Dracones Boxset Books 1-5

by Sheri-Lynn Marean

  “Just get on with it,” Hellfire griped, tired of hearing about the virgin shit.

  Samuels was silent for a moment. “The last time there was a sacrifice was three-hundred years ago. That young Phoenix girl managed to open the portal long enough for a small group to escape before she was killed, and the portal closed.”

  “Oh shit.” Hellfire wondered briefly, why she’d never heard of this before then she shrugged. Her parents hadn’t been big on talking about their ancestors or others of their kind, if they’d even known. “I can’t let that happen to Nix.”

  She needed to find her sister and bring her back to earth.

  “Val Jean does not want your sister to succeed, so he sent the wolves after her,” Samuels said.

  “Why? What’s he afraid of?” she asked.

  Samuels didn’t answer.

  Hellfire sighed. She could guess why the creep wouldn’t want his evil brother out, but it was clear Samuels wasn’t about to spill the beans. “Well, Val Jean failed. Nix is already there, right?” she asked, a sense of urgency pushing at her to rush to Nix’s side and drag her away before she ended up hurt, or dead.

  “Yes, the wolves failed. However, there is a spell cast on the portal between Earth and Tartaria so if your sister doesn’t perish in it, she should be close to the other side where my Master has people waiting to capture her,” Samuels informed her.

  “What? Why?” Horror filled Hellfire anew. “The Master is Ilyium, not Nightwalker. What does she want with Nix?” As soon as she asked the question, Hellfire had a bad feeling she wasn’t going to like the answer.

  Samuels let out a disgusted sigh. “My Master wants her freedom from Val Jean and plans to use your sister to get it.”

  That was not good news. Hellfire suddenly felt faint and the urge to be sick slithered through her. It took some doing, but she pushed it back. “Samuels, I need you to take me to Tartaria,” she said, terrified at the thought of her baby sister in the hands of the Master’s people.

  Samuels stopped moving and laughed. It was not a pretty sound. “I cannot access the portal, sorry.”

  “Why not? You’re Ilyium. I was told only the Guardian, the Ilyium, a Fallen or Dracones could open the portal, so why can’t you?” she asked.

  Samuels finally turned. He had small golden markings on his face, which turned neon white in the glow of the moonlight. Then, the golden irises of his eyes began to glow and his normal looking pupils narrowed to vertical slits for a moment before changing back. Well, that’s not something Hellfire had ever seen before. WTF?

  “I am not fully Ilyium,” he said.

  Whoa. Hellfire blinked. She wanted to ask what else he was, but it didn’t matter at the moment. “Well, what about your people? Surely one of them could take me?” she asked, grasping at straws. She had to get her sister away from there, and back here, where she’d be safe. She tried not to think of how safe they actually were on Earth because with their enemies, there was no such thing as safe.

  “My people are the Master’s people first. So no, they would sooner cage you and gain the Master’s favor than lead you through the portal. You will have to find someone else,” he said.

  Hellfire snorted. Yeah, like that was going to happen. Then she thought about what she’d seen in the sky a couple hours earlier that evening. After Tierney had freaked out and refused to help her and Brimstone get to Tartaria to find Nix, Hellfire had shot into the sky, furious. Tierney had been quite rude and hateful. Granted, Hellfire had hurt someone Tierney loved but still, how dare the bitch treat her like that?

  ***

  She had flown through the night sky, faltering but only momentarily when the wound in her side gave her grief. Pretty sure it’s infected. The thought crossed her mind followed by a wave of nausea. No, please, not now.

  The last thing she needed was to be sick in the air. Fighting it, Hellfire despaired of how she and Brimstone were going to find Nix, when suddenly a feeling that Sami was close by chased away all other thoughts. Fierce need began to pump through her veins. What the fuck? Her heartbeat thumped faster and the feeling grew stronger—drawing her like a moth to a flame—a flame, which would snuff out the life of the moth if it got too close. Still, the impulse to check it out was irresistible.

  “I’ll meet you at home,” she shouted to Brimstone who was flying right beside her. Used to her wanting to be alone, Brimstone nodded and flew away.

  Hellfire drew her invisibility around her before allowing the pull to draw her off course. She hadn’t gone far when she spotted two impossibly large shapes coming her way.

  Dragons? No fucking way!

  Hellfire re-examined her heated conversation with Tierney regarding the portal and the Dracones. Did Tierney know there were dragons on Earth? How long they had been on Earth and how many were there? Not that it mattered right now.

  She kept her eyes on the dragons and drifted on the air currents watching them draw near. The sense of Sami’s presence grew stronger, then she noticed one of the dragons was carrying a body. Her anger suddenly re-surfaced. If they’ve hurt him, I’ll …

  Hellfire watched, stunned as the two massive dragons flew within a few feet of her. One was a dark blue and the other green. They both had a bit of a neon glow to them. Huh …

  Then she noticed the dark blue dragon carried a young girl in his arms.

  Relieved that it wasn’t Sami the dragon carried, Hellfire began to fly away but the pull to Sami was so incredibly intense—it seemed to fill the space behind her. Tilting one wing, Hellfire turned about and stared at the two dragons.

  It couldn’t be, could it?

  Hellfire kept her distance as she flew after them. Sami’s a dragon? God, I’m such an idiot! She was usually really good at picking up on what kind of Supe someone was at first glance, or more particularly, first scent. Although in her defense, no one was aware that dragons lived amongst them. At least, not as far as she and her sibs knew. Hellfire watched Sami fly away from her, mind whirling. Oh, how Tierney must’ve been laughing at her!

  ***

  Hellfire focused back on Samuels. “Can the Ilyium in Tartaria be bought?” Dread stirred up the acid in her stomach even more.

  “What do you have in mind?” he asked.

  Hellfire swallowed, hating what she was considering, but too worried about Nix to care. “I’m not sure, but I may have an idea.”

  Samuels was silent for a second then he said, “The Master wants freedom from Val Jean, but the Ilyium in Tartaria only follow the Master’s wishes when it suits them. So, they might be willing to negotiate, depending on what you have to offer.”

  “Good to know. Oh, and this doesn’t make us even, you still owe me, and there had better not be any retaliation for that,” she said, pointing to the dead Ilyium lying on the ground.

  “He attacked. You fought. He lost. No retaliation, at least not on my part,” Samuels said.

  Hellfire nodded. Her mind spinning with what she needed to do, she shoved the pointed end of the sword into the ground. With a last glance around, she shot into the damp night sky, her mind on Sami.

  Samarias ...

  The one she had dreamed about for weeks before she first laid eyes on him.

  Chapter Four

  Unanswered Questions

  In the present…

  Sami drew in his glowing green dragon wings and admired Goldy as she landed lightly beside him. Even her dragon was stunning. Golden scales shone in the moonlight and the red glow beneath set them off just perfectly. Not just a Dracones like him, Goldy was one of only three Genesis Dracones in existence—meaning that she was created out of magic, and the blood of their ancestors, rather than born like the rest of them.

  She really is something, he thought as they both shifted back into human form. I really am lucky. So why don’t I feel lucky?

  His thoughts went to another. A dark-haired beauty who could stop his heart, or kick-start it, with nothing but a glance. He sighed mentally. Hellfire doesn’t want you, d
ipshit. Let her go. You have a wonderful woman right here, who just happens to want your fucked-up ass.

  Just because his heart, his soul even, yearned for another, didn’t mean he couldn’t learn to be happy with this one. She was sweet, loving, and kind. She made him feel good.

  Okay, maybe not as good as … No, don’t go there.

  Lifting his head, he scented the sweet air. Something drifted along on the breeze. Something heavenly … like— No, stop! Focus!

  He glanced at Goldy. He could be happy with her. It wouldn’t take much. He was already happier than he’d been in a long time and just because it wasn’t the heart stopping happy he really wanted, it didn’t mean it couldn’t work. He’d make it work. He had to.

  With the heady scent of her tickling his senses, Sami shivered at the golden glow that lit up Goldy’s eyes. He was glad he’d chosen her over his revenge against Marcius—his father—earlier that day.

  “Kiss me, Sami,” Goldy whispered and moaned as he lowered his lips to hers.

  His hands made their way under her shirt to cup her breasts then moved on around along her back. Although it had only been five days since they went through their Awakening together, he still marveled at the smoothness of the scales on her back, and the pulse of life within them. A moment later, Goldy pulled away and stared into his eyes.

  “Take me to bed Sami, make love to me, please.”

  Sami nodded, his pulse suddenly racing at the thought. “Yes.”

  Sami and Goldy hurried back down the trail into the house. He felt weirdly giddy with excitement and harder than ever. They didn’t stop as they hurried through the mudroom, the kitchen, and the great room. His pulse was pounding. His senses hazy yet on fire as he held Goldy’s hand and led her up the stairs to his room.

  “That was so much fun,” Goldy said, referring to the flight they’d just taken.

  “It was. A perfect night for stretching our wings,” Sami said, out of breath with anticipation and an intense burning need. Flinging his door open, they practically fell through the doorway and into the privacy of his room. Reacting to his excitement, Goldy shoved him up against the wall. She yanked his shirt off over his head and began to kiss his chest, neck …

  More of the same heavenly scent, sharper and more intense this time, had Sami drawing in a deep breath of the wondrous pheromones wafting about his room. He grew dizzy with desire. He spun Goldy around and pressed her up against the wall, sliding his hands under her shirt again.

  “Hmm,” he murmured. His heart, his soul was singing and his cock was straining with a crazed need. A need unlike any he’d ever felt before.

  “I’ve never seen you like this before Sami,” Goldy said, breathless as she gazed into his eyes.

  A pained gasp near his bed made Sami freeze and suddenly, he knew. These weren’t Goldy’s pheromones driving him crazy. Tearing his gaze from Goldy’s, he looked across his room. His heart stuttered then began to race even faster than before.

  “Hellfire?” She looked like an apparition with the moonlight shining in from his window. “What are you doing here?” Sami asked releasing Goldy, and taking a step forward.

  Part of him was furious at her for interrupting him and Goldy. He knew that her being here changed everything. He just didn’t know how. Though he wasn’t ready to give up what he had just found with Goldy.

  Another part of him, the part that was Hellfire’s soul mate, urged him to rip the clothes from her back and sink deep inside of her. His soul was screaming that he pull Hellfire into his arms and never let her go. Then sharp pain pierced his heart as he remembered her telling him she never wanted to see him again, that she hated him before flying away. That had been right after she seduced and fucked him. The image of her smirking at him as she headed into the dance room with the Were-cat filled his mind, and his hatred burned deep as it returned full force.

  Lastly, a part of him feared why she was here.

  Hellfire’s eyes flashed silver with hurt and fury, and she took a step towards him.

  “I see you didn’t waste any time getting over me.” She waved her hand absently. “This was a bad fucking idea. I never should have come,” she muttered, hurrying past Sami and Goldy, and out the door.

  “That was her, wasn’t it?” Goldy whispered, wide-eyed.

  Sami nodded, dazed, and totally unsure what had just happened as intense pain swamped him. He felt like he’d just been kicked in the nuts. Not wanting Goldy to see how badly Hellfire had affected him, he held himself absolutely still. His greatest fear being that he’d land on his knees.

  HELLFIRE HURRIED FROM THE ROOM. Dizzy and sick, she leaned shakily against the wall. Heart pounding and head throbbing, she was having a hard time breathing. Wetness leaked out of the corner of her eye and she swiped it away angrily.

  What the fuck is wrong with me? I must be mental. Coming here had been a colossal mistake. I should’ve listened to Brimstone.

  Only as soon as he had mentioned going to Deacon for help, she had panicked.

  ***

  She and Brimstone had been fighting ever since their heated conversation with Tierney the night before.

  “Why is Tierney so angry with you, what did you do to Sami?” Brimstone asked and suddenly Hellfire felt like bawling.

  Tired of fighting with him, Hellfire finally spilled the beans about how badly she had treated Sami at their home over a week ago, and why. However, she didn’t tell him about the wickedly delicious sex.

  After explaining some of her fears, Brimstone reluctantly accepted that they needed to find another way to Tartaria. It was then he suggested that Deacon might know someone who could help.

  Hellfire shook her head. “No, we don’t need his help,” she said adamantly. He couldn’t know what Deacon had done to her.

  “Why not, he knows a lot of Supes. He might know a Dracones, Fallen or someone else who can help,” Brimstone said.

  “No,” she said again, refusing to say why not.

  Frustrated, Brimstone threw his hands up in the air and left her alone in her room. That was when she had taken off. She needed Sami’s help and just hadn’t seen any other way. Not if she hoped to keep her sisters and brothers safe, because if any of them found out what Deacon had done …

  Well now, she wished she’d waited and tried to figure something else out.

  ***

  With jealousy and self-hatred pumping though her veins, the familiar nausea filled Hellfire again. She felt icy cold, yet sweat dripped down her face. What the hell is going on? She’d been freezing for days now. Whatever. She’d go home and climb under the covers of her bed, sleep some more until she figured things out.

  She couldn’t believe Sami had already found someone else. Obviously, the connection she’d felt was only a one-way thing. She’d thought he had felt it too, but he couldn’t have, not if he’d been able to move on so quickly, and judging by his foreplay with the golden amazon, he had.

  Emotions swirling, Hellfire wanted to scream, cry, and cut someone’s head off. Instead, she shoved away from the wall towards the stairs. Tears blurred her vision and she gasped—her wound burned like ice-fire. Shit, she’d re-opened the blasted thing! Clapping a hand against her side, she cursed again when she felt the blood. As it began to soak her thigh and legs, a crushing pain stabbed straight to her heart. Hellfire tried to grab hold of the bannister as everything went black and her legs buckled.

  SAMI STOOD FROZEN. Shock and misery coursed through him at the knowledge that the one he yearned for, had just been here. She’d been in his room and had once more walked away.

  Then Goldy nudged him. “Sami, go. See what she wants, find out why she came here,” Goldy said with a tight little smile.

  Sami stared at her blankly, not understanding what she was saying.

  “You won’t be able to move on until you talk to her,” she said then they both heard a couple of thuds, and Tierney’s call for help.

  Fear flooded Sami and no longer frozen, he rushed from the room
and pulled up short. Heart in his throat, he stared at his best friend down on the landing. Black hair hanging in her face, Tierney leaned over Hellfire who lay motionless on the stairs.

  “No!” Heart racing, Sami hurried down the steps. “Wha-what happened?”

  Tierney looked up at him with horrified purple eyes. “I don’t know, I was coming up the stairs and saw her falling down them.”

  Sami gently felt for a pulse in Hellfire’s neck. It was faint but there. He glanced up to see Goldy beside him, looking worried. Dazed, Sami turned back to Hellfire. He wanted to pick her up but fear of hurting her, stopped him.

  He began to check for broken bones when he heard a commotion and running feet. It was Brimstone, still in Phoenix form, rushing through the great room with Sami’s brother, Jax right behind him. Thaniel, a timid new Were-leopard and Genna, another Genesis Dracones, who looked nothing like Goldy, had also come out to see what was going on.

  “What did you do? Did you kill her?” Brimstone growled at Sami, his eyes glowing silver. Concerned only for Hellfire, Sami ignored him.

  “Whoa, wait a minute,” Jax growled at the same time that Sami frowned and pulled his hand away from Hellfire. It was covered in blood.

  “What the, oh shit, no,” he whispered. Even more worry flooded his system. She had to be okay. She just had to be.

  “Sami didn’t hurt her, Brim, she fell down the stairs. Why would you say such a thing?” Tierney glared at the Phoenix.

  Brimstone opened his mouth to say something then shut it and took a deep breath. “Please tell me she’s alive?”

  “Her pulse is faint and she’s bleeding. I don’t know what’s wrong with her or why she fell down the stairs,” Sami said as he peeled back her shirt.