by Tara West
When red bolts bounced off the barrier, Violet had an idea. “This bubble protects you from all curses?” she asked.
“Yes,” he answered through a clenched jaw, his face screwed up tight while he held up his wand. “Magic bounces off it.”
She turned to Thaddeus. “Then stay inside the shield when I activate the spell that will kill Eagleheart and his griffins.”
Thaddeus flashed an appreciative smile. “That just might work, but be quick before Eagleheart gets you first.”
“Wait!” Ladon threw up his hands. “Draque may be close.”
There were so many griffins, she couldn’t see beyond them.
A roar was heard in the distance, and her heart sank. “Who is that?” she asked Thaddeus, though she already knew.
“Draque!” Ladon cried, grabbing her arm. “Our brother will die if you use that spell now.”
She nodded. “Use your telepathy to call him here.”
A burst of fire burned a giant hole through the griffin barrier. Winged creatures squealed so loudly, Violet’s eardrums were near to bursting. A dragon flew through the opening, a horde of griffins attached to his wings and back. He faltered, then tumbled head over tail, crashing to the ground below the cave with a sickening thud.
Rolling onto his back, he blew out a stream of fire while flinging griffins off. It was no use. They kept coming, peeling off his scales and ripping through his wings. The dragon couldn’t survive this onslaught.
“We have to save him!” Ladon cried, kicking Teju’s shield. The shield blinked out long enough for him to jump through and soar off the ledge, transforming into a dragon in the blink of an eye.
Ladon flew down to his brother, burning griffins and tearing them to shreds.
Draque fell over on his back, going limp while the griffins continued to attack him.
“Draque!” Teju cried, tears streaming as he watched his brother die.
Thaddeus gripped Violet, searching her face with desperation. “I have to go. I love you.” He captured her lips in a bruising kiss before abruptly releasing her.
“No,” she cried. “Don’t go!”
Standing at the edge of the cavern, he grimaced as red bolts bounced off the reflective shield. “Don’t worry. Teju will stay here and keep the shield up.”
“It’s not me I’m worried about.” Her stomach churned, and she wondered if she was about to vomit. “I just made you mine.”
A sledgehammer shattered her heart. How could fate play such a cruel trick on their love?
“I’ll always be yours.” He stroked her cheek. “My love for you won’t die with me. If I don’t make it, find my brothers. They’ll take care of you.”
“Thaddeus!” she cried as Teju dropped the barrier, and he ran through without a backward glance. She never got the chance to tell him she loved him.
“Lily,” Teju called. “Try to wake Serah. We need her siren voice.”
“How?” she asked, eyes wide with fright.
“Shake her. Pour water over her. I don’t care how you do it, just do it.”
Violet remembered the energy potion she’d given Thaddeus. She still had some left. “Hang on!” She ran to the satchel she’d taken from her prison and tore through food supplies before finding the small, blue vial.
“What are you doing?” Teju asked.
Racing to Serah, she fell on her knees and uncorked it. “It’s an energy drink.”
“Why didn’t you give it to her before?” he snapped, his arms shaking under the weight of the shield as more and more griffins attacked it.
She had no time to get defensive. She tilted Serah’s head and parted her lips. “I didn’t think of it before,” she said, pouring drops into Serah’s mouth. “I don’t even know if it will work.”
“It has to work.” The defeated tone in his words made her forget his impatience. “Those griffins will kill my brothers.”
“Not if I can help it.” She massaged Serah’s throat to make her swallow, then shook her shoulders. “Serah! Wake up!”
The heiress mumbled something unintelligible but did not open her eyes.
Lily sat beside her, the dark shadows under her eyes making her look like an old woman. “Wake, sister!” she demanded, her eyes welling with tears. “We need you.”
They heard a loud screech, and Violet looked up, crying out when she saw dozens of griffins attached to Thaddeus’s wings. He flapped wildly in an attempt to shake them loose, but the tenacious creatures dug their claws through his membranes. He must have been in a great amount of pain, but he didn’t give up the fight.
The swirl of griffins parted, making a hole in the center of their mass like the eye of the storm in a sideways tornado. The griffin she knew to be Eagleheart emerged, bigger than the others and with eyes that revealed a keen sense of understanding. Red bolts flew from his wand like static currents, zapping anything that got too near, including griffins. And he was flying straight to Thaddeus.
Without care for her own safety, she raced to the shield. “Lower it!”
Teju looked ready to buckle under the weight of his magic. “I can’t. Too many will get through.”
“Just for a second,” she begged. “Please! They’ll kill Thaddeus.”
He released the shield, shifted into a creature that looked half-dragon, half-human, and blew fire at squealing griffins that tried to fly into the cave. Raising her wand, she ran out on the ledge, shrieking when the shield went back up and zapped her buttocks.
Ignoring the pain, she struck creatures as they flew at her, struggling to keep up with the influx of beasts. How foolish they were to fly at her wand. Didn’t they know they wouldn’t survive? Her reflexes quickened, and soon she was able to strike griffins flying toward the barrier, as well as those far away, especially the ones in front of Eagleheart. All she needed was one well-aimed bolt, and the mage would be dead.
When a bolt nearly hit Eagleheart’s head, the mage stopped advancing and changed direction, flying toward her.
Her arms suddenly went numb, feeling so heavy she could hardly lift them. Her confidence faltered, and all she could do was stare at the wicked mage like a gnome caught in a witch’s high beams.
“Fight him!” Teju cried.
All moisture evaporated from her mouth, and her life played out in slow motion when the mage aimed his wand directly at her. Her dreams of mating with Thaddeus and his brothers, of having baby dragons, and of finally reuniting with her mother after a year of captivity were over. She would die tonight because she was too much of a coward to raise her wand.
“Watch out, Violet!” Lily screamed.
There was a roar above her, and she barely had time to roll out of the way of a massive red dragon landing on the ledge. He let out a stream of fire so powerful, it lit the sky in brilliant hues of red and gold.
Eagleheart fired a bolt at the dragon’s heart. The dragon roared when it hit him, then it bounced off his chest and struck Eagleheart.
The mage faltered, shocked, and fell like an earth-bound comet. The griffins broke formation, darting in all directions and ricocheting off each other like bugs in a jar.
Ignoring their squeals of protest, Thaddeus went after them. Her heart swelled three times its size. He was covered in lacerations, but nothing looked life-threatening.
They were going to live!
She turned to the red dragon. “I don’t know who you are, but thank you. You saved us!”
His eyes glowing as red as the burning embers of hell, he sucked in a breath, a ball of fire racing up his neck.
A strong hand yanked her back, and she fell against Teju, safely inside the cave again as the shield went back up. She was horrified when the dragon released fire on the exact spot where she’d been standing.
She blinked. “W-what just happened?”
He flinched when the red dragon coated his shield with flame. “King Tormung is what happened. Magic bounces off him.”
“The dragon king of the fae realm? Why would he wan
t to kill me?”
“Because he’s gone mad.”
Well, fuck.
Her heart hit her stomach when the dragon king launched off the ledge, headed straight for Thaddeus. She wanted to zap him, even knowing the magic would bounce back. “How do we stop him?”
“We don’t,” he said. “Ladon and Thaddeus are our best chance.”
“He’s twice their size,” she said in a shaky voice. The red dragon tore through the remaining griffins before launching at Thaddeus. They grappled midair like two eagles fighting for dominance. Flame engulfed them as they clawed fiercely at each other.
The griffins scattered, disappearing into the forest. Even those mindless beasts were smart enough to know it was time to flee.
Ladon left Draque, who was eerily still, his wings flat on the ground. Teju’s eyes misted as he continued to hold up the shield. What a burden he had to bear to helplessly watch his brother die while protecting his sleeping mate and eggs.
Violet clasped her hands to her heart when Ladon landed on the dragon king, ripping through his wing. The king roared, releasing Thaddeus and spinning to the ground like a butterfly with a broken wing.
Thaddeus and Ladon landed in front of him, shielding their lifeless brother when the injured king released a stream of flame.
“The king dragon has a thorn in his tail.”
Violet looked at Lily, whose pale skin looked even more translucent than before, like tissue paper stretched over bone. “Wh-what did you say?”
Standing on bony legs, she walked over to Violet and pointed at the red dragon below. “It’s enchanted with a memory spell. That’s why he’s angry.”
She squinted at the king. “So if I remove the thorn, he’ll calm down?”
“I think so.”
A memory thorn sounded far-fetched, but Lily had been right so far. Could something as simple as a thorn have driven the king to madness?
“How do you know this?” she asked the child, a nagging voice of doubt ringing in her brain.
Lily hung her head. “The Phoenixfire flower curse.”
Kneeling beside her, Violet reached for the charm, holding it in her palm and surprised by its warmth. Closing her eyes, she asked the charm to reveal its secrets to her, but there was nothing.
She opened her eyes. “Lily, the Phoenixfire flower is no curse.”
She sniffled and wiped her wet nose with the back of her hand. “It is to me.”
“I’m sorry you carry this burden.” Violet released the charm. “I’m sure when your sister wakes up, she will offer to wear the charm in your place.” She cast a forlorn gaze at Serah.
“It doesn’t work that way.” The child pouted. “Nobody understands.”
She wanted to comfort the girl, but now was not the time. She had to get that thorn out of the dragon king’s tail, but how?
A neighing horse caught her attention. She looked over at the Pegasus pair. They were getting restless; they were likely hungry and thirsty and would need nourishment soon. A thought struck her.
She raced over to the horses and chose the smallest of the two, a mare who was hopefully more docile than the stallion. After untying her, Violet jumped onto her back.
“Do you know how to fly one of those?” Lily asked.
“No, but I’m a fast learner.” She’d ridden her mother’s unicorn only once. Three broken ribs later, she’d learned the hard way magical horses didn’t like to be ridden. Wrapping her arm around the mare’s neck, she removed the hood. The horse neighed and bucked, but she hung on. Now wasn’t the time to worry about a few broken ribs.
She screamed at Teju to lower the shield as the horse ran to the ledge and launched into the air.
CIRCLING THE DRAGON king, Thaddeus was about to unleash his fire when he saw a white-winged horse nosedive to the back of the dragon king. Violet, who had to have gone mental, was screaming and clutching the horse’s mane, only halfway on the horse.
They landed on the ground with a hard crash, and Violet flew over the top of the horse and landed precariously close to the dragon king’s spiked tail. Ruffling its wings, the horse nearly stomped her head before flying back to the cave.
The dragon king spun around, snarling at Violet. Thaddeus charged, slamming into the king’s chest and throwing him off balance. The red dragon staggered, then turned toward him and engaged. Thaddeus quickly retreated, meeting fire with fire, but not before he saw his crazy mate climb up the dragon king’s tail. Icy fear coursed through his veins. Did she have a death wish? Why had she left the safety of Teju’s shield?
The dragon king pushed him until he nearly tripped over Draque. With nowhere left to go, he and Ladon slowly surged forward, blowing fire at their opponent, sparks singing his eyes. Blood oozed from the dragon king’s torn wing, but he showed no signs of slowing.
With a snarl he swung his head around, swishing his tail like an agitated cat.
Fearing for his mate’s life, Thaddeus charged again.
“I found it!” she screamed, holding up what appeared to be a stubby wand.
The dragon king let out an ear-shattering howl and flung Violet off. She careened face-first into the bushes.
Ignoring the dark looks the king shot him, he gave him a wide berth while slowly making his way to the bushes.
Please don’t let her be dead, he prayed to the goddess.
The dragon king shook his head like he was trying to clear water from his ears. “What happened?” he asked, looking nothing like a fierce monster and more like a lost puppy.
“You don’t remember?” Ladon asked.
The red dragon sat on his haunches and licked his wounds. “No. Where am I?”
“Uh... I think you were hit with a memory spell.”
“Impossible.” The dragon shook his head. “Spells bounce off me.”
“Not when they’re stuck inside you,” Ladon answered.
After Thaddeus was assured the king wouldn’t harm them, he transformed into a human and ran to Violet. She was covered in blood and leaves.
“Why did you do that?” he asked, brushing debris out of her hair.
She held up what looked like a wooden stake. “I got it!”
He took it from her and turned it over in his hands. “Are you okay?”
Smiling she cupped his cheek. “Believe it or not, it hurt worse when I fought the blood bond.”
He hugged her, then jerked away when Ladon let out a wail so heartbreaking, his heart lurched. Ladon, still in dragon form, hovered over Draque.
Violet accompanied him, and he was not reassured by the way she limped and clutched her side. When they reached Draque, he was alarmed to see the amount of blood spreading under him.
“Is he dead?” he asked.
Ladon shook his head. “But his heartbeat is so faint, his last breath is imminent.”
He pressed a hand to Draque’s cold scales, tears falling. “I’m sorry we never got the chance to be close. I will help our brothers look after your mate and hatchlings.”
Violet sniffled and squeezed his hand.
Teju shifted into dragon form and flew down from the cave, resting his head against Draque’s heart.
“He may die before Serah wakes,” Teju said sadly. Turning his gaze to the sky, he let out a roar that shook the ground.
SERAH WOKE WITH A POUNDING headache. Her limbs were as soft as porridge. Rolling onto her side, she blinked at the silhouette of a girl standing at what appeared to be the mouth of a cave, looking at the night sky.
What happened to us? her siren said and groaned.
I have a better question. Where in all the hells are we? She rubbed her eyes. “Lily?”
Her sister rushed to her, wild red curls bouncing on her back. “Serah!” She fell onto her, wrapping her arms around her neck. “You’re finally awake.”
She rubbed Lily’s back, feeling her bones through her skin and hating it. Didn’t this kid eat? She was as light as a bag of goose feathers.
Your sperm donor neglects her,
Thelix said.
“Where are we? What’s happening?”
Lily pressed her down. “Don’t sit up too fast.”
Memories came back: the yellow tea, Brayne hovering over her. Had he said he was taking her to her insane grandfather? No. She had to have been dreaming.
You weren’t dreaming, Thelix said. He is a first-rate gnome wart.
They were in a large cavern with black walls, and there was a small fire in the center. She squealed with delight when she saw her eggs tucked in a basket beside her. She touched each warm shell, pleased when she found no cracks.
Two winged horses were nearby, hoods over their heads, wings tucked back, and tails swishing as if they were happy.
Lily beamed. “I put the hood back on the Pegasus all by myself.”
Serah wasn’t sure what that meant.
Two men were tied up in a corner, asleep or dead. One had a face so disfigured, with a knot the size of an apple on his chin and bruises and blood all over his face, he looked like he’d been struck by the plague. He looked too familiar. Prometheus? The thought of being in the same cavern with her former lover, the witch who’d framed and then tried to murder her, made her feel faint. He’d used her and broken her heart. She placed a hand to her chest, feeling the steady beating beneath. Her heart no longer pined for Prometheus Periwinkle now that she had three loving dragon shifter mates.
Brayne Nasir was next to him, his pale hair fanned out around him while he lay twisted at an awkward angle. Nathaniel Goldenwand had tricked Brayne into kidnapping her and now he was the evil mage’s prisoner or her mates had stopped Brayne before he made the exchange.
I hope it’s your mates, Thelix said.
She looked at Lily again, alarm turning her brain to mush. “Are we prisoners, Lily?”
Lily shook her head.
She picked a piece of straw from her hair that had been poking her skull. “Who saved us?”
Lily blinked. “A dragon named Thaddeus.”
Thelix gasped.
Serah was stunned. “My mates’ brother? He’s alive?”
The child nodded, then kicked a pebble beneath her foot. There was a strange somber look about her, but perhaps that was due to being kidnapped by her own father.
