Charred Hope (#3, Heart of Fire)

by Lizzy Ford

  “You can start by answering my questions!”

  “Too dangerous.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Then why do you think I’d ever trust you again?”

  “We have a common purpose.”

  “Getting rid of Dillon.”

  “I was thinking more along the lines of protecting you from him. He knows your value.”

  “I have no value!” she snapped and rose, pacing. “What would he do with me, aside from snap me in two? He can’t use me to exert control over the shifter community, because I have no idea how to do anything!”

  “That’s always been the plan, though,” Mason said quietly.

  Skylar faced him, hands on her hips. She eyed him.

  “Well … you wanted the truth, didn’t you?” Mason chuckled. “My boss hasn’t changed her mind. I doubt Dillon will either. The first attempt to control the shifters through selectively capturing those deemed strong enough to resist and controlling you failed miserably. You freed those we spent years collecting. We wiped your mind, and yet you still remember.”

  “Lucky me,” she said. “It’s all about power and control.”

  “Isn’t everything?”

  “See, that’s where you’re so far off, Mason. What about friendship or love or simply living in peace with one another?” she insisted.

  He shrugged. “Maybe. But I’d still rather be on the winning side in the end. I think it can be done differently.”

  “No matter who gets hurt in the process.”

  “I’m not like Dillon. I’d never hurt you.”

  “You did hurt me.” She pointed out. “But whatever. I’m a mythical Protector, which somehow makes me worth killing for. I’m assuming your boss won’t let me leave here, either, will she?”

  Mason smiled but didn’t answer.

  “And who is this mysterious boss of yours?”

  Another amused silence.

  “Right. Then why am I here?”

  “Your kind comes along once every few thousand years. Gavin waited five thousand years for your mother. The fact there were two born within decades of one another is incredible. Your kind only appear when they’re needed most,” Mason explained. “It doesn’t bode well for the shifters. It means you’re meant to complete the mission your mother wasn’t able to.”

  “So she is dead.” Skylar’s hopes of discovering more about her mother tumbled.

  “I don’t think you’d be coming into your power if not.”

  “You know more, don’t you?”

  “Not my place to say.”

  Skylar rubbed her face, gaze drifting again to the lake beyond the chain-link fence of the compound

  “What next, Mason?” she asked. “We’ve been here three days! What are you waiting for?”

  He held out his hand.

  She eyed it. “New method of brainwashing people?”

  “No, Sky,” he said with a sigh. “We’re waiting for your magic to emerge. We can’t track Dillon, but you can.”

  “I can?”

  He waved his hand.

  She stepped forward and took it.

  “Think of Dillon. You don’t understand your senses yet but I might be able to using my magic. As our Protector, you can locate any shifter anywhere. It’s one of the reasons why everyone is afraid of you.”

  Skylar closed her eyes, anger fluttering through her as she thought of Dillon. Whereas Chace’s magic was like a bonfire roaring through her body, Mason’s was faint, a cool stream.

  “Okay, good. You’re definitely stronger than you were three days ago,” Mason said. “Concentrate.”

  She did, her anger solidifying at the image of Dillon in her mind. She didn’t understand what it was Mason was doing, and she didn’t hear the quiet whisper that might tell her where Dillon was.

  “Almost.” Mason released her hand. His magic faded. “I think maybe …” He rose and gazed at the lake. “Well, I’m wondering if your kind –”

  “Stop calling me that!” she said through clenched teeth. “You have any idea how rude that is?”

  He considered her for a moment. “Sorry. Okay, I’m wondering if the Protectors chose dragons for a secondary reason, not just because they’re typically the strongest shifters. Dragons love mountains, and the old legends about your … um, women with your gifts say you lived in mountains, too.”

  “You think I can mentally see or whatever better from a mountain top?” she asked curiously. “I have no real affinity for mountains. Should I?”

  “Beats me.” He leapt off the table. “But we can try it. There is a danger though. All shifters can sense their Protector and her guardian. So if you can find Dillon, he might be able to find you, too.”

  “Good. I’d like to tell him to go to hell in person then lasso his ass.” She’d kept one lasso with her, just in case she needed to use it on someone like Mason.

  Skylar looked around the compound. They were nestled in a valley, overlooking the lake, tucked beneath the main peaks of the mountains. No part of her wanted to climb a damn mountain to find someone like Dillon.

  What if I can find Chace, too? Was it possible to locate any shifter anywhere?

  Did she want to, after walking away from him?

  She grappled with the answer for a moment before deciding that yes, she did. Even if she hadn’t yet fully forgiven him, she needed to know he was safe. After all, in human form, he was as vulnerable to someone like Dillon as she was.

  “With all these shifters around, I’m tempted to say I don’t want to climb,” she said, unimpressed with the distance. “I’m guessing it’s a two day walk.”

  “We’ve got a couple Pegasus' and a Sphinx shifter here. Let me see who’s available. Cats hate flying.” His last statement was disgruntled. He started away then stopped, facing her again. “Call this an act of good faith.”

  He tossed her a cell phone. She gazed down at it, puzzled.

  This is so not normal. When he disappeared into the building, she unlocked the screen.

  She had a message. Was it for her? What did he mean about act of good faith?

  The contact’s name was listed as Chace.

  Skylar’s heart flipped over in her chest and she sucked in a breath, holding it. Anticipation raced through her, and she hesitated, afraid of being devastated, if it wasn’t from him. With eagerness she didn’t want to feel, she opened the message, giddiness filling her when she realized it really was Chace.

  Are you okay? The text read. Deceptively simple, measured, guarded. “Definitely Chace,” she murmured. She debated how to answer.

  Yeah. You? She typed. She hit the send button, dissatisfied with the message when there was so much more to say.

  His response was quick. Yeah. Cabin says hi.

  She smiled, unexpected warmth and emotion blooming within her. She’d always liked Chace’s cabin, and she suspected the cabin liked her, too. It was nice to know Chace wasn’t alone now. He had his old friend back at least.

  “What about your magic?” she asked the phone. The question seemed too personal for their tenuous exchange. She typed a different text instead.

  Hello to cabin. Hope she’s setting you straight.

  After an internal debate, she tucked the phone away in her pocket again.

  “Got us a ride!” Mason called, striding out of the barracks.

  A man dressed in pajama bottoms with mussed hair trailed him, blinking rapidly, as if Mason just shook him awake.

  “I guess we’ll give it a try,” she said, still uncertain what to think of Mason and what he admitted to wanting.

  What happened if she succeeded in being able to locate shifters? Was Mason setting her up once more with the intention of using her? Was it better not to admit she had the gift, even if it worked, if it meant protecting the others?

  Her gaze lingered on the dark forms of the peaks above. I need to learn how to protect those that need it. Even if it meant playing Mason’s game. For now.

  Chapter Three

  An hour
later, she released Mason and slid off the back of the largest horse she’d ever seen. The Pegasus was black from head to wings to tail, and the flight was far smoother than she expected.

  The winged horse folded its wings and walked to the edge of the plateau where he’d dropped them off, the highest point they were able to reach that had a ledge large enough to hold them and any potential winged visitors, like nocturnal dragons, who found them.

  Skylar pulled her knit cap over her ears. The air of the peaks was cold, and she pushed her hands into her pockets.

  Mason went to the edge of the plateau and gazed out over the peaks, saddles and valleys below them. He was quiet. She joined him.

  “Cats hate flying,” he sat at last, a grimace on his face.

  She smiled, somewhat satisfied to know he was as much outside his comfort zone as she was.

  “Can you sense anything?” he asked.

  “I don’t even know how,” she admitted.

  “You can feel when one of us is near you and know our names, right?”

  She eyed him.

  “I felt it when my magic was in you,” he said with a smile. “Can you feel anything else right now?”

  “I don’t think so.” She turned her focus internal and listened for the instinct that was humming with the nearness of Mason and the Pegasus. “What should I be doing to sense them?”

  He shrugged. “You’re the Protector.”

  Gee, thanks. She blew out a frustrated breath.

  “Maybe it takes a little while?” he asked, inquisitive gaze on her.

  “How would I know?” she shot back.

  “Fair enough. Want me to call the boss up to see if she’ll meet with us while we’re waiting?”

  “Absolutely,” Skylar said, surprised he was offering after avoiding the topic for days. “I get to meet the mysterious figure behind this mess at last!”

  “She’s a dragon, so …” He cleared his throat. “I think you know what that means in terms of moodiness.”

  “Bring it. You all need me for some reason, so I’ve got nothing to fear.”

  “Always so optimistic.” Mason pulled out his phone and texted someone quickly.

  Skylar found herself reaching for the cell he gave her to see if Chace responded. She was pleased to see he had.

  Cabin always liked you more than me anyway.

  She smiled. “Mason, why did you do this?” She held up the phone.

  “I told you,” he said, glancing up from his text. “I’m not your enemy, Sky.”

  “You’re a funny kind of ally, though,” she said. “You want to use me to control the shifters. My whole life was wiped out for this purpose.”

  “Second chances,” he whispered. “This is mine.”

  “To do what? You seem to be after the same thing you were before!”

  “I don’t want you hurt. Or miserable. Or brainwashed. I want you to be who you need to be,” he said in clear aggravation. “Whatever form that takes. Even if you and my boss disagree.”

  “So … what? You’re sticking around to protect me?”

  “Until Chace can, yes.”

  “Interesting.” She gazed up at him, sensing truth in his words but not wanting to admit it after all he’d done to help destroy her world.

  “Winning team.” He rolled his eyes. “She’ll be here soon.”

  Damn dragons. Always interfering with my life. She’d thought Chace was the first to mess with her, only to uncover the interference of Gavin and now the mysterious boss of Mason and Dillon.

  “You seem nervous about this, Mason,” she observed, watching him pace.

  “Dragons aren’t my favorite shifters. Too prone to emotional reactions. Not always easy to reason with.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  “I have a feeling she’s not happy about Dillon going off the reservation. There was a time when she only spoke to him. She’s had to work with me the past week or so instead.”

  “Oh, she might be pissed at the fact I’m not as brainwashed as you wanted,” Skylar added sarcastically.

  He gave her a long look but didn’t respond.

  She felt the tingle of fire in her blood before she saw the dragon. Skylar’s attention went to the night sky, where she waited to see some movement above them. At last, she saw it, a massive silver-white dragon circling the plateau.

  Freyja. The name came to her before the dragon was halfway to the peak.

  “Seriously. This chic is emo,” Mason warned. “Just play … nice.”

  “I know how moody dragons are,” she responded. “You all want me alive, so I really am not feeling like playing at all.”

  The dragon grew nearer, its size seeming to increase as it did. Several minutes later, it alighted on the other end of the plateau.

  Skylar gazed at it in fascination, entranced by the shimmer of her silvery wings. The dragon changed shapes, morphing quickly into a naked human form, that of a tall, willowy woman with blonde hair and light eyes.

  Mason trotted to her and tossed her a small pack, turning away to give her some privacy to change.

  Skylar didn’t bother, unconcerned with showing any kind of respect to the mastermind behind the slayers. The reality of what she was doing – who she was meeting – made her heart feel heavy. If not for this dragon, she would’ve had a normal childhood.

  My mother and father would still be alive.

  For the first time in three days, she realized she didn’t have the lasso with her. She’d been too distracted by texting Chace to run inside and get it before Mason brought out the Pegasus shifter. This was one bitch she hoped to lock up forever, after she learned what she needed to know.

  The graceful dragon shifter was sharp of eye, and she seemed to float in the simple jeans and jacket rather than walk. Mason trailed his mistress, appearing tense.

  Skylar waited for the woman to approach. She clasped her hands behind her back to keep from throwing something at the dragon shifter.

  The beautiful woman stopped a short distance from her, taking her in critically.

  “You look more like your mother than your father,” she observed.

  “Seeing as how I’m not a fan of dragons, I’ll take that as a compliment,” Skylar replied with more calm than she felt. “I understand you’re the person behind the slayers.”

  The dragon shifter didn’t appear pleased. “Means to an end. We didn’t hurt any of the shifters, until Dillon and Caleb went off the deep end,” the woman said. “What is your name?”

  “Skylar.”

  “I’m Freyja.”

  “I know.”

  “You’re getting stronger. Good.” By Freyja’s tone, she really didn’t find her observation pleasing.

  Skylar wanted to say so many things to the woman who erased her life, but at the moment, she had the urge to test her ability to draw on shifter magic instead. To see if she could control the dragon before her, the way Mason said she could.

  She concentrated hard on pulling the warmth of dragon fire into her body, to soak up what she was able to and see what it let her do.

  “Your kind always did push the limits,” Freyja said, gaze narrowing. “Maybe it’s a good thing you’re weak, even if you can’t help us find Dillon.”

  “I really wish I had a lasso right now,” Skylar replied. “I’m curious. What was your plan for me, assuming your brainwashing worked?”

  Freyja glanced at Mason.

  “It didn’t, so it no longer matters,” the dragon shifter replied with some indignation.

  “What did you do to my mother?”

  “I see Mason has been talking more than I’d prefer.”

  “Maybe he thinks I have a right to know what happened to me and my family, why we were sacrificed for some plan to takeover the shifter community.”

  “To keep it safe!” Freyja hissed.

  “To start a second war!”

  Freyja’s face flushed, and the fire in her pupils made her eyes glow. With strength that caught Skylar off gua
rd, the enraged dragon shifter snatched her by the throat and hauled her to the edge of the ledge, dangling her over the nothingness below.

  Skylar managed a strangled laugh. “I’ve been … held over a cliff by a better dragon than … you!”

  “Shut up, Sky,” Mason said, taking Freyja’s arm. “Let’s remember that we need the Protector alive.”

  “Drop … me,” Sky insisted. She struggled to breathe but wasn’t about to back down.

  Freyja’s eyes sparked brighter.

  “Alive,” Mason countered.

  Freyja growled deep in her chest and retreated from the edge, throwing Skylar down.

  She laughed loudly. “You dragons are all the same! All fire, no bite.”

  Freyja started to shift involuntarily, too irritated to control it.

  “Would you stop, Sky?” Mason said in frustration. “You got to meet the boss. Yes, Freyja, she’s getting stronger, but she can’t find Dillon yet. I think she might need to be up here in the mountains for her gift to awaken fully, since she is the daughter of a dragon.”

  Freyja shook out her arms, turning away from Skylar.

  Skylar climbed to her feet. Mason was tense, Freyja angry. Seeing the dragon that ruined her life upset didn’t give Skylar any of the satisfaction she’d hoped for. If anything, she felt worse, knowing her family had been sacrificed to start a war by someone who didn’t seem remotely remorseful.

  “She does not leave this peak until she can find Dillon,” Freyja snarled at Mason. She stalked away, the clothing on her body shredding as she morphed into her dragon form. Without so much as a look back, she took off into the sky.

  Skylar watched, amazed by the dragon’s effortless climb into the heavens.

  “Nice, Sky. You just screwed up any chance you had of getting real answers,” Mason snapped.

  “She’s afraid of me,” Skylar replied. “Everything else will fall into place.” Despite the words, she wasn’t confident after her exchange with Freyja. She hadn’t learned anything else about the parts of her life that were erased.

  But what exactly do I want to learn that I don’t already know? Was it knowledge or her memories returned that she really wanted? What happened to my mother? That’s the only thing I need to know.