by Julia Mills
After several backward steps, her butt made contact with a wall and Audrey took her first real breath since she’d hit the ground. The blurry figures around her were slowly coming into focus, while the voice calling her name still sounded as if the person was at the bottom of a well.
Rapidly blinking her eyes to clear her vision, while shaking her head with the hopes of stopping the ringing in her ears, Audrey gasped when she could finally see who it was that called her name.
“Rian.” His name a prayer upon her lips, Audrey collapsed in his arms and sobbed for the first time since her abduction.
The hug of her mate’s arms around her body felt like heaven. With her head cradled against his muscular chest, Audrey sighed at the simple beauty of his heartbeat as it whispered in her ear. His kissed the top of her head and she smiled. She felt cherished for the first time since her father’s death. The low tones of his voice slid under her skin and skittered down her spine, warming her from the inside out.
“Oh, Audrey, you’re here. You’re really here. And you’re safe. I’ve waited so long to see you again.”
Audrey raised her head as his voice quivered with emotion. Looking into his deep brown eyes, she laid her hand on his cheek and marveled at the spark of attraction where her skin met his. Barely able to speak, she whispered, “I thought I’d never see you again. How did you do this?”
He handled her with such care that Audrey knew she could just as easily fall in love with the man as she had with the idea of him. It was true they were fated mates. That the Universe in Her infinite wisdom had somehow decided to make the princess just for the dragon. At least that was what all the stories her momma had told her said.
Still, there was one thing she’d always wondered about but had been afraid to ask...what would they feel for each other? Would she love him? Would he love her? Would she feel his devotion to her no matter how many miles separated them? Or would they simply be two pieces of a vast puzzle fit together but Fate to merely exist as a pair, nothing more, nothing less...companions for a lifetime.
All of her questions were answered in an instant. Rian was everything she could’ve hoped for. He’d thought of everything to make her feel comfortable...human. Even had a fresh brewed pot of tea and something to eat. Audrey knew without a doubt this was a man she could love and who would love her in return.
Placing a cup of tea and plate of food on the table in front of her, Rian sat down, took her hand in his and for the first time since she’d landed back on earth, purposely avoided eye contact with her. When he spoke, his voice sounded more formal, but the warmth and affection she felt coming from him was undeniable.
“Audrey, I have spent every minute of every day that I could searching for a way to bring you back. To break the demon’s hold on you. I even searched for your uncle. Sadly, he and all his most trusted advisors were killed in battle, and the information of your whereabouts and the deal made for your life was lost with them. With nowhere else to turn, I contacted a coven of white magic witches.”
Audrey could feel his aversion to the witches and tried to remember if her mother or grandfather had ever spoken of a feud between the white magic spell casters and the dragons, but she could think of nothing. Not wanting to miss anything Rian had to say, she filed it away to think about later and focused on her mate.
“Without knowing the name of the demon who holds you hostage or the bargain your uncle made for you, they were only able to concoct this spell.”
The sad look on Rian’s face told Audrey that she wasn’t going to like what he had to say but needed to hear it anyway. “And I had to use a Devil’s Trap to keep the demon inside you from escaping.”
Her eyes followed the index finger on his free hand as Rian pointed to the ceiling. The strange mosaic pattern containing a mixture of sigils and Gaelic symbols within a thick black pentagram seemed familiar somehow, but Audrey couldn’t place where she’d seen it before.
When he spoke again, she could feel the sadness in his voice. “The worst part of all of this is that you can only stay with me until the first rays of the morning sun break the horizon. When that happens, you will be immediately transported back to the exact spot I summoned you from.”
Rian pulled her to him, wrapped his arms around her, and held on tight as he continued. His scent seeped into her very essence. His chest rumbled against her body as he spoke. “The bright side is that those blasted witches built the spell so that I can call you to me every full moon as soon as the first moonbeam hits the earth. And they assured me they will continue working on a way for me to bring you home permanently.”
Setting her an arm’s length away, he looked deep into her eyes, conveying the conviction of his words. “I will not rest until you are right here, by my side, for all eternity. For you are mine, Audrey Dobresou, more now than ever before.”
Tears filled her eyes but she refused to let them fall. For the first time since her descent into the Abyss, Audrey had hope...real hope. It was more than reading the secret journal entry. Rian was tangible. Right in front of her and looking at her as if he thought she’d hung the moon and stars. Audrey opened her mouth to tell him about the journal and the escape plan she’d found in it—but stopped.
What if he gets hurt? I can’t risk that. Not right now.
Deciding to wait, Audrey summoned all her courage and smiled at the wonderful man Fate had decided would be her mate. With only a few hours until daybreak, she wanted nothing more than to hold his hand, look into his loving eyes, and listen to him speak. They talked for hours. Rian asked question after question about her time in hell and the name of her master. Audrey did her best to hide the fact of her beatings but could see that he knew she was lying. Thankfully, her Guardsman let it go, but she somehow knew that wouldn’t last for long.
Audrey could feel Rian’s anger grow as she explained how her father’s bastard brother, with the help of evil wizards, had bartered her everlasting soul to Adramelech. She explained in as much detail as she knew about Prince Valdis’ association with the black magic practitioners and the way they had slaughtered her father, King August, and his followers to take his crown and kingdom. Rian became so furious when she detailed how the Chancellor had kidnapped and tortured other shifters in an effort to locate the dragons, that he’d jumped to his feet and paced the floor as she spoke.
All too soon, daybreak approached. Audrey could feel the impending doom in the marrow of her bones. Knew she only had minutes before it would be thirty very long days until she could once again see Rian. Acting on impulse as he stood and helped her to her feet, Audrey let herself be pulled against her mate’s massive chest. She stood on her tiptoes, wrapped her arms around his neck, and just as she felt the first tug of the spell returning her to hell, she laid her lips to his.
As Audrey was yanked from the arms of her lover, Rian’s voice floated through her mind. “I will never give up, mo chroi’, never.”
Chapter Two
It’s never easy to fool the people closest to you and when they can literally read your mind, it’s damned near impossible. Having actually held his mate in his arms, though only for a little while, then having to let her go, was driving the Dragon Leader absolutely insane. Ten years of trying to bring her to the surface was bad enough, but now Rian felt like he was in hell right beside her.
The Guardsman spent the next week torn between securing his mental blocks against his brothers’ intrusions and driving the witches crazy for a permanent way to return Audrey to his arms. Rian knew he was being a pain in the ass but really didn’t care. However, he did want to punch something...with great force and repeatedly...and he wasn’t the only one. The separation was driving his dragon to a place where all the beast would do was constantly roar within his mind. It only made the way the Grand Priestess stood patiently before him, speaking as if he was a three-year-old, all the more infuriating.
“Things like this take time, Rian. You must be patient.”
“Patient? You don’t th
ink I’ve been patient. It’s been ten years! TEN YEARS! And Audrey is still trapped in hell. Under the circumstances, I think I have been incredibly patient.”
Nodding, Eleanor placed her hand on his forearm, immediately pulling it back when he growled at her touch. Rian sneered without an ounce of remorse. Obviously rattled, the white witch answered, “I understand the urgency, but you must also comprehend that even with the demon’s name, we are at a loss without the ritual used to doom your mate’s soul. I told you we needed both for there to be any real assurances when I gave you the summoning spell.”
Furious at her glib response and even more so that he could tell the Priestess was holding something back, Rian stepped forward. Using his impressive six-foot-ten-inch height to intimidate, the Dragon Leader leaned over her much smaller frame and snarled through gritted teeth, “What else, Eleanor? What do you know that you’re not telling me?"
He pushed in on her and was rewarded with the first real spark of fear in her eyes. “You are aware of my history with witches, yes?”
He watched as she swallowed nervously. Her only answer was a slow nod. “You may not be the one who killed my mother and sister but I will be damned if I stand idly by and let another of you...witches...take away someone I love.” He spat the last few words with all the venom the pain and frustration of loss fueled within him.
Narrowing his gaze, Rian finished his not-so-thinly veiled threat. “I will burn you and all you hold dear to the ground if I find that you could’ve helped Audrey and did nothing.”
The Dragon Leader watched anxiety, fright, indecision, and finally contempt roll across the old witch’s face. Feeling like Eleanor needed a bit more convincing, Rian closed more of the distance between them.
Mere inches separated him from the object of his ire. He growled just barely above a whisper, “It is my promise to you, Priestess.” Bending at the waist to look the witch right in the eye because he had to be sure she knew he meant every single word and to crowd her just that last little bit, the Dragon Leader added, “And you know I can do it.”
Eleanor stepped back and squared her shoulders. It was her way of trying to take control. He’d seen many do it and many fail and it didn’t matter. He’d been in enough negotiations with rivals to know he had her on the run. She would lose this round. There was no way he was going to let up, not when he could feel at least a few of the answers he needed within his reach.
Rian watched the thought of retaliation cross her wise grey eyes. Knew she probably contemplated turning him into a gecko, or worse yet, a toad. But he was confident Eleanor wouldn’t. She hadn’t lived as long as she had or protected her witches from harm for so many years without being pragmatic. That didn’t mean he hadn’t pissed her off. It just meant she wouldn’t turn her magic loose on him...at least not yet.
There was no way the Priestess would start a war with the dragons. It was one she couldn’t win no matter how old and powerful she was. Dragon kin was the one adversary who could, and would, quite literally rain fire down on her and her entire coven. No, the witch was simply licking her wounds and making him wait. It was the only play she had. After all, there was one thing both Rian and Eleanor could agree on...dead witches couldn’t cast spells.
After several seconds of contemptuous stares, the Priestess finally answered. “We are working on a ritual but it requires summoning a demon. I will not sully the white earthen magic of my coven for you or anyone. No matter how many threats you throw around, Rian O’Reilly.” She paused for effect and the Dragon Leader felt the undeniable need to shake her until her teeth rattled. Instead, he rolled his eyes and waited.
When Eleanor finally spoke again, he could hear her reticence. “However, a messenger has been sent to collect a monk I met many years ago on my travels. He has a certain, shall we say, intimate connection with the dark arts. I was not holding back, merely erring on the side of caution because of your history with my kind and my uncertainty of bringing him into my coven. It is risky mixing white and shall we say—dark gray magic. Risks you have personally experienced. If all goes well, Elmer will be here within the month and we will then know if he can help us retrieve your Audrey.”
Rian knew there was nothing else he could do. No other threats he could make. He was going to have to wait. However, he couldn’t resist reinforcing his position.
“Never forget that because of my personal experience I have little to no tolerance for you or your kind. You are only a necessary evil to get my Audrey out of hell. I know you knew my mother and father and tried to help, but that does not negate the facts of that day. It only makes what I am about to say more important.” He stopped, looked her dead in the eye so there could be no mistake of his intention, and said, “If I get one hint that you or any of your people have neglected helping my mate or turned dark, I will exterminate the lot of you without a second thought.”
Turning on his heels, he walked a few yards before looking over his shoulder. Happy to see the Priestess right where he’d left her, he couldn’t help but add, “Watch yourself, Eleanor. Never forget, we’re all expendable.”
Two weeks passed with no word from the witches. He knew the Priestess had said it would be at least a month before her monk arrived but with less than a week until he would once again summon Audrey, Rian was impatient. He at least wanted to give her good news, even if he had to once again watch her be sucked back into the pits of hell.
As if all that wasn’t enough, Rian was faced with yet another decision. It was up to him, along with the other Elders, to decide whether or not the clan should go to war against another faction of their greatest enemy—the wizards, and their cohorts—the hunters. Nothing was ever easy. Even after ten years of leading the Blue Thunder Clan, there were so many things he wanted and needed to talk to his father about.
Still hailed the greatest leader of dragon kin, Ronan O’Reilly had been one of the fiercest Guardsmen of all times. His legend lived on although he’d been dead for almost fifteen years. Rian once again cursed Fate for the death of his mother and unborn sister to their family friend, a white witch possessed by a demon. Had that not occurred, Rian would still have a family. He would be able to hear his mother, Riona, sing as she worked in her garden. He, Royce, and Rory would be glowering at the young men who tried to catch their baby sister’s eye, and most of all, his father wouldn’t have walked away from his sons, his clan, and his life to wither and die.
So much senseless tragedy.
Making his way to the Cave of the Ancients, Rian thought about Audrey. She was spectacular. Even a Demon Lord and the fires of hell couldn’t diminish her vibrant spirit or her breathtaking beauty. Her violet eyes burned as bright as the first night he’d seen her. The ebony of her hair had shined in the dim candlelight of his basement and felt like silk as it ran through his fingers. Her porcelain skin held its ethereal glow and was so soft to the touch Rian’s fingers tingled long after she was gone. Just thinking of how her soft curves and abundant breasts felt against the hardness of his own physique made Rian’s heart skip a beat. As he’d held her in his arms, there had been absolutely no doubt he’d found home. Audrey was perfect; now all he had to do was get her out of hell.
********
Things hadn’t changed much in ninety years. They’d only gotten more desperate. Rian was off the rails, doing things he’d never thought possible with only the slightest hope of success. Planning was something he’d left in the dust. It had failed him way too many times. He was acting on pure instinct.
The highly respected Leader of the Blue Thunder Clan had deceived everyone he’d ever known for years. He’d dabbled in the dark arts. Made deals with the very people responsible for his greatest loss. And most recently had broken into his oldest and closest friend’s lair, stolen a powerful magical talisman, and disappeared into the night. Not only was he leaving his family, but also his kin and the clan he’d sworn to lead and protect. All to save the woman he loved.
“Memories aren’t gonna fix this shit
. If anyone knows that, it’s me. A hundred years. A hundred fucking years and Audrey is still in hell.” He shook his head and kicked a rock out of his path.
“But I finally have the Focus Stone. I might have had to steal it from not only my oldest friend but also a man who’d called my dad brethren. Hopefully, he’ll understand when this is all over. Maybe he won’t try to kill me. Not that it matters. I would do anything to save Audrey from an eternity with that beast, even face the wrath of a mentally unstable dragon with more magic than he knows what to do with.”
Stopping to watch a doe and her fawn cross the creek to his left, Rian thought of his brothers and quickly pushed the thought aside. There would be time for explanations later. Turning south, he headed up the first of three inclines he’d built to serve as cover for his cabin.
“Never in a million years would I have guessed this mass of magical power was hidden with Drago. Hell, I would’ve never guessed Drago was alive. Poor guy. I can’t imagine living in a silver box buried in the ground for a hundred years. I’m glad he’s back and I know it’s a shitty thing to think, but I’m sorry he’s not the dragon from Audrey’s book.” Rian patted the leather messenger bag draped across his body to reassure himself both of the precious items essential to his mate’s release were still in his possession.
He remembered the day Audrey finally gave him the journal. From the moment she’d appeared, Rian could feel something was different with her...off in some way. She wouldn’t even give him a proper kiss and stood as close as she could to the outer perimeter of the Devil’s Trap, keeping her distance from him.
It had taken less than ten minutes before she’d turned, held out the journal, and explained everything in a rolling rush of words it had taken his ears almost a minute to fully comprehend. He smiled, remembering how Audrey had thought he would be upset that she’d held off telling him, when in fact it warmed his heart to know she worried for his safety just as he worried for hers. Now, all these years later, the book’s existence was paying off.