Forged by Flames: Book 3 (Dragon's Breath Series)

by Susan Illene

  To Aidan, it almost seemed like too much of a coincidence that the famous slayer waited to show himself until after they were well out of the city, and then he’d accepted an invitation to visit his daughter without needing much encouragement.

  “Bailey,” he began, turning his gaze toward her. “Do you want to talk about your…”

  “No, not now,” she said, and her face tightened. “I need some time to think.”

  “I would not have tried to kill him.” Aidan took her hand. “As long as he didn’t pose a threat to you.”

  She gave him a weak smile. “I know.”

  Conrad tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. He’d missed the reunion scene between Bailey and her father, but he’d heard about it from Phoebe while they cleaned their wounds after returning to the trucks. Knowing the slayer as well as Aidan, Conrad stopped discussing it as soon as it became clear Bailey was uncomfortable. It was written all over the young man’s features that he wanted to ask questions, though.

  Several minutes passed in silence. More than once, Bailey looked like she was about to speak. Aidan pretended not to notice, deciding she would open up when she was ready.

  “Do you think…” she paused and cleared her throat. “Do you think Wayne really wants to get to know me? That he’s actually coming to visit for that reason.”

  “Girl, I think he’s curious what you’re up to, and with the way he watched you the last time he was in Norman, it’s probably harder than he’s lettin’ on to stay away,” Conrad said, jumping at the chance to finally discuss the topic.

  She threw up her hands. “Then why stay away at all?”

  “Perhaps it is an issue of pride,” Aidan suggested.

  Kade turned in his seat. “Your father knows more about you and your activities than he revealed to us today. A slayer does not live as long as him without powerful resources at his disposal. He is cold and calculating, but I also sense he has a soft heart somewhere in there. You are a link to a past he thought long gone. Though he might not be pleased with your choice of allies, he still wants to get to know you.”

  Bailey narrowed her eyes at him. “Is this coming from another one of your visions?”

  Kade smiled enigmatically. “Visions are only one of my many talents.”

  “Is he always this annoying to be around?” Conrad asked Aidan.

  “Yes, but I’ve grown used to him the same way I have you,” he replied.

  “Hey, man.” Conrad shot him an annoyed look. “Don’t ever piss off the driver.”

  “Then don’t ask silly questions,” Aidan said.

  The radio crackled, ending their conversation as Danae’s voice came through the speaker. “Are you guys seeing this up ahead?”

  They had been so caught up in their conversation that Aidan had hardly been paying attention to their surroundings. He knew better than that and wanted to kick himself. Moving closer to the side window, he looked ahead toward the west. A sheer wall of dust and dirt rose from the ground all the way up to high in the sky.

  “Oh, my God,” Bailey gasped. “What is that?”

  As if he’d heard her, Miles came on the radio. “It looks like a dust storm. If it is, it will be too dangerous to drive through.”

  Bailey grabbed the microphone. “Didn’t dust storms stop getting this bad decades ago?”

  Aidan had no idea about such things in this place, but back in Kederrawien this type of weather phenomena occurred frequently. Dragons could not fly through the storms because it was impossible to see where they were going, and the swirling sand could tear at their scales and eyes. They always had to take shelter until the weather cleared.

  “The worst of them did,” Miles answered. “But sometimes a less severe dust storm comes along and darkens the sky. They just don’t look anything like this.”

  Kade frowned. “There is something strange going on here. A normal storm moves, but I’ve been watching this one for a few minutes now, and I am almost certain it is staying in one place.”

  Aidan took one of the modern maps from Bailey’s pack and studied it. He remembered hearing something a few months ago about a hazard forming in the northern part of Thamaran territory. They’d crossed into the toriq’s land when they’d passed Interstate 35 a little over half an hour ago. He traced the highway they now drove until he reached their current position.

  “It appears there are salt plains and a lake ahead. Perhaps that has something to do with this storm,” he said, showing Bailey what he found.

  She repeated Aidan and Kade’s observations over the radio to the others.

  “I don’t know if that makes any difference,” Miles replied. “There is a lot less vegetation in this area because of the high salt content, and the wide open spaces could be contributing to the storm, but it doesn’t explain why it isn’t moving.”

  “Are you going to turn around?” Bailey asked.

  “Since it’s not moving, I want to get a closer look. This may only be a problem here, but we can’t be sure we’ll never run into something like this again. Might as well study it, so we can warn others if they come this way,” Miles replied.

  Aidan had to admit to a certain amount of curiosity himself. He had never seen a stationary storm, and if this was the same problem he’d heard about with the Thamaran, it had been going for months—perhaps even since the dimensions began colliding. It wasn’t easy getting reliable information on places this far north, and the details had been more than a little vague. The one thing he did know was that the pure dragons avoided coming anywhere near it, which explained why they’d had no sightings of them recently.

  Miles stopped his truck a couple of hundred feet before the edge of the storm. Everyone climbed out, noting it was warmer in this area, and moved to the front of the vehicles to gape at it. The dust wasn’t a solid wall—they could see bits of debris flying around in there—but it stopped at a precise line across the highway and fields on either side. There was a good deal of debris scattered just outside the storm, including vehicles stripped of their paint, animal bones, and tree branches bare of any bark. Anything that had been in there did not fare well.

  Bailey furrowed her brows and glanced at Aidan. “Shouldn’t we be hearing something? I mean, it’s clear that the wind is blowing hard inside there and pushing sand and stuff around. Why is it so quiet?”

  “I do not know, but it is strange,” he replied. Even with straining his ears, he couldn’t hear the storm. At night, if the moon wasn’t full to light the surrounding area up, this could become an even bigger hazard. People would go right into it without seeing the danger.

  Danae began walking closer to the storm, but halfway there she doubled over. Miles raced to grab her. He was able to guide her back without feeling the same effects. Once she was a safe distance, she moved to the side of the road and vomited. After finishing, she turned toward them.

  “It’s some kind of natural magic creating the effect. Not from a sorcerer, but something from nature or the Earth.” She shook her head. “I could feel how wild and strong it was.”

  “It is peculiar that I did not see this coming,” Kade said, rubbing his head. “Normally I get some kind of warning about magic-related troubles.”

  “Yes, but often not until the last moment and only if it is a threat to us. We could see this coming for ourselves,” Aidan replied.

  Danae drank deeply from a canteen of water Miles handed her. He was fussing over the woman quite a lot for a man who presumably hated her. No one in their group had brought up the topic of Miles and Danae’s relationship since the cave, but Aidan had observed them. The human male had certainly showed signs that he was still in love with the sorceress. And with each day they traveled closely together, it became even more apparent.

  “We were warned about it,” Danae said, handing the canteen back to Miles. “Xanath told us to expect something that could remove the spell he put on us. This storm is it.”

  Aidan stilled. “Is it a problem at this distance?”
<
br />   “No.” She shook her head. “We’d have to enter the storm for it to remove our anti-tracking spell.”

  Movement from the storm caught their attention. Some dark shape flew through it and came soaring out from about a hundred feet high. Aidan grabbed Bailey’s arm, pulling her with him. “Get back!”

  Everyone ran toward the vehicles. The remains of a two-door truck slammed down on the pavement a mere dozen feet from where they’d just stood. It was stripped of its paint, the windows had been broken out, and all that was left of the interior seats were metal springs and wires.

  “Holy shit!” Conrad said. “And here I thought I’d seen it all by now.”

  “Let’s turn back,” Miles said, always prepared to take charge. “It’s going to take us longer, but we have to go around.”

  ***

  Their detour added hours to their drive. By the time they reached Alabaster Caverns State Park, the sun had long since set. They’d discussed stopping for the night to avoid Thamaran dragon patrols, but decided against it. There didn’t seem to be many in the area, and they only had two full days of their protection spell left. They couldn’t afford to waste any more time than necessary.

  Miles continued to lead the way in the RV hauler, using a pair of what he called “night vision goggles” to see since they could not risk using the vehicle lights. Bailey took over driving the truck. Her enhanced night vision was more than enough to let her follow Miles, especially with the moon out.

  They made their way through the park, following their sense of the orb fragment now that they were close. It amazed him how as long as Conrad held the other two pieces, Aidan could not feel them—even from a few feet away. Somehow, the guide had given the human the ability to block the uncomfortable sensation. It was only when they neared a new fragment that the dark feeling returned.

  “Not another damn cave.” Conrad moaned from the backseat where he rode with Kade.

  “It makes sense if you think about it,” Bailey said. “Where else could they hide the fragments and be sure the places remained intact thousands of years later?”

  “Also accessible,” Aidan added.

  Conrad sighed. “Yeah, I guess lakes and oceans would be out of the question if we’re actually supposed to get it.”

  Miles stopped his truck in front of the park office, and Bailey pulled up next to him. The clock on the dashboard said it was a little after 9 p.m. Today had been their longest drive yet, and everyone was hungry and exhausted. Their group got out of the vehicles to take a look around. Aidan was pleased to find the temperature warm enough that they almost didn’t need their jackets. Except for Bailey, who only wore hers once so far on this trip, and that was the previous evening when the temperature dropped to freezing after the sun set.

  Aidan gazed at the area around him. There were a few buildings nearby, including what appeared to be human homes, a restroom for visitors, and picnic areas. No people seemed to be around, though.

  “I’ve been here before,” Miles said, studying their surroundings. “My parents brought me when I was a kid, but I forgot about it until now.”

  Aidan found it interesting the young man offered such personal information, considering he rarely spoke of himself and especially not since they’d buried his father. Perhaps this journey was making the normally reserved man open up more.

  “Do we go in the cave now?” Bailey asked, nodding in the direction of where the orb fragment called to them.

  Danae shook her head. “If the final test is anywhere as bad as the last one, I think I’d rather wait until I’ve eaten and gotten some sleep.”

  “We have no idea how long you may be in there and time is of the essence,” Kade pointed out.

  “Then you go in there, man,” Conrad replied, giving him a disgruntled look. “Because some of us aren’t ready to face whatever else they got planned for us.”

  “I agree with Danae and Conrad,” Aidan said. “We have no idea what the final test may involve, and the last one was difficult enough to pass after a long day of travel.”

  “Very well.” Kade sighed. “Let us see if we cannot find sleeping quarters in any of these buildings and prepare a meal for ourselves.”

  Everyone mumbled their agreements and began unloading the trucks.

  Chapter 28

  Bailey

  I woke up to bright sunlight filtering through the bedroom windows. Sitting up, I ignored the unfamiliar furnishings around me and focused on the man lying next to me in bed. Aidan was still fast asleep. I glanced at my watch, noting it was almost 11 a.m. He probably wouldn’t wake up for another hour without a little help.

  Leaning down, I pressed light kisses on his chest and up to his neck. His breathing changed, no longer light and soft. He sucked in a deep breath of air and his eyelids fluttered open. I met his yellow gaze and smiled.

  “Good morning,” Aidan said, pulling me on top of him. “I normally do not condone being woken up early, but you may use your kissing method on me anytime you wish.”

  “I thought you might appreciate that,” I said, reveling in his heat.

  Aidan’s hands found their way under my t-shirt, and his fingertips traced their way up my back. I arched into his touch, enjoying the feeling of him being so close. He burrowed his head into my neck, breathing me in before placing tiny kisses there. I didn’t want it to end.

  His muscles bunched, and in the next moment, I found myself flipped onto my back. He burrowed between my thighs with only my underwear and his pants acting as a barrier between us. Last night, I’d insisted on some clothes or else who knew what might happen. No way were we doing anything until I got Trish’s birth control supply from her. Still, I couldn’t help letting Aidan practice for what we’d eventually be doing once the time was right. It felt too good playing the happy couple to give him up just yet.

  “I don’t suppose you’ve changed your mind about us becoming more intimate?” he asked, staring at me with a lust-filled gaze. Every muscle in his body was strained to keep control of himself. It was the sexiest thing I’d ever seen.

  I shook my head. “Nope.”

  “This is torture,” he said, lifting his head to stare at the wall.

  I ran my hands down his back and squeezed his butt. “Then move.”

  He grunted. “I do not have that much willpower.”

  I laughed. My amusement fled when it was followed by loud pounding on the bedroom door. Whoever it was couldn’t knock just once. They kept going like they were the police demanding entry.

  “What?” I yelled.

  “You two lovebirds need to get up. We’ve got work to do,” Conrad answered.

  I sighed. “Guess it’s back to the real world.”

  Aidan gave me one last lingering look, then rolled off of me. “May I kill him?”

  “I’d consider it,” I said, yanking my t-shirt down where it had ridden up my stomach, “but he is the guardian of the orb fragments so we can’t take him out just yet.”

  “I heard that,” Conrad called through the door.

  “On second thought, we could hurt him a little.” I swung my legs over the side of the bed and reached for my camrium uniform on top of my pack. Aidan didn’t move from where he lay, watching me get dressed. His gaze was so intense that I didn’t bother to hide my body as I changed tops and pulled on my pants. It was one of those intimate moments that made me feel even more like we were really together.

  Only after I sat down to pull my boots on did he start getting dressed. We finished getting our things together and headed out, stopping just outside the front door to brush our teeth. Could this actually become a routine if Nanoq allowed him stay closer to the fortress? I wanted that more than I dared hope.

  We walked over to the picnic pavilion to join the others, who were already enjoying coffee and snacks for breakfast. Aidan’s uncle was the only one left unaccounted for from our group. I gulped down a cup of hot coffee before bothering to talk to anyone.

  “Where’s Kade?” I asked
.

  “He’s coming,” Conrad answered. “But it’s not like we need him to go in the cave, so there’s no point in waiting for him.”

  “He’s always in such a rush to keep going on this quest—until it involves being awake in the morning,” Phoebe said with a scowl, tossing an apple core into some nearby bushes.

  The shifters had special greenhouses and gardens where they could grow fresh fruits and vegetables year round. Their selection used to be limited, but since returning to Earth, they’d gathered seeds, plants, and trees from around the area and began to increase their variety. Aidan had explained everything to me after I got a peek inside the crate the shifters brought with them.

  We cleaned up our mess and started heading for the cave. Kade came dashing out of a house up the road, hurrying to catch up. He might not get to go inside, but he wouldn’t miss seeing us off.

  “Whatever test they give you,” he started, giving us all stern looks. “You must not fail. We are close to completing this journey, and we cannot afford to be unsuccessful now.”

  Conrad snorted. “Wow, man. I’m glad you reminded us, or we might have forgotten how important this is, and what we’ve already gone through to get this far.”

  “Do not be snide,” Kade said, pointing a finger at him.

  “Let’s go.” I gestured to our group, not wanting to wait any longer.

  We headed down the hill to the wide mouth of the cave. I almost stopped in my tracks when I saw a young woman standing there, watching us come toward her. She had long, red hair, pale skin, and looked to be in her early twenties. And if I wasn’t mistaken, she seemed to be wearing a park service uniform. What the heck?