She bit into the apple as she saw him join her, savouring the sweet and crispy taste. They ate on in companionable silence as he finished his share in four big bites, then turned to her with a very curious gaze.
“What?” she asked, keeping her own gaze on the ocean. It was a calm morning, on its way to becoming hot as the desert as she felt the first trickle of sweat running down her back.
“Nothing. I was just curious what kind of witch you were.”
Sophia shrugged. “Never had to practice my offensive spells beyond the basics.”
“Specialty?”
“Camouflage and healing. Clean-up. It’s the most of what a vampire needs.”
“So they don’t need witch spells to fight their battles?” he asked doubtfully.
This time, she turned to him and shook her head. “Not the one I was working for. Plus, vampire business is always a secret – they would never entrust the witches to do all their dirty tasks.”
A fact she very well should remember. Thoughts of the betrayal came to her mind again, dampening her mood abruptly. She bit into her last piece with vigor as she kept staring glumly at the beautiful view until she felt a nudge at her elbow.
Finn was smiling cheerfully, blue eyes lit up and red hair dancing in the wind. His red hair had been a shock when she’d first met him almost three weeks ago, and it still was.
“You know what I think?” he asked.
She rolled her eyes, already comfortable enough around him to do so. “You’ll tell me, anyway.”
The smile on his face widened into a grin. “Uh-huh. And I think you’d better pay attention – if you want to beat Robbie’s ass, I mean.”
Sophia listened as Finn explained his idea about how she could incorporate subtle magic into her training. Her somberness transformed into a smile as he kept on.
It might just work.
*****
Sophia eyed the swaying leaves of the forest warily.
The breeze had picked up, but not enough to rouse her suspicion that something was amiss. There was no movement anywhere, and the only sound she could hear was the birds chirping merrily from the branches of the trees.
The sun was up, and sweat trickled down her back again and got absorbed by her top. She kept her stance, standing in the middle of a small clearing and keeping her invisible shield – aka, a concealment spell – on with her mind. One of her hands had the dagger ready to strike.
A gust came up from above, swaying the leaves on the left. Then, the right. She retained her stand, feeling out her surroundings and trying to search him out.
A crash, then a boulder was rolling her way. With a quiet curse, Sophia let go of her spell and ran.
She’d been running every morning for two weeks now, and doing various spells on her feet to get them to run faster. She’d discovered that the trick wasn’t to make her feet run faster, but to make their weight lighter. She used that spell now, and instantly she felt almost weightless as she ran like the wind and let her speed carry her away.
A black shadow streaked past her before backtracking and setting on her. Its weight took her by surprise and she got knocked from her momentum, falling on the ground but shifting enough so that she was on top of the figure. She put her knife on the jugular, pressing as Robbie bared his teeth at her.
“Yield,” she demanded, voice carrying over the wind.
Robbie stiffened beneath her before buckling wildly. Her knife was thrown off and he made a move to bite her shoulder–
She jumped and flipped off just in time.
Robbie now had her knife, and he held it out in the offensive as watchful, green eyes stayed on her and saw her reach for another dagger.
“You were saying?” he asked smoothly.
Sophia bared her teeth in return, not saying a word as he circled her. The breeze kept on, and the long grass tickled her feet as she turned on the spell again to make them light as a feather.
He moved to the left, and she tried avoiding him by going to the right.
With lighting speed, he moved to the right along with her, almost bringing her down as he held the knife at chest point. She dodged and jumped away, aiming for his leg as she slid down and plunged.
He swerved and growled.
She kept at it, and he blocked her strike with the dagger in his own hand, almost dismantling hers.
They danced with the wind, a natural motion as they fought each other, the only sounds in the air that of the strike of metal against metal and their own breaths.
She managed to get two cuts in before he was on her, and not even her light feet could save her. They crashed to the ground again, her front on the grass this time as he settled his own weight on top of her, bringing both her wrists behind her and digging the dagger at her side. Its coolness contrasted with his warmth, and she did not move a muscle as she felt his hot breath near her ear.
“Yield,” he murmured.
Her body tickled, but she ignored that and tried to concentrate on her counter attack. Her strength was no match to Robbie's under normal circumstances, but she just might beat him if she caught him by surprise. With effort, she tried to relax her muscle one by one – a soft yielding of the body as she turned her head to the side and sighed in defeat.
“Yes, I yie–”
She interrupted her own words by muttering a short spell to lend her body strength. Then she bucked with all her might, dislodging him enough to kick out his dagger, flip to her back and transfer all her magic to her hand. He didn't waste any time in pressing her down again, but it was too late – her hand had now settled to the side of his stomach, digging the dagger forcefully.
She grinned triumphantly.
“Yield, baby.”
Robbie glared at her – but it was the kind of glare that held a trace of respect as his mouth twitched from trying not to smile.
“That was cheating,” he muttered.
“I learned from the best,” she shot back.
“Don't get your hopes up. We still have a lot to practice.”
This time, she glared back at him. “Spoilsport.”
“Sneaky witch.”
“Slave driver.”
She bucked, but he held on, and his warmth seeped into her as they both tried to catch their breath from the strenuous exercise. After a while, his head crashed down beside hers as she kept the dagger positioned.
“Not letting up?” he asked.
She shook her head, feeling their hair brush against each other. “Not until you say you yield.”
“Fine. We'll stay like this, then.”
“Robbie,” she said warningly.
He turned his head to the side and whispered directly in her ear.
“You asked for it.”
His low tone was doing things to her system, and she did her best to ignore the low thrum that had started in her stomach. He always did this – always whispered without realizing the effect on her, always touched without meaning to. His hands didn't move at all, but their weight on her hips felt like a searing brand.
“Yield,” she murmured.
He shifted above her, and she felt him harden. She pressed the dagger tighter, even as her breath caught in her throat at the feel of him.
She wanted to kiss him. She wanted him to kiss her. She wanted him more than anything else, even if it was the most irrational thing to think about right now, defying her mind and her convictions.
She shouldn't want him. She shouldn't.
But she did.
Cautiously, she turned her head to the side, matching his breath with hers.
Suddenly his weight and warmth were gone.
“I yield,” he said, voice tightly controlled.
Sophia nodded her head, staying in her spot. His hand reached down, and she put her hand on it and let him pull her up until they were both standing and face to face.
Green eyes flashed, but he pushed it down before she could read what it meant.
“We'll continue tomorrow,” he intoned.<
br />
Sophia nodded. “Of course.” She turned around and tried to control her beating heart. She heard shuffling, the pull of zipper, and felt her mouth go dry.
The flap of wings filled the air, and a shadow passed over her, blocking the sun before his dragon form flew higher into the sky, disappearing in the forest.
Quietly, Sophia picked up his clothes and did her own version of running away – by walking up to the castle and taking a long, hot shower.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The distress call came at eight in the evening, when they'd finished their dinner and he'd prepared to settle himself in the library and read. Finn's library was a work of art in itself – a large room that could fit two regular houses, filled with column after column of books that stretched to the ceiling. The ceiling itself depicted a dragon in red flames situated in a starry-sky background, beautiful and haunting.
Robbie didn't waste any time as he strode right off to where Sophia's room was, knocking loud and waiting as he heard her shuffled steps inside.
The door opened, brown eyes twinkling as she opened her mouth to complain. The twinkle died when she saw his grim look.
“What happened?”
“Finn raised a call. A village is under attack in the south. He needs help.”
She had already gone outside and was closing the door before he could even finish his sentence.
“I'm going with you,” she said firmly.
Robbie took one look at her outfit, a tank top and shorts, before shaking his head.
“You need something thicker.”
“Thicker?”
“For the flight. You need to ride me, Sophia, or we don't get there in time.”
Robbie felt more than saw her freeze as his words took hold and she absorbed it slowly. He was prepared for her to protest, and for him to argue.
Instead, she nodded her head determinedly and went back inside.
“Give me five minutes.”
*****
She'd changed into dark sweatpants and put a jacket over her tank top, daggers situated all over the spots he'd taught her to hide them in. Once they arrived in the middle of the field, she pulled up her hoodie, turned around, and waited for him to transform. It took him only a few seconds to do so, and she started picking up his clothes and putting them in her tiny satchel bag before she turned back around to face him.
Just take your time, he said through her mind. She nodded her head, her lips thinning as he lay down on the ground and waited for her to mount.
Robbie felt her left foot and her hand get a grip on his hide, and her hand trembled a bit as she hoisted her weight up. A few seconds later and she was on top of him, the angle of her body awkward.
Calmly, he instructed her via mind how to adjust her position until she was sitting more comfortably.
All right?
“Just don’t drop me,” she whispered.
Trust me; you’re safe.
And then he flew without preamble, meeting the night sky and the full moon above. The puffy, gray clouds covered their flight, and Sophia hugged him tightly as he glided along the chilly path and tried to get to his destination as fast as possible. The world was silent, save for the crashing waves of the ocean they passed as they flew from Finn’s home to an isolated part of the island beside the forest – a cliff where the only occupants were lonely rocks and dried grass.
He stood in the spot where a portal was located and asked her to tighten her grip on him. They both closed their eyes. A few seconds later, warmth enveloped them both, then the same, chilling effect as the view of the island and the ocean disappeared when the portal took them somewhere else.
When Robbie opened his eyes, he was met with chaos.
The remote village was partially on fire. He could hear the screams even from the hill he stood on, could feel the panic of the villagers as most of them tried to put it out. In the middle of an open field to the far left was Finn, in all his red glory – surrounded by rogue wolf shifters who were trying to gang up on him.
He assessed the situation quickly before reaching through his mind.
Finn. What’s the distress?
Finn’s dragon’s tail smacked a wolf lunging for him, and it crashed to the ground with an angry yelp. The other wolves howled, and Robbie saw some of them aim for his belly.
Finn squashed that one flat, blood and intestines exploding.
Rob. I got this. But you need to get the girl they took. Little girl, brown wolf.
Robbie sobered and growled his assent.
“What can we do?” Sophia asked. She had already climbed down from him and was eyeing the village in concern.
They took a child. We need to rescue her.
“Why would they take a child?”
Dinner.
Her eyes went flat as rage took over at his last word. She nodded shortly and climbed onto his back again, waiting until Robbie flew back in the night sky, keeping above clouds to conceal their flight.
“What are we gonna be looking for?” Sophia asked as they passed the village, passed Finn, and went straight for the forest on the other side. It wasn't like the forest of Finn's home where green pine trees and lush flowers lay – this forest was dark, full of dead trees and the smell of misery.
“Screaming, hopefully,” he finally responded. “To know she's still alive.”
They landed just at the edge of it, where Robbie quickly transformed into his human form and got dressed. He gave one short bark for her to camouflage herself and stay close before he was walking inside and starting his search.
They couldn't be far off, because rogue shifters liked to savor their spoils and have at it before it was too late. He'd witnessed it a few years ago in a village in Scotland, when rogue coyote took a family out of their home and slaughtered them right at the edge of a forest cave. There was nothing left but bones and blood, and it had left Robbie so angry that he spared no one.
Unlike vampires, who wanted nothing to do with their rogues, the shifters took care of their own.
The forest gave way to a brook where scattered branches indicated that it had recently been passed by. A double tap on his shoulder told him Sophia was still nearby, waiting for his next move.
He tilted his head to the brook, and he made for it, crossing the shallow waters and knowing she was following his careful steps. They had just reached the end on the other side when his ears pricked as a sound other than the howling owl piercing the night: muffled crying.
His sharp sight couldn't see anything, but his heightened sense of smell could detect traces of a metallic odor that could only be blood.
Robbie had taken but one step before the attack happened.
A blur to his right pounced and he evaded to the left, using hands to grip the head and twist. The wolf was smaller than most and easily gave in his hands, but that was only the introduction, as more came from all sides.
He felt more than saw Sophia's presence leave his side and knew exactly where she was headed. Not wanting to give her away, he shifted his focus to the rogues that had surrounded him and basically egged them on.
There were eight of them in total, and they pounced together like a fucking harmony. This angered Robbie enough to shift his hands into claws and body into scales, and he took an offensive stance as they came.
A slash in the throat. Seven.
One bit at his hand, and he kicked that repeatedly until it got knocked out cold. Six.
He gripped one at his feet and crushed the skull. Five.
The remaining five wouldn't let up, and with no other choice in the matter, Robbie let out one very irritated roar. Then he shifted fully, with his clothes still on, tearing them apart as his dragon form took control. He slaughtered the rest of the attacking rogues without mercy, saving an additional brown rogue for last until the forest was silent again. A specific scent from the brown one filled his nostrils, and it was only after a few seconds that he recognized her.
Sophia had a brush-in with it on her
way to find the girl.
Rage filled him at the thought. Robbie shifted back to human form and ran to the deeper part of the dead trees, the muffled crying gone and the only sound that of his own hurried footsteps. He stopped, and could only hear silence. He strained his ears…
There. Soft murmurs.
A few steps to the right and the trees gave way to another clearing where Sophia was kneeling over a small figure. She abruptly turned in his direction, dagger at a ready in one hand until she realized it was him. Her eyes widened at his naked form, but her other hand remained on the figure as she kept her chanting.
Her cheeks turned red and she looked away from him, finishing her chant before speaking.
“Extra clothes in my bag.”
He nodded his head and went to get them, dressing up quickly before quietly kneeling down to join her. She'd kept up her chanting, and he saw an unconscious girl in front about the age of eight or nine with a sizeable slash on her stomach. Sophia had a bite mark on her ankle, which was already closing up – a by-product of their accidental mating.
A few seconds later, the wound on the girl's stomach closed and she opened her eyes. Pretty, blue eyes stared at Sophia innocently, and calmly asked for her mama.
Sophia's hand shook, still rested on the girl's stomach. Still quiet, Robbie covered it with his own, lending her warmth and support until she stopped trembling. They gazed at each other wordlessly before Sophia assisted the girl in sitting up.
“Where's my mama?” the girl repeated.
Sophia caressed her hair. “We'll take you to her right now. What's your name?”
“Trudy.”
“Do you want to ride a dragon, Trudy?” Sophia asked softly.
Blue eyes shone with excitement. “Can I?”
They both turned to Robbie. With a smirk, he nodded.
“Let me go get the dragon.”
He whispered in Sophia's ear. “I'll drop you off at the other side and come back in my human form to assess the damage. They can't find out our identity.”
Sophia nodded her head.
“Thank you for healing her.”
A small smile played on her lips. Then she nodded again.
And off they went with their plan.
Dragon: The Clan Legacy Series Page 8