“Are you too afraid to fight someone who can actually fight back? You can’t get away from me,” David yelled as the dragon made to clumsily dart away again. Its tail wept some strange liquid, and as the creature moved, it was becoming evident that the energy was being rapidly sapped away from its form.
David rushed toward it, nearly overshooting it as its legs gave out from under it with four distinct snapping sounds. It wailed mournfully, hitting the ground hard. Helpless to escape David’s wrath, it once more turned soulful eyes upon the slayer. If it could speak, he was sure it would be pleading for its life.
He simply smirked, stepping toward the dragon’s head and grabbing it by the horn. It wailed as he struck the horn with his axe, not breaking it but sending several cracks splintering along the length of it.
The dragon tried to crawl away with what energy remained in its body, but after a valiant attempt, it simply collapsed to the ground. That sickly liquid as well as deep red blood flowed from its wounds, staining and ruining the scales he had thought would be so worthwhile.
“You took away the one thing that mattered to me. After so long—after so long of being alone, you took away the man I loved. Gods, you probably can’t even understand me. But I want you to hear this. I want you to know, as you lay dying, that this is for one human. Not for me, not even for the society of slayers. This is for Ethan. This is for Ethan!” he screamed, slamming the axe into the meat of the creature’s shoulder. The axe pierced deep, blood spurting from the wound as the already beaten creature’s eyes began to flutter.
David watched in satisfaction until the creature’s body started to glimmer. Never having seen such a sight before, the slayer took a hesitant step back as the dragon’s body began to shift, contorting in a way that seemed unfathomable. He could barely stand to watch as the pieces he had sliced and smashed began to retract, rapidly taking the shape of a much smaller, and much more brutally injured creature.
David’s mouth fell open, and the first thing to enter his mind was disbelief. Was this a death glamour? Was this some attempt to drive him mad in the last moments of the dragon’s life? However, when Ethan began to cough and blood spilled past his lips, a sense of anguish washed over the slayer.
“D-david…” Ethan rasped out.
David rushed toward Ethan, staring with wide eyes at what he had done to the man he loved. Or…the dragon?
“Why are you doing this? Are you trying to drive me mad? You’ve already taken him from me,” David sobbed, collecting the body of the slender man in his arms.
Ethan considered him with an unreadable look for a long moment, before a soft sigh pulled itself from his lips.
“All… all I wanted was to keep you safe. I love you,” Ethan managed, blood continuing to flow freely from his mouth. David’s eyes widened as he was stricken by the reality of the situation. This wasn’t some trick to drive him to take his own life. This was real! This was Ethan that he clutched in his arms!
“But how? Ethan, why did you let me do this to you?” he sobbed, anguished.
“I knew you would could never…never love something like me. Death…is a more merciful fate than continuing my life without you,” Ethan rasped, allowing his eyes to flutter shut. The erratic rise and fall of his chest began to slow, and David could do little but watch with tears in his eyes.
“No! I’m not going to lose you! Not like this!” he screamed.
David held Ethan close to his broad chest, keeping the delicate and wounded man as stable as possible as he bolted out of the forest. He ran as quickly as his feet could take him, even without the souls of fallen dragons driving him forward. He swore for a moment he was flying, that his feet never quite touched the ground as he bolted toward the only place he could think to turn.
The red lights of the hospital sign shone in the darkness, bright against the stark white of the paint. David gasped for breath, staggering into the building as he nearly dropped to his knees from the sheer anguish in his heart. He had to push forward, he had to…had to.
“Sir, what happened?” a nurse cried out fearfully.
David’s vision swam as a crew of hospital personnel rushed toward them. The only thing he could think of as his consciousness began to fade, as the last vestiges of his sanity seemed to disappear into the netherworld, was that he hoped he wasn’t too late. Once again, he hoped he wasn’t too late. This time, however, it seemed that all hope was lost. He sagged to the ground, the shouts of a doctor screaming, “Clear!” echoing through his brain as he was lost to the world.
CHAPTER TEN
A steady beeping sounded in his mind. His head throbbed painfully as a groan erupted from his lips. Every inch of his body ached in excruciating pain that seemed as if he had been driven to the depths of hell fire. His eyes fluttered, and he clutched blindly at his surroundings. His fingers curled into something soft, something that he placed as bedsheets. However, they were stiff, scratchy, and cold. It was entirely unlike his own bed, though he could barely fathom why he would be anywhere but his apartment. He couldn’t remember what had happened the night before, the intense pain serving only as a reminder that something, somehow, had gone wrong.
A soft snore sounded nearby. Ethan tried to jolt upright. Pain shot through his body, and he allowed himself to fall limply upon what he belatedly realized was a hospital bed. He blinked slowly, the events of the night before slowly returning to his memory. He could remember David shouting, David angry, and feeling pain unlike any other, but everything else seemed cloudy.
A tear rolled down his cheek as he tried to piece the situation together, only for another snore to rip him from his reverie.
He glanced down toward the foot of the bed, startled to see a familiar figure snoozing in a nearby chair. His heart leaped into his throat as he realized who it was.
“David,” he whispered, awe evident in his voice. In spite of his memories of the night before, he couldn’t deny that he was happy to see the other man. Even if David was here to slay him, ending their relationship in a flood of blood and gore, he was happy to see his beloved. He smiled to himself, watching as David’s chest steadily rose and fell in time with his snores. He wanted to talk to the slayer, but the last thing he wanted to do was ruin the tentative sense of tranquility that had washed over him.
However, as all things must, the moment came to an end. A nurse pushed through the door with a medicine cart, and David jerked awake, fists raised defensively. The nurse considered him with a mild smile, shifting past David to check on Ethan.
For Ethan’s part, he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the man who stood toward the end of his hospital cot. David’s gaze was intense, his eyes rimmed with dark circles. Ethan almost wondered if he had been crying, but that made very little sense.
As the nurse gave him some medicine that he scarcely listened to her list off, more and more of the night prior began to piece together in his mind. He could see David attacking Ethan’s dragon form, could feel the pain of toxins that had rushed through his body. Then, just as anxiety began to settle in the pit of his stomach, he envisioned something else. The grief-stricken face of the man who had confessed in so uncertain terms that he loved Ethan, that he was doing this for Ethan, that he was risking his life for Ethan.
The irony of the situation wasn’t lost on him, considering that it was Ethan himself that David had been attacking. Just the same, he couldn’t be angry at David. Neither of them had been particularly forthcoming with the truth.
Tears rolled down David’s cheeks as Ethan brought himself back to reality. The nurse tried to exchange pleasantries, but he remained silent until the woman took the hint to leave. She watched the two of them for a moment before slipping out of the room, closing the door behind her. Immediately, David lurched toward him, dropping to his knees by the bedside and clutching his hands together as if praying.
“Ethan, I’m so sorry. You have to know that I would never hurt you. You have to know I…I was trying so hard to save you, when I didn’t
realize that the only person you needed saving from was me,” David sobbed, the expression of grief seeming out of place on the usually confident man.
“Oh, David,” Ethan said, feeling tears welling in his eyes. “I know you can’t understand this, but I’m not angry. I should have been more forthcoming with who I am, or…well, what I am. I should have told you from the start, and given you the choice before you got too wrapped up in things. It was unfair of me to let you get attached, knowing that you could never love—”
David lurched forward to kiss him with surprising passion. It nearly startled him out of the bed, and he raised a hand to tangle it in David’s hair.
“Don’t say that I could never love you. I already do. I love you with every fiber of my being, and this whole thing has only solidified that fact for me. I should have told you the truth as well. We never would have gotten into this mess. I can’t expect you to forgive me,” he began, but this time it was Ethan who cut him off.
Their lips met again, working in perfect synchrony together. Ethan gasped as David pulled away, staring adoringly at the slayer who had, in effect, tried to kill him. He should have been angry. He shouldn’t have been able to forgive David. Yet, love did crazy things to a person.
“I love you too, you know. I think…I think I already told you, but I thought it might mean a bit more now that I’m not, you know, dying,” Ethan said awkwardly.
David teared up once again. “It means the world. The doctors are surprised at what a swift recovery you’re making. They told me you likely wouldn’t survive the night when I first brought you here. But you made it through, and now you’re here, and awake. With me,” he murmured, caressing the side of Ethan’s scruffy jaw.
Ethan chuckled, moving to sit upright a bit. “Well, I’ve been told that dragons have nearly miraculous healing powers. As far as shifters go, I can’t say I would know. I think I’m the only one.”
Suddenly Ethan’s expression slipped to a fearful one as the gravity of the situation began to weigh heavily on him. “David, what about the slayer’s society? They won’t…they won’t understand what we have together. They’ll kill us both if they find out. I won’t tear you away from the only family you have,” he intoned desperately, reaching out to take David by the hand. David frowned, shifting to his feet and crossing his arms over his chest.
“You really think I’d give up on you that easily? After everything we’ve been through? Forget about the Dragon Slayers Society. If they would see us killed for the love we share, I’ll just…quit,” he started confidently, but ended in something of a stammer. “Except, they wouldn’t let me quit. If they found out I was putting in my resignation, they would know something was up. They’d find you, and then we’d be right back where we started.”
Ethan began to tear up, trying to smother his sniffles. “I understand that we can’t be together, David. I was willing to give up my life as a dragon, but I’m sure I would eventually be found out. I won’t have you risking your life for me.” He tried to look as confident as he possibly could.
David hesitated, hugging himself and remaining silent for a long moment. He shifted from foot to foot, obviously considering all the grave possibilities they could be setting themselves up for. Ethan knew it would be hard for the other man, but it was obvious that they simply couldn’t carry on as they were. Something had to give.
Abruptly, David brightened and turned a mischievous smile toward the dragon shifter. Ethan raised a brow, tilting his head curiously at the strange change in attitude. Though he was relieved to see that deviant part of David again, he was also bitter that he could so quickly move past the fact that they would never be able to see each other again.
“Run away with me,” David whispered, and Ethan blinked slowly, certain he had misheard.
“Pardon?” he implored, looking to David with disbelief in his gaze.
David’s grin only expanded, and he began to excitedly pace the floor. Ethan watched him closely, almost certain that he had gone mad.
“Run away with me. We’ll get out of this town. As soon as you’re well enough, you’ll get out of this hospital and we’ll pack our things. We’ll get in your helicopter and never look back. Think about it, Ethan. We don’t have anything tying us down here. We don’t have family, we don’t have anything! Nothing could stop us.”
Ethan hesitated for a moment, certain that he would come up with some reason that the plan would fail. However, after a moment of thought, he realized that he couldn’t come up with anything tying him to the city. He couldn’t think of any reason to stay. More than anything, he was thrilled by the prospect of spending his life with the man he loved.
“Are you sure? You have so much more in your life, so much more to leave behind. I couldn’t bear to rip you away from your home,” Ethan said, though he hoped in the deepest pit of his stomach that David would disagree.
“I’m sure. I’ve never been surer of anything in my life. Regardless of what happened in our pasts, I know where I want my future to be. I want to be at your side,” David asserted.
Ethan perked up a bit, warming up to the idea more than he cared to admit. Could they really do it? Could they really escape the lives that destiny had laid out for them?
Some days passed and the two remained at the hospital, planning their escape. Ethan grew healthier as the days passed, and when it came time for him to be released from the hospital, both of the men were quaking with nerves. As they stepped out of the hospital, David was surprised to see a familiar face lingering outside waiting for him.
“Shit. It’s Jacob, my mentor,” he muttered.
Ethan knew that Jacob was the one person that David would regret leaving behind. He also knew that Jacob hated dragons even more than David himself had. He lingered a few steps back as David approached his mentor. There was trepidation in his gaze, but Jacob met the two of them with a warm smile.
“I had a feeling you’d try to leave without saying goodbye,” Jacob announced.
Ethan glanced over him to check for weapons. He stiffened as the older man withdrew a satchel from his backpack, handing it over to David.
“What’s this?” David asked nervously, glancing between his mentor and his lover.
“The scales from that dragon you…ah, we’ll say ‘slayed.’ I’ve been keeping a close eye on your progress,” Jacob said with a mischievous smirk. “Some of the scales that rotted off of the Opalescent’s hide were still in rather prime condition. They fetched a pretty penny. I wanted to send you off with something to start your life anew,” he continued, and Ethan watched as David withdrew a large wad of cash from the satchel.
“You mean…you know? And you’re letting us leave?” Ethan prompted, stepping up beside David and considering the other dragon slayer with trepidation.
Jacob shrugged his shoulders, watching the two with a smile. “David means more to me than any societal norms ever could. I just hope that someday I’ll be able to see the two of you again,” he said slowly, reaching out to pat David on the shoulder. “I’m proud of how far you’ve come. Just know that if you’re ever in danger, you’ll have a friend on the inside. I’ll keep them off of your trail for as long as I’m able.”
David hesitated for a moment before pulling Jacob into his arms. The two embraced for a moment, then David reached out an arm to pull in Ethan.
When the three parted, David and Ethan bid Jacob goodbye. The familiar walk to the fairground was a short one, and as always, Ethan’s helicopter was waiting for them.
“So, this is it, huh?” Ethan murmured, crawling into the pilot’s seat. David smiled, joining him in the other seat.
“I guess so. It’s the end of a chapter,” David said, looking somewhat melancholy as he glanced back toward the city. “But as far as our story, this is just the beginning,” he added with a sly grin.
Meeting his grin with a confident one of his own, Ethan started up the engine.
A fitting ending, it seemed, yet as David insisted, a beginning a
s well.
It was an amalgam...just like Ethan himself.
They both liked it that way.
The End
Bonus Book: Burning for His Dragon
Cyrus
The firehouse bell rang just as Cyrus Luz was finishing the oil check on their spare engine. Muttering an oath, he capped the valve quickly and rushed to don his gear. There was comfort in the routine, despite his pumping adrenaline. Pants, coat, boots, hat, mask. His buddy Zane whipped past him and jumped into the truck. Cyrus followed him, and the chief followed behind.
“We’ve got an outdoor structure fire—dispatcher says it’s a barn. No people inside, but there is livestock.”
“ETA?” Cyrus asked.
“Eight minutes.”
Already Cyrus had looked past Zane and the chief and the others. He was calculating whether the livestock would make it. How much time could he save if he could shift to his dragon form and rush ahead of the truck? How much animal life could be saved if he were able to change into his dragon and rush the barn, break down those walls and free the terrified beasts within?
He could do so much good as a dragon, but no human would ever see that—not anymore. Long gone were the days when humans and dragons coexisted.
Cyrus felt the exhaustion overwhelm him. He was tired of hiding, tired of pretending to be human. He blamed his carefully crafted pretenses for his break-up with Jonas. He’d loved Jonas, but he hadn’t been able to share everything—Jonas would never have understood.
“Yo, Luz, where’s your head at?” Zane gave him a light punch on the shoulder.
“Right here where it belongs,” Cyrus said. “Getting ready to put out a fire.”
“I fuckin’ hate when animals are in danger,” Zane said. “It’s not fair when they’re trapped.”
Despite his tough guy build, red-headed Zane had a tender heart. If he’d been gay, Cyrus might have been interested in him. As things were, Zane was happily married to his wife, the owner of a grocery chain.
“We’ll get them out,” Cyrus promised him. “Whatever’s in there, we’ll save it.”
The Dragon’s Flight: Gay Paranormal Romance Page 6
