by Anna Lowe
Draig looked around for Jenna, and Connor rammed him again, landing a better blow this time. Spitting fire didn’t work underwater, but his dragon tried it all the same. The water sizzled and frothed, and even Draig looked momentarily taken aback. So Connor did it again. The sea dragon’s eyes glowed with fury, but he didn’t spit back.
Can’t spit back, Connor’s dragon murmured.
He hung on to that tidbit. If sea dragons couldn’t spit fire, and if he managed to lure Draig up to the surface…
Of course, the old dragon was too wily to be tricked. Connor’s mind spun with ideas — vague, disjointed ideas, because his oxygen levels were dipping into the red again. He had to get to the surface, fast.
Draig’s laugh followed him. You didn’t actually think yourself worthy of such a prize, did you?
Connor gritted his teeth as he tried to take stock of the situation. Jenna had already made it to the surface and was swimming for shore. He followed, acutely aware of the danger that put Jenna in. Draig could dart up anytime and drag her under again. So Connor raced to the surface, grabbed one gulp of air, and dove just in time to slam Draig away from Jenna.
You will not have her! he roared, grappling with the sea dragon.
She is already mine, Draig thundered.
Connor had fought plenty of shifters in his time, including dragons. But a sea dragon? That was totally different. Draig didn’t swoop, spit fire, or spin the way dragons did in aerial fights. He snuck in close and tried to latch on to Connor’s back.
What the—
Connor twisted and roared the first time Draig did that, catching him by surprise. The sea dragon wrapped his stubby wings around Connor’s like a goddamn python and dove deeper still. The pressure in Connor’s ears tripled, and his vision blurred.
She’s mine, Draig grunted as they whirled in circles, plunging deeper all the time.
It was just like that awful dream he’d had about hurtling through the air with Jenna, except it wasn’t hurricane force winds that tugged at him, but the force of the water.
She’s mine, Draig taunted.
She’s mine, Connor roared back, but his voice was uneven and weak.
With a desperate swipe of his tail, he broke free and climbed toward the surface again. Once there, he snatched another all-too-brief gulp of air before diving to keep Draig safely in sight.
Back for some more fun? Draig grinned. I’m rather enjoying this myself. Someday I will tell my heirs how I battled for their mother, and she will love me all the more.
It made Connor sick, hearing Draig’s mad plans. And it made him furious that Draig had the upper hand, not himself. He was younger. Faster. Stronger — but only in the air. No matter what he tried, he couldn’t wear Draig down. On the contrary, he was the one battling fatigue — fast.
Which was when it dawned on him that this might be the first battle he couldn’t win. His first and his last.
His soul screamed, not in fear of death but for Jenna. If he lost, Jenna would be abducted by Draig.
Not abducted, Draig tsked. Taken home.
Not happening, his dragon roared.
He hissed and clawed at his opponent, desperate for some new hope. But Draig played by a whole different rulebook — the story of Connor’s life — and the ocean seemed to be on the sea dragon’s side. No matter what he tried, the sea dragon countered.
Then it hit Connor that he didn’t have to win. All he had to do was buy Jenna time to get away. Sooner or later, she’d make it to shore and alert the others. Kai would round up his combined shifter forces and come down on Draig, and Jenna would be safe.
His heart ached. Sacrificing himself for Jenna was fine. But, damn. They’d only just found each other. They’d only shared one night.
His thoughts skipped to Tim, Chase, and Dell. They would soldier on without him, but damn. It was hard to picture how that would go. And, crap. He’d miss them, and they’d miss him. Which sucked, because they’d already experienced far too many losses over the years. He didn’t want to add another scar to their wounded soldier’s hearts.
But a man did what he had to do, right?
Connor rallied the last of his strength and roared his loudest roar, putting all his frustration into it. The deck had been stacked against him from the start, but okay. He’d long since accepted that as his norm. And death, well — he’d dodged fate often enough not to argue this time. As long as Jenna lived, it was worth it.
He grinned a little madly. At least he’d die a hero. And no dragon — no matter how elitist or arrogant — could ever take that from him.
Ready? he dared his dragon.
Ready, it growled.
He spun in Draig’s grip, snarled in the sea dragon’s startled face, and slapped his wings over Draig’s.
How dare you? Draig bellowed.
Connor laughed. He was about to write his own rulebook, and the sea dragon would have no choice but to comply.
Now what will you do, you old bastard? he snarled, smothering any motion Draig attempted. He hung on tight and straightened his tail, making them both sink deeper into the abyss.
This is my element, you fool, Draig growled, still struggling.
Well, maybe, but Connor finally had the upper hand. His wings were bigger, for one thing, and his body heavier. He was about to retort as much when an even better plan hit him. He could do better than simply delaying Draig. He could kill the sea dragon. Of course, he’d die in the process, but still. A victory was a victory. He could finish off the old bastard, save Kai the trouble, and maybe even win himself the respect he’d always craved.
That was the theory. In reality…
His lungs begged for air. Water flooded his mouth, nose, and ears. Every muscle screamed for fuel. His vision grew spotty again, and he saw two Draigs.
Agony. It was sheer agony. Still, Connor clamped his teeth together and rallied all his willpower as his world dimmed.
Jenna, he called, trying to reach her mind. Remember me. Please. Remember me.
Connor!
I love you, he said.
No, Connor! Don’t!
Her anguished cry struck one last, desperate nerve.
Don’t you dare! she screamed.
Which put him in a conundrum. To carry out his suicidal plan or obey Jenna?
The woman is always right, brah, that guy in Lahaina had joked.
Sure, that had only been a joke, but something told him to trust Jenna on this one. So he heaved Draig aside and snapped at his enemy’s neck with his long dragon fangs, hoping that might end his foe. Then instinct took over, making him hurtle toward the surface, though it was the last thing he wanted to do.
For the first crazed moment of his ascent, Connor thought he’d succeeded in killing Draig. But the water below him vibrated a moment later, and his hopes sank. Draig was chasing him, gaining ground on Jenna, screaming, Come back to me, my pet.
New plan, his dragon grunted. We’ll lure him into the air. Burn the bastard to bits.
Tears streamed from his eyes, both from the burn of salt water and the emotions roiling inside.
Concentrate, he barked at himself, trying to pull together a Plan A and B. One of them involved roasting Draig in the open air, and the other called for drowning the bastard. But his mind was dull and foggy, and everything kept getting mixed up.
So close, Draig hummed, seeing Jenna churn the water above.
Connor was rocketing toward the surface in desperation, but the sea dragon undulated smoothly, rapidly catching up. The sun shone, growing brighter all the time.
Connor gritted his teeth. This was it. His last chance. Possibly his only chance, because failure only left the suicidal option of drowning along with Draig.
Hero, he reminded himself.
Dead hero, his dragon grumbled.
Connor clenched his teeth and rushed to the left, willing Draig to follow. This was it. His final test.
I shall return to you shortly, my pet, Draig cackled, nipping at his heels.<
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Over my dead body, Connor bellowed.
But Draig just laughed. Just what I had in mind, boy. Just what I had in mind.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Jenna broke through the surface — really broke through it like a pane of glass, sending water flying in all directions. Without a pause, she paddled frantically for shore. Her leg burned where she’d been touched, and her heart hammered away.
Holy shit. A dragon. Worse — a sea dragon.
All along, she’d been worried about vampires, but man, had she been wrong. Her stalker was an ocean dweller who wanted her as his concubine.
All I need is a comfortable lair and a nice little female to amuse myself with.
Connor and Draig had communicated through a series of bellows and roars, yet she’d understood every terrifying word. A vestige of her mermaid blood, perhaps? At the same time, she couldn’t comprehend a thing, because it was just as Connor said. Dragons lived in an archaic world of their own, playing by a whole different set of rules.
Well, not with her. She was getting the hell away from that dragon fight, and fast.
Draig had dragged her a good mile out, making the familiar landscape look like a foreign shore. The mountains looked taller and mistier, the coastline rockier and less hospitable. The calm of daybreak was slowly giving way to the first small waves, and they splashed her face. She sputtered and swam on. But a second later, she paused and treaded water, listening to her own panting breaths.
Breath…panting…water… She looked down past her feet.
Whoa. Wait a minute. How long had she been underwater?
A few minutes, at least. That whole time, her sole focus was escaping Draig. The need to breathe hadn’t registered in the least. How was that possible? She was good at holding her breath — but not that good. By all rights, she should have drowned.
So maybe Connor had been right about not knocking only having a little mermaid blood. Maybe it was enough.
Or was it?
Her left hand was still clutched around the pearl, and she loosened her grip just enough to peek at it. What had that woman in Lahaina said?
Precious pearls. Magical pearls. Pearls that could…could…
The pearl shone brighter, gold beating out black as if it were soaking up sunlight and stocking up its power.
…could…
Could what? Jenna wanted to yell.
You should read the stories, honey, was all the saleswoman had said.
Jenna grimaced. Yeah, sure. She’d do that just as soon as she escaped the sea dragon nipping at her heels.
As if on cue, the water behind her erupted, and two massive dragons rocketed into the air, sending a huge wave her way. It lifted and propelled her as roars echoed in her ears and water rained down from above.
One of the dragons bellowed furiously. Go, Jenna! Get out of here!
Her heart squeezed. That was Connor, fighting for her.
No! Wait for me, my pet, Draig called in a spooky, hypnotic voice.
How her mind translated their throaty growls into words, she had no clue. It took a while for her mind to process, though, and all she could do for one breathless moment was watch the dragons fight. The massive beasts grappled wildly, rising thirty feet above the water before plunging down in a relentless fight that unfolded above and below the waterline.
Go! Get out of here! Connor urged as he unleashed a long plume of fire.
Jenna ducked underwater in a rush. Then she surfaced, snapped her hand shut around the pearl, and started racing toward shore. It didn’t matter whether the pearl or her mermaid ancestry had helped her survive underwater for that long. Neither had helped her escape Draig, so her best bet was to get the hell away. But when a pained groan sounded, she couldn’t help but spin around to look.
The darker, more compact dragon — Draig — gave a mighty heave and flopped sideways, dragging Connor under.
“Connor!”
The water roiled as they disappeared, and the surface gradually quieted, erasing every trace of her lover.
“Connor!” she screamed, looking down. Sheer panic seized her, and she’d never felt so alone. There was no one to yell to for help, no emergency number to call. There was only her.
“Connor,” she whimpered, completely lost as to what to do.
She wished for her dad. Her sister. Connor’s brothers. Anyone! How could she possibly help him on her own?
Her hand grazed her chest in a frantic movement, and a memory zipped through her mind.
If you get a dragon right between the plates…
She forced herself to slow down and trace the pattern of her own sternum. If dragons were vulnerable there, as Connor had said…
She took a deep breath and reached down, checking that her knife was still strapped to her leg. Her spelled-against-vampires knife. Would it work against a dragon too?
Smacking the water in frustration, she cried out. Who the hell knew? No one had taken the time to explain it all to her. Maybe no one person knew how the crazy shifter world worked.
It’s not fair, she wanted to scream.
But her dad had taught her better than that, so she forced the thought out of her mind. Lots of things in life weren’t fair, but Monroes didn’t moan. They looked for love and sunshine and soldiered on.
Jenna closed her eyes, looking for some thread of hope, figuring it would be hard at a moment like this. But love instantly brought her to Connor, and sunshine immediately conjured up an image of him holding her close.
She took a deep breath. Okay. Love — check. Sunshine — check. What else did she have?
The muscles of her right arm twitched, replaying a move Connor had taught her with a knife. The round lump of the pearl warmed her hand at the same time, adding another item to her list.
Knife. Pearl. Love. The only other thing she needed was courage, right?
She stalled out there. Courage was the hard part.
The scent of coconut and ginger tickled her nose, urging her to swim for shore. But angry little wavelets slapped at her face, ordering her to get her shit together. Was she really going to let Connor fight while she fled to safety, leaving him alone?
“Damn it,” she muttered, disgusted with herself. She could damn well muster up some courage too.
Before she could talk herself out of it, she sucked in a quick breath and dove.
I am not a wimp. I am not a wimp, she mumbled as she kicked down. Deeper and deeper, until the water temperature dropped and sunlight split into ever-thinner shafts. Alarms clanged in her mind, telling her she would die. But a tiny little partitioned corner of her mind pushed her onward.
Just a little farther. They’re right over there.
The air pressure built in her ears, and her eyes narrowed to slits, but she spotted the dragons another thirty feet down. The depth washed out most color, but the glow of their eyes stood out like submarine lights, flashing and strobing as they twisted and turned. Draig had to be the darker one with stumpy wings and a thicker tail. Connor was the big green one — but, shit. The trail of bubbles streaming from his mouth was getting thinner all the time.
She turned on the most determined dolphin kick of her life, keeping her hands at her sides. In a pool, she could only keep that stroke up for a length or two, but out here in the open ocean, she seemed to zoom along. So, yeah. Either she was halfway to death and hallucinating, or the mermaid thing wasn’t bullshit, after all.
No… Jenna… Connor called in a grim, weak tone.
My pet, Draig crooned, sounding fresh and triumphant. I knew you would return.
Jenna made a face. She’d show him what kind of pet she’d make.
And you’ve brought me a special gift. I can feel its power. Where are you keeping it, my dear?
Jenna kept her hand closed tightly. Shit — Draig knew about the pearl? She wondered if he knew exactly what its power was. She couldn’t tell — only that some kind of force seemed to quietly pulse from it, helping her. Would it help anyone?
Connor lashed at Draig with his tail, but the sea dragon spun deftly sideways and raked two massive claws across his back.
Stop, she yelled, using a bubbly voice and the force of her mind to get the message across.
They did no such thing, and she huffed. Men!
Connor wrestled Draig sideways, and for a second, a gap opened between their struggling bodies. Jenna gulped, forcing herself to observe. Somehow, she had to squeeze between them and strike Draig deep in the chest. Was that even possible without being crushed?
Reason told her to forget it, but the pearl in her hand stayed warm, giving her hope.
Connor, she cried, willing her voice into his head. Do that again. She had no idea what that kind of side-twist wrestling move was called, but she pictured it and pushed the image out with her words.
Just go, Jenna. Go!
Not going anywhere, she shot back.
Soon, my dear, Draig crooned.
Jenna scowled. Right, like she was eagerly waiting to elope with him.
Come on, Connor. Do it again, she begged, swimming to within an arm’s length of their flailing wings. It was as terrifying as edging up to an out-of-control buzz saw, but she forced herself to watch and wait.
Please, Connor. Please.
A tail whipped right in front of her face, and she ducked. Connor grunted, and both dragons lurched sideways.
Now! Now! a voice screamed in her mind as a tiny gap opened between their chests. Connor was giving her the opening she needed.
Jenna kicked forward then scuttled away as the dragons crashed together again. Her heart hammered in fear and dejection. It wasn’t possible. It just wasn’t possible.
She thumped her own thigh. It had to be possible, damn it. She had to find a way.
One more time, Connor. You can do it.
I can do it, she added to herself.
The minute I rid myself of this troublesome half-breed, Draig grunted between breaths, you shall have the mate you deserve.