“I must leave now June. I will go and make home the safest I possibly can and when I am done, I will return for you,” he declared as he pulled me to him.
I held him tight and breathed in his musky scent. I hated saying goodbye yet again, but I knew it was for the best. I did not have any expectations that he would ever return for me, there would be no reason for him to come back to the states if he made his fortress as safe as he said he could.
“Be safe on your journey, Mishal. Please do not forget me,” I requested of him.
“June, I could never forget you. I will be back for you I swear it,” he vowed as he stripped himself of his clothing.
I watched as he shifted into his beautifully shiny dragon self. I marveled at how bright his blue scales shined even in the faded light of dusk. He leaned down and gently nuzzled me with his snout and I rubbed his nose with my hand. He straightened up, gave me a nod and took off with a flap of his large wings. I stood there with tears in my eyes wondering if I would ever see him again.
Weeks passed with no word from Mishal and I settled within myself that our relationship was over. Being king was the most important thing for him now and I was not going to stand in the way of that. Plus, there was still the issue of my crazy ass family and not wanting him to have to deal with that.
Samantha had tried to keep my occupied so my mind would be off Mishal and the way things happened. She had even tried to set me up on a blind date but that did not go well at all. Geology was not my forte and I could not stand to hear about it from anyone but Sam. I had abandoned the date before our meals had arrived at the table. Sam was not too happy with me when I got home that night, but it was her fault for thinking I would be into a guy that was exactly like her.
The truth was I wanted Mishal and there was nothing that was going to change that. I felt myself falling into depression and I wanted desperately to stop it. I knew that was not something that I needed to let happen, but I was getting tired of fighting to be happy and I wanted to let the darkness take me over. I wrapped myself in a blanket and laid on the couch allowing myself to sulk for just a bit.
“June, what are you doing?” Samantha asked.
I had not even heard her come in the door and I jumped at the sound of her voice.
“Jesus Christ Sam! You scared the fucking shit out of me!” I yelled.
I thought that my raised voice would offend her, but she just looked at me and laughed.
“I did not mean to scare you, June. Are you okay? Why were you all rolled up in the blanket?” She asked.
“I was just having a bit of a pity party for myself. I am really missing Mishal today,” I admitted.
“I know what that feels like. There were days after Thomas died that I could hardly breathe I missed him so bad,” she replied.
I felt bad that It had been six years since her trip to Hawaii and I had not even realized that he had died. I had visited several times and she never said a word about it. I always assumed they had just stopped speaking.
“I did not even realize he was dead until you told me in Japan. How did I not realize it and why did you not say anything to me? I visited and you acted like nothing was wrong in the world,” I said.
She sighed and nodded her head as I spoke, and I wondered what was going through her mind.
“You did not notice anything different because I spent so much time in denial that I told myself he was just gone on a business trip. I did not say anything to you because I did not want to face the truth that he was gone. It was about a year ago that I got myself into therapy and faced the fact that he was gone. There are days that it still hurts so bad I can barely breathe,” she said as tears filled her eyes.
“Oh, Sam. I am so sorry I was not observant enough to realize that something was wrong. I should have known and gotten you the help that you needed a lot sooner,” I said.
Samantha looked at me sternly and playfully shoved my arm.
“Now, you do not need to start blaming yourself for anything, you have nothing to feel bad for. Please do not do that to yourself,” she begged.
“I’ll try my best not to, Sam. It just hurts to know that you were going through such a difficult time and I did not realize it,” I replied.
Sam wrapped me in a tight hug, and we hugged each other for a long time until she finally pulled away. I was lucky to have a sister like her and being there with her was the most important thing to me. I hoped that Mishal would eventually come for me even though I felt as if we were doomed. I hoped for a miracle and decided to concentrate on my life and family that was in front of me. Samantha pulled the blanket off me and yanked me off the couch.
“Come on, let’s go get some dinner. I do not feel like cooking, do you?” She asked.
“Not really,” I replied with a smile.
I slipped my shoes on and headed out the door behind my sister. We once again visited the little café she brought me to on the visit before my trip to Japan. The same hostess that seated us last time seated us in the private booth in the back once again. They had changed the décor since the last time we had been there, and I was a bit sad the Japanese themed screens had been replaced with Parisian themed ones.
French music played and there were paintings of the Eiffel Tower scattered over the walls. I liked the new décor but missed the old as it made me think of Japan. I knew deep down that was where my heart really wanted to be, but I was scared to actually admit it to myself. I was not sure if I was something Mishal still wanted.
As we ate our supper, Ernie came to our table and made sure things were as we wanted them to be.
“It is always a pleasure to see you Samantha. I am also glad that you brought your sweet sister again. This place needs brightened up from time to time,” he said with a wink.
“I am not sure I am much of a bright spot these days, Ernie,” I said.
He looked at me with a frown and furrowed his eyebrows together.
“Why would you say that, my dear? You and your sister have the brightest of smiles that I have seen in a long time,” he said.
“Well, I had a love, but lost it because I was afraid,” I responded.
He nodded his head as if he understood where I was coming from and sat in the booth beside me.
“My dear girl, please do not let fear get in the way of your love for whomever it is that you love. Fear will rob you of anything that makes you happy if you let it. Trust me, I should know,” he said as he patted my arm before getting up.
I thought a lot about what Ernie said as we finished our meal and headed back to the apartment. I wondered if Samantha would think I was stupid if I decided to go find Mishal and be his queen, but at that moment I realized that I did not care what she thought, or anyone else for that matter. I wondered if he still thought of me or even wanted me still.
I tried to watch a movie with Sam, but my thoughts distracted me from the tv screen.
“Sam, I think I am going to go back to Japan. I cannot stand to be without him anymore and like Ernie said earlier, I cannot let fear keep me from the things that make me happy,” I said.
I watched her face and waited for the mother like outburst that I feared would come, but instead she just smiled and nodded her head.
“I knew you would eventually do it. That man is too embedded in your heart for you to stay here and live your life without him,” she replied. “Just do not forget your family here and call me whenever you can. I know signal is not very good there.”
I grabbed her in a tight hug and held her for a long time before I grabbed my suitcase and started packing my clothes. I hurried and bought my plane ticket on my phone and waited impatiently for the time to go to the airport. I could not wait to be in his arms again. I could not wait to feel him wrap me in an embrace and hold me close to him. I never imagined I would fall for someone the way I had fallen for Mishal and now I could not imagine living my life without him in it.
Sam drove me to the airport and once again told me goodbye. I watched
out the window as the world I knew got smaller and smaller and I looked forward to the new world that awaited me.
14
Mishal
The smoke was thick, and the air smelled of gunpowder and sulfur. Cassius had descended upon us just a few weeks after June had freed us from the crazy human man and we were once again fighting for our freedom and survival. Cassius was bound and determined to wipe us all out in an effort to steal the throne from me. He wanted to rule over all dragon shifters and me being alive still put a damper on his goals.
I stumbled through the forest surrounding the volcano as the sound of cannon fire vibrated through my ears. We had all been separated and I did not know if any of my men were still alive or not. The women and children were safe in the compound hidden in a special room made especially for occasions such as this one. I knew some of Cassius’s men would be tearing the compound apart looking for the women and children to use them as pawns in a chess game against me, but I knew they would never find them.
Cassius had grown increasingly frustrated as we kept moving forward, charging at him every time he charged at us. We were not a people that would give up easily and he did not like that about us. I was brought from my thoughts as I heard an explosion as a cannonball landed several feet away from me, blowing me off my feet with the impact.
I laid on the ground looking at the sky and tried to gather my wits about me. My ears started to ring from the vibration the explosion caused, and I shook my head to try and stop it. Much to my relief, Kyal ran up to me and helped me to my feet.
“Are you all right Mishal?” he asked me.
“I am fine, Kyal. What about the others? Are they alive?” I asked him concerned.
“Everyone but Tanesh is accounted for, sir. I am still trying to locate him, but it is hard to see through the smoke,” he replied.
I nodded and we walked back to the base camp together. We needed to regroup and see what our next strategy should be. That would give us time to let the smoke clear and see how many of our men were dead or alive. Since Tanesh was the only one missing, I hoped we would find him alive and well. I hated the thought of losing a man at all but losing one of my most trusted guardians would cut me to my core. Those men were more than just guardians to me, they were my family. I was thankful June had decided to stay with her sister, I would have never forgiven myself if she had come with me and something happened to her.
I missed her terribly and I hoped the war would be over soon so that I could re-fortify the compound and surrounding area and bring her home where she belonged. I was brought from my reverie when a tired, soot covered Danol sat down beside me.
“May I ask you a question, Mishal?” He asked.
“Of course, what is it dear friend?” I replied.
The look on his face told me his question was of a serious nature and I did not need to take it lightly.
“Do you think we are going to make it out of this alive?” he asked as his voice shook with emotion.
“Danol, you must listen to me. You must not lose hope now, we will beat them, and we will keep our lives and our freedom,” I declared to him.
“I am trying to keep hope, but the situation seems so hopeless, Mishal. Every time we get close to pushing them back it seems like Cassius sends more troops to squash us. We are all tired and drained, I do not know how much longer we will be able to hold out before everyone gives up,” he lamented.
“I have faith that it will all be over soon, and we will be victorious,” I stated.
As Danol and I continued our conversation, I heard a shout from a distance. I stood and stepped out of the tent to see Cassius on his white horse he always rode when in human form. There was another person on the horse with him, but at the distance he was, I could not make out who it was. He started moving closer and the persons features started to come into focus.
“June,” I breathed. “Oh, God no.”
I fell to my knees as tears filled my eyes. I knew if Cassius did not get what he wanted he would kill her and drop her corpse like a child’s doll. He was going to demand that I give up my kingdom and I knew it. I could not believe June was here and had put herself in harm’s way. Cassius rode in until he was just a few feet in front of us then stopped.
“June, what are you doing here?” I asked.
“Funny story,” Cassius interjected. “She was found at the compound looking for you. Something about realizing you were her love and she could not be without you a minute more,” he jeered.
I looked into her eyes as they shone with tears unshed.
“Is what he says true?” I asked her.
She closed her eyes as a tear made its way down her cheek and nodded her head. My hands shook and my emotions threatened to betray me as I fought back my dragon. I knew my dragon self was tired from the fighting we had done before Cassius brought out the guns, he stole from a human village a few hours up the road. My heart felt like it was going to explode as the fear of losing June forever took over.
“Here is what you are going to do, Mishal. You are going to surrender your crown and your kingdom that you have built, and you are going to disappear never to return,” he demanded.
I crossed my arms in front of my chest and hoped he saw it as a sign that I do not scare very easy.
“What happens if I do not do what you want me to?” I asked, daring him to challenge me with a look.
“I will show you,” he sneered as he pulled out a knife.
He put the blade to June’s neck and pushed hard enough that blood began to run around the blade. June cried out in pain as he started to slide the knife down her neck.
“Okay, stop!” I cried out. “I will give you whatever you want as long as you do not hurt her.”
Cassius smiled an evil smile as he sheathed the knife and licked the blood from June’s bleeding neck.
“Wise choice,” he sneered.
“Mishal, do not do this!” June cried from her perch on the horse.
Cassius grabbed a handful of her hair and jerked her head backwards as she screamed.
“Another word out of you, bitch and he will be scooping your guts off the ground. Do I make myself clear wench?” he roared at her.
Anger flooded through me as the line between human and dragon blurred. I tried desperately to hold my dragon inside but the amount of anger that flowed through me prevented me from keeping him controlled. I shifted and my dragon burst forth in a plume of blue smoke as the clothes I had worn floated to the ground in a pile of shredded fabric.
Cassius ducked down as I reached for June and lifted her from his horse. Danol held his arms out and I gently placed June in them. I knew he would keep her safe while I took are of Cassius. I reared my hand back and slapped him off his horse and watched as he landed at my feet with a thud. I quickly shifted back to my human form and pulled on the pants that Kyal threw at me.
“Here is what you can do Cassius, you can take what men you have left, and you can scurry back to the hole you crawled out from and never show your face here again. The next time I see you Cassius, I swear to God I will kill you where you stand. Do I make myself clear?” I demanded.
Cassius clamored to his feet and nodded his head as he climbed back onto his horse. He yelled for his men to retreat and headed in the direction he had come. Part of me wanted to hope that the fight was over between us, but the other part of me knew better. I did not know how long it would take him, but he would be back. We would always have to be ready for when he did come again, but we would not have to live on edge like our people did when his father ruled.
His father was a cruel man who loved the sound of breaking bones and the smell of blood. My father spent most of his reign keeping us safe from him by giving in to his demands. The one time my father said no to his demands, a war started. I was not going to live in fear like my father had. Cassius was going to know that I was not like my father and we could either get along or I would end him. I did not want to be that way, but if that was what I had to d
o to protect my people that was what I was going to do. I watched the ass of his horse disappear down the trail until the smoke made it difficult to see him any longer and I ran to June’s side. I grabbed her hand pulled her to me as Danol stepped to the side. He had stood in front of her until Cassius left.
“Are you all right, June?” I asked her as I looked her over for injuries.
“I am fine. Are you all right?” she asked in return.
I nodded as I leaned in to press my lips to hers. Her lips felt so good against mine and I was glad to be able to feel them again. I had missed the feel of her skin against mine and nothing was going to separate us again as long as I could help it. Just as I was about to deepen the kiss, I felt a hand slap my shoulder.
“What is it?” I mumbled against her lips.
“You might want to take a look, sir,” Danol urged.
I pulled back from the kiss to see Cassius and a group of his men headed back up the trail towards us.
“He must be the stupidest son of a bitch I have ever seen,” Danol said as he prepared for another attack.
“June, you have to run. He cannot get you a second time, do you understand that? If he gets you again, he will kill you just to spite me,” I warned her.
“What do you want me to do, Mishal? Where am I supposed to go?” she asked as she started to panic.
I pulled her to me in a quick embrace and kissed her forehead.
“Get to Ming’s and wait there for me, okay? Go now,” I ordered her.
I let go of her hand as she took off running toward the city. I knew Cassius would never see which way she went because he was still too far away to see her leave. Anger flooded me as he approached, and I knew I was going to shift again. Before I could push it back, my dragon sprang forth in an angry rage. Blue smoke billowed around me as I ran toward Cassius ready to end the war between us. Cassius shifted into a menacing black dragon and roared with fury as he closed the distance between us. I stood still as he ran toward me and as he closed the last few feet between us, I turned and whipped my tail across his face. He shrieked in pain as he stumbled backwards holding his snout. I charged at him as he stumbled trying to get his footing and shoved him backwards onto the ground. He landed with an earth-shaking thud and as I stood over him, his eyes softened as if he was pleading with me to spare him. Suddenly, he shifted back into his human self and cried out in anguish.
The King 0f Fire: Dragon Shifter Romance Page 10
