by Rinelle Grey
It shot another bolt of lightning, hitting the porch pillar next to him.
Brad flinched, and snapped the shotgun closed.
He’d only fired one a few times before, Uncle Henry had insisted on showing him how. He hadn’t understood why then. Hadn’t wanted to take time out of flirting with Lyrian.
Had his uncle known?
He aimed down the barrel. It would be hard to miss at this close a range.
“Shoot! Shoot!” Lyrian was shouting. She shook him, throwing off his aim.
Brad shook her off. Aimed, and fired.
The dragon gave an unearthly screech, its wings backpeddling. It shot another bolt of lightning, this one missing wildly.
Brad fired again, this time aiming at one of its wings. They were thin, like bat wings. Hopefully an injury there would do more damage.
He was pretty sure the shot couldn’t do any serious damage, the pellets were too small.
Hopefully it stung enough that the dragon retreated before it realised that.
Hopefully it didn’t know that he couldn’t shoot again until he reloaded.
It gave another screech.
“Don’t think you can escape. I know where you are. I’ll be back, and this time I won’t be alone.”
The words were loud in Brad’s head, as though the dragon had somehow gotten inside his skull and was speaking to him directly.
The words sent a chill up Brad’s spine that radiated out, until his whole body shook. He hoped that meant it was leaving, because he wasn’t sure if he could make his fingers obey him enough to reload the shotgun.
He was certain he couldn’t do it before it reached the porch and fried them.
He heaved a sigh of relief as the creature turned around and lifted into the air, disappearing into the darkening night sky in a matter of minutes.
Brad stared after it, waiting to wake up.
How much of this was a dream? Was he really here? Was Lyrian? Had he dreamt Anarian’s existence?
All of it seemed so real, the memories too vivid to be a dream.
But none of it could be real, could it?
He wasn’t waking up.
Brad turned around to stare at Lyrian.
“Was… Was that a dragon?”
Lyrian was looking at him solemnly. She didn’t seem surprised.
Suddenly, things started adding up in his head. The police pulling him over, the man waffling on about a dragon, Lyrian’s strangeness, his baby’s blue hair.
Either this was a very detailed and very long dream or…
“That was a dragon,” Lyrian said seriously. “And he wants to kill me and our daughter. We need to get out of here.”
Chapter 10
Poor Brad was looking like he’d been zapped by the Trima dragon’s lightning. All that was missing was his hair standing on end.
Lyrian took the shotgun from his hands, and took him by the hand and led him inside.
Perhaps she should have told him about dragons earlier, then it might not be such a surprise now.
“A dragon?” Brad repeated. “It wants to kill you and Anarian? Why?”
They didn’t have time for explanations. Not now.
Lyrian calculated. It would take maybe fifteen minutes for the dragon to get to Ultrima’s lair, maybe a little more time for it to explain the situation to the others, then another fifteen back.
Then they’d have more than one dragon on their doorstep.
Lyrian handed Brad the shotgun. “You need to protect your daughter.”
Brad’s eyes widened. But he began to reload the shotgun, even while he kept talking. “Dragon’s don’t exist,” he said. “I have to be dreaming. But if I am, why haven’t I woken up? And how much of this is a dream?”
He broke off, and stared into Lyrian’s eyes. “Are you a dream?”
How could she convince him this was real? Deadly real?
And that she needed him?
Lyrian leaned forwards, and pressed her lips to his, feeling the spark igniting between them. “Do you think you can dream this?” she demanded, a little breathless from the passion that stormed through her. The danger only seemed to intensify it.
Brad stared at her. “Who are you?” he demanded. “What are you?”
Lyrian hesitated, but there was no escaping it now.
She let her eyes change, her pupils elongating into narrow slits. “I’m a dragon,” she breathed, directly into his mind.
His eyes widened and his jaw dropped.
For a minute, Lyrian thought he was going to back away.
Her mind panicked. What would she do without him? She hadn’t gone far from Henry’s farm, she didn’t know the area anymore, too much had changed in three hundred years.
She had no idea where she could go that would be safe.
But Brad’s jaw flexed, then hardened. He stepped forwards, his arms going around her waist and pulling her up against him. Hard.
“Is that why you broke up with me? Because you thought I couldn’t handle it?” he demanded.
Lyrian’s heart flip flopped. If only it was that simple.
“That was part of it,” she said breathlessly. “But mating is complicated for dragons. And now isn’t the time to discuss it. We need to get out of here.”
There was so much more she wanted to tell him, but not now. “I’ll explain later.”
Brad stared into her eyes. “Is that a promise?” he demanded. “You aren’t going to just tell me to go away again later, once you’re safe?”
How could he think that of her?
Probably because she’d done it.
That had been before Anarian though. “I won’t keep you away from your daughter,” she promised.
The fire in Brad’s eyes didn’t dim. “What about you?” he demanded. “Are you going to force me out of your life too?”
Lyrian’s mind spun.
It wasn’t that she’d wanted to, but she hadn’t had any choice. He couldn’t possibly understand. It was easy for him. He didn’t have a whole clan relying on him.
“Are you trying to say you won’t help me unless I agree to go out with you?” she demanded.
Brad stared at her blankly for a few moments, then abruptly released her and took a step back.
“Of course not,” he said flatly. “I’ll help you no matter what. What do you need?”
Lyrian should have felt relieved. He’d agreed to help her. That was what she needed right now.
But a part of her couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed he’d given in so easily.
If he’d insisted, then she would have had no choice. She would have had the perfect excuse to melt into his arms and mate bond with him. The perfect excuse to do exactly what she wanted to do. Protecting her daughter was more urgent than finding her clan.
She shook her head. What was she thinking? Right now, they needed to get out of here.
“We need somewhere to go,” she said quickly. “Somewhere that a dragon is never going to think to look for us.”
Brad gave a laugh. “Well, that sounds simple enough. One question though, where might a dragon think to look for us?”
Lyrian stared at him for a moment. Was he being serious?
Then he gave her a wink, which drew an unwilling laugh from her. Of course he had no idea. He’d only just discovered that dragons existed.
“Anywhere away from here,” she told him. “That dragon is coming back, and he won’t be alone.”
“Right,” Brad said immediately. His forehead furrowed in thought.
“Get Anarian,” he said. “And anything you’ll need for the next few days. I’ll think of something on the way.”
Lyrian almost sagged in relief that someone was taking over. That someone seemed to have an idea of what to do. Because she certainly didn’t.
She had no idea how they were going to get out of this.
Normally she’d go to her clan for help, but they were gone. Brad was all she had.
She headed into th
e next room and picked up the sleeping baby, staring at her for a few minutes, her heart overflowing with love.
She’d do anything to protect her daughter. Anything.
She couldn’t get to her brothers. Even if they were still alive somewhere, there was no way she could go up against the whole Trima clan by herself to rescue them.
She had to give up on them. She had to protect Anarian.
Brad could help her do that.
Maybe going back to America with him wasn’t such a bad idea. The Trima dragons could never follow her there.
She’d worry about that later. Right now, she needed to get out of here.
Lyrian grabbed a bag and stuffed some spare nappies into it. Luckily, she carried Anarian’s food with her wherever she went.
They didn’t need much.
Just somewhere safe. Preferably not alone.
Hopefully, they’d find that. Somehow.
Chapter 11
Brad drove through the darkness, half expecting a bolt of lightning to come out of nowhere and hit them.
He felt a little embarrassed that he’d been so shocked at seeing the dragon that it had taken him a while, and Lyrian’s thrusting a gun into his hands, to be able to react. He should have dealt with the situation better than that.
He needed to protect his baby, and her mother. No matter how hard it was to accept that dragons existed, and that Lyrian was one, he needed to do it. Disbelief would only get in his way right now.
In the seat next to him, Lyrian hugged Anarian tightly, making Brad nervous. He’d never been in a car with a baby before, but he knew they were supposed to have a special seat, not just be held by someone.
If that dragon did come, and something happened to the car, they were in trouble.
Between them, on the seat, was the loaded shotgun. Hopefully he wouldn’t have to use it. It really didn’t have the firepower to take on a dragon, but it was better than nothing if it came down to it.
The sooner they found somewhere safe to stay, the better.
He hadn’t spent much time in Mungaloo, but it had to be similar to other places he’d been didn’t it? Most towns were basically the same.
There’d be a bar, restaurants, hotels.
And a police station.
Briefly, he considered going there. They’d probably recognise him from the incident that morning. And they apparently already knew something about dragons.
But they’d been searching for a dragon, not wanting to help one. They might be able to help deal with the dragon chasing them, but if they realised Lyrian was one too…
Not to mention his daughter…
He assumed she was anyway. Half dragon at least.
How did that work?
Brad shook his head. Don't analyse, just escape. That’s what he needed to focus on.
And calling the police wasn’t an option. It wasn’t worth the risk. He needed a better plan.
“Is the dragon going to be able to track us?” he asked Lyrian.
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “Maybe. I thought I’d lost him earlier, and then he found me again somehow.”
Brad glanced over at her. “What happened? Why is he out to kill you?”
Lyrian was silent for a moment, staring out the windscreen. Brad was beginning to wonder if she was going to answer.
“Come on,” he said. “If you want my help, I need to know why. I need to know what he’s going to do, and how serious he is about wanting to kill you.”
Even saying the words sent a shiver up his spine.
He’d treated people with gunshot wounds before, but no one had ever taken a shot at him. No one had wanted to kill him. Or anyone he knew.
Until now.
Lyrian heaved a sigh. “There are two clans of dragons. He’s from the Trima clan, our enemies.”
“Two dragon clans?” Brad stared at her.
The idea was fantastical. It was hard to believe that one dragon clan could have been hiding from humans all this time. But two? That were at war?
“There were,” Lyrian’s voice was almost a whisper.
Brad wasn’t quite sure that he’d heard her correctly. “There were? What do you mean?”
To his surprise, her eyes filled with tears. “I can’t find any other Rian clan dragons. I’ve searched and searched, but they all seem to be gone. Now there’s just me and Anarian.”
There was a hopelessness in her voice that tore at Brad’s heart.
“You’re not alone,” he said firmly. “Neither of you are. You have me. I’m not going to leave you.”
“Yes you are,” Lyrian said, her voice tight. “You’ll go back to America again, just like you did last time.”
Brad wanted to snap at her, to point out that he’d only gone because she’d refused to talk to him. But the words stuck in his throat, making it ache.
He hadn’t even considered staying here with her. He had a job and a life to get back to in America. Yes, he’d wanted her to come with him. He’d had no idea how impossible that probably was. But it had never occurred to him to stay here with her.
“Would it have made any difference if I’d said I’d stay?” he asked her, curious.
Lyrian was silent.
That told him all he needed to know. It wouldn’t have mattered.
The only reason she’d told him now that she was here with him, was because she had no one else.
“What about your brothers?” he asked. “Or are they gone too?”
“They’re gone.” Lyrian’s voice was small, and it shook a little. “I was trying to find them. That’s when the dragon attacked.”
Brad felt sad for her in spite of himself. “I’m sorry,” he said gently.
Lyrian sniffed.
The sound tugged at Brad’s heartstrings more than a flood of tears would have.
It was then and there that he knew he couldn’t leave her. Not until she’d found her family at least.
He didn’t even want to consider the fact that they might be dead.
He reached over and put a hand on her arm, where it cradled Anarian. “I’m not going anywhere. Not until we find your brothers,” he said firmly.
Lyrian put her other hand over his and stared up at him, her eyes searching his, as though trying to guess if he were telling the truth. “Really?”
“Really,” Brad said firmly.
For a moment, he felt one of the most intense connections he’d ever felt to anyone. And it wasn’t even sexual. He wasn’t sure what had just happened. Had he imagined it? Had she felt it too?
He cleared his throat, and Lyrian moved her hand, enabling Brad to take his back without it being weird.
“So, do you think the dragon will follow us into the town?” he asked, changing the subject.
Her voice didn’t give any indication when she answered. “I don’t think so. I mean, I don’t know what dragons are doing now. That’s the first one I’ve seen since I woke. But before I went to sleep, dragons didn’t go where a human might see them. Not in dragon form anyway.” She hesitated for a moment, then added, “Most dragons are a little scared of humans.”
Dragons? Scared of humans? That made no sense to Brad.
It raised a whole lot more questions. Dragons could obviously take human form, since neither Lyrian nor Anarian had any wings or scales right now. How easy was it to change from one to the other?
That wasn’t what he needed to know right now though.
“Is the other dragon a threat in human form?” he asked.
Lyrian hesitated. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “He could still use his magic, but that would give away that he’s not an ordinary human.”
“Is he likely to risk that?” Brad asked.
“I don’t know,” Lyrian said helplessly. “I’ve been asleep for three hundred years, near as I can tell. Given that you’ve never heard of or seen a dragon before, I’m going to guess that he’ll try to avoid it.”
Normally, Brad would have agreed with her. He’d neve
r heard even a suggestion that dragons existed.
Until today.
Unfortunately, Lyrian’s admission hadn’t been his first clue.
“When I first got here,” he said slowly. “I was pulled over by the police. There was a strange guy with them, and he said something about dragons…”
He could feel Lyrian’s eyes on him. “He did?” Her voice was a mixture of fear and disbelief.
“Yeah.” Brad tried to remember the exact words. “Something about Lisa, and her dragon buddy.”
“Do you know Lisa?” Lyrian demanded.
“Not a clue,” Brad said flatly. “Lisa is a very common name, and even if it wasn’t, I don’t know anyone in this town aside from you and Uncle Henry. And the lawyer,” he added.
Lyrian heaved a sigh. “Then there’s no way of knowing if she knows a Trima dragon or a Rian dragon.” She sounded defeated again.
“Well, maybe we need to see if we can find her and ask her,” Brad said.
He’d just said it to cheer Lyrian up. Their chances of finding one person whose last name they didn’t even know, even in this small town, weren’t high.
But Lyrian’s eyes lit up. “Do you think we can do that?”
“I… uh…”
He couldn’t bear to see that glimmer of hope in her eyes disappear.
“Sure. We can try,” he agreed.
“Oh that would be wonderful,” Lyrian breathed. “Maybe her dragon buddy is one of my brothers. Maybe Taurian. Or Verrian. Both of them weren’t in their Mesmer chambers. But that doesn’t mean they’re dead. Maybe Lisa woke one of them.”
Brad had no idea what she was talking about. Half the words were foreign to him. But he was pleased that she sounded more cheerful. “Maybe,” he agreed.
Lyrian gave a laugh. “You have no idea what I’m talking about, do you?” she teased.
“No, but if it makes you happy, then I hope it’s true,” Brad said seriously.
He could feel Lyrian’s eyes on him, but he didn’t look over. He stared at the road ahead, not sure what he’d say if he looked at her.
What was there to say?
They hit the outskirts of town, and Lyrian turned back to watch the road as well. Luckily the streets were mostly dark, only a few streetlights shining on the occupants of the battered ute.
