Dragons: Death by Reaper MC #4

by Esther E. Schmidt

  Porter starts to groan and his leg shoots out.

  “Quick,” I snap. “Rip out the IV.”

  I rip out mine and jump off the gurney, shoving it away to make room next to the bed to hold Porter down. Zahra helps me as Porter begins to moan and curls his body off the mattress. Before our eyes his wound starts to close up. Zahra gasps and looks from me back to the wound. It closes completely and Porter releases a final grunt as he sags back against the bed.

  I release my firm grip and grab a light from the tray of instruments. I open one of his eyelids and check his vitals. When I’m done, I find Zahra still staring at me and it creeps me out. Even more than my blood saving Porter’s life.

  “Don’t look at me like that. It’s not like I had a choice.” My eyes go back to Porter who has slumped into a peaceful sleep while his body is fully healing. “You know what The Orderly does when humans are thrown into the mix right? I don’t want any Dragons getting…oh, shit. Vaughn is wanted by the human police for the disappearance of me and Porter. Alastair said so. What if Dorn planned all of this? Or Typhon? He’s still missing but what if they are planning to have Vaughn ripped away? Was Porter stashed into the room so they could eventually set Vaughn up for his murder? That would make The Orderly step in, right? We need to reach Vaughn. Or better yet, Alastair. He needs to know what’s going on, even if I don’t have a freaking clue what’s going on myself.”

  I glance at Zahra but the way she’s staring at Porter? “Zahra? Why are you looking at Porter like that?”

  Tears fill her eyes and her gaze hits mine. She dashes around the bed and roughly pulls me into her arms.

  Okay. Weird.

  “Zahra?” I try again and grab her shoulders to pull her slightly away from me. “What’s going on? Why are you crying?”

  “It’s really you. The touch of purity that will rain salvation. You did it. It’s you. Your blood. I can’t believe it. I wouldn’t have believed it if I didn’t see it with my own eyes. I’m so thankful. You’re so generous. So sweet. So pure.” Her voice cracks and she drags me back against her body for another crushing hug.

  “Ooookay.” I pat her back and pull back again. “I think you’re really sweet too, but do you mind explaining your ramblings, because you’re not making sense. I know it’s insane my blood can heal humans, but I would really appreciate it if we could keep this between us. You know, we don’t want a line of humans knocking at our door for a dose of me.” I release a chuckle but I totally feel awkward.

  “You gave me my mate. I can sense it now. He wasn’t when you brought him in but his smell is pulling me in now. He is.” She gives Porter a loving look. “My mate.” And she shoots me a thankful one right after.

  “Okay, well, I guess you’re on my side with keeping him alive now, huh?” I chuckle but sober up way too quickly. “I need to reach out to Vaughn.”

  “He’s been searching for you,” Zahra says. “You’ve been gone for two whole days. No one has ever seen Vaughn this devastated. And Dorn officially challenged him for leadership, but they delayed it because you were missing and Vaughn wasn’t focused. But the forty-eight hour postponement Vaughn got has passed.”

  “Two days?” My gaze swings to Porter. “I’ve been missing for days? How can Porter be alive? He’s been missing longer but his injuries couldn’t have kept him alive for that long. Do you know what Dorn might have injected me with? He knocked me out for two whole days and when I woke up it was like my Dragon abilities weren’t there. They are slowly coming back, though.”

  “There’s a drug we use when we need to contain a Dragon. It prevents shifting and mutes all powers. It practically suppresses the Dragon, that explains why Vaughn wasn’t able to find you. Dorn must have mixed it with anesthetics.” Zahra reaches out and places her hand on Porter’s shoulder. “Maybe he kept Porter unconscious too and when Dorn finally was able to challenge Vaughn, he no longer needed Porter and left him to die.”

  Dorn challenged Vaughn? I hear footsteps and Zahra glances over her shoulder. “Someone’s coming,” she says underneath her breath.

  Crossing the room, I stand right next to the door and glance around to look for some kind of weapon to take out whoever is coming. Then I realize I have powers and don’t need anything other than my own hands. Ugh. I can still smack my own head for allowing Dorn to capture me. Though, I never once thought he would harm me in any way.

  I’m about to hit whoever is stepping inside when I hear Cyril’s voice. “Zahra? Zahra, where are you?”

  “Over here,” she replies.

  Taking a step into the room, he glances around and his eyes widen when he sees me. “You’re here. You’re safe. I need to call Vaughn.”

  He grabs his phone but has to brace himself—me and Zahra too—due to the sound of a blast that makes the ground shake as the vibrations flow through our bodies.

  “Another mating?” I gasp.

  Cyril’s face turns grim as he tucks away his phone. “No. That wasn’t a mating blast.”

  Why is he tucking his phone away? Isn’t he supposed to call Vaughn?

  Zahra swallows hard and says, “The safety shield of Vaughn’s magic just went down. That can only mean one thing.”

  “One of two things,” Cyril corrects her. “Either he’s dead or he needs all his magic to fight.”

  “If he needs all his power to fight, he’s—”

  “He thinks it’s a fight to the death,” Cyril finishes Zahra’s sentence.

  Nausea flows through my body for a different reason than it was before. My chest hurts and I mentally deny the things they just stated.

  “He’s not dead, and he’s not going to die either,” I voice my thoughts out loud. “Zahra, you take care of Porter. Cyril, you’re coming with me because I need to go to Vaughn.”

  “You can’t interfere if he’s challenged, Enya. It’s against traditions.”

  “Screw you, and screw traditions, Cyril. This is about good and evil and I’ll be damned if Dorn challenged Vaughn and killed him to take over this clan, MC, whatever. It’s not happening. Not on my watch.”

  His eyes go wide at my outburst. Yeah, get used to it buddy, we live in a world where women are allowed to speak their mind too.

  “Bring her to Vaughn, Cyril. Trust her. She’s the touch of purity that will rain salvation. I’ve seen it. Porter here had his guts threatening to fall out of his belly and a few drops of her blood healed him. Not only healed but his DNA bonded and I can sense he’s my mate. It’s her. Trust her.”

  Cyril’s eyes go to Porter and he inhales deep before he nods. “Very well, come on.” He spins around and rushes out the door.

  I follow him and the feel of power vibrates through the air.

  “You feel it, don’t you?” Cyril says as we get closer to the clubhouse.

  I don’t reply because of the scene in front of me. There are two Dragons circling each other. One silver, Vaughn. One Red. I’m guessing the red one is Dorn but it’s bigger. Bigger than Vaughn and all the talks Vaughn and I had, he’s explained about the sizes of Dragons and how much power they hold. Vaughn is one of the biggest and when you’re sworn in as head of the clan it’s also a boost in magic, allowing his Dragon form to gain in size.

  I’ve joked about guys and exaggerating about their size, him having a big ego and all. But I don’t understand because Vaughn said his Dragon was the largest of the whole clan, because clearly this red one is bigger, it doesn’t make sense.

  Cyril swears underneath his breath, making me question. “What’s going on?”

  “I think I know why Typhon went missing.”

  Cyril doesn’t elaborate and I hear a grunt coming from in front of us as both Dragons collide. Talons tear into bodies, the scent of blood fills the air as fire surrounds them.

  I punch Cyril against his shoulder. “Tell me right now what’s going on. Vaughn mentioned about the size of a Dragon and its magic. Why is the red one bigger? Vaughn should be the biggest one, right?”

  C
yril’s eyes are filled with concern. “I’ve heard of the possibilities but I’ve never seen it happen.” He shakes his head.

  “What? Come on, time is of the essence.” I risk looking in the direction of the fighting Dragons but instantly regret it when I see the red one slicing its talon over Vaughn’s wing, cutting right through it. “Dammit, tell me. He can’t face this Dragon alone.”

  “In rare cases and if magic is strong enough in one of two Dragons, they can become one through a ritual. Typhon and Dorn are both red Dragons, a blood connection due to the fact they are father and son. Either one would have to be stronger than the other, but the other would have to agree to make the ritual complete. One giving his life for the other so to say while one doubles in strength and magic.”

  Cyril’s words make a chill run up my spine. “You’re telling me the red Dragon is both Typhon and Dorn all wrapped into one? Yet, only one of them is in charge and the other is simply gone? Merged with the other so the two are one person, stronger, double the dose so to say?”

  “Yes,” he grits through his teeth. “And I hate to say it, Enya. But this makes them invincible. No matter how strong Vaughn is, he won’t be able to win.”

  “Mothertrucker,” I growl underneath my breath and take a step forward but Cyril stops me.

  “You can’t interfere, it’s against traditions.”

  I rip my arm away from him. “Like I said…screw traditions. Screw Dorn, or hell, Typhon, who knows what to call that red one, they are cheating too. Now leave me the hell alone because I’m going to help my mate.”

  Chapter Eleven

  ***Vaughn***

  Pain is slicing through me. Pulsating. My back. My wing. I’ve faced a lot in my lifetime and always felt invincible and yet now there’s a hint of fear shivering up my spine with the realization this moment is life or death and I’m not sure the balance is in my favor.

  I notice Lucio stepping forward behind Dorn and I mentally warn him not to interfere. He can’t. We have to honor traditions. Some old traditions are meant to change slightly over time to open up possibilities that benefit the clan. They are needed because times change but with this? The fight for leadership? It’s as simple and as basic as it gets.

  Once a leader is challenged he has to fight the challenger. There’s no way out of it, you fight till the death or if the other Dragon gives up because he can no longer proceed and there’s no other option but to submit. One on one. I brace myself and feel his talons slice through my skin at the same time I let my teeth sink into his neck. I start to shake my head to rip him open but the hard shove against my chest knocks me off balance.

  I try to catch myself but my wing is injured. Pain slices yet again through me and this time it consumes my thoughts long enough for Dorn to strike again. A roar rips from my throat and fire blasts over Dorn. Though it won’t hurt him. Fire can’t hurt us, it’s the slice of talons and the strength behind it—along with our magic—that can end our lives. I need to protect the sensitive parts underneath my head and chest.

  I’m about to find my balance when my heart freezes at the sight of Enya stepping in between us. Though I’m beyond happy to see her standing here alive and well, she cannot interfere or get hurt.

  Lucio steps forward. “Enya, move. You can’t be here.”

  Enya points her finger at Dorn. “He’s a fucking cheat. I’m not going anywhere. If he’s two combined into one, me and my mate will fight as one too.”

  Fuck. Why didn’t I think of that? Typhon and Dorn are one, that explains the size of him.

  I roar in anger and Enya says while she keeps facing Dorn, “I know, Vaughn. He plays dirty. But no worries, babe, we got this.” The confidence in her voice fills my body with warmth and yet I sober up way too quickly because it’s not the reality we’re facing.

  Even if Dorn and Typhon are two melted into one, rules still apply.

  “The fight is one on one, Enya. Even if he’s a fucking cheat there’s no way around this. If you two fight him together then Vaughn won’t be president or clan leader, it’s unacceptable,” Lucio regretfully states.

  “Fine. Then I’m taking over. Vaughn fought for the MC part, now I’m going to fight for our clan.” She spins around and places her hand against my snout and I hear the words she says through our telepathic connection. “Don’t give me shit. Remember the change you wanted? Remember your parents standing side by side? Trust me. Trust us and the new changes you put into motion. Shift back and let me take over.”

  “Don’t you dare die,” I tell her and let myself shift back, giving into her request.

  I should shove her aside, take the fight that’s mine and mine alone, but I can’t. She’s right. I fought for this. I wanted the change and know deep down if I do stand up and fight alone, I will die and the clan and the MC are at the mercy of Dorn. Someone who cheated their way into this challenge and all will be lost anyway.

  Enya is my only shot. Our only shot to save all of us. Cyril rushes to me and takes my arm to sling it over his shoulders to support me. Dammit. I was aware of the pain in my Dragon form but in my human form it’s excruciating.

  “Take care of him, don’t you dare let him die,” Enya throws her demand at Cyril.

  He gives her a tight nod and drags me to the side. Lucio grabs my other arm as the both of them support me.

  I dig in my heels. “I’m not going anywhere,” I growl. “That’s my mate fighting for our clan, don’t you fucking dare to drag me away from her.

  Cyril stiffens. “Your injuries, they are—”

  “I don’t fucking care,” I roar and watch how Enya shifts.

  Dorn doesn’t wait but lashes out at Enya while she hasn’t fully shifted yet. Lucio curses beside me and most others of the clan bellow out their disgust, but their words slide into admiration when there’s a massive white Dragon breathing blue fire. The moment it hits Dorn’s hide he roars and tries to jump away. I guess there’s a difference in fire when Dragon blood is merged with that of a Guardian.

  Dorn spreads his wings and tries to knock Enya off balance with a strong airflow before he jumps up and goes for an attack. Enya dodges and jumps up and away from him, launching herself in the air. She swirls around and sees what we’re seeing; Dorn is on her tail and his talons are going straight for her left wing.

  She retracts but is close to the ground and is about to hit but she quickly shifts and in human form somersaults before she scrambles to her feet and jumps into the air again to shift into a full Dragon.

  Everyone holds their breath as Dorn crashes to the ground. Enya takes this moment to let her talons tear their way over his stomach as she climbs high into the air again to make room for another attack.

  Her whole body is crackling with blue fire but instead of dashing off into the sky to go after Enya, Dorn braces himself and I instantly know what he’s about to do. I have to bite my tongue because I can’t warn her. Both Cyril and Lucio rumble a growl and I know they want to warn my mate too but we can’t, Enya is on her own and tradition mandates we cannot interfere.

  I hear muttered curses from all the people around me until someone shouts, “Magic blow, watch out.”

  “Duck!” another voice bellows as yet someone else screams, “Go left.”

  All of them are rooting for Enya and my chest fills with pride. Though it doesn’t last long when she does try to dodge the power blow but it knocks her back, making her slam into a building before hitting the ground.

  Dorn launches himself into the air and tries for another attack but Enya spins around and hits him in the head with her tail. His head swings up and my woman doesn’t think twice and lets her talon slide its way down Dorn’s throat, leaving a crimson trail on his hide that starts to spread.

  A roar. A twist. Skin ripping as the two Dragons collide. Fire swirls, both a red orange mixture, while blue is trying to get an upper hand but the red Dragon is slightly bigger. The use of magic hangs thick in the air and starts to crackle.

  “Step back,” I
grunt. “Lucio, make them step back, they’re going to cause an explosion. Enya is powerful and Dorn is too loaded. Now, dammit.”

  I rip my arms away from both Lucio and Cyril as they try to warn the others standing around, who now too are aware of the danger they are in. My knees hit the dirt, my strength is fading because my body is trying to heal but the injuries I sustained are severe. It’s going to be days before I have my full strength back. Dammit, there’s nothing I can do other than watch the ball of fire mixing with magic as talons slice and cut into both red and white scales.

  For the first time in my life I wish I could ask for help. It’s hard to watch the one I love face death for the sake of others while I can’t bear to lose her. One life in the balance of many others and yet I’m selfish as fuck. A blast rips through the air and a wave of magic flows out in waves, knocking everything back in its perimeter.

  The pressure on my chest is as if there’s an elephant sitting on me and it’s hard to breathe. When I glance around me, I see everyone is on the ground and struggling to get up. I frantically search for Enya but come up empty. My head tips toward the sky and way up in the clouds I can see a tiny dot. What the hell? Maybe due to the impact they were launched up?

  The dot gets bigger and bigger. Red. It’s a red Dragon falling from the sky and the speed indicates it’s not doing anything else but falling at a rapid speed. My eyes wildly search for Enya but I still come up empty.

  A massive thud makes the ground tremble and I instantly know the red Dragon landed somewhere, most definitely not on its feet, that’s for sure. I need to search for her. I need to shift. I try to focus but the pain shooting from my back is preventing me from shifting.

  “Stop it,” Cyril growls as he runs toward me. “You’re going to hurt yourself if you shift. Besides, the way your wing was slashed, I doubt you can even get one talon off the ground anyway.”

  “I need to find her. She needs me,” I growl and shove him back as I try to shift again.