Arsenic Dragon (Dragon Guard of Drakkaris Book 3)

by Terry Bolryder

  “Hmph,” he said. “I’m fine.”

  “You don’t seem fine. You stormed out of there.”

  “I had to check the barrier,” he said.

  “It’s pretty cool you can make those,” she said. “Sometimes I don’t think you realize how cool you are.”

  “I’m not cool,” he said.

  “Don’t tell Mercury this, but I think you are. I have since I met you. You keep it inside and you aren’t one to brag, but I can tell you are always watching out for your friends and family.”

  “I don’t have any family,” he said with a snort.

  “Yes, you do, at the mansion. All of the dragons there see you as family. You know that, whether you want to acknowledge it or not.”

  “I suppose I do,” he said.

  “So if you go back there alone, they’ll all be there for you.”

  He remained silent, staring at the tree line as if there were some kind of answer to his problem out there.

  “Have you told her you’re in love with her?”

  He shook his head, then looked at her aghast. “Wait, I thought your kind couldn’t read thoughts.”

  “I don’t need to read thoughts to see that your heart is breaking at the thought of being separated from Farrah.”

  He nodded slightly. “I suppose.”

  “Is she your mate?”

  He was quiet at that, then nodded. “I think so.”

  “Have you told her?”

  “No,” he said. “She has been clear all along about her wishes. She likes me, she enjoyed getting to know me, but she wants to go back to her world. After what she’s been through, she deserves to.”

  “I think, before she makes any big decisions, you should at least give her the option,” Marina said. “You should at least let her know what’s at stake?”

  “Why, so she can think I’ve been manipulating her all along, pretending I supported her getting her memory erased while hoping I could convince her to change her mind and be my mate? No, I’m going to be honorable, as I have tried to be my whole life. I told her I wouldn’t stand in the way of what she wanted, and I won’t change that now.”

  “But if you haven’t given her all of the information, how can you know what she wants? Have you asked her how she feels about you?”

  “No,” he said. “Because it doesn’t matter. She wants her world back. If she throws that away for me, she’ll regret it. And she’s never brought that up as an option herself.”

  “Did she know it was one?”

  “What?”

  “Leaving with you. Being with you.”

  “I mean, she should know just from how I’ve treated her. I wouldn’t do that with just anyone.”

  “I don’t know,” Marina said. “I still think there are things left unsaid, and you will regret leaving them that way. Even if you are determined to go through with letting her forget.”

  “You’re right,” Arsenic said.

  “Besides, can you really live without your mate?”

  Arsenic shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. All I care about is her happiness. The rest is just something I’ll have to endure.”

  Marina let out a sigh. “Arsenic, not all of life is suffering. There are breaks in the storm.”

  “Not for me, apparently,” he said angrily.

  “What about your time here? You seem to have had a good time with Farrah. Hasn’t this been a break?”

  “No,” he said. “Not at all.”

  Being here with Farrah, being allowed to fall for her, was like being given a taste of sunlight just so he could know what he was missing when he went back to his cave.

  He gave Marina a dark look. “It’s been torture. The sooner Farrah forgets the better.”

  Then he could go back to the mansion with the other dragons and figure out some way to survive the rest of his life.

  Arsenic heard someone clear their throat and realized the door had opened without him hearing it. He’d been so deep in thought.

  “If that’s the way you feel, maybe I should just forget now,” Farrah said, looking at him with folded arms, the oracle standing beside her.

  “No, wait,” Arsenic said, standing. But Farrah shook her head and rushed back into the house, slipping past the oracle and slamming the door.

  “Oh dear,” the oracle said. “Marina, I think we should head back. I can open a new portal and close that one at the same time. Arsenic, are you okay persisting in your duty for a few days, or do I need to send another dragon?”

  Heat burst through Arsenic. He hated that anyone else was witnessing this. He hated that he had hurt Farrah, right at the end, when she was so close to being happy again.

  “Aren’t you going to make her forget?”

  “I said I would give her a couple days to think about it. Perhaps things are a bit more complicated than I thought.” The oracle raised an eyebrow at him. “I would go talk to her if I were you. Figure out what both of you want.”

  What did that mean? Hope began to wind its way through him, and he did his best to resist.

  Before he could ask more, Marina and the oracle were through the portal, and it was already closing.

  So he ran toward Farrah, thinking she must have the answers instead.

  He told himself not to hope for too much. After what she’d just heard, she seemed to hate him. But he had to at least clear that up for her, if nothing else.

  He slammed his fist on the door. “Farrah, let me in.”

  She opened the door, looking at him furiously before turning and heading for the stairs.

  “Farrah, wait,” he said, shutting the door behind him. “We need to talk.”

  She whipped around to glare at him. “I thought so, too, but then again, I didn’t know being with me was torture.”

  “It’s not what you think,” he said.

  “So it’s not torture being with me?”

  “No, it is, but—”

  “I should have known,” she said. “You tried to turn me down. You tried to say we shouldn’t. You knew you had a mate and you had to go back to her—”

  “I do have a mate, and—”

  “I don’t want to hear it,” she said. “I should never have pushed you for more. I should have just told the oracle to help me forget.”

  “Why didn’t you?” he asked, following her as she went up the stairs. By the time she reached the top, he was halfway up them.

  “Because you made me think there was something worth remembering. I guess I was wrong about that.” Then she opened the door, ready to go in and end the conversation.

  Arsenic just stood there, shocked by her words and what they meant about her feelings, as he suddenly heard a crash of breaking glass. Before he could even turn in the direction of the noise, he heard a whoosh and a thud, along with sharp pain as something stabbed into his back.

  He slapped his hand to the spot, feeling some kind of dart, just as the world spun and he felt the ground disappear from under him.

  He toppled back and rolled down the stairs, landing in a crumpled heap, overcome by weakness and pain, trying desperately to identify the poison spreading through his blood, burning him from the inside out.

  It was unlike anything he’d ever felt, and for the first time, even with his exceptional resistance to poison, he wasn’t sure he was going to make it.

  But then he forced his eyes open and saw Farrah staring down at him.

  His mate.

  He had to fight this for her.

  He summoned all of his strength, trying to push back the darkness, hoping that just once more in his life, he could overcome impossible odds.

  CHAPTER 18

  The sound of breaking glass, followed by an angry hiss and thunderous thump, snapped Farrah’s attention behind her. She whirled around just in time to see Arsenic tumbling backward down the stairs, collapsing into a writhing heap at the bottom, one hand grasping at something on his back.

  Worry surged through Farrah, and she rushed down the steps, knee
ling beside him, trying desperately to figure out what was happening.

  The Arsenic she knew could never have simply tripped and fallen. Was he having a seizure or something?

  “Nic? Are you okay? What’s wrong?” she asked, her training as a nurse kicking in to try and assess the situation.

  He didn’t respond for a moment, spasming as he continued to reach behind him. She glanced and saw a small object sticking out of him just as his fingers found the thing and ripped it away. It didn’t take a second glance to realize it was a small dart.

  But where had it come from?

  “There, got it,” he grated out. “Fuck. That hurts.”

  Farrah was about to respond when she saw movement in the periphery of her vision. She looked up to the other end of the living room, where she saw a blond-haired figure coming in through the open window, a small metal weapon in his hand.

  Instantly, Farrah’s blood froze in her veins, fear gripping her with iron tendrils as nightmares and memories flooded her mind at the sight of him.

  Crios.

  He came into the house with surprising ease despite his size, putting the gun into the pocket of his white lab coat. His hair was slightly mussed, strands escaping from their usually slicked position. And his coat, always pristine white, was dusty with spots of brown here and there.

  But his cold blue eyes were as cruel and unfeeling as ever. And as his gaze fell to meet hers, Farrah’s heart stopped, her breath clenching into a tight ball in her chest.

  “Farrah. So good to see you again,” he said, his lips curling into an ominous smile.

  “You. You must be the bastard that—” Arsenic’s words were cut off as he tried to roll onto his side. But as he attempted to prop himself up onto his feet, he collapsed again, hitting the floor.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Crios said, moving toward them, “That’s concentrated wyvern venom running through your veins. My own personal concoction. Trying to move will only make it work faster.” The sound of his voice was still as icy and clinical as she remembered.

  And each step he came closer, the more Farrah wanted to run, wanted to hide, be anywhere except here. But she couldn’t. Arsenic was in trouble.

  “I can’t tell you how long I’ve been waiting for this. I can’t possibly bear to wait another moment,” Crios said, stopping a few feet from her. “Now that your oracle is gone, it’s just you and me.”

  From Farrah’s position, kneeling next to Arsenic, Crios’s height was only that much more intimidating. Even though he was small compared to Arsenic, he was so much bigger than she was. So much stronger. What could she possibly do?

  Suddenly, Arsenic pushed himself off the ground and onto his feet and reached into his shirt. Three daggers flew at Crios in a flash, whistling through the air and pounding into his chest. But to Farrah’s utter shock, they bounced off or shattered into several pieces, clanging onto the ground at Crios’s feet.

  Crios gave a heartless laugh as Arsenic fell to one knee, the poison from the dart sapping his strength.

  “Arsenic!” Farrah cried out, coming to his side.

  “I’m fine. I’m resistant to poisons. This is nothing,” he growled. But Farrah could see the veins at his temples and neck starting to turn a greenish purple. And his skin was getting paler by the second, thick beads of sweat forming on his brow.

  “You know, I have you to thank for this,” Crios said, his attention turning to Arsenic. Arsenic glared up at him, unable to move.

  Crios pulled open his shirt, revealing a silver-colored mesh. “Your attack at the castle gave me more information about your kind. Especially how to prepare to face you.”

  Arsenic tried to stand but managed to only move a few inches before slumping again to his knees.

  Farrah had to call an ambulance. Call the police. Do anything.

  “And given the very interesting effects of your poison, my master will be very pleased with me when I bring home an escaped human and the corpse of the Arsenic dragon.”

  “I’ll never let you do that,” Arsenic said through gritted teeth, his hand grasping at his chest, the veins in his arm throbbing.

  “Charming sentiment, but futile. No dragon can survive wyvern poison. Its very purpose is to destroy. You’ll succumb in no time at all,” Crios said, gloating.

  With that, he strode toward Farrah, ignoring Arsenic completely and stooping slightly as his cloudy blue eyes pierced through her.

  “Come now. It’s time to go,” he ordered, reaching out his hand toward her.

  Arsenic tried to mutter something, tried to move, but it was futile. Farrah’s mind raced for any possible idea when she felt a small lump in the pocket of her sweater. Instantly, she recognized the shape of the dagger Arsenic had given her the night they went clubbing, still in its sheath.

  “This is the last time I’m going to ask,” Crios reiterated, calmness quickly fading.

  Slowly, Farrah stood up, heart racing like a jet plane. Crios lowered his hand, grinning at her apparent cooperation. As subtly as she could manage, Farrah pulled the dagger from its sheath in her pocket, gripping the cold handle in her right hand, her palms sweaty and trembling.

  “Obedient. Lovely,” Crios said, eyebrows slightly raised.

  When she was only a couple feet away, and as Crios began to turn to lead her toward the door, she drew the blade and lunged at Crios with all her strength. With lightning reflexes, Crios whirled on her, raising his hand to strike. But he was just barely too slow as the dagger slashed upward, slicing Crios’s cheek.

  A microsecond later, the back of Crios’s hand connected with Farrah’s face like a freight train, and everything went white for a moment as she was thrown off her feet and onto the ground.

  Sharp pain lanced through her as she tried to recover, tried to find the dagger that had been flung free of her grip from the blow. But even sitting up was difficult as the entire world swirled around her.

  “You bitch. How dare you defy me,” Crios growled, touching his hand to his cheek and noting the blood on his fingers with surprise. “No matter. I’ve been immunizing myself for every possible contingency for years. The antitoxins in my blood should be—”

  But his words were cut off by a loud yelp as he fell backward, bumping into the kitchen table, struggling against what seemed to be horrific agony coursing through him.

  Arsenic. She had to get to Arsenic.

  “Are you all right?” Farrah heard Arsenic’s voice next to her. She turned to the sound, still stunned, and saw him standing over her, swaying on his feet. But in spite of his shocking uprightness, his green eyes were starting to glaze over, and the green in his veins was more purple and turning blue in other places.

  Farrah moved to get up, grabbing Arsenic’s outstretched hand and feeling herself pulled onto her feet.

  “Get safe and call for help,” he said, forcing his phone into her hands clumsily. “I’ll take care of this guy.”

  “But what about you?” Farrah asked desperately.

  “I’ll be fine. This is my job,” he said, turning to face Crios, who was still writhing about but seemingly beginning to get control of himself.

  “Time to pay, asshole,” Arsenic said, barely speaking above a whisper as he turned to face Crios, clearing the distance between them in several steps.

  “Just because the antitoxin isn’t working as expected doesn’t mean your poison is lethal to me,” Crios spat angrily.

  “Maybe not. But I still am,” Arsenic replied darkly. In a blur of motion, his fist rocketed forward, slamming Crios in the jaw and sending him careening into the wall, cracking it.

  Without hesitating, Arsenic reached his right hand out to his side, and Farrah watched as a gigantic sword materialized from nothing, earth-toned with rusted, burnt-looking edges.

  But no sooner had the blade finished appearing than Arsenic’s grip loosened and the sword fell to the ground with a loud clang.

  “Fuck!” Arsenic snarled, gripping his arm with his other h
and, entire body straining in pain, as if the poison came and went in waves. And right now, it was threatening to drown him.

  Crios, stunned for a moment from the impact, saw the opening and rushed at Arsenic. Arsenic raised a hand but was unable to stop Crios as he drove his knee into Arsenic’s face, sending him flying onto his back.

  Crios came forward again but staggered back as he howled in anguish, digging his fingers into his shoulders from the pain.

  Farrah’s mind was starting to clear, and she quickly opened the first text conversation on Arsenic’s phone and typed the word “help” and hit send. She didn’t even know who it was, but hopefully, it was someone that could do something.

  Because Arsenic was dying.

  Slowly, Arsenic got back to his feet, struggling for a moment as if he were drunk, then stepped forward. With a swift upward kick, he slammed Crios in the groin with his leg, so hard Crios lifted off the ground for a moment before plummeting into the table, shattering it into splinters.

  Crios tried to get up, But Arsenic was on top of him, grabbing his throat with one hand and pounding him in the face with the other, over and over and over. The impact was so loud it made the plates and cups in the cupboards rattle; the house shook so much.

  “Die. Mother. Fucker,” Arsenic rasped, his punches slowing gradually as his energy ran out. Crios was bleeding everywhere, barely moving beneath him as Arsenic stood up, took a strained breath, and walked over to where his gigantic blade lay on the ground.

  Then, with great effort, he grabbed the handle and, unable to pick it up fully, he dragged it behind him until he was standing over Crios.

  “At least I get to end your sorry ass before I croak,” Arsenic muttered with resigned satisfaction, groaning as he hefted the sword onto his shoulder, ready to strike the final blow.

  But just as he was about to let it fall, a bright-purple vortex opened up before them. Arsenic stepped back, putting himself between Farrah and the swirling mass as a tall woman stepped out of it, appearing from nowhere.

  She was as tall as Arsenic, with a striking face with deep lines and long, black hair. The robe she wore shimmered in metallic gray and silver and deep purple.