by Jane Hunt
*
Lukas stopped and pulled Fleur tight against him. She turned in his embrace and kissed him. His hard mouth didn't respond. Fleur pulled away. His golden gaze scanned the area before them.
“What is it, Lukas?"
Something was wrong. Lukas didn’t answer. His hand closed over her mouth. Fleur's gaze darted around. She inched closer. Lukas maintained his vigilance as he searched for signs of danger and possible assailants. A movement in front of them bothered him. Even though he cloaked his mind against psychic intrusion, something pushed against his barrier. He removed his hand from Fleur’s mouth and pushed her behind him. The bulk of his body hid her from the unknown threat. She must have sensed his urgency because she followed his lead. He stepped forward and increased the protective distance between the threat and Fleur. Xavier appeared from the darkness and Fleur screamed. Lukas half-turned but ignored her distress in favor of the danger, which lay in front of them.
He moved closer to Xavier, who remained silent. Something indefinable about his stillness bothered Lukas. He stood his ground. The demon's foolhardiness was strange. This rejuvenated Xavier must have forgotten the beating Lukas gave him. Close enough. Warning bells. Something was wrong. His hand formed a fist. He struck Xavier. His fist went straight through Xavier's chin. A psychic hologram, not the real Xavier, but an illusion created by a master manipulator. Lukas’ stomach lurched. The complete desperation of Fleur’s scream played back in his head. He spun round as he anticipated the horrific tableau which awaited him. His worst fears realized. No one stood behind him.
Deep inside, Lukas' dragon soul roared. Fire seared his organs and flowed into his arteries. He fought for his humanity as his gaze scanned the darkness for any sign of Fleur. He embraced his inner fire. He deserved the pain for his lack of self-control. He'd worn his heart on his sleeve. Now Fleur faced the demon alone. He should have shared his emotions with her. If he couldn't save her, she would never know how he felt. Xavier wanted the dragon egg. If Lukas gave him what he craved, it might save Fleur. With a heavy heart, he reached for his mobile. If he did this, he would betray his code of honor and risk the future of humanity. Fate conspired against him. The cave walls prevented a network connection. He tossed his phone aside. Telepathy should work. He forgot the risks from the malevolent demon's mind and dropped the barriers from his. He imagined Grace until her image materialized in his mind.
Grace stumbled as the image of a turquoise dragon with an egg filled her mind. Lukas needed the dragon egg. A darker image emerged. Xavier in his demonic form stood behind Fleur. His hands were poised around her throat. Fleur screamed but no sound transmitted. Grace fought the waves of nausea and dizziness as she absorbed Fleur's desperation. Darkness filled her mind. Lukas didn't know Xavier had stolen the dragon egg. She must warn him. Xavier has the dragon egg! Xavier has the dragon egg! Xavier has the dragon egg! After the third time, the dragon image exploded. Her mind cleared. Her message reached Lukas. She wiped her teary eyes.
Lukas lashed out. His fist made contact with the mold-covered rock. The pain in his knuckles couldn't penetrate the ache in his heart. His world disintegrated around him. The mission lay in ruins. Xavier controlled the dragon egg and soon the infant dragon. The prophecy, which predicted humanity's extinction if the dragon turned evil, was several steps closer to reality. The demon wanted revenge. In all their previous encounters, Lukas appeared invincible. He cared for no one. The demon never got under his skin. Now Fleur exposed his weakness. His emotions ruled. The demon found a chink in his impenetrable armor. Xavier would use Fleur as a weapon against him. Whatever he did or promised, he couldn't save her. Lukas would die with her, but the demon would never show him mercy. His existence without his soul mate would be the ultimate revenge. He wouldn't let Xavier defile the woman he loved. He would rather kill her; a quick death by his hand was kinder than the demon's death by degrees of depravity until insanity claimed her. He must kill the demon or die in his attempt.
*
Darkness fell as Zane peered into the wood. Silver threads of moonlight flickered through the eerie tree branches. The moonlight reflected in his silver eyes, which glowed luminescent and lit the path as he walked. Decayed demon snake slime assailed his sensitive nostrils. Distracted, he didn't notice the splinters underfoot. A sharp piece of wood jabbed under his front paw, pierced his pad, and then fully embedded. Zane looked around him. He hated being vulnerable, but he dropped the barrier from his mind and checked for dark paranormal waves. He pulled at the wood in his paw. A thick, viscous layer of demon snake slime covered the ground he lay on, his thick fur caked with it for the second time. His paw caught in a tangle of branches. As he freed it, the dislodged branch revealed a pile of newly dug earth. It smelled of demon snake slime. He held his breath and nosed it. The earth fell away and revealed a deep hole. Wary, Zane stepped back in case it hid any lethal surprises. Nothing slithered from the hole. He dug at the sides until a pain shot through his injured paw. He withdrew it and revealed a solid object, which glowed turquoise as it shimmered against the earth's darkness. Encouraged, Zane recovered the unexpected treasure. He looked around, still alone. He levered the dragon egg with his paw onto the piled earth beside him. He couldn't leave it here. Zane, as most supernatural creatures, knew about the ancient prophecy. He couldn't carry the egg as a wolf. He must shift into his human form and hide it somewhere safe until he found Lukas.
Zane shifted back to his human form at breakneck speed. He didn't register the severe pain as he concentrated on where he could hide the dragon egg. Human, he lay breathless and naked amid the damaged branches. He recovered and stood, not worried by his lack of clothes since the darkness shrouded his body. He retrieved the dragon egg from its soft earth cushion. His hands trembled. Hairline cracks covered the dragon egg shell.
The dragon's birth was imminent. Zane couldn't let the demon become the infant dragon's guardian. He cradled the dragon egg against his warm, naked chest as he headed towards the cave at a steady run. He checked the area around the cave entrance with all his senses before he entered. The atmosphere appeared less oppressive than before. Hordes of insects and rodents greeted his appearance before they scurried away. He must shift back into his wolf. But first, he must hide the dragon egg. More cracks appeared across the turquoise shell. Maybe he should wait until the baby dragon hatched. He didn't see himself as the dragon's guardian, but would accept the duty if necessary. Zane checked the egg's shell, and over half remained intact. He should have time before it hatched. Zane saw a rock roll away from the cave wall near the entrance. An assorted group of rats ran from the rock. He discovered a medium-sized hole dug into the cave wall. The rats disappeared. He lifted the egg into the hole. A snug fit, but at least it wouldn't fall. He replaced the rock and shifted. Several painful minutes later, the wolf reappeared. He sniffed the air and listened: no demon snake. He found the path alongside the cave wall and trotted into the main cave.
The sound of steel against rock echoed around the cave. Lukas stood alone. Zane smelled the blood, which dripped from his damaged knuckles. He stopped. Lukas rubbed his hand across his face. Zane stepped closer. He saw Lukas in profile, but Zane could smell the salt present in his tears. Zane shuddered. He'd never seen him cry. He stopped so he didn't intrude on his pain. He opened his mind. Could he help Lukas?
*
Lukas rubbed his bloody hand across his cheek. His face was wet with tears of anger, sorrow, and frustration. He couldn't stop them. He turned toward the sound of footsteps. A great wolf stood before him, his gaze full of recognition and sadness. He moved closer. The beast pushed his muzzle against his bloody hand in welcome and comfort. Lukas sighed. Zane. The familiarity of his silver eyes and the silver-colored fur all the proof he needed. “It’s so good to see you,” Lukas said. Zane growled low in his throat and pulled at the sleeve of his battered coat. “No. I can't. Fleur's here somewhere.” Surprised at Zane's sudden stillness, Lukas opened his mind. The dragon egg's image appeared as Zan
e pulled him towards the cave entrance. Lukas relented. "You win.” Zane let go of his sleeve. The cave’s entrance soon appeared, closer than he imagined. Fleur would be safe except for his gullibility.
Zane nosed away a rock. He walked towards him. The rock fell away and revealed the dragon egg. Lukas fell onto his knees and touched it. The dragon egg shell showed the signs of hatching. Zane nudged his arm. He ran on ahead into the cave's darkness. After he replaced the rock, Lukas sprinted after him. Zane stopped ahead of him, his hackles rising. The dark mantle of evil gripped Lukas' senses. Evil clawed at him until he gagged. The demon. Zane looked back before he stepped into the darkness.
Zane returned his expression, bleak and grief-stricken. Lukas didn’t wait for explanations. He walked into the cave's dark center. He headed towards the deep cavern, filled with water. Zane pulled on his bedraggled coat sleeve. “What’s the matter, Zane? I must see for myself.” Zane remained silent, his gaze intense. After a brief battle of alpha wills, Lukas followed him. They hit a dead end. “Don't you know the way?” Zane ignored him and walked through the solid cave wall. Lukas’ gaze widened before he followed in Zane’s footprints. A mirage, the cave wall hid a myriad of tunnels and rooms. Supernatural eyes enhanced their sight as they trudged through the debris, which covered the cave floor. The nauseating smells increased as they neared the cave's center. “Is it close?” Zane stopped and sniffed the air. He clambered up a pile of rocks. Lukas followed him. They saw a room built from rocks. A small huddled figure lay at its center. Lukas' heart wrenched the pain physical. Its magnitude forced him back against the rock wall. The dragon inside him roared in agony.
*
The demon took her by surprise. Lukas shielded her with his body, protected her from the danger he’d perceived in front of them. The menace he sensed tricked his psychic and physical senses. It materialized unseen behind them. When the others warned her about the demon, she never imagined what a terrible entity it could be. Its dark emptiness bothered her most. No evidence of life or humanity ruled by its appetites for pain, suffering, and destruction.
A serpent with a long, thick-set lower body, covered in smooth, slimy, black scales appeared in her peripheral vision. Fleur stared at the creature, sickened. The horrific monster must be a product of fear and an over-active imagination. It opened its huge mouth, filled with thousands of sharp pointed teeth, and darted towards her. Fleur screamed. The mouth closed and the tail whipped round her as it crushed several of her ribs and banged her head against its scales. It dragged her into the cave's depths, away from the path and Lukas. Everything went black. She fell into unconsciousness.
*
Fleur stirred restlessly as she fought her unconsciousness. She opened her eyes, still heavy from her enforced sleep. All around her, darkness shrouded her impenetrable prison whose rock walls closed in on her. Escape seemed impossible. A rat ran across her foot. At least she wasn't alone. The sweet, terrible smell of death and decay pervaded the atmosphere. Hard, misshapen bones covered the cave floor. Tears left white tracks on her dusty face. Her eyes drifted shut. She must ease the ache in her head, which pounded her bruised skull. Too many blanks plagued her mind. The information she sought hovered at the edges of her subconscious. She made her mind remember. The mislaid pieces remerged. Images played like a disjointed video in her memory.
The demon's head came terrifyingly close to Fleur's. Run, her mind screamed. In reality, her petrified state meant she couldn't move. The demon's gaze penetrated hers with a strange magnesium-bright light emitting from its eye sockets. It opened its mouth. Thousands of droplets flowed from the cavernous orifice onto Fleur. They burned like strong acid through the clothes she wore. She steeled herself for the burn when the droplets hit her skin. They appeared cold rather than hot. Fleur relaxed.
Her skin stung. Something bit her and buried under her soft skin. Debilitated, she swayed. She sank onto the ground, careless of where she lay. The drowsiness overpowered her. Fleur lay curled like a baby as darkness claimed her. Her mind numbed. She lost her grip on reality. Death wanted her. Poisoned by thousands of demons as they buried in her body. Terrified screams punctured the silence—hers. A silver wolf watched her from a distance with a sorrowful expression. Did she see tears in its silver eyes? Fleur blinked. When she reopened her eyes, the wolf disappeared. Each bite drained Fleur's will and physical resistance. The demon possessed her. A little of her spirit survived. Could she force her body and mind to fight for their identity?
Fleur lost consciousness, her pain unbearable. She longed for continuous sleep. She fought her drift back to reality and sensed something dark close by.
∞
Chapter Fourteen
The demon snake retreated, content to control Fleur's mind. Relaxed, the demon didn't fight the transformation into its human form. Xavier materialized, elated with his plan's success. His total domination of Lukas was close. He saw Zane in his wolf form watching Fleur’s demise. Soon, Lukas would be his captive audience as he watched Fleur's desecration, unable to change her fate. His revenge would be complete. He heard footsteps and the wolf's large paws pad across the floor. Time for the final scene. Xavier ran into the cave's center, the star of his demonic scenario. He sensed Lukas and Zane. Soon, he appeased his inner demon as he suppressed the verbal taunt on his lips. When he touched the wall the demon snake built, it fell away—another illusion. The demon imprisoned Fleur, not with rocks, but by her manipulated mind. The demon snake made her believe the illusion's reality. A stronger paranormal mind might have seen through the deception, but as a human, Fleur fell into the trap. The huddled figure was a pitiful sight. Fleur believed the demon possessed her through its creatures that bit and ate into her while she still lived. He absorbed and fed on her terror. His power magnified as he reflected on his plan's success.
Fleur proved ripe for manipulation. The demon snake infected her with a low-grade, poisonous, hypnotic drug. It blurred her perceptions. The rest was an illusion, a product of her fear. He enjoyed her pain as an appetizer before the long-awaited main course, the dragon’s despair and torment. Xavier opened his mind. He didn't hide his identity. He was the show's star, the circus ringmaster. The dragon lord's anger and impotence coursed fiery blood through him. Time to turn the screw a little more.
*
Lukas' head throbbed as he fought for control of his emotions. The demon wanted the dragon lord prostrate before him as he begged for Fleur’s life. Lukas almost did when he first saw her. His dragon seared his insides as he witnessed Fleur's mental torture. He would have changed places with her. His rationality pushed aside his emotions. He needed a clear head, the objectivity of a demon slayer, not the desperate lover. He could save her if what he suspected proved true.
Xavier left his own mind unprotected so he could absorb the dragon’s pain. Lukas capitalized on Xavier's first mistake. A powerful paranormal mind could attack and manipulate the demon. Not him—he lacked objectivity. He looked across at Zane. Zane's mind would be strong enough and he would help, but could Lukas risk his oldest friend for the life of his lover? He hated himself, but asked. He protected his mind from Xavier and concentrated on Zane. He requested rather than demanded as he let Zane see his plan. His friend's telepathic message didn't disappoint. Lukas’ mind remained blocked as he pushed into Fleur’s psyche. She must question the demon's possession and see it as illusion rather than reality.
Lukas watched Xavier parade a broken Fleur in front of them. He hid the despair Xavier wanted. Xavier’s mind probed the edges of his. He maintained his barrier as Zane prepared for his attack.
Zane foraged into Xavier’s mind. The disarray and confusion he encountered encouraged him. He concentrated on the dragon egg, careful with the information he imparted. Too much and Xavier would know where to look for it. He relived his discovery, visualized the wood and the dragon egg nestled under the earth, covered with demon snake slime. He focused on the shell's cracks.
*
"Wake up, Fleur. I hav
e a surprise for you,” Xavier said.
She feigned sleep and kept her eyes closed, a last show of defiance. Xavier dragged her by her long, dark blonde hair until she stood. She bit down on her lip, hard. She wouldn't cry. He forced her towards the rock prison's front. She swayed in the darkness. A movement above her caught her gaze. So tired, she couldn't focus her eyes.
"Try harder, Fleur. See if you can recognise who’s here.” Xavier danced around her like a demented marionette.
Did she really care who watched her? No one would help her. She must help herself. Fleur’s spirit was motivated at last. She must escape from the demon.
*
Frustrated with Fleur's lack of interest, Xavier acknowledged her catatonic state must be indicative of her crushed spirit. He opened his mind, but couldn't feel the pain he expected from Lukas. It disturbed him. Why didn't the dragon react to his taunts? Doubts flowed into his mind. Had he misjudged the strength of Lukas' and Fleur's bond? His frustration grew as his revenge fizzled like a firework on a rainy night. The demon asserted control. Xavier's incoherency grew.
*
The demon snake's poison effect diminished and Fleur's mind became coherent. She took deep breaths and calmed her sensitized body. She shuddered as the demon snake’s creatures moved inside her. She sensed Lukas and Zane close by, their presence a source of reassurance. When she made a break for her freedom, Lukas and Zane would help her. She hoped it would it be enough. The rock prison's front wall had disappeared. Her spirit soared. Not if, but when she escaped, she would reclaim her body and mind from the demon. Perhaps Xavier would leave her unguarded if he believed she couldn't escape. He didn’t watch her much now. She edged away from him. Slumped forward each time, she moved so he would remain unthreatened by her. Xavier appeared distracted and unaware. He rocked backwards and forwards like a bouncing nursery toy and muttered strange words, which sounded like an incantation.
