by Jaymin Eve
“Jess! Are you okay?”
Jonathon was sprinting toward me across the bloody field, and I found myself swept up in his embrace. “I saw your dragon fall. I thought the worst. I’m … I’m so goddamn happy to see you.”
I collapsed against him, allowing a second of comfort before I started urging my father to run with me. I had to get closer to the battling beasts.
“Is Mom okay?” I asked as we scrambled through the crowd, both of us knocking out as many marked as we could on the way.
“Yep, I sent her back with Mischa. Your sister managed to get free. I had to knock her out.”
I winced. My sister really had to tell our parents that she was pregnant. Although, I’d bet Lienda knew now after carrying her back to the hall. It would be hard to miss that little belly. One consolation was that Jonathon knocking her out was better than someone else mistaking her for one of Larky’s and killing her.
Jonathon followed my line of sight. “Where did the golden dragon come from?”
He had heard the story from Faerie. All of the leaders knew what the shining ones had said about Larky, but seeing it in the flesh was quite another thing. She was even bigger than the dragon king, and still too stunning to stare directly at, sparkling pure gold in the sunlight.
I quickly explained again the true majesty of Chrysandra. She was queen of dragons and had joined the battle for one reason only. Larky had killed her child.
Awe crossed Jonathon’s features; my father wasn’t easily impressed, but Chrysandra was a rare exception of power and beauty, even in our world. They were directly above us now. Braxton had separated out and was fighting against the two black dragons again. From my angle it looked as if the rest of the Compasses were on his back, but it was hard to tell. Hopefully the third of Larky’s brothers was down permanently. Braxton did not need another beast to fight.
Clenching my sweaty hand around the charm, my fingers flexed as I waited for an opening.
Larky and the queen swirled closer. The golden dragon struck out hard and fast, leaving bloody gashes along the king’s hide. For some reason, whenever she did, the wound lasted longer than when I had, her magic working against him.
The marked dragon energy was still swirling into the sky, slowly filtering to the king. I could see a large cloud of specters about to hit him, a ton of power, and I was suddenly afraid for the queen. My dragon bellowed within me, her emotions a mess as we were forced to wait on the sidelines, helpless. My poor Josephina; it was colossally unfair that such a majestic creature had become a prisoner. I loved her enough that I wished things were different for her. Unlike the other souls who had chosen to be mated, she should be free.
When that dark, misty mass of marked energy finally reached the king, the air exploded around him. I could see vibrations of power absorbing directly into that fucker. He grew in size, quickly reaching the girth and length of the golden queen. There was no hesitation in his attack now. He went in straight and fast, wings heavy and strong. I jumped as his talons caught hold of her tail and ripped a large chunk out. At the same time his jaws clamped down on her flank. She twisted, her back talons gouging his underbelly.
The pair of them clutched together; neither could break free, both losing blood, but nothing too serious. Then the king released her flank and went straight for her throat. The queen snaked to the side, avoiding the first hit, but was unable to dodge the second. He had her in a vulnerable position, but somehow she slashed up with her lower half, nearly tearing Larky in two.
Jonathon had me up in his arms and was running. The dragons were coming down, and we were right beneath their massive bodies. As the pair hit behind us, the ground shook like a mini-earthquake and both of us were flung sprawled out in the dirt. I rolled over and clutched at my stomach. Shit. That was a hard fall straight onto my front. I couldn’t think about it yet, about how I might be pregnant and my child might be hurt. I had to focus on the dragons.
My fear and adrenalin were high and I sprang to my feet. I was going to end this shit before anyone else died. The pair were still locked together. The golden dragon was slowing, her movements less sure, and because her head was facing in my direction, I could see how glassy her eyes were. The red jewels had lost their shine.
Her chiming voice, filled with ancient energy, rang through my mind.
I will hold him. Use the blood.
I still held the necklace in my hand. I ran, not looking left or right, unable to see anything but the entangled dragons, determined to get close to Larky without being speared to death from flailing talons.
The queen had pretty much totally eviscerated his beast, and yet he was already starting to heal. With his head locked on her throat, he didn’t see me dashing up behind them. I dodged a flying tail and the spray of blood which followed, before ducking beneath a large red wing, spread wide and flapping frantically to try and gain traction. I was quick and small, slipping into gaps, and then with a deep breath I dived over the locked bodies to land in a small gap between the two. The king was still looking in the wrong direction. Here’s hoping that his blind focus on killing the golden dragon would be the reason he lost his life.
Do it, my child. Take care of my … my daughter.
My heart was trying to beat out of my chest. The queen was falling and I couldn’t stand the agony of watching her die. Beat by beat, minute by minute, she held on and fought with everything she had, giving me the time I needed. My dragon snapped me out of my agonized fear and mourning, forcing me to focus, shifting my hand into a talon claw. Without thought, I moved and when I was close enough I plunged my hand straight into Larky’s chest, breaking through scales, skin, bone and muscle.
His dragon heart was massive, no way for me to miss it. The second I felt the beating rhythm, I clenched my claw tight. It took a moment for the glass to give, stronger than I expected, but it broke at the very instant Larky released the golden queen and turned to repel me. I plunged the bleeding jewel deep into his heart, leaving it there as I yanked my hand free.
I knew I had seconds to get free from my position between the two beasts, the dragon king was hurt, but not dead and he would be coming for me. I was also trying to contain my panic for the golden dragon, she lay still, too hurt to move, though I could still feel her essence. All was not lost yet. Just as I was backpedaling, trying to get free, I was grabbed roughly from behind.
Chapter 19
The binding across my middle felt unbreakable. But I’d come too far now to just give up. I threw out both arms, hands shifting to wolf claws so I could fight, but just as I struck I caught a glimpse of a very familiar pair of blue-black scaled legs. Oh thank the freakin’ gods. Braxton. It was too late to halt my attack, but luckily my claws just grazed his hide.
My mate had yanked me out of the dragon pile just in time. Larky was on his feet, unsteady but still preparing to go after me. Had the necklace worked? Why was he still moving and healing? Screams started around us, and one by one the marked started to fall, literally falling to their knees and then onto their backs, as if they couldn’t stand for a moment longer. The frantic cries surrounded us on all sides; it was deafening, and I tried in vain to lift my arms to cover my ears.
Braxton set me on my feet a few meters away, and immediately fell into a protective pose. He used his bulk to block my body from Larky, who was coming straight for us. I had half my attention on that asshat and the other half on the golden dragon. Her eyes were still open but she was not moving, and blood continued pouring freely from her.
Finish him, my child. I will wait for you. There is something I must tell you.
Don’t die, I choked out. I’m on my way.
There was no reply, but at least her eyes remained open. I returned my full attention to the massive scaled beast advancing on us. I was overflowing with anger, and was just about to shift into dragon when I felt the pull of energy around us. Larky shifted back to his human form.
Okay, he wants to do this on two legs.
Mor
e energy rocked the air around us, and then Braxton was back in his hot-as-fuck skin. Larky clothed himself, clearly still possessing enough borrowed magic to do that simple spell. A nearby sorcerer, who ducked out of the crowd, clothed Braxton. The dragon king strode toward us, looking a little shaky on his feet.
“I’m going to destroy you both. I killed the queen of the dragons and shining ones. There’s no way you two stand a chance.”
He was already bragging, which is how I knew he was much more worried than he let on. No one talked a big game unless they were trying to figure out what the hell to do. Nope, they attacked and got it over with.
“Jess, baby,” said Braxton, “you know I love you more than anything in this world, but if you don’t give me the pleasure of killing this fucker, I’m going to be a real pain in the ass to live with for the next few years.”
I snorted, my heart flip-flopping at that confidence. My mate might be looking a little battle weary right now, but I knew he could take the king. Not to mention with the parallels between Braxton and Larky – which were probably due to the shining one’s interference – it felt like Braxton was the one chosen to end this. Still, for the sake of future relationship decisions I wasn’t rolling over for him that easily. Hands on hips, I tapped my foot.
“Give me one good reason why you should get the pleasure of killing him. I deserve this kill. It’s mine.”
Braxton captured my face in both of his hands. His lips were hard and fast as they crashed down onto mine. “The kill might be yours, Jess, but you’re mine. I’ve had to watch him kidnap and hurt you over and over. It’s my turn now to protect you.”
I sighed, and with a wave of my hand, let him have this one. Damn pregnancy hormones were making me soft. I settled back to watch the show. There would be no unfair advantages today. Larky was no longer impervious to true injury and Braxton was going to make him hurt bad.
As the pair started to circle each other, I found myself bouncing, as if preparing for my chance to be tapped into the fight. Wasn’t going to happen. I knew Braxton. There would nothing left but spatter for the supe council to clean up.
“You’re a dead man, Larky,” I said, throwing as much attitude as I could. I’d love to put him on the defense straight up.
He turned those stormy eyes on me. “I tolerated that horrible nickname initially, in deference to our mateship, but no more will you disrespect me.”
I snorted, before cracking right up. He could not be serious. Disrespect was the last thing he needed to worry about.
“You need to take your eyes off her now,” Braxton said, not a lick of emotion in his voice.
Uh oh, Larky was in trouble.
The dragon king gave me one last narrow-eyed glare, before facing my mate. “You’re powerful, I’ll give you that, but you don’t stand a chance against me. You’re young. A child. And after I kill you, I’m going to kill your brothers. Every single one. Then your mate, and lastly the child she holds nestled in her womb.”
I heard the sharp intake of breath behind me, and saw that both Grace and Jonathon were close enough to have heard his words. My father’s eyes, a cobalt blue, stared at me with both shock and awe.
“Is it true? You’re pregnant…?”
It took two steps for me to reach his side and capture his hand. “We don’t know that I am. There’s been no time for any confirmation spells, but the possibility is high.”
I had always talked a big game about not wanting children, and, truthfully, until I was faced with the prospect of having one, I had never wanted any. Now though…
“If I’m pregnant, Dad, then you should know that Braxton and I are already madly in love with our rugrat.”
He blinked a few times, as if trying to wrap his mind around that. “I think I’m a little young to be a pa, but Lienda is going to be overjoyed.”
There was no more time for hugs. I wanted front row seats to the end of Larky. Braxton looked like a statue, his features hard, eyes blazing blue. The taunting from the dragon king had struck a chord with my mate. The thought that he could lose his brothers, or me and his child … it was enough to have his temper flaring. Thankfully he had enough fight experience to compartmentalize those emotions, to focus on what he had to do.
Braxton side-stepped the king’s first well-placed jab before swinging around to clip the douchebucket up the side of the face. Larky stumbled and then righted himself, coming at Braxton again. My mate dodged for a second time and kicked out with a roundhouse, which knocked into Larky’s throat, slamming the golden-haired male to the ground.
I thought for a second that Braxton was going to draw it out, make him suffer, but he must have decided that this piece of shit was not worth one extra second of his time or attention. In his mind Larky was already dead. He’d been a dead man walking from the second he stole me away. Braxton yanked up the so-called dragon king, wrapping his arm across his neck and flexing tight enough to cut off all his air.
“How does it feel to know you can die now? That no longer will the lives of others keep yours unnaturally long.” Braxton’s voice was low, controlled. “Make peace with your gods, because this time when your head is removed, there’s no coming back.”
The king started to buck and kick out. His arms were flailing, knocking into Braxton – who looked quite immovable. I gasped as my mate released his hold, but I didn’t have to worry. He was fast enough to grasp Larky on either side of his head, and twist. The first crack was barely audible, and then in the same beat a much larger snap heralded the removal of the king’s head. Ironic that he would die again, in the same manner as a thousand years ago, only this time, as Braxton has said, there was no coming back for Larky. His curse and reign of terror were over.
We’d gathered quite a crowd, and a cheer rang out. Braxton tossed the head behind him before speeding toward me. I met him halfway, throwing myself into his arms. Our kiss was hot as hell, his tongue stroking against my own. Still, my joy was short-lived. There was no time now for the make-out session which I was dying to have. I needed to get to the queen of the dragons.
Braxton must have sensed that need, because he spun and started to run. The sky was darkening, an unnatural shadow descending across the land. The death of the king and the breaking of his curse had fractured some of the magic from Faerie, and the end result was a magical storm.
We reached the golden beast in seconds, and Braxton let me go free to fling myself down beside her. My dragon, who’d been quietly waiting, started to mourn again. Tears streamed down my face at the aching keen of her cry.
Mother, we cried, and those large red eyes flickered open again. I saw the history of our land in those jewels, so much knowledge, so much power.
Child, well done. You have achieved so much. Your strength makes all of us from the royal line proud. You’re a true queen, and so is your friend Jessa.
I was still crying and trying to push myself back so that my dragon could be as close as possible to her mother.
I’m dying, my child. There is no reversing the injuries. They were fatal from before I crashed into the ground … I did not tell you … better you focused on ending Larkspur. I held on long enough to speak with you, but now my souls are ready to be released to our gods in the great blue sky.
No! No, she couldn’t die. The world needed her leadership, the dragons needed her. There was no other to take her place. My dragon strained against me, and I wished so hard that I could let her go. It hurt my heart more than I thought possible to consider losing her and our bond, but I would let her go in an instant if it were possible.
The queen’s voice was faltering, her eyes barely open.
Josephina and Jessa, you have a choice to make. My dragonling, there’s a chance that your soul can take the place of mine. If Jessa releases the bond, there will be enough energy to repair the dragon body. It would be a great sacrifice, Jessa. You would lose much strength, and the ability to shift to dragon. More importantly you will lose the ability to have dragon babies.
Am I pregnant now? Will it hurt my child?
Her reply was so faint I had to strain to hear. You are indeed, twin souls. And no, they will be … healthy. Perfect. So much responsibility…
My dragon swirled inside of me, and I could sense that she wasn’t sure what the right decision was. She didn’t want to leave me, but in the end the decision was mine to make, my hard choice.
I don’t know what made me look over my shoulder then, some sort of sixth sense that knew eyes were watching me. Sure enough, standing along the line of trees in the distance was a row of jinn, a black and red line of death. There were at least fifty of those fortune-telling asstards there, and I remembered the message from the jinn in the labyrinth. They would not interfere if I made the right decision. Was that what they waited for?
Turning back to the golden queen, I clenched my hands so hard that my fingers ached. There was really only one choice I could make in this situation. Josephina deserved to be free.
The golden dragon faded away then, but in one last burst of energy she placed in my head the knowledge of touching and removing dragon souls.
I pretty much hadn’t stopped crying since I’d knelt at the queen’s side, and as she left us in a flash of bright light and ancient power, I screamed out in pain. The agony of her death was enough that for a moment I lost all sense of time and space. My dragon was in the same place, her hurt fueling mine further. In the end it was the wolf soul which gave us focus, reminding us that we needed to act now or lose the golden dragon body forever.
Breathing deeply, I let the knowledge of how to free Josephina wrap across my mind. It was almost easy to open up the part of my soul which belonged to my dragon, and before she could protest I tore her beautiful, glowing energy free. Somehow I didn’t die in that moment when the pain of a thousand fires flooded me. Weakness tore along my limbs and struck through my heart.