by B M Griffin
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“Everyone is ready to go,” Andros spoke as soon as Aurora and Gregor joined him and the rest of the soldiers of Tanzahar behind the castle.
Aurora nodded, “Good. I don’t want to waste any more time. Camille has been gone far too long as it is.”
Andros met her eyes. His were hard with determination and an anger she’d never seen before. “Agreed,” he said curtly.
Andros moved to walk away and Aurora reached for his arm to stop him. “We will get her back, Andros. I swear that to you.”
He didn’t speak, just stood there silently fuming and Aurora felt a veil of dread creep over her skin before she released her hold on him and he walked away. Gregor took her hand and his eyes told her that he too felt her unease. “I’m worried he’s going to get himself hurt or worse trying to get to her. That he will be blinded by his anger and worry for Camille.” Aurora swallowed back the lump in her throat. It had been hard enough losing Luka and having Camille get captured. If she lost a friend to the battle her own father had waged against them she wasn’t sure it was something she could ever get over.
“Hey,” Gregor brought his hands up her arms so she was looking only at him. “We will be there with him. He’s not going into this alone. We cannot go into this fight thinking negatively or we are all doomed. Remember what I told you.” He winked at her and Aurora couldn’t help but smile back at her mate. “We are going to win because we have more to live for than those monsters. And as for your father, you are not responsible for the evil he has committed. I don’t know him well, but I know you don’t have an ounce of betrayal in your body.”
“Excuse us, dear.”
Aurora turned to find Etienne, Karlotta, Talea, Beltran, and Bertram all decked out in their fighting gear. Etienne looked from Aurora to Gregor and back again, a sweet smile on her beautiful face.
“What are you all doing?” Aurora asked looking over the three Council members.
Etienne answered for them “We are coming with you.” Aurora opened her mouth to tell her no, but Etienne held up her hand and stopped her before she could speak. “With respect, Maharani, you will not talk us out of joining this fight. You and our people are going up against Matthias. You need all the help you can get and we have skills that will be very helpful in this fight, which you are well aware of. And before you say we can protect Tanzahar, we’ve already arranged for soldiers to protect our home here while we are gone.”
Aurora stood there not sure what to say. She couldn’t remember the last battle all of the Council had fought together voluntarily, and their insistence just reaffirmed how much danger this fight represented for them all.
Gregor stepped up, shaking the hands of the five Council members. “Thank you all. I am truly happy to see Aurora has so many loyal warriors at her side.”
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They couldn’t fly to the Shaitan’s lair because Aurora knew that would be what her father expected. When the leaders of your army were dragon shifters your enemy learned to keep an eye on the sky. There was also the fact that the traitor they were counting on using to get them inside was a sniveling serpent and since snakes don’t fly and nobody wanted to hold him that close to their body…so they headed out on foot.
“I am worried they are going to see or hear us approaching,” Andros spoke up as they neared the caves where he’d witnessed Silas meeting with Matthias only a day earlier. “No matter how talented we are, our army is vast and there’s no way for us to remain hidden as long as I’d like.”
“You’re right,” Aurora agreed.
“Can you ghost us in like you did with me in the forest back in Tanzahar?” Gregor suggested.
Aurora shook her head. “No. There are far too many of use. I could try to distract them somehow.”
“Oh dears, there is no need for you to worry about that,” Etienne interjected. “I assure you that no one will see us coming.” She held her hand out to Aurora. “Maharani, only you are more powerful than I. We may need to combine our power for this one.”
Aurora didn’t hesitate to grasp Etienne’s hand. The woman was a masterful witch and if she said they could conceal the whole army together Aurora knew it was true. “What do you need me to do?”
“You’re going to feel a charge run over your body. That’s our powers combining. With the strength of the two of us together it’s just a matter of saying what we want.”
Etienne briefly closed her eyes and when they reopened they shined a bright neon green. Power raked over Aurora’s skin, her whole body charged like she’d been transformed into a lightning bolt. Powerful and dangerous. Even without seeing her own eyes she knew they were glowing brighter than ever. She could feel everything. The air moving all around her, the trees producing sap, leaves slowly losing their grasp on a branch and making the plummet to the earth…everything. Aurora locked her eyes with Etienne’s and at the same time they both said, “Invisibles.”
Etienne released Aurora’s hand and flashed a bright smile. “See, I told you it was no problem.”
Aurora nodded and looked back at Gregor and Andros, and both males were staring at her and Etienne with raised eyebrows. “They won’t be able to see us approach,” she told them.
“Yes,” Etienne reaffirmed, “however, once we engage the mirage will fall away so we will not have the advantage of invisibility once the fighting begins.”
“That means we need to be on the same page when we attack,” Aurora said. Her eyes were locked on Andros’ as she said, “No one attacks until I give the signal.”
Aurora didn’t miss the narrowing of her friend’s eyes. He was aching to get to Camille, and she couldn’t blame him. She was more than ready to kill these assholes and get Camille back home, but they had to be smart about this or they could wind up losing even more of their people.
Gregor nodded but Andros just held her gaze, his eyes hard and the flexing of his fists a clear indication he was struggling to fight against his anger and his loyalty to her as his Maharani.
“Andros?” Aurora crossed her arms over her chest waiting for his response.
“Understood,” Andros snarled through gritted teeth.
Anger flashed in Gregor’s eyes and he moved in front of Aurora, eyes locked on Andros and a growl rolling from his lips. “Watch it,” he warned Andros.
“Both of you knock it off!” Aurora demanded. “We don’t have time for the two of you to have a testosterone feud.”
Gregor did not move, his eyes still boring holes in Andros. After another minute Andros held his hands up in surrender. “I meant no harm,” Andros said. “I would never do anything to harm our Maharani.”
“My mate,” Gregor bit out.
Andros smiled and met Aurora’s eyes over Gregor’s shoulder. “Yeah, your mate.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Gregor
Watching Andros smiling at Aurora over his shoulder was doing nothing to calm the beast scratching to break free just beneath Gregor’s skin. He felt his lips pulling back over his teeth, and a rumble in his throat as a growl ripped from his throat.
Andros took a step back and dropped the smile. “Hey, man. Save that shit for the real fight, why don’t ya,” Andros said.
Gregor took a step forward, his instincts for protecting his mate far outweighing the strength of his mind, but then he felt a hand grip his shoulder and the warm, calming sensation that seeped into his soul told him exactly who was touching him. Blinking, Gregor turned to face Aurora and she caught his gaze. She didn’t have to say anything; Gregor knew she was bringing him back to her and out of his instinctually fueled anger. He took her hand from his shoulder and kissed her knuckles softly. “I’m okay now,” he told her.
“Good,” she said.
Looking back at Andros, Gregor rubbed the back of his neck as he opened his mouth to apologize. “Andros, man, sorry about that. I guess it’s going to take some time for me to get a handle on all these heightened emotions that come along with my newly found self.�
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Andros smirked and walked up to him, then patted him on the back. “No apology necessary. It’s natural for you to want to protect your mate, but I hate to break it to you…that feeling isn’t going to ease up as time passes. With us shifters, especially dragons like you and I, we only become more intensely protective the longer we are with our mates.”
“Oh,” Gregor replied.
Gregor looked back at Aurora and she just smiled. Before he could say anything else they were interrupted by Silas being tossed to the ground in front of Gregor, Aurora, and Andros. Looking up, Gregor recognized the people who’d done the tossing, although he wasn’t sure that was the correct way to describe them. He’d seen the two before with the Council, but he didn’t know their names or what they were exactly. Before him stood a two headed creature, its body an ashen grey color, and they stood about seven feet tall. The heads were made up of one female with long black hair in a braid down their back, and a male with short buzzed hair. They both had glowing green eyes narrowed at Silas who was cowering on the ground where they’d thrown him.
“The serpent wouldn’t shut up about needing to speak to you, Maharani,” the female said.
“Aurora, they are treating me…” Silas was cut off when the two headed creatures kicked him in the gut, knocking him to the ground. “Ugh!” Silas cried. Gregor heard the sound of bones cracking when the large foot made contact and he knew some of Silas’ ribs were broken. Traitor deserved it as far as he was concerned; he deserved a lot worse.
“Gregor, this is Beltran and Bertram, the gargoyles of our Council at Tanzahar,” Aurora said. Gregor new she’d read his mind and knew he’d been trying to figure out their new friends.
“Nice to meet you both,” he said.
Beltran ad Bertram bowed slightly. “And you sire,” they said at the same time.
Gregor looked at Aurora with his eyebrows raised at their sire comment. “Because you’re my mate,” she quietly spoke into his ear.
“You want us to get rid of this scum for you now?” Beltran asked.
Aurora shook her head. “Not yet. He might be of some use to us to enter the Shaitan’s lair up ahead.”
“With respect, Maharani, I don’t believe we can trust him,” Bertram replied.
“Oh, I don’t doubt that,” Aurora agreed, “but we need every possible advantage we can get. With Matthias running things for the Shaitan they are more dangerous than ever.”
Gregor could hear the disgust and betrayal in Aurora’s words, especially when she said her father’s name. He also noted that it was the first time she’d referred to him as Matthias instead of her father. Gregor quickly reached down and gave her hand a squeeze, wanting her to know that he was right by her side and would always have her back.
Silas got to his hands and knees, trying to get up from the ground where the gargoyle’s kick had left him holding his gut. Gregor moved in front of him before the others could. Bending down he wrapped his hand around Silas’ throat and pulled the traitorous serpent up until they were nearly face to face with Silas clawing at his hands, trying to escape his grasp. Gregor squeezed tighter. “You’re going to do whatever Aurora demands, aren’t you?” Silas’s eyes were bulging and his face was growing redder by the second. “Blink once if you understand,” Gregor told him knowing he couldn’t speak in their current predicament.
Only a second went by before Silas blinked and Gregor released his hold on the snake’s neck. Silas gasped for air while massaging his bruised neck. Andros met Gregor’s eyes and gave him a nod of approval, which coming from him meant a lot to Gregor. Maybe he really could fit in with all of Aurora’s friends and family. He hadn’t been sure Andros and he could find any common ground, but maybe their need to protect the ones they love would be the thing to unite them.
“I told, uh, I told you … I know nothing,” Silas said between coughing spells. Gregor decided his voice sounded like that of someone who’d been chain smoking for the past thirty years.
Gregor and Andros both moved to knock some sense into Silas, but Aurora stopped them, appearing between Gregor and Silas faster than Gregor could connect his fist with Silas’ face. He hadn’t even seen her move and stumbled back a bit when he snatched his arm back to keep from hitting her instead of Silas.
“Enough lies!” Aurora roared at Silas. Even though Gregor could not see her face in that moment, the glowing light surrounding her told him her eyes were lit up in anger, and when he moved beside her he could see her face had transformed and she bared her dragon’s sharp teeth only inches from Silas’ face. “You will get us into that lair. Now!”
Gregor watched Silas’ as he began to shake, fear written all over him as he bowed to Aurora. Gregor couldn’t hold back the smirk as he took in his powerful mate putting that traitorous snake in his place. Maybe one day when all of this was no longer so new to him he wouldn’t find himself wanting to pull her into his arms after every display of her power, but he wasn’t there yet and it took all of his willpower to just stand there and not devour her mouth with his own. He knew she wouldn’t be happy with him for the distraction right now.
“The entrance I saw him use is just ahead of us now,” Andros told Aurora pulling Gregor out of his own head and back to the situation at hand.
“I think we should send him ahead to get them to open up, then we can ambush them as soon as the entrance is revealed,” Gregor said. “If he has anyone with him I doubt they will open the entrance no matter what he says.”
“No,” Andros said curtly. “I don’t trust him not to run if we don’t have one of us or one of our soldiers right there with him. Both of you know as well as I do he’s only agreeing to do this out of fear for his life, but the second he senses he might have an opportunity to escape he will take it.”
“No…I wouldn’t…I,” Silas’ begging was silenced when Aurora backhanded him.
“I told you, no more lies!” Aurora growled.
Gregor turned his attention back to Aurora and Andros. “Of course he’ll try to run,” Gregor agreed, “but I wasn’t saying he should actually be alone.” Then Gregor looked around and saw Etienne just a few feet away. “Etienne,” he called. The witch smiled brightly at him and made her way to join the three of them.
“How may I assist you all now?” Etienne asked.
Gregor waved an arm around. “You and Aurora made it so all of these people could approach the Shaitan lair in disguise. I know you said once we engage in fighting, once we make contact with them the spell will lift.” Etienne nodded. “If one or two of us accompanied him,” Gregor gestured to Silas who was trying to get his nose to stop bleeding after the hit he’d taken from Aurora, “up to their entrance could you make it so we are undetectable but Silas isn’t?”
“It is possible,” Etienne said, “however, you wouldn’t be able to touch him. It would be best for you to allow him to walk at least a few feet ahead of you.”
Andros was shaking his head. “No. No, I don’t like this. We can’t trust him even on his own even if it is only a few feet.”
“Gregor’s right,” Aurora interjected before Andros could say more.
“What?” Andros didn’t look happy.
Aurora narrowed her eyes at Andros. “Surely one of us is faster than a snake shifter who’s never been in battle a day in his life, don’t you think? Or are you worried he might slip away from you, Andros?”
Andros crossed his arms. “Funny, Aurora. Of course I don’t think he can get away from us, but that doesn’t stop him from sending them some kind of signal before we can shut him up.”
Aurora ran her hands through her hair and Gregor could feel her tension. He took her hand in his own and stood tall before Andros and took a deep breath. His dragon was itching to come out again and defend his mate. He wondered if he’d ever have any real control over his protective instincts for Aurora…probably not if what Andros told him was accurate. “Watch it, Andros.” A low growl rumbled from his throat without warning. “I think we’ve
already established how my inner beast feels about you speaking to Aurora that way. I know you’re friends, but you’ve got to get your tongue under control. I don’t want to fight you, but right now I am not fully in control of my dragon’s actions.”
Aurora squeezed his hand then she stepped forward and took both of Andros’ hands between her own. “Andros, I understand your point but there is only so much we can control. This is going to be a major battle no matter what we do to get into that lair. If he sends them some kind of signal we’ll have to deal with the repercussions, but we have to hope they will at least open their entrance so we have a chance to defeat them and get Camille back.”
Andros squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath. “Okay, but I’m going to be the one to guard him when he walks out there.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Aurora agreed.
When she stepped back, Gregor moved closer to Andros and put his hand on the warrior’s large shoulder and Andros locked eyes with him. “And I will be right by your side,” Gregor said to Andros.
Andros nodded. “Thanks,” Andros eyes moved over to Aurora for a second then right back to Gregor, “Sire.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Aurora
Watching them walk away, Aurora was sure that staying back while Andros and Gregor approached the Shaitan’s lair behind Silas was the hardest thing she’d done in her very long life. Both males were strong warriors, even her newly turned mate, but they were facing an enemy that had proven to be incredibly dangerous in recent weeks and her father who’d proven to be the worst kind of evil imaginable. The image of her father standing over Luka’s dead, headless body filled her mind and Aurora had to bite her lip to keep from screaming and breaking down. How could the man she loved, the man who had raised her and taught her to be a leader to their people become Tanzahar’s number one enemy? How could he kill Luka who had looked up to him and loved him as much as his own parents?
Aurora was surrounded by the Council members who had insisted on joining the fight. Etienne stood just to her right, concentrating on keeping Gregor and Andros under cover while Silas took the final steps toward the entrance. Next to her was Karlotta and Talea, blood-thirst written all over their faces. That was a good thing as far as Aurora was concerned. It meant they would be more ruthless in battle and knowing the two of them they probably came to fight in that state on purpose. To Aurora’s left Beltran and Bertram’s massive frame stood ready to destroy anything in their path, and Gareth beside them had already shifted into his wolf and was snarling with his teeth barred ready to rip apart the monstrous bastards as soon as they opened that entrance.