Lana stopped dead, grabbing his arm. “What the hell are you doing?”
“I command you to go to Isa and Toryn. Go now. Get their help.”
“How, you said we aren’t in our realm.”
“We are, my magic is fading with my concio—” He sank to his knees. “Go, Lana. I demand you go to them.”
She shifted into a great purple dragon and faded from sight as she flew into the air and away from him. She screamed in frustration but couldn’t turn back.
* * * *
McDermot scented Elondril’s magic, then caught Laniela’s scent. They were down the road. He rushed toward them. Apparently, the dart had hit him before they dematerialized. His magic was fading.
He ran down the road and heard the sprite send the dragon away with a command that pissed her off.
Well, he couldn’t get both, but that was fine. Bringing one meant the other would come. And as long as he could take Shayna with him, he could take someone to fetch Elondril later.
If he could have taken his sister away without going after either, he would have. That wasn’t an option.
McDermot watched the gorgeous purple dragon fly away. A color he’d never seen before. He knew she was supposed to be the spawn of a powerful water and fire dragon, but he didn’t believe it until he saw the coloring, proving such a combination existed.
There was a dragon he didn’t want to tangle with. Her magic would rival all other dragons he’d encountered. Once she was out of sight, he closed the distance to Lonny as he fell face first into the cement.
His mate was going to be pissed. He could still hear her curses on the wind. And there was a new problem. One Maddock had assured wouldn’t happen. Elondril had become her master.
Damn, she must trust him. Or had. Would she after?
He scooped Elondril over his shoulder. He appeared in the dungeon of one of the Delnias family estates. They had a few set up throughout the Earth kingdom. Bastards were slipperier than most Fae. There were a total of ten rumored estates across Faery. At least one in each major realm. And no one ever seemed to know which one they were in without an invitation.
McDermot avoided jobs where someone wasn’t guilty of a laundry list of crimes. He was forced to make an exception, but he could now help take the Delnias family down. Hopefully, he didn’t earn the ire of the dragon when he helped her get him back.
Breaking the vial, McDermot waited for the portal and stepped through. He entered the dungeon his sister was held in.
Shayna sat in a chair in a cell. She wasn’t bound like Elondril would be. But at eight years old, she hadn’t been through her awakening, and her magic was quite weak.
She jumped up. “Micky! You’re here.”
“Shh, I’m taking you from here, as promised.”
He placed his hand over the lock. Thankfully, an easy spell opened the mechanism. He opened the door and Shayna stepped out. “Do you have to put him in there? It’s creepy here.”
He sighed. “Unfortunately. You want out, right? If I don’t leave him, I can’t take you.”
Her face scrunched up. “Okay. I want out.”
Smiling, he stepped into the cage and sat Elondril down. Once out, he closed the cell and rang the bell.
Maddock entered a moment later. Shayna clung to McDermot and he worried about what had happened, but the prick had her for less than twenty-four hours and she didn’t seem harmed. If he learned otherwise, McDermot would torture him.
“You only captured Elondril? You haven’t found Laniela?”
“He sent her away. If I were to bring either back, I needed to act fast. Toryn and Isadora were both nearby. I’m willing to take on any individual, but I will not take on several of the most powerful Fae at once.”
He moved closer, eyeing Shayna. “Very well, but I’m not paying you.”
“I’m taking my sister. You and I both know Laniela will come for her mate. You have everything you need here to capture her yourself. Besides, you’ll have an easier time forcing your dominance on her if you’re the one to capture her.”
“You didn’t complete the contract.”
“Then don’t give me the promised gold, but if you aren’t careful, you’ll lose Elondril as well.” Gripping his sister tighter, he snapped the disk The Crone gave him and they were sucked out of the dungeon, and wound up in his stable, in front of his gryphon.
They were in the air kingdom, near enough to the castle, they would arrive there in no time.
“We’re just leaving that man with the pretty hair?” Shayna asked.
“For now. In fact, I’m taking you to someone who can ensure he escapes, and punishes Maddock.” He took her to the gryphon. “Are you ready to fly?”
Her face squinched shut. “Uh, sure,” she squeaked.
Which meant no, but they had no choice. “You ride in front. I’ll hold on to you. Okay?”
She nodded.
He went to the stall. Shayna named her when she first hatched. “You do like Triana, right?”
“You’re going to let me fly on her?” she asked, a smile in her voice.
“Yup, and after we make this trip, she’ll be yours always. As long as you do everything I say while we’re in the air.”
“Of course,” she promised.
“First, did that slimeball Maddock touch you in any way?”
She shook her head. “No. He said he wanted to keep me safe, so you would become his friend, and do what he wanted.”
McDermot snorted and grabbed the double saddle. “Well, that’s not going to happen, and we’re about to bring his house down around him, if he isn’t careful.”
“You don’t like him, do you?”
“He took you from me to try to make me do what he wanted. I did my part, but now we’re going to tell the Queen of Air and King of Fire. They’ll sort the rest of this out.”
“They’ll save the man with pretty hair?”
He smiled. “They may not need to. He has a mate, one more powerful than just about anyone or anything you’ll ever meet.”
“Really?”
He nodded. “This is why we’re going to the king and queen. They will know what to do, who to contact.”
“I’m ready.”
Chapter 21
Maddock should have been waiting for McDermot when he teleported in, but he was busy in negotiations. As much as he would have preferred to focus on one task, he needed to ensure the business continued to run flawlessly. That was becoming harder to do. His father didn’t do much but indulge now. And his mother simply spied on him and pried into his business.
Infuriating woman.
Now he stood in the middle of the dungeon fuming. Pushing out a breath, he hurried to place leather cuffs around Lonny’s wrists, ankles, and throat. His magic would not work. Once he stepped out, he locked the cage and wondered how long before his newest possession would find him.
For now, he planned to treat Elondril fairly. Once he had Laniela, he’d figure out a more solid plan. If he could convince both to take his side, without violence, or mistreatment, he would.
If not, he had no problem tearing them apart until they broke.
Elondril hadn’t even moved. He felt heavy, possibly comatose. It took effort to lay him on the cot before leaving the cell. He went back to the meeting after casting a scrying spell. He would hear it if Elondril woke. Then maybe he could convince him to bring Lana faster, somehow.
And what was he to do about McDermot? He should have found a way to convince Luther. McDermot was a loose thread.
* * * *
Lana pounded on the window of the balcony. How she knew Toryn and Isa were on the other side was beyond her, but it wasn’t like she could stop her body from flying away from Lonny. And she sure as hell couldn’t control where she landed.
Bastard. He needed her and sent her away.
Isa came to the door, her hand over her stomach, a grimace on her face. “Hey, you okay?”
Isa seemed stressed.
“Lonny’s gone. Some asshole named McDermot took him.”
Toryn came out of the bathroom. “Just now?”
She nodded. “Bastard ordered me to come here.”
Relief broke across Isa’s face and she moved back to the bed, sitting.
“Are you in labor?” Lana blurted out.
“I’ve had a few contractions today. Nothing major. Relax. At least about that. Let’s figure out what we’re doing about Lonny.”
Toryn sighed. “Isa, that’s the fourth in three hours. You’re not coming to help with Lonny.”
“Figured that. But I have a feeling Reance will be coming out with my mother, and someone else, very soon.”
“Who else?”
Her face scrunched, then she blew out a breath. “I’ll let him explain when they get here. In fact, perhaps we should go back to Sammy’s place.” She lifted a hand and a portal opened. Toryn took her hand, and Lana stepped through, followed by Isa and Toryn.
“The Land Rover is trashed. He hit us with a truck,” Lana started. “Lonny got us out of there before the impact could throw us. I don’t have a clue how we managed to survive the crash.”
“I do. He phased you out. You’ve seen him do it before. Why do you think you’ve never seen him injured?”
“Are you saying he can’t be hurt?” Lana hoped that was the case.
He shook his head. “It’s possible. It’s not easy, though. And stop worrying. Lonny sent you here so you would have backup.”
“But how the hell do we find him?”
He lifted a shoulder. “Worst case, I call Preston and have him help me track him through you. Which means Robert too.”
“All right.” She shook her head. “Lonny ordered me to find you. He sent me away. Something is wrong with him.”
Toryn rubbed at his face. “Yeah, but he’s protecting you the only way he knows how. He knows that Maddock wants you. And using McDermot to take him means he’s desperate, and also used someone against him. Sure, he’s a mercenary, but he has a reputation for only going after truly horrible people.”
“What?”
“He has a code he follows. He goes after people who need to be punished. And granted, it’s usually those type who hire him, but he would have refused going after Lonny if he hadn’t been blackmailed. Unless of course, he’d truly changed in the last few years, but I highly doubt that. He’s a hunter by nature.”
“Lonny said he was dangerous.”
“Oh, he is. That doesn’t make him the bad guy.”
“He took Lonny!” she shouted.
Toryn shook his head. “It’s not that simple. He did what he was likely forced to do. And he probably gave you the opportunity to get away, because trust me, the man is good at what he does. With you out, you can track him.”
“Lonny forced me away. I couldn’t control it.”
“Yeah, but now we can get him.”
“I don’t want to wait.”
“Hey, Maddock isn’t Saressa,” Isa said. He’s not going to be nearly dead by the time you get there.”
Toryn nodded. “He wants you to work for him, and now that mating isn’t an option, and neither is binding, he’s going to start with decent tactics. And he’s not going to have a chance to give up on that because we’ll stop him.”
She threw her hands up and paced away. Then she ran to the bedroom to change into jeans, tank top, and boots. She wasn’t going anywhere to possibly fight in a damned dress.
* * * *
Reance ran through the castle to meet McDermot at the doors. He should have known what would have happened, but there had been a mist in Lonny’s fate.
He came to a stop outside the castle gates as McDermot, a young girl, and a gryphon flew over the rise, then landed before him.
Before Reance could say a word, McDermot slid off the majestic beast and knelt before him. “Forgive me for capturing Elondril. I had no choice if I were to protect my sister. I’ll take you to them. You can take him back. You can punish me as you see fit, as long as you ensure Shayna has a good life.”
Reance moved to McDermot and touched his head. “Rise. I understand your predicament, and you’re offering to right the wrong. Your help will be enough, and I’ll help ensure no one takes Shayna from your side.”
He stood slowly, looking into the king’s emerald eyes. “Really?”
“Perhaps I can convince you to work for us, helping us strip the corruption from Faery.”
“With this one exception, I only hunt evil.”
“That’s all I’ll ask. I’ll present you a case, and you’ll be allowed to choose.”
McDermot’s head whipped up, hope in his eyes. “Truly?”
“Yes. I know you dealt more with my sister, but I am not her.”
He nodded. “I’ve known that for a long time, and it’s why I came to you, but my only hope was that you would take care of Shayna if I couldn’t.”
“Worry not. But we must go before his mate finds out how devastating her power can truly be.”
“I knew leaving her to flee was the wise choice.”
“Aye, and there isn’t a thing she wouldn’t do to get him back.”
Aeryana came through the gate. Her head cocked. “You’re leaving again?”
Reance turned to her. “Yes, and I’m taking McDermot with me. Will you find Shayna a room until we come back?”
“Of course.” She smiled at the girl. “Do you like books?”
She nodded, a smile spreading across her face.
Aeryana held out her hand. “Then we’ll go to the library.”
Reance added, “Isadora should be here soon. If I can convince her to leave Lana’s side. But I think we’ll be meeting Kiernan soon.”
Aeryana hugged him tight. “Be safe and hurry back to me.”
“You know I will.” He opened the portal and looked at McDermot. “Keep your mouth closed. Lana is going to be angry.”
McDermot nodded and followed him through the portal.
Lana’s eyes blazed as the temperature dropped several degrees when they entered a home not in Faery.
Chapter 22
Lana heard a whirring. She spun to find Reance and McDermot come through the portal. “Toryn better be right about you.”
McDermot glanced at Toryn, who tried to hide a smirk. “I only told her there must be a good reason for you to take Lonny.”
McDermot nodded. “My sister. She’s only a child, and Maddock had taken her to ensure I hunted the two of you down. With your mate bond, we all knew you’d go to him. But I’m here to make that easier. You can take revenge on Maddock, and if you must, myself.”
Her face scrunched up, then she closed her eyes. “Little sister?”
“Yes, and if I hadn’t arrived in the dungeon before Maddock, he would have kept her until I brought you. I got her out of there, leaving Elondril, knowing I was going to help get him out.”
That twisted her up. She turned to Reance. “He’s telling the truth?”
“Yes. Aeryana is watching over Shayna now. She’s just a girl.”
“All right.” She turned back to McDermot and let out a breath. “Where?”
“Faery, Earth Kingdom at present. They’re in a castle with an expansive underground system. He’s in a cell, but you have time before the toxin wears off. It won’t harm him. It will simply keep him asleep until we can be there.”
“Where in the Earth Realm?” Reance asked.
Isa rubbed at her belly.
“You should go somewhere safe,” Lana said.
“Yeah, I think I’ll visit my mother.” She smiled at Toryn. “Tell me you’ll be there soon.”
“As soon as I can. I’m not missing our son’s birth.”
McDermot rubbed at his face. “I’m sorry for the timing.”
Reance smiled. “Don’t worry about that. This shouldn’t take long. And as soon as we arrive on the property, I’l
l send word to an army to ensure everyone there is swiftly sorted and dealt with. The servants with no blame will be given new positions and homes. They’ll be free. Those who share the blame will be taken away to be judged.”
“I wish you hadn’t surrendered to Saressa all those years ago,” McDermot stated.
He dipped his head. “Yes, well, many would have died if I hadn’t. I made the choice to save people.”
McDermot nodded. “I still wish things had been different.”
Lana hugged Isa. “You go to your mother. I’ll make sure Toryn comes back to you very soon.”
Isa hugged her back. “Don’t be mad at Lonny. I’m sure he was thinking the long game, not the short.”
“Still don’t like it.”
Toryn squeezed Lana’s shoulder. “Yeah, but he’s been through hell enough times this will be a walk in the park, comparatively.”
“He’s going to have to tell me some of those stories.”
“I’m sure he will, now that you’ll listen.”
McDermot shook his head.
Isadora kissed Toryn, then stepped through the portal. “All of you be safe.”
“We will,” Reance promised. “Your mother is in the library.”
Waving, she walked toward the castle as the portal closed.
“So, where is he?” Lana asked, pinning McDermot with her stare.
“Black Rock Mountain. The glittering black castle on the highest peak.”
“Then I know where to take us,” Reance answered, opening a portal to a rocky black forest. The trees looked so strange. Tall with spindly branches with huge leaves that probably blotted out the sun. The ground was hard with bits of black rocks.
Her connection to Lonny pulled on her. “Tell me I can rip this place stone from stone to get to him,” she asked.
Reance spoke a spell she heard Lonny use. Fuerah appeared before them, holding on to Alenathos.
Neither had a stitch of clothing, but both shifted quickly to their dragon forms.
Frozen in Flames Page 14