by Leela Ash
“Who are you?” the woman asked, rising from her crouched position on the ground with the child. She was hugely pregnant, and Alana rushed to her side to help her steady herself.
“My name is Alana. I come from Kaldernon.”
The Lonis were intrigued and mystified.
“Why have you come? We are not planning to retreat. We will not back down from the evils in this world. We are not weak-willed vermin looking for the easy way out.”
“I don’t want to take you anywhere against your will,” Alana said, smiling tentatively. She didn’t want to make any enemies. She couldn’t afford it. Her time on Earth was limited. “I’m looking for Archer. I have reason to believe he may be in grave danger.”
Saying Archer’s name out loud like that made her feel kind of silly. What if her intuition wasn’t really an intuition at all? What if it was just a bad dream as Lopu had always caused her to suspect? That meant she was chasing an imaginary friend after all. Once she finally saw Archer he would probably look nothing like the man of her dreams.
“What does a young Loni woman plan to do about that?” the man asked skeptically, crossing his hands over his chest. “You know, I’m a parent now and I don’t see the sense in sending a young woman out into the world to protect perfectly strong, bull-headed grown men. You could be risking your life.”
“I suppose you could say I’m a jack of all trades,” Alana said with a wink. “But I don’t have time to explain. I need to reach Archer before anything happens to him.”
“All right, all right. They’re heading to a farmhouse west of here. He found the new lair of the Guardians. Looks like they have a massive collection of them up there. They probably have one of our men in holding now. Tanna.”
“Would be his own fault if they did,” the woman said irritably.
“Shh,” the man said, patting her arm. “I know you’re worried, but he’ll be back. Archer won’t let us down.”
The woman sighed and waddled into the darkness of the underground tunnels.
“You just go west. Come with me to his room so you know what he smells like. If you have any shifter in you, you know what use that’ll be.”
Alana nodded and followed the man into the hidden tunnel. The small child followed them without being told, knowing it would be unsafe to mind herself out in the open.
The immediate darkness and closed off quarters of the tunnels took the breath right from Alana’s lungs. Her people had been reduced to this ? It was no wonder that Archer had stayed behind for revenge. She had seen just a small amount of the psychological damage the human had done to her people. And now this? It was too much.
When they made it to Archer’s room, the man pulled back a tattered brown blanket and allowed Alana to duck inside. She was overwhelmed by the scent of the man she had made love to in her dreams. It was enough to restore the confidence in herself that she needed in order to stop second guessing whether or not her relationship with a man in another world was a dream. This was who he was. She was sure of it.
“Thank you,” Alana said.
She ducked out of the room without another word to the Loni man. All she needed to do now was head west.
***
Archer led the small group through the trees, thinking to himself about the best plan of action. Something about the Guardian’s new location made him feel particularly uneasy. Especially knowing that there were so many more Guardians than there were shifter warriors. Although it had been a nice boost of confidence to know that he could tap into his stores of power without fully shifting into dragon form, it still worried him to think that he might not be able to hold his own in a life or death fight for his life and revenge for the torture of his fellow shifters and Lonis. If he let the Kersh clan down, he wasn’t going to be able to live with himself. And that was a fact.
But he didn’t have to worry so much about that. He was going to be okay. All he had to do was figure out a way to be resourceful if he wasn’t able to shift. That was the importance of having both brains and brawn. His friends and family were not as likely to glorify having both of those things, but he knew they could get many a man out of a situation he could live to regret. He would just have to find the willpower he needed for it.
“Should we blow the house up from a distance?” Thom asked, strolling casually beside Archer. “I could shift and we could all just fly up there and let ‘er rip.”
“I’m not sure that’s safe,” Archer said thoughtfully. “It’s a big property. They may have weapons hidden somewhere that could destroy us. They know how to hurt a shifter. That’s the one thing I know for sure. They have a way of taking you by surprise, even if you think you have the upper hand. Sure, you may be stronger, bigger, and more intimidating than they are. You may be better than them at everything, in every possible way. But if they have a weapon they know how to use that we can’t fight, or people looking for us to take us by surprise, they can take us down. And I only saw seven, but that doesn’t mean that whole compound isn’t teeming with these guys. Just because most of the people of Kaldernon have been returned doesn’t mean they’ve stopped looking for us. And maybe there are others they have found who didn’t know anything about their ancestry. We can’t risk that they’re going to be underprepared. We have to think everything through a dozen and a half times before we make any choices.”
Suddenly, out of the bushes behind them, a heavy cracking of branches sounded. It almost seemed as if a tree had been split in half. The noise was that astoundingly ear-splitting.
“What in the hell?” Thom yelled, whipping around with his hands up, clenching a dagger from his waistband.
Before them the narrow face of the biggest dragon any of them had ever seen poked its way through the heavy brush. All the men yelped in fear and confusion.
“Who is that?!” Thom asked, looking wildly at Archer. He had never seen the dragon before, and clearly hoped that his leader would have the answer. Although the dragon seemed familiar to him, Archer was mystified.
“I have absolutely no idea at all,” he said, staring up at the beautiful creature. He could tell by the horns that she was a female, and the tugging of a distant memory was gnawing at him. However, nothing managed to surface. “None. Who are you?! Get back into your human form before you get us all killed! Don’t you know how dangerous that is?”
The dragon frowned, but seemed to register what Archer was saying. Before long, she was shifting back into her human form, and stood before the group of men as naked as the day she was born, staring levelly at Archer.
Archer’s eyes grew wide and he walked forward, feeling as if he was going to throw up. It was the woman from his dream. Her long, blonde hair was covering her breasts, and the rest of the men in the group were staring at her as if they had been starved of beautiful women for far too long. And probably, they had. But still, it struck Archer the wrong way.
“Stop staring at her!” he barked. The men seemed to come to their senses and turned away as Archer removed his tunic and walked toward the woman, holding it out to her with trembling hands. “This is Alana.”
Alana smiled and took the tunic, draping it over herself. It covered most of her, and she dug in a small satchel that had fallen beside her for the rest of her clothes. She dressed slowly as the rest of the men stared into space, silent as mice. Finally, she was done, and shook her hair behind her head and threw it up into a glorious ponytail.
“It’s nice to meet you all,” she said. “Thank you for giving me some privacy.”
And with that, Alana joined the group as if nothing strange had even happened.
CHAPTER TEN
The men had fallen behind as Archer and Alana led the way. It was surreal that they were finally together, especially after the night before.
“I didn’t believe you would come,” Archer admitted. He was having a hard time allowing himself to look at her. She was too beautiful, blinding almost, and it made him uncomfortable to think that he might stare too much at her a
nd give away his true feelings. Although he couldn’t believe she was there, knowing that he hadn’t been imagining the deep emotional relationship he had developed in his dreams made him feel a lot better about it. Sometimes he had seriously wondered if he was insane. He had never been able to even consider another woman, and assumed he would die alone with nobody but the woman of his dreams to keep him company.
And now she was walking beside him. He could smell the sweetness of her skin and gaze upon the elegant beauty that she bore with an ease he had never seen in a woman. She was perfect.
“I wasn’t sure you would be here for me to find,” she replied. The men following had learned to give the two of them some space, but Archer could feel their eyes boring upon his back. He was sure that Alana probably felt the same way.
“Are you satisfied with what you found?” Archer asked with a grin.
“You’re everything I expected and more,” Alana replied, turning her intoxicating eyes upon him, her full lips curled into a tantalizing smile. Archer had half a mind to take her into the brush right then. Even with the men shortly on their trail. But she demanded more than that from him. The first time they were truly together, it should be special. She deserved much more than an uncomfortable romp on the cold ground, with all manner of sticks and bugs interrupting her pleasure.
“Where did you come from?” Archer asked, although he knew the answer. She was very clearly of Loni descent, but the strength and pride with which she carried herself made him second-guess what he thought to be true. Perhaps she was another being altogether. Something profoundly elegant that the people of Earth were not ready for. In fact, he felt a surge of rage that such impure people as the humans and Guardians were going to lay eyes upon the perfection beside him. They would never see her as she truly was. Any attention she attracted beyond his reverence was base and unworthy.
“I was born on Kaldernon,” Alana said, glancing up at the sky. She seemed disappointed when she realized that it wasn’t there. Archer knew that the beauty of the world above was shocking to those who had never seen the view before. He hoped that Alana had been able to have a profound experience looking upon her home. “I came because of the dreams. I have a terrible feeling about the beast.”
“Nothing is out there that we can’t handle,” Archer said loudly, acknowledging the group behind them. They agreed raucously. “We’re the best of the best left behind.”
“I don’t doubt that,” Alana said doubtfully. “And it isn’t you that I’m worried about. I had a premonition of danger. I was lucky to be able to beg Lopu to allow me to come to you. She still wouldn’t until she realized you’re the son of Clayton–“
“You know who my father is?” Archer asked, stopping mid-stride. He turned his eyes upon her, and she smiled kindly at him. “Is he all right?”
“Yes, he’s great. He nearly leapt into the portal with me. And your mother sends her love and hopes that once this issue is resolved, you will return to Kaldernon with me.”
Returning back to Kaldernon was something that Archer had never considered before. There was no opportunity to do so. He wanted nothing to do with the world above until the world he was born into was rid of the evil of the Guardians and their toxic influence. Only then would he feel free to come back to his parents.
But he was shocked by the profound and acute grief he felt as an indirect result of wanting to stay beside Alana every second for the rest of his life. Being away from her was no longer an option. Not now that they were together after what seemed like an impossible union, he didn’t want her to be out of his sight ever again. The thought that she would return to Kaldernon without him was devastating.
“You don’t want to come back with me?” she asked. Most other women would sound hurt, or offended, that the man of her dreams was reluctant to return back home with her, but she only seemed after the truth on his heart. Alana wasn’t like other women. She would accept him and his desires. Maybe she would even compromise and choose to stay with him on Earth. But he would never ask that of her. it was too dangerous here. If anything happened to her, such as the Guardians getting their hands on her, he would never forgive himself. And all because Alana wanted to stay with him. Archer wouldn’t let it happen. He would rather go back to Kaldernon with her than have her stay on Earth with him. Or, unfortunately, live without her if that was how it had to be.
“I have unfinished business here,” Archer said with a heavy sigh. “The Guardians…”
“Yes, I have heard of them. They are nothing but trouble and seem to cause as much grief as possible. I cannot stand the thought of them. I’ve seen the effects of their torture on those poor souls who were rescued. It has taken several years of immense emotional healing from the strongest, most compassionate Lonis in Kaldernon before they were able to begin to move forward after such torture.”
“I don’t think that you should come with us where we’re going,” Archer said suddenly, changing the subject. The idea of Alana getting hurt to help him rescue Tanna was too much. She seemed to be so vulnerable. Even though he had seen her in her Dragon form and it was impressive enough, she was still clearly soft and sensitive like a Loni. And even if she was the most capable warrior in the world, he would have wanted to protect her. He didn’t want to put her in harm’s way.
“You don’t get a say in the matter,” Alana said, fixing her bluish-purple eyes upon him. She could level him with just a look, and Archer wasn’t sure that he would ever get his way. But that wouldn’t keep him from trying.
“I’m serious. There are tricks the Guardians have. My men and I are prepared to risk our lives to take out the Guardians once and for all and try to bring Tanna back home and prevent him from any further torture. But are you? Why risk your life for a cause you have nothing to do with? This is my world, not yours. You can go back where it’s safe.”
“I don’t want to be where it’s safe,” Alana insisted. Her voice raised an octave and it was clear she was beginning to get impatient. “I want to be with you.”
“I never asked for you to come with us!” Archer shouted. He was beginning to lose his own patience, too. The idea of putting this perfect woman in a position where she might be injured was just too much. He would do whatever it took to prevent her from following him to the farm house. “I never asked you to come here to be with me!”
Alana stopped walking suddenly, and the forest suddenly fell quiet. A collective breath seemed to be held by all of the men walking idly behind Archer and Alana. They had followed what was going on the best that they could. Archer had explained briefly about communicating with Kaldernon through his dreams. He had intentionally left out the romantic implications of their dreams and how long and how often he had been having them.
Without a word, Archer watched in despair as Alana turned her back on him and walked backward into the forest, back the way that she had come.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
When they finally reached the farmhouse, Archer and his men were in low spirits. They looked around, none of them entirely clear on what the plan should be. It was a difficult situation, and once Archer made a choice, he would have to defend that choice with his life and the lives of his men.
He signaled for them to follow him around back. Maybe they would be able to sneak attack the remaining Guardians.
His men followed dutifully, until they had nearly reached the back door. Archer peeked in every window he could find. The coast seemed to be clear. Maybe this would be easier than he thought.
If the Guardians were holding Tanna, maybe they would have him in a cellar or a tunnel. Maybe he would be in the huge barn behind the house. He wouldn’t know for sure until he had the upper hand.
One by one, he gave the signal for the men to transform into their dragon forms and prepared himself to bust the door open.
Before he had the chance, an earth-shattering roar nearly knocked Archer off his feet.
“What was that?” he whispered. But nobody answered him. All eyes were o
n the monstrous beast behind them.
When Archer turned to face it, his blood ran cold.
The ugliest dragon he had ever seen, a Frankenstein cacophony of Loni, human, and dragon shifter body parts, was looming above them, staring down at Archer and his small group with wild, frenzied eyes. It was horrific, and Archer could tell that his men were paralyzed in fear and revulsion.
Archer had to make a move, or the beast would maintain the advantage. It already seemed to have it, towering above the normal shifters by at least ten feet. Still, it would be better to be moving than to be sitting ducks, and Archer pulled the sword from his hip and charged.
***
Alana’s blood was boiling. Who was he to tell her what to do and order her around like an inconvenient little dog? Since when had she sacrificed everything she knew and loved only to be with such a stubborn, arrogant fool? Why did Archer assume that he was more powerful than she was? He was walking right into a trap and he couldn’t even see it. But Archer didn’t seem happy until he could control her and tell her where to go. He probably thought that he was protecting her, but it was he who was walking right into danger without being able to see it. She had never been so insulted.
She growled and rubbed her temples in agitation. Were all relationships like this? She had heard about bull-headed men before, but this was too much. Maybe she should just give up and go home. Archer seemed to believe he had it under control, so why shouldn’t she? It would really show him if she let him have his way. He’d get himself and everyone he was with killed.
Suddenly, an ear-splitting roar shook the ground and Alana’s heart nearly stopped. The beast in their dreams. She knew suddenly that it had been unleashed.
