by Julia Mills
“Where the hell are you?” Rian immediately responded, his voice stern and ominous.
“Dark Mountain. I’ve…”
“What the hell are you doing there?” The oldest O’Reilly brother cut him off, sounding every bit the Leader of the Blue Thunder Clan.
Before the mad dragon could answer, Rory, the youngest brother and biggest pain in the ass of them all, snickered, “Calysta’s on the war path. You may want to bunk there for a week or two, old man.”
“Shut up, Rory,” Maddox and Rian growled in unison before the mad dragon continued, “Like I was trying to say. I got a lead on Kyran and came to check it out.” Maddox knew he was being less than forthcoming, and was pretty sure they knew it too, but it was not the time or the place for squabbles.
“Alone?” Royce grumbled, disbelief loud in his tone.
“Yes, alone, and don’t you start. I don’t need your shit right now. Just get your asses out here and help. We’ve got a pack of hunters and nowhere to go.”
“We?” They all asked as one. “You found him?”
“Yes, we! Yes, I found him, you dimwits. Now, hurry it up before we get our asses handed to us.”
He cut their connection, deciding that the best defense was a good offense and he’d deal with the fallout of his actions if he lived through the next half hour. The hunters were just over the ledge, holding their position at a hundred yards. He verified ten heartbeats – all human. Lots of fire power and way more silver than he was comfortable with.
Stupid bastards…
Kyran had been eerily silent since their emergence from the cave. Needing to see which personality his old friend was sporting at the moment, Maddox asked, “You still with me, Ky?”
The Phantom’s response was immediate, “Nowhere else A’d waant be.”
Maddox thought about replying with “I can think of a hundred places I’d rather be” but decided it probably would go over like a fire extinguisher at a bonfire so he kept his thoughts to himself and asked, “Whatcha thinkin?”
“A’m thinkin’ we need tae split up. Ye tak' th' left. I’ll tak' th' richt. We come up behind 'n' tak' thaim by surprise.” It sounded like a good plan. They’d taken down bigger forces before with only two Guardsmen. The only unknown was Kyran’s state of mind. Trying to stall, Maddox pointed to the sky and suggested, “I say we wait until that cloud covers the moon. We need total darkness for your plan to work. “
“Aye, guid idea.”
Maddox sighed, hoping the O’Reillys would get there before the huge dark cloud made it to the big white ball in the sky. He watched Kyran, perched on the side of the ledge using the overgrown foliage for cover, and prayed for this version of his old friend to hang around long enough for them to defeat the hunters and get back to the lair. The mad dragon had no doubt his lovely mate and Niall, the Elder Healer of their Clan, would be able to help the black dragon; Maddox just had to get him there.
He saw movement from the hunters a split second before a shout ripped through the silence of the night. “I know you’re up there you piece of shit. Kyran, is it? Bastard is more like it. Come out peacefully and I’ll kill you quickly. Make me work for it and I’ll torture you for weeks before I finally let you bleed out in the bottom of a God forsaken hole in the middle of nowhere.”
The woman’s voice was low and commanding. Her tone filled with an authority that only came from years of command. It was apparent she was used to getting what she wanted when she wanted it and right now, she wanted Kyran’s ass in a sling…but why?
He didn’t have long to wait for his answer before the woman was shouting again. “What? Cat got your tongue? You prefer turning into some kind of monster and killing defenseless people as opposed to a fair fight?” She scoffed, “You really are a coward. Hiding in a cave like a rat. Come out and face me like a man, you piece of shit.”
Maddox saw the muscle in Kyran’s jaw jump. Could see the tension flowing through the black dragon’s body as every word the woman screamed touched a different nerve, pushed a different button. It was time to act. Time to do something…anything…to keep his friend from acting on impulse.
Saying the only thing he could think of and trying to act cool, the mad dragon chuckled, “What did you do this time? Forget to kiss her goodbye?”
Maddox held his breath, waiting for Kyran to respond to his attempt at levity. The black dragon, still squatting behind the brush, bounced on his toes, his eyes fixed on the pack of hunters, searching for the woman issuing the threats. The mad dragon was doing the same thing with the hopes he could identify her and think of a way to shut her up before Kyran found her. Now was not the time to poke the big crazy dragon.
Of course, as with everything over the last almost twenty-four hours, luck was not on Maddox’s side. Not only could he not get a look at Kyran’s tormentor but she was once again screaming at the top of her lungs.
“All right, we’ll play it your way. Remember when you’re on your knees begging for your life that I gave you a chance.”
Calling to Rian, Maddox growled, “Tell me you’re close.”
“Fifteen minutes, but we’re gonna have to land on the front side of the mountain to avoid your visitors.”
“Son of a bitch…” was the only response the mad dragon got out as Kyran sprung from his cover, stood in full view, and bellowed, “Ye wull nae threaten me, lassie. Shaw yersel'.”
With all three O’Reilly brothers hollering in his ear for a status update and his seriously deranged old friend issuing threats to the bloodthirsty leader of a pack of hunters, Maddox had to wonder if trussed up like the latest kill in the far corner of the cave behind him hadn’t been better than what he was now facing. Unfortunately, he didn’t have the luxury of deciding as a succession of four loud ‘Pffts’ sounded, instantly followed the smell of gun powder and smoke.
Scanning the sky above them, Maddox located four brass canisters headed right for the ledge where he and Kyran stood. Jumping to his feet, the mad dragon ran several yards before diving for his friend. Tackling the black dragon, Maddox rolled towards the cave entrance just as four canisters bounced in the dirt in front of them and began spewing noxious grey fog all around them.
Kyran fought against Maddox’s hold, kicking and screaming and promising retribution as Maddox recognized silver nitrate filling the air. Maddox attempted to hold his breath while ripping the T-shirt from his body and trying to cover the black dragon’s nose and mouth.
Kyran finally realized what was happening and stopped struggling. Grabbing the T-shirt from Maddox’s hand, he ripped it in half and threw part of it to the mad dragon as he scrambled to his feet, grabbing the sword he’d dropped in the scuffle with his free hand. Refusing to back down, the Phantom stood ready as the silver burnt and blistered his bare torso and arms, adding to the macabre mosaic decorating his body.
Maddox jumped to his feet, tied the fabric around his face, and stood beside his friend, a blade in each hand, ready to die to defend their way of life. Scanning the terrain, he saw no movement. What were the hunters playing at? What was their game plan?
Quickly answering the O’Reillys with a clipped response as they all continued to demand a status update, Maddox growled, “The bastards are using silver gas. Be careful…and hurry!”
The words had barely left his mind when more silver nitrate canisters tore through the night sky heading right for their heads, closely followed by a barrage of arrows. Looking to Kyran, Maddox was glad to see the black dragon’s sense of self-preservation had kicked in as he turned and ran towards the cave entrance. Following his old friend, sure they would make it behind Kyran’s magical shield in time, the mad dragon howled in pain as three silver-tipped arrows burrowed into his right shoulder, his midriff just above his belt, and the back of his left thigh.
Adding to the toxin already eating him from the inside out, the silver from the arrows sent the mad dragon’s body into immediate shutdown mode. His dragon pushed healing magic at his injuries as fast as t
he beast could, but it simply was not enough. Maddox fell to his knees. Holding himself from falling face first into the dirt by his will alone, he twisted just enough to land on his butt and pull both blades from his waistband to take down as many hunters as he could before the inevitability of unconsciousness made him a sitting duck.
Out of the corner of his eyes, through the cloud of silver nitrate, Maddox saw Kyran spin on one foot and run towards him screaming, “Haud oan, Doxie. Ah git ye.”
Shaking his head, Maddox opened his mouth to order Kyran to take cover, but the words died in his throat as arrows filled the sky and hunters charged the ledge. Arrow after arrow dug into the black dragon’s back but he refused to be taken down. Standing with his back to Maddox, feet shoulder width apart, both hands on the hilt of his weapon, Kyran was ready to strike any and all who dared to advance. The black dragon looked every bit the Guardsman he’d always been. It was as if, in that moment, they’d gone back in time.
Maddox blinked back the darkness threatening his vision while trying to move but the silver was taking its toll. He wobbled where he sat, refusing to fall over as he counted five four-inch silver arrows protruding from Kyran’s back.
He always was unstoppable…
The hunters, dressed in black from head-to-toe with only their eyes visible through their cloth ski masks, formed a semi-circle at the edge of the outcropping and stood, guns at the ready...an immoveable death squad.
Maddox held his breath. Knew the guns were loaded with silver. Knew there was no escape. Seconds ticked by. The standoff dragged on. The mad dragon searched the covered faces for the woman who’d been issuing threats but found only nine men.
Where is she?
Kyran’s legs shook. Maddox had no idea if it was the silver poisoning, the need to fight the foe in front of him, or the combination of the two, but he knew beyond all doubt that his old friend would be provoking their adversaries sooner rather than later. It was not in their nature to stand and wait in the heat of battle. They were going to die. It was a foregone conclusion and there was no way Maddox was going to go out sitting on his ass.
Before he could move, two things happened simultaneously; the woman who had been shouting orders appeared and, without warning, pulled her gun and shot Kyran right in the chest. As the black dragon fell to the ground before him, Maddox was sure to see a gaping wound through the middle of his old friend. Thankfully, all that was there was a large dart with an antiseptic, medicinal spell.
Tranquilizer…
The word had barely crossed his mind when the bitch with long, straight ebony hair tied in a ponytail that swung back and forth as she walked towards him, eyes as dark as midnight that stared a hole into his soul, and black leather from just under her chin to the pointed tip of her boots that shone in the moonlight, pointed her gun at him and fired at point blank range. Falling back from the impact of the dart, Maddox’s vision filled with his attacker’s face as she grabbed him by the hair and pulled his face to hers until the tips of their noses touched.
“I don’t have room to take you, too, abomination,” she spat. “But be sure that I’ll be back for you.” She dropped his head with a thump on the hard ground before adding, “And know this. Your friend is going to suffer in ways you can only imagine in your darkest nightmares for killing my father.” Standing, she put her hands on her hips and pushed out her chest, preening like a proud peacock at her success.
Father? Kyran killed a helluva lotta hunters in his day. Hell, we all did…
Struggling against the silver coursing through his veins coupled with the powerful sedative, Maddox tried to sit up. When that didn’t work, he grabbed for Kyran, attempting to pull him away from the hunters who were clamping silver shackles on his wrists and ankles and wrapping him in silver chainmaille.
The leader of the hunters cackled like a maniacal super villain from a comic book and ground the heel of her boot into Maddox’s wrist as she sneered, “The name of Tariq O’Baoill will be avenged.”
Not that son of a bitch again…
Refusing to cry out in pain as the bitch crushed the bones in his wrist, Maddox called to the O’Reilly’s with his remaining consciousness. “Hunters…a…attacked. K…Kyran c…captured.”
The last thing he heard before his world turned black was the O’Baoill woman kicking an unconscious Kyran in the stomach and laughing. “Good thing we had you tagged, you piece of shit dragon. Never would’ve found you otherwise.”
Chapter Four
Vacillating between absolutely furious and scared out of her wits so many times that she felt like the ball in her very own game of ping pong, Calysta paced past the bay window facing the mountain range for the umpteenth time. It was not in her nature to stand idly by and let the ‘menfolk’ take care of things. She was the Grande Priestess of all Earthen Witches and had been from the very young age of sixteen when her mother and father were attacked and killed by a band of rogue wizards.
Her coven, like all wiccan covens, was matriarchal. It was the blessing the Goddess had bestowed upon them at the beginning of time. It was also why so many were given the honor of mating outside their race. The continuance of their special brand of white magic depended upon the procreation of their race and with male witches leaving because of their gender biases, it was the only way. Calysta had known from her fiftieth birthday, when the dragon tattoo appeared on her hip, that she was meant to be the mate of one of the infamous Guardsmen, but had told no one; not even her beloved sister, Della.
When the mark appeared on her daughter’s hip the morning of her fiftieth birthday, Calysta knew it was Destiny. There could be no other reason. The Universe and the Goddess were putting two of the most magically powerful races together for the purpose of protecting all that was good and right in the world. Of course, being mated to the most obstinate, pig-headed, overbearing, pain-in-the-ass dragon ever created had not been in the Priestess’ plan, but nonetheless, Maddox was her mate…for better or for worse.
Isn’t that what the humans say?
She knew he’d been up to something. Had thought about taking a peek into his personal thoughts, but after several internal debates, erred on the side of trusting her mate and didn’t.
See where that got me? I swear if something happens to him, I will nurse him back to health just so I can kill himself myself.
The mere thought of anyone or anything taking the shine from his beautiful blue eyes made Calysta so angry her hands shook and her magic rose within her. Yes, Maddox was a handful, but he was her handful. He was arrogant and stubborn, high-handed and grumpy, and generally the perfect definition of a curmudgeon, but that was only the façade he put on for the outside world. For his little witch as he called her, Maddox was loving, thoughtful, caring, and giving. He was an amazing lover and perfect mate. He completed in her ways she’d never thought possible. Together, there was absolutely nothing they couldn’t achieve.
If he’d only trusted me enough to confide in me…
She knew he was trying and knew it had to be hard to change the habits of two hundred years but dammit, why did he have to run off with no backup at all? Sure, he’d lived alone for a long time, but he knew better. He even taught the young Guardsmen-in-Training they never went anywhere alone.
Man better learn to practice what he preaches…
She’d expected there to be bumps in the road of the whole ‘sharing everything’ aspect of their relationship. Maddox had lived alone for a very, very long time. Had removed himself from the fellowship of his clan and his brethren when the guilt over the loss of Drago and his Force, along with the growth of his magic, had become too much to bear. His behavior had become so erratic and his temper so easily ignited that the Elders had granted his request to live alone, deciding that the toll loneliness would take on him would be less detrimental than handling constant interaction with those who reminded him of what he saw as his failures.
It was unusual for a dragon to live a solitary life. They were, by nature, clan
beasts that needed the comradery and interaction of others of their kin to flourish, but as with everything, her Maddox was the exception to the rule. She smiled to herself and watched a rather large black cloud float over the beautifully bright full moon just as Kyra burst into the room.
“Royce…gasp… just…gasp… heard…gasp… from Maddox!” Her daughter was so out of breath that she bent at the waist, put her hands on her knees, and hung her head while mumbling, “Damn, I’m outta shape.”
Rushing to Kyra, she rubbed her back and tried to be calm when she asked for clarification, “Royce just heard from my mate?” The Priestess knew she’d done a poor job at hiding her frustration that Maddox had chosen to reach out to her daughter’s mate instead of her but really couldn’t care; she was glad he was alive…so she could kill him. Following the mating bond she shared with her mad dragon, Calysta attempted to talk to her mate for what seemed like the millionth time. Once again, her call echoed back to her as if it had hit a wall. She knew it was Maddox’s mental shields and cursed him under her breath.
Kyra slowly stood up at the same time Della flew through the door from the kitchen, “Did I hear you right? Maddox is safe?”
Flopping down into the first available chair, Kyra pushed her platinum curls away from her face and blew out a long suffering breath. “Yes, Auntie Della, Maddox is safe…at least I think he is.” And then to her mother she added, “Well, actually, he contacted Rian, Rory, and Royce.” Holding up her index finger, Kyra furrowed her brow just a second before the tell-tale buzz of mindspeak pricked at Calysta’s senses.
Trying hard to be happy he was alive and not dwell on the fact that her mate had chosen to contact the O’Reilly brothers instead of her, the Priestess snapped when her sister asked, “What did he say to you?”
“He said nothing to me…Okay? He chose to call them…Okay? I have no clue what is going on. The bastard has blatantly left the little woman out of his plans as not to worry her or some antiquated bullshit that I’m sure to turn him into a toad for thinking…Okay?” She was seething and pacing with such a fury that sparks were literally bursting from the tips of her fingers.
