by B M Griffin
Aurora paused while a few members shouted their agreements, a couple accompanied by war cries and fists being pinned on the table like they were in a marching band. Aurora held up her free hand effectively silencing the room. “I’m glad to see your eagerness to fight for our people. Given the Shaitan’s increased numbers anyone capable of fighting is expected to join in our efforts against them, that includes Council members who aren’t normally a part of the fight.”
Didrik, the eldest in Tanzahar, was the first to stand. “It would be an honor to fight alongside our warriors. To bring justice down on these demons and bring our brave Luka home.” Didrik locked his eyes with Camille’s when he spoke of Luka. Aurora saw the rise and fall of her friend’s chest as she took in deep breaths to hold back her emotions. Camille wouldn’t let herself fall apart in front of the Council, even if Aurora knew she was breaking inside.
“Thank you for your kind words,” Camille said, then she bowed her head to Didrik. He might not be of royal blood like Aurora and Annalise, but everyone in Tanzahar respected him as the elder of the realm and for his abilities as a seer. He was the most level-headed member of their society, and people looked to him for guidance on a regular basis.
“Yes,” Aurora said, “thank you, Didrik.”
One by one, the Council members stood from their seats around the table to pledge their loyalty to the people of Tanzahar and vow to fight alongside the warriors in the ongoing battle against the Shaitan. All but one. Aurora saw the shock on Silas’ face multiply with each Council member who stood to pledge their selves to fight in the war. Aurora tried not to judge anyone in her realm based on their abilities or the heritage they came from, but Silas embodied everything people despised about serpents. He was an arrogant, slimy, jerk who only looked out for himself. She didn’t trust him as far as she could see him. He waited until everyone present had stood and pledged to join the fight before he stood. He didn’t say anything, just stood like the rest of the Council. Aurora had a gut feeling she needed to keep a close eye on him.
“Thank you all for your eager acceptance of the task I’ve put before you tonight,” Aurora said. “Daylight will be here soon. We won’t be able to find the Shaitan out during the day, so I want everyone to get plenty of rest because it might be the last chance any of us get for some time. I’ll see you all at nightfall tomorrow.”
Aurora waited as everyone left the room. She noticed Andros wrapping his arm around Camille and pulling her close to his side as they left the room. Maybe this would be the thing that finally brought the two of them together. She’d known that her two best friends were in love for decades, hell she was pretty sure everyone who spent any real time with the two knew it. The only people who didn’t know it were Andros and Camille themselves because they’d been too pigheaded to admit their feelings to one another.
Didrik was the last one to leave the room. Just before he walked out, the elder turned to face Aurora and Gregor. His eyes locked on their clasped hands, then he looked up at the two of them smiling and winked. Aurora wondered what the elder knew about the connection between her and Gregor. Something prompted his reaction, and she knew him well enough to know it wasn’t that he thought they looked nice together. Didrik had just as much reason as any of them to despise humans. If he approved of Aurora and Gregor together he knew something that he wasn’t sharing. Aurora decided she would find out what it was as soon as they got Luka back from the Shaitan. She needed to understand the powerful pull she felt for Gregor, and she felt sure Didrik knew something that could shine some light on the anomaly.
Chapter Thirteen
Aurora
“I don’t know why we are arguing about this. It’s too dangerous.”
Aurora was ready to pull her hair out. Her and Gregor had been having the same argument for the past hour, and she had to leave in the next fifteen minutes to meet up with everyone going out to hunt the Shaitan and find where they’d taken Luka. Truly they’d been having this argument since the first time she walked off and left him with Annalise. He kept repeating “I go where you go” like it was as simple as that.
As nice as that might sound, it wasn’t that simple, not when Aurora was the leader of her world and it was her responsibility to lead her soldiers into battle against demons who could destroy Gregor without effort. Aurora couldn’t afford to be distracted from her mission, and if he went she knew her focus would lean toward keeping him safe.
Aurora bent down to pull on her boots and when she stood back up, Gregor was right there, his body pressed against hers from behind. Gregor brought his arms around her from behind, kissing her just below her right ear. Aurora’s eyes fluttered shut and a hum sounded in her chest. Every time he touched her or kissed her, she felt herself getting pulled in deeper. Gregor’s touch was like a rip current that she couldn’t escape.
She turned in his arms planning to push him away. Her centuries old mindset was still resisting this thing growing between them, trying to push away the feelings that were clinging to him like he was life itself with memories of all the hurt the humans had caused her and her people. Looking in Gregor’s eyes, her heart pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind again. She was still torn, but every touch, every look from Gregor made her resolve to push him away falter again and again.
Gregor kissed her forehead, then bent his head so his mouth was against her ear when he whispered, “I’m going with you. Stop fighting me because I won’t give up and you will give in.”
He pulled back, his mouth turned up into a sly smile. Aurora wanted to knock it from his face, and at the same time loved every word he said. She loved that he was willing to fight for her, to stand by her, no matter the consequences he might face.
“You’re not going to back off on this, are you?” Truly it was a rhetorical question because she already knew his answer, but she had to give it one last try before she tied him to the bed and took away his choice in the matter. He might be making her feel all the feelings, but she’d be damned if she allowed him to risk his life out with her tonight.
Gregor shook his head at her. “You have to know I’m smarter than that,” he said.
Aurora stepped back, looking at him with pursed lips. “What are you talking about?”
Gregor closed the space between them again. “Trying to lock me up here is no use. I’ll just call out to Annalise, and we both know she’ll side with me and help me get out.”
Aurora pressed her lips together. Dammit, she thought. He was right, of course, Annalise had helped him defy her every chance she’d had so far. It was clear her sister thought that Aurora’s visions of Gregor had been of some kind of romantic nature.
Taking a step back from him again, Aurora held up a finger pointed at him. “Fine, but you will stay out of the fight. Since Annalise seems so determined to help you follow me around everywhere I go, she can stand guard over you.”
Like clockwork Aurora’s bedroom door swung open and Annalise came bopping in without and invitation. She walked right up to Gregor and put her arms around his shoulder winking at him, then flashing Aurora a big smile. “Don’t worry, sis. I’ll take good care of your boyfriend.”
Aurora narrowed her eyes at her sister. “He’s not my boyfriend.”
Annalise shrugged. “Boyfriend. Lover. Soulmate. Tomato, tomoto.”
Aurora considered strangling her sister. When Annalise got something in her mind there was no reasoning with her, so Aurora decided to ignore her immature rhetoric for the time being. There were far more important matters to focus on. She locked her gaze with Annalise’s and took her sister’s hand in hers. “Just get him out of there if shit hits the fan, okay?”
Annalise must have sensed the sincerity in Aurora’s tone because she lost the smile and nodded in agreement. “I won’t let them get to him. You have my word.”
Aurora released the breath she’d been holding. There was still a tightening in her chest that didn’t ease at all. A ball of worry because she knew that she shouldn’
t be allowing this at all, but Gregor was making it impossible to keep him where she knew he’d be safe. Damn human. He was going to make her grow old, and that wasn’t supposed to happen to her being immortal and all.
Aurora looked at Gregor one more time, she could see his resolve clear as day on his face. “Alright, well let’s go.”
****
By the time Aurora, Gregor, and Annalise met up with Andros it appeared that everyone was present and eager to hunt some Shaitan. No matter what faults one might find in Tanzahar, the people fought for each other and they didn’t take kindly to others hurting one of them, let alone taking any as a hostage.
Aurora was surprised to see Andros without Camille. After everything that happened yesterday she expected him to keep her glued to his side. When he approached her, she could see worry etched in the crease between his eyes, and his red rimmed pupils were so bright a lesser person wouldn’t dare look him in the eyes. “Where’s Camille?” she asked as soon as Andros stopped in front of her.
“She’s gone.” Andros rubbed at his face with both hands like he was trying to rub away his emotions. “She fell asleep pretty quickly and I watched her for a couple hours, but at some point, I dozed off. When I woke up she was gone and this note was on my nightstand.”
Andros held a piece of paper in front of Aurora. His hand shook as she took the note from him and read the six words Camille had left behind. I can’t wait to find him.
“Dammit!” Aurora balled the note up and it burned up in her hand. “We have to go, now. With the numbers we’ve seen lately, if the Shaitan have found her on her own…” Aurora stopped speaking. She couldn’t voice her fears out loud. Not yet. Camille had been her best friend for so long, she was more like family. Aurora wasn’t prepared to consider that she might lose her. She never would be if she were honest with herself.
Without a word, she brought her dragon forth, spreading her golden wings, and took off through the night sky. Andros and Annalise, with Gregor in tow, were right behind her. She momentarily considered taking Gregor from Annalise, but her jealousy was outweighed by her fear and anger. Finding Camille and Luka was more important than this newly developed jealous streak of hers.
Tanzahar soldiers filled the sky and the ground, flying or running toward the outskirts of their realm to enter the human world. Aurora wouldn’t rest until she figured out where Camille was and brought her and Luka home. Once they made it past the barrier that separated Tanzahar from the humans, Andros directed everyone to break off into groups of ten so they could cover more area faster. Aurora’s team, which included Andros because he insisted he wasn’t leaving her and risking losing another friend in one night, made their way through a dimly lit park in their human forms so they wouldn’t draw any unnecessary attention. Aurora’s senses were tweaking as she took in their surroundings. She’d been in this park before. It was too early for it to be so empty, and she remembered there being a lot more lights illuminating the area after dark.
They were in the middle of the park area when Aurora felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. She turned to look for Gregor, then she locked eyes with Annalise and yelled, “Get him out of here. Now!”
Aurora didn’t have the chance to bring her dragon forth before several Shaitan dropped down on her from above. Where the hell had they been hiding? It was like the fuckers had come out of thin air. Had they found some way to become invisible? It was like they were fighting an entirely new species of Shaitan and they had no idea what to expect anymore.
The demons were raining blows down on her with such power and quickness Aurora was struggling to get to her feet and fight them off. She fought to concentrate on her power, pulling it inward and letting it build, then she forced it out in a wave of blue flames incinerating every demon within a ten-foot radius.
Aurora jumped to her feet, searching the sky for Annalise and Gregor. She needed to see them, to make sure Annalise got away. She didn’t see them anywhere. Looking around at her people, all struggling to fight off the Shaitan. They were vastly outnumbered. She caught sight of Andros’ dragon as he let out a battle cry, bright red flames shooting from his opened mouth as he took out as many of the beasts as his fire could reach.
Aurora jerked her head around when she heard a male shout, “No!” She knew that voice. Dammit! Her heart sank when her eyes landed on Gregor. She could see the terror in his eyes and feel his fear through their odd connection. “Aurora, move!” he yelled.
Somehow, she could feel his fear; his fear that something bad was going to happen to her. Needing to have a clear mind, Aurora concentrated on shaking off Gregor’s fear that had been seeping into her mind through their connection and turned back to the fight. Several Shaitan hit her dead-on. Claws and teeth ripped through her flesh. Why hadn’t she shifted as soon as she had the chance. Shit! She tried to focus, tried to bring her dragon forth, but she’d used so much energy the first time they jumped her and now she was wounded.
“Get away from her!” Gregor screamed.
She caught sight of him running toward her; toward the group of Shaitan that were doing their best to keep her down, and currently succeeding. “Gregor, no!” she yelled. He didn’t stop. He was running straight for her, for them. Dammit! She knew bringing him was a bad idea.
An anger filled her, a mixture of her own anger and Gregor’s as he got closer. Aurora got to her feet just to have two monstrous claws plow her back down. She heard Gregor shouting again, then a bright, blinding flash lit up the sky, making her cover her eyes to drown out the light.
When the light dulled, the Shaitan who had her pinned down, were suddenly ripped away, like they’d been snatched back by something incredibly powerful. Aurora opened her eyes, looking up until they locked on the biggest dragon she had ever seen. Bigger than her, bigger than Andros, the dragon had to be nine, maybe ten feet tall.
His scales were black as night, each one illuminated in a unique blue that looked purple when she looked at it just right. A blue she’d seen only once before. Aurora got to her feet and took in the dragon’s eyes, she’d know those eyes anywhere. He was looking right back at her, his eyes scanning her face like he was looking for injuries, but when they locked with her own Aurora knew she was right. “Gregor.” His name came out in a whisper, but she knew he heard her. His eyes were drinking her in like she was his life force. She could feel so many emotions in his stare and she found herself wishing that they were alone, but alone they were not. A fact that was emphasized by the growing group of Shaitan that were surrounding her and Gregor. At least his distraction allowed her the freedom to change, bringing her dragon forth Aurora nodded to Gregor and they stood back to back ready to face off the rest of the enemy together.
Chapter Fourteen
Gregor
Gregor had no idea what he’d just done, or how he had done it. All he knew was seeing those monsters piling on Aurora sent a white-hot rage through him unlike anything he’d ever experienced. He wasn’t sure how he made the transformation, but he felt something inside of him wake up, like he’d only been living his life as a masquerade until that very moment. Opening up to this dormant part of himself made him feel complete in a way he had never imagined possible.
Standing back to back with Aurora, he was prepared to test out this new part of himself and take himself to the ends of his limits to defeat the foul beasts that had tried to hurt what was his; to kill what was his. Aurora might not have accepted their fate yet, but that was exactly what she was. She was his, and he was hers forevermore.
The Shaitan began stepping back, forming two separate lines and creating a path. A man came walking up the path created by the demons. Gregor had never seen the man before, but the gasps and curses coming from Aurora’s fighters told him that they knew exactly who it was approaching them. The man looked young, maybe in his mid-twenties, but Gregor had learned you couldn’t discern age by appearances when it came to the people from Tanzahar. His black hair was chin length, but the most striking fe
ature about him was his eyes—gold just like Aurora’s.
“It’s nice to see you, daughters,” the man said. Gregor checked to see who he was looking at and saw that Annalise was now standing beside Aurora, the shock on their faces clear even as dragons.
Aurora stepped forward, her voice low and shaky as she said, “It’s a trick.”
The man shook his head and smiled as he approached Aurora with his hands out. “No, my daughter, it is me.”
Gregor didn’t know the man in front of them, but he knew one thing—Aurora’s parents were dead. She’d told him about their deaths at the hands of humans many years ago when the human race declared war on her people. He stepped forward until he stood next to Aurora and took her hand. He was larger than her as a dragon so he had to bend down, but he could sense her emotions and knew she needed the support in that moment more than ever.
Narrowing his gaze on the newcomer he bit out, “You don’t touch her.” The man looked away from Aurora to Gregor with a smirk on his face as he took Gregor in from head to toe.
“Ah,” the man said, “I must say the prophecies did not do you justice.” He held his hand out to Gregor like he wanted a handshake. Gregor huffed and smoke rolled out of his nostrils. If he hadn’t been focused on the tumultuous emotions rolling off Aurora he would have freaked out at the sight of smoke coming from himself. “Oh, that’s silly of me,” the man said. In a flash the man was replaced by a fierce dragon with a striking resemblance to the dragon standing next to Gregor, her hand held in his. The dragon held out his hand again. “I am Matthias, Aurora’s and Annalise’s father. I already know your name, Gregor.”
Gregor felt Aurora shiver beside him and looked back to see Annalise had shifted out of her dragon form and had both hands pressed against her face, her shoulders shaking as she sobbed. Gregor’s anger returned and he released Aurora’s hand, stepping forward and pushing Matthias, or whoever this joker was back and away from Aurora and Annalise; away from the people who were quickly making their way into his heart like the family he’d always wanted. He wasn’t standing back and watching this asshat hurt them. Nope, not today.