“And you’re jealous because I did it before you could,” Luc snapped as he raced towards Ty with open arms. Luc careened into Ty sending them both crashing into the glass door. Abby ducked and closed her eyes as the large window came down around her. When she opened her eyes, Ty’s hands were gripped around Luc’s throat as Luc held onto Ty’s face. The men shoved and pushed and pulled trying to rip the other’s head off.
Abby’s body shook as she remained in the exact spot Ty put her in. She screamed within her head as a pain swelled from the pit of her stomach and rolled up to her throat blocking her air ways. She reached up for her neck as her air supply was suddenly cut off.
Ty pulled his free hand back and crashed his elbow down into Luc’s face forcing Luc to release his hold on him. The men stepped back from one another to gather their strength.
“What’s the matter brother? Can’t keep up?” Ty sneered.
“You have no idea what I’m capable of.”
“Really? Then why don’t you prove to me just how strong you are.” Ty beat his hands to his chest as his face shifted into the monster and back again.
“You may be a bigger dragon than me, but you’re not nearly as fast,” Luc shouted ready to take on Ty’s next move. Luc studied Ty waiting to see which direction he was going to charge when his eyes caught sight of Abby.
“Abby!” Luc’s attention was no longer on his brother but on Abby. Luc rushed to her side as Ty stalked him as he moved around him to get to Abby.
Her face was nearly blue from the lack of oxygen and her eyes bulged as she clawed at her neck. Her eyes pleaded for help as Luc tried to help her remove the necklace strangling her.
“Ty, she’s dying,” Luc shouted turning to his brother.
“What?” Ty hurried to her side and dropped down quickly picking up her head and setting it gently into his lap.
“How did this happen?” Ty whispered trying to get his fingers under the chain of the necklace to rip it off.
“You went to the Mistress didn’t you?” Luc demanded searching for a way to rip the pendant off of the chain. But Abby’s fingers clung to the ruby as if it were her life jacket holding her above water.
“What if I did?”
“You know she couldn’t be trusted.”
“She promised I could have her.”
“Did she tell you she would still be alive?” Luc asked as he and Ty lifted up the chain that crushed Abby’s windpipe. The little relief from the chain allowed Abby to suck in a quick breath, but she knew they couldn’t hold it up much longer.
“Quick, the sword,” Luc said glancing to the back wall where he kept Elinor.
“You’ll kill her. What if the blade slips? You’ll cut right into her throat.” Ty panted as he tried to keep the chain off Abby’s throat, but the longer he held it the heavier it grew.
“I trust you,” Abby gasped between breaths. Ty shook his head as Luc glanced up to him.
“You got this?” Luc huffed hoping beyond hope that his brother really was as strong as he claimed to be. Ty inched his fingers a little bit further under the chain and nodded. Luc released his side of the chain and dashed to the back wall. He glanced up and said a quick prayer as he plucked the blade off the wall and raced back to Abby.
Luc dropped to his knees with the blade facing away from him and sucked in a deep breath. Carefully, he moved the blade around. Luc slipped the flat side of the blade under Ty’s fingers and looked up to his brother.
“Ready?” Luc asked trying to steady his hands.
“No.” Ty glanced at Abby and shook his head. “You’ll kill her.”
“That’s what this thing is going to do if we don’t get it off.”
“Wait,” Ty’s muscles strained as he held the chain up higher. Every centimeter he gained added more weight to the necklace. But he knew if his brother tried to cut it, he would slice through Abby’s neck too.
“Move the blade,” Ty said with his eyes locked on Abby’s face. Abby stared up at him with fright as the chain slowly began to heat up. She could smell the flesh on the back of her neck searing from the heat.
“We don’t have time for this,” Luc argued as the burning flesh filled his nose.
“Then do as I say and move the blade.”
Luc pulled the blade out and shifted it to Ty’s throat. “You get her killed and I swear I will end you.”
Ty pulled back his lip revealing his teeth as his eyes narrowed on Luc. Before Luc could plunge the blade into the side of Ty’s neck, Ty leaned down and used his teeth for ripping into the metal chain.
The sound of metal tearing into metal filled the room. To Abby is sounded like two freight trains had collided at top speeds. The final snap of metal shot through her ears and Abby sucked in a much needed gulp of air. She shot up coughing and choking as she rubbed her neck.
Luc leaned back and dropped the blade to the ground as he exhaled. He placed his hand on Abby’s arm as his eyes scanned her for any further injuries.
“Abby, I didn’t know,” Ty said sitting up.
“Didn’t know what?” Abby coughed turning her head to look at him. She smiled at him as he leaned back.
“That the necklace would do that to you,” Ty mumbled. Abby shifted her weight and glanced down at the ruby pendant sparkling in the sunlight.
“Woah, where did that come from?” Abby asked watching the broken chain mend back into one piece. She glanced to Ty before shifting her gaze to Luc. Both stared at her in bewilderment.
“Abby, what’s the last thing you remember?” Luc asked rubbing his hand down her arm.
“I don’t know,” Abby said turning back to look at the ruby. Her mind struggled to clear the fog. Everything seemed like a shattered dream.
“Try,” Ty encouraged.
“Well,” Abby blushed as images of Ty bending her over filled her mind. “There was us,” Abby said glancing up to Ty. A faint smile tugged at her lips before vanishing.
“Jess was here at some point. And I think I remember you two were fighting.” Abby’s voice broke as she tried to remember what the brothers were arguing over. But each time she tried to hold on to the memory is slipped through her thoughts like the mist.
“Ty,” Luc cleared his throat and raised one eyebrow as he looked at his brother. “We need to talk.”
“You aren’t going to fight again are you?” Abby asked as the two brothers rose to their feet.
“No my love. I just need to ask him a few questions,” Luc said trying to keep his irritation out of his voice.
“Promise?”
“Yes,” Ty confirmed as he followed Luc out of the living room and onto the balcony.
Abby sat on the other side of the glass watching them as she tried to piece together the fragmented thoughts. But each time she tried, all she could see was a single image. A woman’s face was laughing back at her. Abby closed her eyes.
“Why did you go and see her?”
“You were brother, I had a debt to pay. So I took care of it.”
“You went to see the mistress, why? What could you possibly have owed to her?”
“Not her, but the old king. I went back to tell her that he was dead and demanded that my debt be paid in full.”
“What happened?” Luc asked glaring at Ty as he crossed his arms.
“She promised me the one thing I always wanted.”
“Abby?”
“Yes,” Ty said shaking his head. “She said I could have her and that the necklace would give her to me. Make Abby’s love for me stronger than ever before and how it would push out all other love from her.”
“Did you ever think that love is all Abby has in her? Pushing out the love would kill her.”
“I know it now.”
“When will you learn to use your head? You know the Mistress would never let you have her. She was using you. All of this,” Luc spread his arms out and shook his head. “You, me, our love for her. The Mistress plays to the death. I bet you anything she wanted us to kill ea
ch other as the necklace took out Abby.”
Ty dropped his head and turned his back on Luc. Slowly the pieces began to fall into place for Ty as he gazed out over the city.
“The Mistress wanted me to keep Abby away from her. She wanted me to keep the throne,” Ty confessed as his chest squeezed from the pain he inflicted on Abby.
“Abby killed the King. So what? She doesn’t even know she is the rightful heir. We can keep her safe and away from that world.”
“Maybe we shouldn’t,” Ty said turning to face Luc. “All this time we have been making Abby’s choices for her. Maybe it’s time we see what she can do. She might surprise us all.”
“You don’t know what you are saying.”
“I do know. Abby is stronger than all of us. She has been through hell literally every time she has died. Maybe she has skills we haven’t even seen yet. And maybe, we are hindering her from becoming great.”
“Abby is no match for the Mistress. She’ll kill her and us too.”
“What’s the matter Lucas? Afraid I might be right about her?” Ty’s eyes shifted to Abby sitting on the floor behind the glass pane.
“No. Afraid you are going to get her killed. Abby needs to be protected. Not thrown into the dragon’s den.”
“Then protect her. But make no mistake brother, Abby is going to do things her own way whether we like it or not. We just have to trust her.”
“I do. It’s you I don’t trust. What if you’re still under the Mistress’ spell?”
“That is something you are going to have to work through. But, right now. Abby needs a safe place to hide out until we can figure out what to do next. The Mistress has made her move. Now it’s time we counter.”
“Why is everything a battle with you?”
“Better question is how have you survived thinking it's not?”
“There are other ways to live than by the sword.”
“Not right now there isn’t. What we need is a safe place. We are too exposed here.” Ty said scanning the horizon of the city. “Every building is a potential hiding place for her goons. We have to go someplace with a better advantage.”
“Let me guess, your place?” Luc sighed.
“We won’t have to worry about humans seeing us. Plus we will have a 360 view to see if anyone is coming.”
“Fine. I’ll talk to Abby and we’ll meet you there.”
“I think it would be best if we traveled together. Strength in numbers and all.”
Luc turned his head and stared at Abby. She remained sitting on the floor staring at the necklace entranced by the sparkles dancing about the pendant. Something in the light held her as Ty and Luc opened the door. She could hear them in the distance moving around her.
“Come on Abby, let’s get you someplace safe.”
The moment Ty pulled up the necklace Abby snapped out of her daze and stared up at the brothers. Her eyes were wild and filled with hope. Luc cocked his head and kneeled down beside her.
“Abby?” Luc paused as Abby’s eyes drifted to him.
“I have an idea.” Abby snapped as her eyes roamed back to the necklace on the floor and picked it up with a sinister grin stretching across her face. Luc cocked his head and stared at her a moment before shifting his eyes to the pendant.
Chapter 5
“Let’s get you someplace safe first, then we can discuss your plan.”
Luc rose to his feet and extended his hand out to Abby. She paused to stare at Luc’s hand before she snatched the pendant off the floor and rose to her feet. With a smile on her face her eyes shifted to Ty. Something about the way he stood alone on the balcony frightened her. It was as if Ty had put up a wall around him and her cutting her off from all that he was feeling. Her smile vanished as she turned to Luc.
“Is he going to be okay?”
“He’ll be fine. But we have to go. Think you can fly?”
“Let’s go. We have a lot to do.”
Abby moved to the sliding glass door and stepped out onto the balcony. A gentle breeze played with the strands of her hair as she gazed out over the city.
“Ready?” Ty asked with his eyebrow raised. Abby could see the hurt in his eyes but she flashed him a smile and watched as a blue flame licked the bottom of his feet before consuming his human form. In a matter of seconds Ty’s body was transformed into a mighty dragon.
Abby stepped back giving the monster room to move its body around. Ty moved to the edge of the balcony and dropped off the side. Abby rushed to the edge just as Ty’s massive wings opened up and his body shimmered to reflect the cityscape.
“Remember to glamor as soon as you shift. The last thing we want is to have humans see us.”
Abby nodded as Luc’s human body burned up from the green flame. She lifted her hand up to shield her from the light as Luc immediately faded from her sight. Although she couldn’t see him. She knew he was still there waiting for her to shift so he could leave.
Abby closed her eyes and let her emotions seep out of her. The passion, rage, and anger combined sparked the flame she needed to shed her human body. Although she had only shifted a few times, it was like riding a bike. The moment the beast rattled its cage, she let go of the reins and allowed it to emerged.
She opened her eyes as she concentrated on enchanting herself from the human world. She could see everything perfectly clear and wondered if she had succeeded. A low growl beside her gave her a clue she needed and moved over to the edge of the balcony. Pulling in a deep breath, Abby launched off the side and dove like torpedo towards the ground. At the last second she opened her wings up and shot back up into the sky like a rocket.
Everything from the city to lakes appeared so small from her height. Even the clouds flowing carelessly through her wings seemed insignificant as she plowed through them. Abby’s heart soared as she noticed Ty’s enchantment fading. One a few leagues in front of her she saw Ty barrel rolling through the clouds as he soared through the air.
Abby turned her head to glanced over her massive shoulder. Luc’s enchantment was gone as well as he remained on her flank ensuring her safety. Abby wondered what would happen if she shifted back into her human form now. Which of them would notice first and try to rescue her?
As the idea played in her mind, Abby noticed the large stone building in the center of the clearing resting high on the cliffs.
“Home,” she thought as flashes of her time with Ty filled her mind. Although she had only been there once before, she could picture every room with absolute clarity. Even the tiny figurines lining the cabinets of the great hall flashed into her mind.
Abby circled the homestead as Ty landed near the driveway and shifted back into his human form. She watched as he darted into the house. By her second pass, Ty was back outside staring up at her waiting for her to come down. In his hands, she noticed Ty had clothes waiting for her.
For a brief moment Abby didn’t want to return to her human form. She swayed and banked around the castle at great speeds causing Ty’s hair to whip about his face. She glanced over her shoulder to find him not irritated, but a playful smile was stretching across his face. It was the crooked grin she loved to see and what made her fall in love with him in the first place.
Ty would never force her to come down. But by the way Luc growled at her as he tried to keep up, she was certain Luc was beyond annoyed. Slowly she started her descended and landed in the field behind the house. With her large claws digging into the dirt she waited for Ty to make his way around the house before shifting.
“Having fun?” Ty asked with a warm smile. Abby bobbed her big head as Luc landed beside her and shifted instantly back into his human form.
“We don’t have time for games,” Luc scolded as Abby remained in her dragon form. She sucked in a deep breath and exhaled flames from her nostrils. Ty’s laughter rose over the roaring flames that brushed over Luc.
“That’s mature,” Luc grumbled as the flames ceased. Abby chuckled along with Ty as she let her human form r
ise to the surface.
“Did you have to do that?” Luc asked shaking the ashes from his hair. “I may be fireproof, but that was a bit uncalled for.”
“Actually,” Ty stepped forward offering Abby her clothes. “That was impressive. I didn’t know you had control over your fire like that.”
Abby shook her head and laughed as she grabbed her clothes and quickly covered herself.
“There are a lot of things I never understood until now. Which is why I think we need to take the fight to this Mistress you guys have been talking about.”
Luc and Ty glanced at each other before turning back to Abby. Ty’s eyes filled with pride as he nodded in approval. Luc’s mouth dropped as he shook his head trying to wrap his mind around Abby’s plan.
“No. You’ll get yourself killed,” Luc said reaching out to Abby and grabbing her by the arms. “You are still new to all this.”
“New or not, it would seem that woman is out to get me. Now either you two can help me, or I will do it alone.”
“See what I mean,” Ty whispered to Luc before crossing his arms and nodding. “I’m with you. No matter what.”
“You two are crazy. This is a big world. We can find somewhere to hide and keep you safe.”
“Don’t you get it? I am tired of running and hiding. But most importantly, I am tired of the fighting. This necklace was just one of the many ways she can get to me. I don’t want to live my life constantly on the run from her.”
“Abby, what are you doing with that?” Ty’s eyes widened with fright as Abby lifted the pendant up.
“This is how we are going to stop her.”
“I don’t understand,” Luc’s eyebrows scrunched together as the pendant spun from the chain.
“All you need to do is show me where I can find her, and I’ll do the rest.”
“Abby, whatever you are planning, you have to be smart about it. The Mistress has been around for a very long time. She has thousands of dragons at her call.”
“Speaking of which,” Ty pointed up to the sky as a large black mass circled above them.
“Get her inside now,” Ty ordered as Abby’s eyes shot up to find the dragon. “Hide her in the cellar.”
The Fate of the Dragons Series Box Set Page 16
