by Meara Platt
And she now carried a dagger in her muff.
She wasn’t afraid of Oliver.
However, she wasn’t expecting the two accomplices he’d hired who now came out of the shadows and helped him to lead his horses and carriage into the barn. The barn door shut behind them, plunging them into darkness. She was about to draw out her dagger and stab it into Oliver’s hand, but in the next moment, one of the men lit a lantern and she saw that it would take more than that to successfully make her escape.
She might hurt Oliver, but the two men were big and mean. Dockside thieves, no doubt. They were blocking her means of exit. She’d never get out… unless. “What is he paying you? I’ll double it.”
“You bitch!” Oliver’s slap caught her by surprise and she chided herself for being unprepared for it. “We’ve been promised untold riches. Do you think your puny allowance will ever satisfy us?”
She rubbed her cheek to ease the sting of his slap. “Who would pay a fortune to have me?” But she knew the answer before the last words had slipped from her mouth. Brihann.
He had found the greedy mortals who would do his dirty business for him. She had nothing to lose now. She withdrew her dagger and plunged it into Oliver’s hand, then quickly drew it out and jumped down from the phaeton while he was distracted and howling in pain.
The barn door had not been latched shut, only slid closed. To escape, she merely had to elude these two big men and then run for her life around the corner and onto the busy street.
The horses were now between her and these men, for they’d rushed toward Oliver when he began to howl.
She slapped the rump of one of the bay geldings and screamed at the top of her lungs. The horses startled and began to rear up on their hind legs, jostling the carriage and flailing their front legs so that the two men had to jump back to avoid being struck in the head by those massive hooves.
Georgiana had at least two or three seconds lead on them. It was enough, for she was a fast runner. Anyway, she was running for her life. That was incentive enough to sprint like a deer out the door.
She grabbed the rough-hewn wooden door and shoved it open.
Instead of freedom, she ran solidly into a wall of demons. Ugh! They smelled foul enough to make her gag. But she had no time to dwell on them or their odor. She swung her hand in an arc and tried to fell as many of them as she could with her dagger. She used her muff as a shield to fend off their sharp talons, but it wasn’t much of a shield and was quickly ripped apart.
She only needed to drive a small path between them and run through it.
She kept swinging her dagger, darting forward and then feinting back, but couldn’t clear that path before Oliver and his dockside knaves came up behind her. She gave one of them a swift kick between his legs. He cursed her as he dropped to his knees in pain. Oliver put a handkerchief to her nose and pressed it hard against her nostrils.
He’d doused it with a sickly scent.
She tried to draw it off her nose, but that scent was already having an effect. Her legs buckled out from under her. She vaguely recalled managing to stab Oliver again.
Then everything fell dark.
*
“A portal has just opened up,” Dalgwynn said in a rush, finding Bloodaxe sparring with broadswords in the courtyard with Artemis. “My lord, King Brihann has unsealed the portal at the Razor Cliffs and allowed Python through. We tried to stop him, but he used his dark magic on us. We stopped most of Python’s demons though. Only a handful managed to get by us.”
Bloodaxe muttered an oath. “He’s been sent after Lady Georgiana. So much for his supposed call for truce. There’s no time to lose. Position your men around that portal and don’t allow any of his demons through. If Python returns, don’t allow him to seal the portal. Keep it open as long as you can to allow the Fae king and his armies in.”
He began to run to the parapet, still shouting orders to his captains. “Artemis, stay here and guard the fortress. Andronicus, add your forces to Dalgwynn’s, but leave Dalgwynn in charge of them. You’re to go to King Cadeyrn and tell him we need his help. Let him know the portal is open. Ask him to give us as many Fae as he can spare.”
“What will you do, my lord?” Artemis asked.
“Try to stop Python before he captures Lady Georgiana and hands her over to Brihann.” He grabbed his crossbow and quiver of arrows and called to his dogs. “Charon. Styx. Come.” It didn’t take him long to reach the Razor Cliffs, for the demon portals that were passageways within the Underworld alone still worked and he knew them all.
He’d gone through them often.
His dogs easily kept pace by his side. “Follow Georgiana’s scent.”
Their noses were far better than his and could pick up her wildflower scent anywhere in London. He knew she was there, hopefully reunited with her father.
He didn’t know what she had decided to do about her betrothed, the Marquis of Linwood. He’d abide by whatever decision she would make. No. Hell, no. She was his dragon mate. He’d be a fool to let her go again.
His dogs led him to a barn in one of the fashionable sections of London. Three men were just getting up off the ground, one of them clutching his bleeding hand and yelling at the others. “Fools! He won’t pay us now. All is lost because you couldn’t subdue one small girl on your own.”
His large companions shot daggers at him with their eyes. “Ye didn’t tell us she fought like a demon. Look what she did to ye, Lord Linwood. She almost plunged her dagger into m’heart as well.”
Bloodaxe pushed the men aside. “Linwood.” He grabbed the cur by the throat and held him in a stranglehold. “If Brihann harms a hair on her head, I’ll slice you into pieces and then feed you to my dogs for supper.”
Charon and Styx growled low in their throats as though to emphasize his point.
Even the dockside rogues shuddered. “That big man took ’er. Large, ’e was. Ugly creature. But ’e ain’t got more than a step or two head start.”
Bloodaxe dropped Linwood to the ground. “Harm any of her family and I’ll kill you all.”
He whirled back through the portal, desperate to find Python before he had the chance to call for reinforcements.
His dogs howled as they raced back through the portal alongside him. They must have caught the scent of Georgiana in the lingering wake. “Take me to her,” he commanded them.
In the next moment, they’d made it back to the Razor Cliffs. He saw Python just ahead of him. He was carrying Georgiana over his shoulder and screaming for Brihann and Necros to attack.
Georgiana was lying so still, she had to be unconscious. Then he heard her low moan and saw her trying to lift her head. She was coming around. Not in time though. She was still too listless to defend herself. Probably too nauseated from the drug she’d inhaled to do more than drop to her knees and heave the poison out of her system. He’d caught the foul scent of it as they’d passed through the portal.
He turned to face Brihann. “Don’t hurt her. This doesn’t have to turn to war between us.”
But he knew this was exactly what Brihann wanted, to stir him into a blind rage and turn him into the monster these other three Dragon Lords had long ago become. Brihann killing Georgiana would accomplish it.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Python still holding Georgiana. Necros was winging his way toward Python. Blast. He raised his crossbow and reached for an arrow out of his quiver, but Brihann used his magic to knock the weapon out of his hands. Knowing Brihann would never allow him to get off a decent shot, he left the crossbow on the ground and dropped his quiver of arrows beside it.
He had no choice but to shift into dragon form. It was his only chance to defeat this unholy threesome.
Python still held Georgiana and had no intention of releasing her to join in the dragon battle. He’d have to rely on Charon and Styx to keep that foul elf from disappearing into his castle with Georgiana… or worse, delivering her to Brihann’s castle lair.
How long could Charon and
Styx delay him? A few seconds at best?
Bloodaxe shifted as fast as he could, but had no time to stretch his wings before Brihann and Necros descended on him. Brihann slammed into him while Necros lunged for his neck. He easily dodged Necros and soared up into the sky.
The pair chased after him.
He turned and slammed into Necros with the full force of his body, momentarily stunning the yellow beast.
Brihann roared in anger.
Bloodaxe dropped low and then pulled up fast, hitting him squarely in his soft, black underbelly. Brihann floundered and began to fall.
All too soon, he recovered. “Fools!” Brihann shrieked. “We are three against one, but he flies at us as though we are weak, old women!”
Incredibly, Python threw Georgiana to the ground and shifted into his dragon form in order to join in the fight. She’d have a nasty bruise on her head, hopefully nothing worse. Charon and Styx had already taken up positions on either side of her to prevent any of Brihann’s minions from getting close.
Then Andronicus and his men protectively surrounded her and he completely lost sight of her, not even able to catch a glimpse of her golden hair. Brihann’s minions were swarming along the Razor Cliffs toward them, but his own soldiers were already in place to battle them.
He had to trust his men to protect Georgiana, but his soldiers were battling three demon armies. How long could they hold out?
Fae reinforcements would be welcome.
He knew the Fae king would come to his aid, it was just a matter of time. Precious time. The three Dragon Lords were now regrouping and preparing to come after him. He turned to face them, quickly sorting through his options. Necros was the weakest link, best to get him out of the way first.
Then Python.
Brihann would be a formidable opponent, for he was twice as large as any of them and no longer merely playing at fighting. This time, Brihann would kill him if he didn’t give in and pledge fealty to the High King in the war against mankind.
The three dragons flew at him together, and Bloodaxe found it easy to parry this first assault by flying into Necros and knocking him into Brihann just as Brihann opened his jaws. Instead of clamping onto Bloodaxe’s neck, he snapped them into empty air.
Since that assault had been a failure, they came at him from separate directions next. He twisted out of the way so that Python and Necros collided, but Brihann landed a powerful blow that sent him reeling. They went on like this, dragons jousting in the red sky, as battle continued to wage on the ground below. Time seemed to slow and the scent of death filled the air even though they were soaring to heights where the air was thin. Dragons rarely flew this high up, for dragon fire required their lungs to fill with air. At this height, they had little air and would only wind up with a burst of pain across the chest.
He’d lost count of how many passes they’d made against each other. Twenty? Perhaps more. He scanned the ground below, searching for Georgiana to make certain she was unharmed amid the chaos, but could not find her. Andronicus and his men were still standing in a circle while battling Brihann’s demons. Georgiana had to be in the center of that circle.
Was she safe?
Brihann slammed into him, cracking a bone in his wing.
Damn.
His fault. He’d taken his attention off the dragons. A searing pain shot up his wing as he tried to move it. He’d done the same to Necros and Python, for the most part rendering them useless. But Brihann was unscathed.
This wasn’t good.
Brihann came at him again and he narrowly missed being crushed in his jaws. Just darting out of the way caused him dizzying pain.
Brihann slammed into him again, tossing him against Necros and Python. They were exhausted, but he’d fallen into their clutches and it took nothing for them to tilt their heads and snap their jaws. They missed his neck, but managed to bite his wings. He bit back and shook them off, but not before they’d caused more damage.
He wasn’t going to win this fight.
Georgiana.
He had to get her safely into Fae hands before he died. Where was the Fae king and his armies? Why hadn’t they come through yet? Had the portal somehow closed?
He dove for the Razor Cliffs.
His men were outnumbered, and more demons were still climbing up the cliffs. Then he saw the problem. They’d pushed back his men and sealed the portal. He dove toward it and with the last of his strength, shot his dragon fire to clear the opening to the portal. Brihann’s demons scrambled away to avoid the flames.
Bloodaxe shoved open the portal with all his might and then tumbled off the cliff.
The Fae came through.
He searched for Cadeyrn, knowing he was likely to be in the vanguard. Save Georgiana.
He needed to distract Brihann while Cadeyrn got her to safety. He ignored the jolts of pain now coursing through his body and flew upward to engage the three dragons once again. They pummeled him, but he didn’t care. In this moment, they’d forgotten Georgiana.
Brihann clamped his massive jaws around his neck.
This was it, the killing blow.
I love you, Georgie.
Could she hear him?
His wing was crippled. He had no breath left in his lungs to blow more dragon fire. He felt Brihann’s teeth begin to sink into the soft flesh beneath his scales. But the killing bite never came. Brihann suddenly howled in pain and released him.
What had just happened?
Brihann began to dance oddly in the air.
Then he saw the reason.
A crossbow arrow shot through his tail.
His crossbow arrow.
As Necros and Python hurried to pull it out of Brihann with their teeth, Bloodaxe searched the ground for the soldier who had shot it. Amid the circle of his men stood Georgiana, her gold hair tumbling about her shoulders as she struggled to reload the crossbow and shoot another arrow.
Although it pained him, he burst out laughing, the sound emanating from his dragon snout as an odd, high pitched roar.
Georgiana looked up.
Their gazes met.
I love you, my lord. I’m not leaving you.
Blast the stubborn girl.
He frowned at her. Get out of here.
She shot another arrow that whizzed past him and would have struck Python had he not seen it in time and dodged it.
She reloaded.
Bloodaxe wanted to pick her up by his teeth and shove her through the Fae portal, but not even he could get near her. Cadeyrn and his finest Fae soldiers had added another circle of protection around her and he knew Cadeyrn would take her to safety if that circle began to collapse.
He heard the shriek of angry dragons behind him.
The three crazed Dragon Lords were coming after him once more.
He meant to fight back, but his wing was too badly broken to allow him to dart and weave as he needed to elude them. They easily surrounded him and began to attack him from all sides. They were like vultures descending on their prey.
They were too close to him for Georgiana to shoot her arrows.
He’d taken too many punishing blows. His wings gave out and he began to hurtle toward the ground.
Suddenly, an angry roar filled the air and he was caught in the wingspan of a black dragon and lifted upward once again. There was only one other such dragon, but it couldn’t be. Saron would never fly to his rescue. Would he?
Need some help, my brother?
If dragons could grin, he’d be grinning at Saron right now. He didn’t know what to think. His heart was bursting with joy. His little brother was here. How was it possible? Georgiana, of course. No, I have them on the run.
Saron snapped his dragon tail. Right, and pigs fly.
Bloodaxe regained his wings and attempted to get in front of Saron to shield him from Brihann’s rage. Brihann and his toadies would indeed have to kill him before he allowed that Fae maggot to harm his little brother.
Saron turned to him, his drag
on eyes bright. Let me do this, Arik. You’ve protected me long enough.
He was no longer Arik, but allowed himself a wrenching moment to fall back to a time when he was that boy and could run beside his younger brother in the sunshine filled Draloch meadows. He was too far gone to weep, but he felt the sweet pang of his heart beating against his chest. Saron was beside him. His little brother. I’ll always protect you, to my dying breath.
Saron nodded and gave an angry whip of his dragon tail when Necros dared to come too close. As I should have done for you. I’m sorry. I’m here now.
It was enough.
He gazed with pride upon Saron, for they were the two black dragons of prophecy. Their blue underbellies glistened in the light of the Underworld moons.
Brihann realized it at that same moment and rent the air with his anguished roar. This is not over, sons of Draloch! I shall hunt you both and destroy you. I shall–
Another arrow whizzed past his head just then and flew up Brihann’s nostril. Brihann shrieked in obvious pain and retreated to his castle lair. His toadies, Necros and Python, followed him.
Bloodaxe winced. That had to hurt as badly as a dragon sneeze.
Saron emitted a dragon roar that sounded suspiciously like a laugh. Remember the time we stole Father’s snuff box?
I recall. You couldn’t stop sneezing for a week. Bloodaxe’s tension eased and he laughed along with his brother, not caring that pain shot through his body with every little movement.
But it felt good to laugh.
He’d been burdened and miserable for so long.
Brihann’s demons retreated after their furious and raging king. Within an instant, the battle ended and an eerie calm surrounded the Razor Cliffs. Indeed, all was calm except…
Bloodaxe looked down and saw Georgiana still shaking her fist at Brihann’s retreating minions. “And don’t come back you deranged cowards,” she was shouting as his dogs leaped up and down beside her, barking to emphasize her point.
Bloodaxe did not know what would come next, but this prophecy had been fulfilled.
Two black dragons shall reign supreme.
Two black dragons shall unite the worlds of demon and man.
