of this place. I still do not believe you killed my dragon. When he kills you, I will escape and be given immortality by Macha. You cannot defeat her in her realm.”
Storm said, “You miserable piece of flesh. Dakkar, or La Cuchilla, whatever you call him, is dead. Daegan sent Macha home with her tail between her legs. How do you think we found you?”
That struck home like nothing else said to this point.
Germanus shook his head. “No, La Cuchilla sent you here to die. We have a blood pact.”
Evalle finally put it together and turned to Storm. “Dakkar? The bounty hunter? He’s the one who did this?”
Storm tightened his arms around her. “Yes. He was using you as bait. He knew we would come for you and he believed that bitch, Macha, would grant him immortality if Germanus killed Daegan.”
Evalle laughed even though it hurt with her mouth screwed up. “Warranty on blood pacts must be void if one of you dies.”
She looked around and
up at Daegan with tears in her eyes. “I have to kill him.”
Nodding calmly, Daegan said, “I had thought to deal with him myself, but I would not take that from you.”
When she looked back at Germanus, the crazy guy stared at them as if she and Daegan had spoken a strange language.
The dragon king moved his arms out and around.
They all teleported onto the windy roof.
Germanus twisted one way then the next. “You can’t do this. I hold all the power.” His voice trembled this time when he said those words. He caught himself and slowly turned to look out over the battlefield.
Seven Treoir gryphons and one silver dragon stood together.
Daegan said, “My magic is older than this realm. You assumed you held all the power here.”
Evalle smiled in spite of her busted lip opening up and bleeding. Then she said to Storm, “Let me go. I have to avenge the twins’ deaths.”
“You think that was one of the twins?” Storm asked.
She turned slowly to him. “Yes. It was.”
“No. I swear to you they’re both safe in Atlanta.”
She shook her head, unable to accept his words over what her eyes had shown her. “Germanus sent someone … Dakkar probably … to kidnap them. I watched both of them die.”
“The twins are not dead, Evalle. I had a ward set that would alert me to any breach. I saw Dakkar die with my own eyes and no breach had happened by that point. I don’t know who the bodies belonged to, but Dakkar probably brought two homeless kids and Germanus used the realm majik to convince you they were your twins.” Storm swallowed, then his face turned murderous. “I am so sorry he did that, but I’m going to make him pay.”
She lifted her fists in the air, shrieking with rage over the torment Germanus had put her through.
Shaking her head at Storm, she declared, “No. I will make him pay!” She pushed away. Calling up the change felt like having her body rammed into this stone structure over and over. Adrenaline surged through her gryphon as it screeched with fury, then turned to Germanus.
He backed away with his hands out in front of him, ready to wield his power.
He had killed two boys the age of the twins.
He had tortured her from the inside out.
