The resolve in her eyes grew stronger, shone so brightly it was dazzling.
His strong, brave, beautiful little dragon.
She nodded.
Snarled.
“I will end this.”
CHAPTER 37
Taryn surveyed the battle stretching below her from her perch on the side of the nearest mountain, struggling to focus on the clash of the two armies as her neck throbbed close to her shoulder, Bleu’s recent bite demanding she give him and the hunger he had roused in her all of her attention. He stood beside her, his violet gaze on the warriors far below them, looking for all the three realms as if his focus was there.
She knew it was really on her, on the need that had sparked inside him the moment her blood had hit his tongue.
Desire that had been a low simmer in her blood over the past day or so, steadily climbing towards a boil at times. Every time fate would intervene and ruin their plans. She needed her mate and he needed her, it was there in his eyes whenever he looked at her, in their bond if she focused just a little on it, strengthening it.
Gods, she needed him.
Her eyes scanned the warriors as they fought, swords clashing, bodies slamming, fists smashing and claws slashing. It was brutal, but she needed to see it. She had witnessed demon wars before, but they had never been on this scale and the males involved had never been so vicious, violent beyond compare.
Her brother had caused this.
Bleu had informed her that his madness had even reached a terrible peak, his disease infecting elves and turning them against their own kind.
Her gaze picked out Prince Vail where he fought, his brother Loren close beside him. They were near the back of the battle, forming a line with a mixture of demons and elves meant to cut down any enemy forces who had made it that far and were close to breaking through to reach the garrison.
She shifted her eyes right, to the middle of the mad throng, where King Thorne of the Third Realm of the demons fought hard beside his mate, the two working in a majestic symphony as they twisted and turned, backs pressed together one moment and breaking apart the next. They seemed to always know where the other was without looking. Their bond was strong. Beautiful.
A bond similar to the one she shared with Bleu. She had been able to feel him on the battlefield when she had been back at the garrison with Loren’s mate Olivia, trying to help the mortal doctor as she patched up the wounded teleported away from the front lines. Olivia’s worry about her mate had been infectious, sinking deep claws into Taryn, making her tense and cranking her fear higher with each dull echo of pain on her body that had come from Bleu and her connection to him. She had been so relieved when he had returned.
She lifted her hands to her chest and pressed them to her heart, a heart that beat for him now.
Bleu’s warm hand settled on her bare shoulder and she glanced at him, reassured him with a smile when he looked concerned. He returned it, his lips curling at the corners, his violet eyes sparkling with love. She absorbed the warmth of his caress when he brought his hand away from her shoulder and brushed his knuckles across her cheek.
Her eyes began to slip shut.
A mighty roar rose above the din of the battle and her heart leaped, her gaze seeking the source of the sound.
Her brother?
The pounding of her heart eased when she found the male and saw that it was Tegan who had unleashed such a vicious and feral noise.
The Second King of the demons.
The burly black-haired male fought right at the front and centre of their side, leading the charge, an impressive sight with his black horns flared and his huge obsidian wings on display. He hacked down any who dared to attack him, his broadsword a silver blur and his bare chest stained crimson with the blood of his foes.
She had never seen anything like him.
He was brutal as he swept through his adversaries like a wraith, his black wings assisting him as he dodged blows meant to cleave him in two from swords as huge as his own wielded by demons from many different realms. He towered over them all, a formidable and deadly male, his eyes fixed straight ahead as he ploughed a course through his enemy.
Demons from the second realm followed on his heels, dispatching any he had injured and left in his wake, tackling the fae and demons who tried to reach their king from the sides as he constantly cut a straight line through their brethren.
Her gaze tracked their leader. He held nothing back, led the charge and never hesitated. He roared again and the enemy forces seemed to still for a second as it rolled across the land, all eyes drawn in his direction. They feared him. She could understand why. It was as if one of the Devil’s demons had come to war with them, not a male from a peaceful kingdom.
She tore her gaze away from him and looked towards where he was heading, charting the path he would take if he remained on his current course. Her blood chilled as she saw the large black tent near the edge of a ruined settlement, surrounded by smaller red ones.
As she saw the male emerging from it, his eyes on the battle playing out in front of him.
Tenak.
“Damn,” Bleu bit out beside her and her eyes darted to him. His were fixed on the battle below.
Taryn looked there and wanted to echo him as she spotted the Second King on his knees, a blade sticking out of his chest and a demon towering over him.
The male pulled his broadsword free and spun on his heel, and Taryn didn’t want to watch as he aimed it at King Tegan’s throat, but she couldn’t take her eyes off him. Chills raced over her skin and she swiftly prayed to the gods that his men would reach him in time, even when she knew they wouldn’t.
The blade reached the Second King’s throat.
Taryn’s breath caught.
A female appeared between the two males, shoved her arm against the enemy demon’s one and caught it in her hand, stopping him just as his blade was about to slice through King Tegan’s neck.
The small female leaped at the enemy male, and Taryn’s breath left her in a painful rush and Bleu’s muttered curse swam around her head as the female didn’t attack the male as both of them had expected.
She kissed him.
Was the female involved with that demon?
Taryn shook that thought away. No female would throw herself at a lover during a battle, especially when he had been about to claim a victory the size of the one the demon warrior had been close to seizing.
But nothing else made sense.
Until the demon male fell to his knees, the female nimbly leaped away at the perfect moment to land on her feet beside him, and watched as he crumpled onto his side. She levelled a hard kick at his head, turned and stilled.
The female rushed to the Second King, kneeled and gathered him into her arms.
Disappeared with him.
Taryn’s eyebrows shot up.
Beside her, Bleu let out a low whistle. “I wasn’t expecting that.”
She silently seconded that thought as she watched demons from the second realm turning in circles, confused looks on their faces. A fae had just abducted their king.
Part of her expected them to all flee the battle in search of him, but a male stepped forwards, barked something in the demon tongue and they set off again, charging forwards as if nothing had happened.
Taryn looked back towards where they were heading.
Her brother still stood outside the black tent.
Waiting.
She could feel it as she stood on the side of the mountain, the gentle wind flowing over her exposed skin and the light from the portal warming it.
Tenak moved forwards, stopped, took another step towards the battle. He was itching to join in. It was only a matter of time before he took the sword from the black tent and wreaked havoc with it on the remaining warriors of her side.
Time that she wouldn’t squander.
Every second he spent watching the battle unfold was a chance for her to sneak into his camp and steal his sword. Now that he had l
eft his tent, the time had come for her to act.
She turned away from the battle and Bleu followed her, caught her hand and darkness embraced them, cold against her skin. When it evaporated, they were on the other side of the mountain range, within the border of the First Realm of demons.
“Ready?” Bleu said beside her as he released her arm.
Taryn nodded. “Ready.”
She stepped fowards to give herself more room to shift. Bleu grabbed her arm, pulled her into his and kissed her, a brief firm press of his lips that soothed her fear and her nerves, and spoke volumes about the feelings that flowed from him and into her through their bond. He was worried, and he loved her.
“Be careful,” he breathed against her lips.
She clutched his upper arms, nuzzled his nose with hers, and savoured this brief moment of calm, putting it to memory.
“You be careful, too,” she whispered back at him.
He kissed her again and she claimed his lips, couldn’t stop herself from deepening it, desperate to take more from him, afraid that this would be the last time they kissed.
She drew up her courage from her feet, sucked down a deep breath and found the strength to step back from him. She had to do this. Her brother was a threat to everyone in Hell, and potentially everyone in the mortal realm too. If he won this war, the power he would wield in Hell would only satisfy him at first. It wouldn’t be long before his hunger grew and he turned his mad gaze on the mortal plane, finding a way to enter it and bring it to its knees before him.
And then what?
Would her brother attempt to covet the greatest treasure and claim Heaven for himself?
She fisted her hands at her sides, clenched her jaw and silently vowed that would never happen.
It ended here.
This day.
She willed the shift, and the ground dropped away as her body transformed. Her black paws seemed foreign to her, as if she was looking through another’s eyes. Bleu’s dazzling eyes. She looked across at him as he towered beside her, a huge black dragon with six horns and enormous obsidian wings. His scales shimmered blue in the dying light of day as he turned his head towards her, his violet eyes locking on her. The softness in them spoke to her, told her of his love for her and that he intended to remain close to her for as long as he could.
Taryn looked back down at her own black scales. Strange. She had always longed to be a different colour, to be a normal shade for a dragon rather than a two-tone one that drew attention to her, but now she missed seeing her violet scales and white chest. The black made her feel like someone else. Someone not her.
Bleu had told her back at the castle after mating with her that he thought her hair and eyes beautiful, and she had blushed but hadn’t quite believed him. Now as he gazed at her, raking his violet eyes over her, and she mourned the loss of her colours, she knew he had been telling the truth. He honestly thought her unusual colouring added to her beauty and he didn’t want her any other way.
She no longer wanted herself any other way either.
Bleu had made her feel comfortable in her skin and now she could see how much that unique colouring was a part of her. She stood out but she no longer cared who stared at her, or if she drew the attention of others. She only cared about the way her mate looked at her, the desire and love that shone in his violet eyes whenever they rested on her, and how her appearance drew his attention to her.
She beat her wings and he kicked off, taking to the air with grace that had her lingering a moment on the mountainside to watch him. He flapped his huge black wings, a lazy beat compared to the flustered ones he had used during his training, one that said he was comfortable with being a dragon now.
A striking one at that.
The sunlight caught his scales again, sending blue shimmering over the ridges of his snout and brow, and down the long lean line of his neck, and up his muscular wings. He flicked his tail, the heavy barbed tip cutting through the air, and tucked his back legs up against his stomach, streamlining his body.
He let out a short cry, one she understood.
Taryn launched into the air, obeying his order to follow her. She beat her wings, lifting herself to the same altitude as him, and fell into place beside him. He banked right and soared downwards, towards the valley floor, and she followed, mirroring him. The wind buffeted her face, cool against her scales, and joy swept through her despite her crushing fear of what lay ahead.
Bleu gave a single hard beat of his wings as he reached the side of the curving mountain range and shot upwards only a few metres from the cragged black rocks. She could feel his joy as it flowed through their link, his excitement as he mastered flying and experienced the thrill that she felt whenever she flew. He gave another keening cry as he launched into the sky above the ridge, caught a thermal and twisted in the air, so his body pointed downwards again. He dropped fast, spinning through the air with his wings pinned back, and disappeared beyond the ridge.
She followed him, somersaulting as she reached a crescendo on the thermal coming up off the mountain range, and diving towards him as he soared down into the valley on the other side.
Her senses sparked and she sharply looked right.
Three dragons.
A red male, a gold male and an emerald female.
They were heading towards the camp. Coming to join Tenak for the final stage of the battle.
The bigger red male called and Bleu answered, and Taryn thanked the gods for being on their side as her mate fell into line with the three dragons, joining their ranks. She hadn’t expected to have cover like this, but she wasn’t going to complain. It would be easier to slip into the camp if they looked as though they were part of incoming reinforcements.
Taryn joined Bleu, flying beside him, as close as she could get as her nerves began to get the better of her again.
The tents came into view as they rounded a corner, sending her heart pounding as those nerves suddenly shot up. Bleu looked across at her and made a low coughing noise through his fangs that was meant to reassure her. A sound reserved for mates. The red male turned his head her way, his amber eyes narrowing, and Bleu’s enormous head swivelled towards him.
Bleu growled, flashing his fangs, and darted left, slamming his big body against the male and knocking him into the gold dragon. The red male called, a sound of submission, and flew upwards, breaking away from them and dropping to the back to the emerald female.
Taryn’s blood burned hot.
Her mate was powerful and his display of dominance stirred the fire in her veins until she was aching for him again, unsatisfied need rolling back to a boil.
Bleu lifted his head, his six horns catching the golden light of evening coming from the elf kingdom, and roared, robbing her of breath as a shiver chased through her.
Her senses sparked, warning her of eyes on them, and she diverted her gaze away from Bleu, settling it back on the camp.
Tenak.
He watched their approach with a broad smile, folded his muscular arms across his bare chest, and she could feel his satisfaction as it ran through him. Her heart thundered now, beating so fast she felt dizzy. Bleu brushed his wing across her belly, the swift caress causing a thousand warm tingles to spread over her scales, his way of telling her that he was still there with her.
They would be victorious. Rosalind’s spell would hold, masking her scent and her colour. They would find the sword. They would be victorious.
Taryn told herself that on repeat, a mantra she used to settle her fears as they neared the camp. Tenak looked away from them as the emerald female came into land, turning his focus back to the battle.
He would want to join it soon.
Time was running out.
Several big demon males closed in around Tenak, speaking to him while he remained focused on the fight down in the valley.
The gold dragon set down and shifted back, the emerald female joining him. Taryn looked at the black tent. How was she meant to reach it and shi
ft back to enter it without her brother noticing her?
Bleu provided the answer to that question.
He landed hard, crushing one of the smaller tents and sending everyone in the area scattering as he turned with a roar and lashed out at the red dragon male. His front right paw snagged on the dragon’s wing as he went to pass him, coming in to land with the others, and sent him crashing to the ground. The male reacted in an instant, shoving onto his paws and turning on Bleu, snapping at him with his fangs.
Bleu reared back and pummelled the male with his front paws, long black talons raking over the male’s scales as he tried to evade Bleu.
Tenak shouted something and stormed towards them.
Taryn saw her chance and took it, silently thanking her mate for his diversion and sending a prayer to the gods that he wouldn’t be found out, or seriously hurt.
She drifted overhead, unnoticed by her brother, and the moment he had his back to her, striding away from her with his demon entourage in tow, she pirouetted in the air and dove towards the ground. She shifted before hitting it, landing naked in a squat behind the black tent.
Threw a glance to her right, towards Bleu where he still clashed with the red dragon, their wings beating the air and paws smashing against each other.
She didn’t bother to use her limited magic to clothe herself, fearing it would mess with Rosalind’s enchantment. She tugged the black material of the back of the tent up and scrambled underneath it, her heart leaping around in her chest. The grunts and snarls of the fight grew dimmer and she shoved to her feet, her gaze flying around the tent.
The sword had to be here somewhere.
She checked every wooden trunk that lined the circular wall, threw the piles of cushions that formed a bed aside, scattering them in all directions, and huffed as she didn’t find it. She closed her eyes, drew down a breath to steady herself and then pulled the air in through her nose. The sword was here somewhere. She could smell it.
Taryn opened her eyes and the sound from the fight between Bleu and the red dragon grew louder, Tenak’s barked orders rising above the thuds of flesh meeting flesh.
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