by Riley Storm
You thought you’d be safe enough, travelling to High House Ursa at noon. You took no precautions because of it. Now look where you are. What you’ve gotten yourself into, you fool! They anticipated that and laid the perfect ambush.
Even now as he crested the top of the road, Jax saw two more shapes standing by the wrecked silver pickup, simply waiting. He could make out no details about the features of the vampires. They all wore flowing black clothing and prosthetic masks with UV-resistant eye-coverings to ensure the sun didn’t touch them.
All Jax would have to do was rip a large enough hole in their clothing, or tear the mask off, and the vampire would be out of the fight.
But five on one against vampires strong enough to use shadows, was not a recipe for success, even against an earth dragon as powerful as he.
Still. He was an earth dragon, and Jax wasn’t about to lose. During the daytime, they would be weakened. Slower. Not as strong. If he could reduce the odds quickly, then perhaps he stood a chance.
Turning, without thinking it through any further, he charged at the duo near the car. Two on one sounded far better than five, or even three. None of the vampires expected his attack, and they reacted slowly. Too slowly.
Jax straight up linebacker-tackled the more hesitant of the two, hoping he would be the weakest.
The extra padding as he hit the vampire in the chest told him it was a she, but he forced that thought out of his mind. It had been a she, until the vampires killed her, centuries ago.
That was another worrying thought. In just a matter of twenty-four hours, the vampires had revealed the existence of a number of their kind all over the century mark, who could call upon the strength of the shadows. That spoke of a strength of numbers the dragons had never known existed.
He had to get that information back to the others as well as spread it out across the other shifter Houses. Everyone needed to know what they were up against, to know how bad things were.
Jax’s flying tackle sent the pair of them into the pickup, further crumpling the exterior of it. As they hit, his hands grabbed fistfuls of clothing and yanked as hard as they could. Fabric tore but he heard no screams of pain, smelt no sizzling of dead flesh.
Angrily, he flung himself clear of the car, putting it between himself and the remaining vampires. His victim lay dazed on the hood, head dangling back onto his side.
Jax’s leg whipped up and then out before descending directly onto the vampire’s skull. Vertebrae cracked and the form went limp as he crushed the spinal column. His anger still rising, he stomped forward, reared back and kicked the truck as hard as he could.
The silver pickup shot across the pavement, smacking into the nearest vampire. The other three had more time to react and dodged out of the way, one taking the simple expedient of leaping over the moving vehicle and landing on its feet, still charging right at Jax.
“I’ll take you all on!” he roared, reaching down into the asphalt and pulling forth a gleaming black blade.
He whirled and swung it at the nearest foe, narrowly missing opening the creature from shoulder to hip. A narrow line sliced across the vampire’s chest, exposing a small amount of skin to the sunlight. The creature screamed as flesh burned immediately and the vampire frantically pulled its clothing tight.
Jax just continued onward, not bothering to slow down. He couldn’t, otherwise the vampires would mob him, and even his prodigious strength might not be enough to save him.
Shadow blades came at him, shorter blades that moved like a blur, the three unharmed vampires flowing past him. He took two cuts to his back, but in return lopped off the hand of one. Again, flesh erupted into flame, only going out when the vampire pulled its sleeve down to hide the wound.
Spinning as he passed the last of his enemies, Jax planted a foot and shot forward again, his blade leading the way. This fight was over now, he knew it. The ambush had failed. They had timed it wrong, waiting to hit him after he’d exited his vehicle.
Unless they’d hoped the impact itself would render me unconscious for a time.
Either way, all he had to do now was drive them off and he could head for home. Their bold stroke had almost worked. Almost. But now, the enraged earth dragon was on the hunt, and the vampires couldn’t hope to stop him.
He spun in a low circle, nearly taking the legs out from one of the vampires. As he spun, he dragged forth a second greatsword in his free hand, the blade simply emerging as if the asphalt itself were a sheath.
The blades danced in his hands. Jax had trained for many centuries to master the art of the sword, and he put those deadly skills to use now.
Another vampire fell down, instantly dead as his blade plunged through its neck. A second later, the body ignited, quickly burning down to ash as the sun penetrated the wound and burnt it to the core.
Three remained alive now, one missing a hand, the other forced to be careful because of the rip in its clothing.
Only one was unharmed. Jax turned his attention to this one. A gesture with one hand sent ripples through the road, the unexpected action flinging the wounded vampires to the ground.
He closed on his sole foe and their blades clashed together over and over again. Shadows fizzled out into nothingness and earthen onyx metal chipped and littered the ground around them, neither gaining an immediate advantage.
This one was good. Very good.
Jax thrust with his left hand, and a second later, his right. The vampire batted the first strike far out to the side, but the delay meant it wasn’t ready for the second strike. This time, Jax’s sword missed the creature’s neck by mere inches.
The vampire barked a laugh because Jax was fully exposed on his left. A killing blow could be struck. The vampire pulled back its arm to strike at the same time Jax pulled back both arms.
There was no way he would get a parry ready in time. But then again, he wasn’t trying to parry. As the blade in his right hand slipped by the vampire’s neck by the slimmest margin, the blade changed. It curved around into a wicked hook.
When Jax yanked his arm back in a fake parry, the hook sliced into, and through, the vampire’s neck.
Head went one way, body went the other, and flame consumed them both.
He turned immediately to face the others.
“You may have beaten us,” one of them spat. “But you will never reach Ursa alive!”
He took a step toward them, challenging the duo, but they were already beating a hasty retreat down the slope at the side of the road and deep into the forest. Jax went to pursue them further, but a sharp pain in his side stopped him.
Looking down, he saw blood falling from his side, soaking his clothes.
“Ow,” he said, slumping down to one knee as the shadow sword sticking out from his side evaporated under the sun’s rays as well, joining its owner in oblivion.
Apparently, he hadn’t been as fast as he’d thought.
Despair overcame him then. The wound wasn’t mortal, but it seemed to be an omen of his actions. No matter how much he did right, he never managed to avoid doing something wrong.
It begged a question of him. What was the point, then? What else was he going to screw up?
Jax knew then that it was time someone else took over the negotiations. He was not the right dragon for the job, no matter what the others thought. This wound was just a sign of what would come later, he recognized.
He dragged himself slowly back to the truck and yanked the dead vampire’s mask free so that its body would burn. He couldn’t let the humans find out about his world.
Then he slumped back against the silver pickup and closed his eyes for a moment before hauling himself to his feet and beginning the long trek back home—to report his failure to the others.
For Jax had no doubt that another ambush lay closer to House Ursa, and he no longer had the strength to fight it off. His mission was done. His only priority now was getting back to Drakon Keep in one piece.
31
“It is pointl
ess!” he exploded, wincing as he sat upright in his chair, moving to get to his feet.
“Sit down,” Aaric bellowed from nearby, moving to stand in front of Jax. “Or you’re going to tear your side open again. You need to let it heal.”
Jax glared up at the fire dragon, but his anger was born not at the other shifter’s words, but at the fact that he was correct. The wound on his side had refused to close on his way back to Drakon Keep, and only after he’d been forced to lie down and let it heal for an hour had it begun to heal.
“I’m not the right one to talk to them,” he continued, ignoring Aaric’s outburst. “You know this. You all do,” he said, letting his gaze run over everyone in the room, which included the trio of dragons, their mates, as well as Sarah, whom he had brought along as well, not wanting to keep her imprisoned any longer.
“You’re an earth dragon,” Valla pointed out.
“Right. An earth dragon who got into a fight with the first House he went to, and nearly got himself killed like an idiot on his way to the second. I know when it’s time to call it quits, and I’m saying that now is that time. Aaric would be far better off doing this instead of me.”
Aaric shook his head. “I don’t have your way with words, my brother. Nor do I have your patience with the others. I would not be able to bring them together. You know that. As do they.”
Jax just lay back into the couch, looking up at the roof high above them, wondering if anything was going to go his way anytime soon.
“Once you are healed, you must try again. We will escort you there if need be,” Victor said. “They can’t hope to stop the four of us.”
“Do we know that for sure?” Jax challenged. “They’re watching us. At night, we suspected. But not during the day. They struck with five shadow-wielders, Victor. Five. In the middle of the day. If they have that strength at their disposal, and the threat of more even closer, then let us not pretend that we aren’t in trouble. If they see all four of us leave, they will send their strongest after us. The shape-changers.”
Silence ran around the table.
The shape-changers were perhaps the most feared of the vampires. They could take the shape of giant, grotesque bat-looking things. They could fly, and they were fast. Not only that, they were also strong. None of the dragons had yet taken on one of the creatures in a true attack, but Jax knew they all feared what the outcome would be.
And they knew that the vampires had at least nine of the creatures. The dragons refused to call them shifters because that would lend them credibility. They weren’t shifters. They were abominations that should never exist.
“Going to one of the Houses is off the table,” he said softly. “You know that. They will put whatever it takes in our path, to prevent us from reaching them.”
The others were nodding slowly, and Jax knew they understood the dangers of such a test. The dragons were outnumbered, and they just didn’t have the strength to take on the mass of vampires that seemed to be invading Plymouth Falls.
Things looked very dire indeed.
“If I may,” a voice said into the silence.
Jax turned to look at Francis as the steward cleared his throat. It was unusual for the human to participate in a conclave of the dragons, but this was as informal as it got. On top of that, Jax would take any suggestions they may not have been thinking of.
“There is one other place. A place that the vampires might not expect you to go. That they may not even know of yet, considering they are new to Plymouth Falls.”
Jax frowned, sitting up a little straighter, ignoring the pain in his side.
“And the time grows near for it to work, as well,” Francis continued, looking around the room.
“What do you mean?” Valla asked, holding Liz tight to his side while she rocked baby Melina gently in her arms.
Jax noticed their closeness and fought back his jealousy. There was almost an entire seat between him and Sarah, though he wished so very much for her presence next to him. He could use her strength now, her brain. Her support.
Her touch.
It gnawed at him, knowing Sarah was just another thing he’d screwed up. He’d rushed into it like everything else he’d done since waking up, and he wondered if the damage done was reparable or not. Would she ever be able to care enough for him, to tell him that she loved him?
Jax knew it was his own fault she wasn’t comfortable with him anymore. He knew that it would take much longer for the human to feel comfortable saying she loved him.
But that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt.
“The Court,” Francis said, speaking to the entire room.
“The what?” Jax said, his brain not having caught up yet.
“The Court. The Shifter Court. You can go there,” Francis said excitedly.
The other dragons stirred as they realized what the steward was talking about.
“They’re having a meeting. Two days from now. I know because I deal with the correspondence,” he explained at a curious look. “Since none of you is an official member of the Dragon Council, you aren’t actually invited. But you could go anyway,” he said to Jax. “Make your speech there. To all the Houses at once. Convince them of the urgency behind our alliance.”
Jax saw his brothers slowly nodding in understanding and agreement.
“It is a bold strategy,” Aaric admitted.
“But it could work,” Valla countered. “Everyone would be there. In a place of peace. We would not have to storm in. And like Francis said, the vampires may not even know of its existence yet. The three of us could provide a distraction while Jax gets there undetected.”
Jax started to protest. To tell them that he wasn’t the right person to do it.
But before he could say anything, Sarah turned to face him.
“You have to go, Jax,” she said quietly. “You have to.”
32
He was on a precipice. On the edge of despair, and Sarah knew, in her gut, that none of the other shifters could pull him out of it. Only she could do that, and only if she stopped being scared.
Stopped being afraid of the world she was now a part of. There was no going back, only forward, and so she needed to start accepting it. To accept the fact that, even if she wanted to leave Jax behind, her mind, body and soul would stop her. They wanted him. She wanted him.
And it was time he knew that, as scary as it was for her to open up to anyone, let alone someone so new in her life. But she couldn’t deny the way she felt.
“It needs to be you,” she said, chewing on her lip nervously, knowing all the eyes on the room were focused on her now. “The others are right.”
Jax needed her. Remember that.
“If the vampire danger is as real as the others say it is, then you can’t not do this, Jax. You can’t simply sit still, and let people suffer. They are taking people and turning them into their creatures. Into their pawns. Stealing lives, and trying to recreate their empire of old, if I’m understanding things right. How can you simply give up now, when a golden opportunity lies in front of you?”
The room was very quiet now, the others giving her a chance to speak, an opportunity to perhaps convince Jax, where they had been unable to. Sarah knew she had to get him to buy in completely, that he needed to believe in himself as much as the others did. Which meant she had to be sure she believed in him too.
“From listening to what you’ve told me, what you have been discussing here before we got onto this topic, it sounds like you were awoken for a reason, Jax.”
“What do you mean?” he asked, eyes downcast, despondent and barely responsive.
“Well, the others were all awoken when the dragons before them tried to awaken someone else. Except for you, Aaric, I guess. The others knew they didn’t have the energy to awaken an elder dragon and live through the process long enough to fill them in, am I right so far?”
Aaric nodded. “Yes. Very astute of you.”
She smiled sheepishly. “I’ve been told by a v
ery good source that, unless I come to terms with and accept the world I’ve become a part of, I’ll never go home again. I kind of want to see my grandmother again. So it made sense to listen, and learn all I could.”
Aaric smiled. “I’m sure I’m not the only one glad to hear you’ve adapted that angle.”
“No, you’re not,” Jax said quietly, his head coming up now, copper eyes looking into her with something she’d not seen much of lately.
Hope. It was the barest of slivers, yet she could see it. Sarah chose her next words carefully, hoping to stoke that slim hope and perhaps even spark a fire.
“So, you see, Jax, they tried to awaken you, and it worked. Which means that the magic chose you. Can’t you understand this? It didn’t choose someone else, it chose you. Which meant that Valla and Liv, they were on to something when they decided to awaken you next. You can’t just ignore that!”
Jax frowned. “I…I never thought of it that way, I guess.”
“Of course not. Like your brothers, you’re almost humble to a fault, unwilling to admit you have skills and talents that can be put to use.” She smiled. “If you were able to convince me to abandon my disdain for men like you in just a matter of days, I’m sure if you put your mind to it, that you can make these other shifters see the reality that is coming for them!”
The big dragon—earth dragon, she reminded herself, having started to learn some of the terms and knowledge—was nodding to himself. “Maybe,” he said quietly.
“You are meant to go to this Council, Jax. They will hear your words and heed your warning. I can feel it, I believe it.”
Sarah did believe it. But only if Jax was at his best. Only if he went in there expecting to come out with an alliance. Only then would he succeed.
She needed to do whatever it took to ensure that. Everything she could give of herself, she would, Sarah realized, all at once feeling like she too was integral to the cause. That she had a part to play in something far grander than herself.
If she was asking Jax to put aside his fears, his doubts, and embrace the reality of the situation in front of him though, shouldn’t she be willing to do the same?